Harvest

by Steve Merrifield

  “Yes, I wondered whether it might be something ancient. With all the excitement of today I forgot to mention that David and his girlfriend Kim have been at the library all night doing research for us. Kim’s a librarian. They haven’t turned up anything from the news archives or anything, but they have found an interesting pattern from some books on local history and maps – it would seem the land the towers are on has been influenced by the number three; it has three towers now, before that there were three pubs in that part of the neighbourhood, before that there were three farm buildings, and before that when the area was wild there was a pub on a stage route named The Three Oaks, apparently after three oak trees that had stood on the land.”

  Kelly frowned. “Coincidence. Surely?”

  Craig was a little disappointed in Kelly, they had been through so much together, seen so much, yet she was still digging her heels in at accepting anything outside of her rational ordered world. “It’s quite a big coincidence though, don’t you think?” He laughed in the hope that Kelly would be more likely to agree but she just shrugged and fingered the edge of the table. “That is interesting, Rachel, but I guess it doesn’t tell us much though, does it?” Craig added encouraging Rachel to elaborate, and hopefully make it easier for Kelly to accept.

  “It does suggest that there could have been some influence on this land for some time. Also, in support of what were facing being old, I have noticed several Runic symbols; one in the lobby at the flats, in fact looking through the windows of the other two towers I noticed they seem to have the same mural and I imagine the same mark hidden within; the rune for protection – I wondered whether those symbols repeated three times, served some unknown ritualistic purpose. I have also seen a figure who has cast runes that seem to be representative of what’s been happening at the flats. That goes some way in supporting the possibility of it being very old as runes are an ancient language. Actually, and its just conjecture, but I wondered if the cowled figure I have seen with the runes might have a pagan or Druidic connection, its just I have seen him bearing a golden sickle and mistletoe, both are known to be Druid icons of ceremony.”

  “Mistletoe?” Kelly raised her brow questioningly. “Druids? You mean Stonehenge-and-human-sacrifice-druids?” Her face sharpened warily.

  Rachel was very matter-of-fact with her explanations, but Craig knew that Kelly was not going to accept ghostly druids and rune power. He was willing to believe because without any of this background and these esoteric theories and explanations they would be no closer to an understanding.

  “Actually I believe there are some thoughts that Stonehenge predates the Druids, but I don’t know about the human sacrifices as very little is known about them as a culture, which is why you have the romanticised-spirituality view of modern day pagans, and the perception of demonised-rituality by people that, well; aren’t pagans.

  “Druidic traditions are thought to have been passed on orally, so their traditions died with them. The only written accounts are through the Romans, and their perspective could just be propaganda; human sacrifices, secret practices in caves, decapitating prisoners, drawing spirits from severed heads…”

  “Heads? In one of my dreams I saw heads.” The memory frightened him, he didn’t want to recognise any of the faces. “Floating in some kind of gunk. With severed limbs. Like they had been harvested and stored away.”

  “Like you say though, the Druid connection is only conjecture.” Kelly reinforced.

  “I think we left the yellow-brick road of reason a while back.” Craig joked and Kelly held her hands up in surrender and was able to laugh at herself. “I remember the caretaker, Alec, telling me about the problems he had keeping the grounds under control, he said the holly bushes grew like wild-fire around the building, but he got his Christmas bonus by using his ladders to get at the mistletoe that grew on most of the trees, and he would sell it on to the local florists. So maybe that Druid influence does play a part.”

  “Yes, but Kelly is right to question, because the Druids predated the Futhark.”

  Kelly raised her eyebrows again. “I know I am going to regret this, but Futhark?”

  “Futhark is the runic alphabet. The Vikings would have brought it to Britain, but not until after the Druids had been expelled into exile.”

  “Maybe some of the Druids headed to Norway when they were forced out. Maybe it was the Druids that introduced the Futhark to them?” Craig suggested.

  “As Kelly reminded us, all of this is just conjecture. Even if there were a Druid connection it wouldn’t really help us. We probably won’t ever know anything of this creatures heritage, and it’s not like we have a tome of ancient Druid beasts lying around.” Rachel placated lightly.

  Cat jumped in. “Whatever it is; I think it was learning about us, testing its powers at first, experimenting, physically and mentally: seeing if it could use us or control us.”

  “If it is an ancient creature or power, wouldn’t it know us? Why would it need to experiment with us? If anything that sounds more like alien motives.” Kelly laughed and gave a mock surrender again, “Not that I am in any way suggesting this to be aliens.”

  Rachel shrugged. “If it were Druids that were originally behind this then a lot of their magic is thought to be around manipulating the forces of creation, the power of nature and life; ensuring the health of coming crops, turning weather against the enemy. Maybe they created this force or this thing for some reason. If it is created, then perhaps it is trying to understand the world it now finds itself in.”

  “That is how it felt to me. It got in my head the day I went into the coma. I think it put part of itself in my head, seeing if it could use its power through our minds. It worked and I think that might be how my flat got trashed; the first test of using its power through me. Somehow, I resisted, or it didn’t go to plan and I think it shut me down and put me out of the way.”

  “In a coma?”

  Cat answered Jason with a nod. “Maybe it didn’t have the power to kill me at that point. Or it was keeping me for something else.”

  “It was using Malik to watch over you, it probably had the power to kill you at any point. It only tried to take you out of the picture when we arrived,” Craig surmised.

  “Yeah, it must have been keeping me alive for some reason. Maybe it was monitoring me, like a scientist does with an experiment. It seems to use people, Malik and that old guy you told me about, Harry. Maybe it’s incorporeal, and it uses people to interact with the environment. If it is linked to the land, where the towers are, then perhaps it uses people it controls as relays to further its range and influence to other locations. Malik was a relay for the thing to extend its range to watch over me in the hospital and get in my head and keep me under and out of the way.”

  “If you somehow have some of its power, which I think it is apparent that you do, I think Malik turned on you because it lost its control over you and you could possibly use your power against it,” Rachel proposed.

  “It’s in my head, this pressure, a force that feels too big for my skull to hold, and I have to concentrate, think really hard about things to distract it, like when your really trying to keep something in your head so you can remember it for later. But when I have had a strong emotion or my concentration slips the pressure goes, and that feels worse, like everything in my head is going to pour out and drag me after it into some hole I won’t be able to get out of.”

  “And that’s when things happen? Malik getting crushed by the hospital bed, the fire doors being torn aside, Kelly being knocked across the room?” Rachel was answered by a nod from Cat. Craig had been right to question what had happened when Kelly had been tossed to the floor.

  “So Harry wasn’t a killer. He was forced to kill by whatever this ‘thing’ is? It wasn’t his fault at all?”

  Craig reached across the table, hesitated, and then committed to placing his hand over Kelly’s. “Don’t do that to yourself, Kelly.” She nodded, but her face was tight and she co
uldn’t speak.

  Rachel sighed. “Oh, my dear. I don’t think we can be certain of any of the answers that we may think we have.”

  Kelly cleared her throat several times before she could talk through her emotions. “If it can control people like that then it could be using anyone at The Heights…”

  ‘Even us’ went unsaid, but Craig saw Cat shift uncomfortably nonetheless. Craig spoke quickly, “So; it can get in people’s heads, it is possibly controlling the undertaker-corpse. The thing that came for Cat, was that ‘it’? Was that the monster?”

  Cat shook her head. “No, I er, don’t think so, no. I can’t say for certain, but I got a different feeling when it was in my head, it was a strong feeling like a presence, I didn’t get that feeling of a presence at all with Malik. I did a little bit with the two creatures but not to the same degree. When that creature had me and was pulling me into the light I felt that presence emanating from wherever the light was coming from. Like it was in the light, waiting for that creature to take me to ‘it’.”

  Craig grew conscious of his hand still resting on Kelly’s, and it grew hot and clammy. He withdrew it casually, but it still seemed to jar Kelly. “So we haven’t seen this creature at all then really. The people under its control, the undertaker, the snatcher thing, they are just under its control.”

  “How can it be controlling different people and things at the same time?” Kelly asked incredulously.

  “Maybe its consciousness can divide itself up; like bacteria or cells. One mind that can divide itself; expanding its awareness. Like a hive mind.” Cat offered.

  “A hive mind?” Kelly asked.

  “A mind that is a collection of minds. Like the Borg?” Rachel’s knowledge of science-fiction threw Craig and he could see it had the same effect on Cat and Jason.

  “Star Trek. The Borg.” Rachel elaborated, her face reddening.

  “I know what it is I’m just a little surprised you know about all that stuff, that’s all,” Craig laughed.

  Rachel’s words tumbled out in a fluster. “I have cable. I don’t spend all my time talking with those that have passed away you know! My TV time is my time. They all know that.”

  “You just didn’t strike me as a science-fiction person,” Craig admitted.

  “I guess X-files is a little too much like everyday life for you.” Cat commented sourly.

  “Don’t tell me – it’s because of Captain Kirk isn’t it?” Kelly goaded.

  “Oh, Lord no. Kirk didn’t age well did he? Expanding ‘frontier’ and bad wig. Oh, no I like Star Trek: The Next Generation. Captain Jean Luc Picard.” Rachel clapped her hands together. “Now that’s a man that is comfortable with his age and has matured well.”

  “Ooh no. I like the leader in the other series, you know? The guy from Quantum Leap,” Kelly offered.

  “‘Leader’,” Cat scoffed. “Anyway, no one likes him as a captain it’s too weird, I keep expecting to see Al from Quantum Leap appear on the bridge of the Enterprise.”

  Craig was quick to jump in and cover the way Cat had butted Kelly out of the conversation. “Captain Janeway’s the one for me: tough bird,” he announced.

  “And that had nothing to do with Seven-of-Nine in her skin tight one-piece costume of course,” Cat teased with a raised eyebrow.

  Craig laughed at his own transparency. “Okay, guilty as charged.”

  “I’m more of a Star Wars fan personally,” Cat Stated.

  “I haven’t seen Star Wars. Is it any good?” Jason asked.

  “First…” Craig paused to address Jason. “Shut up! I’m only twenty-four but you’re making me feel old! You’ve obviously had a deprived childhood. Yes it’s brilliant.” He turned back to Cat. “And second - Marry me!”

  Kelly abruptly redirected the banter. “Okay, abstract conversation aside. What do we know? We know we are dealing with something that isn’t human. A monster. It’s killing and taking people.”

  “It could be using the abandoned stairs to move about relatively unseen as we said,” Craig reminded.

  “Maybe it’s living in the basement – I mean it could be the only place to hide. Hardly anyone goes down there,” Jason snappily suggested.

  “Except for the caretaker. If it was down there then Alec would have surely seen something.” Kelly countered.

  “Maybe he can’t be trusted – you were suspicious that the door to the roof had been left unlocked when you chased Harry up there,” Craig suggested, conscious of the topic of Harry’s death. Kelly nodded in agreement and didn’t seem fazed by the mention of Harry.

  “The building had been searched by the police a few times and nothing had been found. Maybe ‘it’ can influence people’s perception.”

  Craig was surprised and reassured by Kelly’s imaginative suggestion. “So it could be in the basement then.” Craig clarified. “If it has some kind of connection with people’s minds does that explain my nightmares? What are they about and how do they fit it?”

  Cat answered him. “I kind of have an idea about that. This thing, if it is an entity then it must be some kind of energy. You all tell me that this whole thing started with Albert Taylor going missing, followed by a girl going missing. A few weeks later more children vanish and then strange deaths and now violent murders, it seems there is an escalation, as if this things power or hold is growing. We both said that after our nightmares we felt physically weaker and I was thinking that it’s drawing energy from us while we sleep so it can go off and do the things it is doing. When it draws energy from us, we are connected to it and maybe we see where that energy is being directed to.” Cat looked at everyone to see if they accepted her idea.

  It made sense to Craig and it reassured him further because it was an explanation of why he found himself experiencing the nightmares from the attacker’s perspective.

  “Feeding off our biochemical energy?” Rachel elaborated. “Our body runs on pulses of energy in our nervous system.”

  “At night, with everyone asleep the high-rise flats would be like a battery pack, with us being the power cells,” Cat concluded darkly.

  “But I haven’t had any nightmares.” Kelly countered. “Sorry, but I haven’t.”

  Craig’s thoughts rambled out of his head. “What if it’s only some of us then – or what if it’s the sleeping tablets you use; they might stop it getting in your head. Or the tablets might stop you remembering any of the dreams.”

  “Well I haven’t suffered the lethargy you and Cat say you have experienced after sleeping, so it could be the tablets stop it happening.”

  “I haven’t slept properly since the twins went missing. Too scared to sleep properly.” Jason added.

  “It also has the ability to change things – like the door in the Chambers flat, and the fire door when we left Cat’s; they were both fused to their frames,” Rachel reminded.

  “So we have to be careful of confined spaces, and doors between us and exits,” Kelly considered strategically.

  “Why is it taking people,” Jason stated.

  “Why?” Kelly repeated with a shrug.

  “I think it’s harvesting,” Cat answered swiftly.

  Rachel nodded in agreement. “One of the runes I saw represented the Harvest.”

  “Harvesting what?”

  “People, bodies, flesh, blood, bones.” Cat answered Kelly. “It might need people’s flesh and minds the way we need food and water.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  “I don’t know.” Craig was sure there was more to it. “It’s gone to a lot of trouble to get into our heads, to experiment on us, only to just eat us. I was thinking if this thing is an incorporeal entity contained in one space and its range of influence is limited, then it wants to overcome that limitation. You said earlier that the undertaker and the snatcher looked as though it had been pieced together, it could be they were created from the raw materials it’s harvesting. It could be that it is creating itself bodies so it can move around. That might explain
why Cat thinks we haven’t seen the main creature yet – it hasn’t got a main form yet.”

  “That’s horrible too.” Kelly stated. “What will it do when it has a body then?”

  Craig didn’t know if he was letting his imagination run away with him or if he had something, either way his ideas frightened him. “Probably much of the same, but somewhere else, it’s going to run out of people in that building eventually. There are two more towers. Then the whole neighbourhood, if it can divide itself up like we think, it could spread out.”

  “Go forth and multiply.” Rachel stated quietly and sombrely.

  “It will be stopped though,” Kelly announced matter-of-factly. “I mean the more it spreads the more people will believe or see it – someone will have to act.”

  Cat raised her eyes incredulously. “You mean your precious police? The things that have been happening have made front page news in most of the nationals and the police haven’t even found a walking-dead undertaker in the flats yet. If it can control peoples perception how do we know its influence won’t grow with it?”

  “We are possibly the only few people that have survived seeing what we have seen and actually dared to talk to each other about it. Even I was sceptical to begin with, and it has taken losses for us to consider something supernatural, let alone believe it. There will be many people who will be on their own with their experiences simply because they are too scared of ridicule or think they just won’t be believed,” Rachel reinforced.

  “Or the army.”

  Craig winced at Kelly’s persistence. “That is counting on some very important people staking their reputations on mobilising the army to combat a monster.”

  “Yes, and by that time how many will have died?” Rachel said concerned.

  “Then we have to act now,” Kelly concluded.