Dark King of Horror

by Nicholas Duran

  “But we were asked to steer clear of them? They’ve got no face, nose, and ear on their head. Bullets ain’t penetrating their bodies. I think we should just go to safety where our families are,” Bilal stuttered.

  “Cowardice! That’s sheer cowardice! What will you have to say on the day of recompense? You ran away when you could have stood against the infidels? I go by what the Imam has said. Let’s battle them!” Quozeem spoke out vehemently.

  “Brothers, we need not create a storm out of a teapot here. The infidels shall go and only Allah’s name will be praised. I hope the basement is secured for our families?” asked the Imam.

  “Yes, they’ve been safeguarded in the basement,” a minuscule voice responded.

  While they were still plotting how to trap the Old Ones that had come to wipe them off the face of the earth and ridicule their religion, they felt a heavy push against the wall of the mosque where they locked themselves away behind it wall. And before they could fathom what was going on, the magnificent structure had already trapped all of them in its rubbles, yielding a tremendous yelling from the Old Ones.

  After seeing the end of the mosque and some other places of worship, the Old Ones also ensured that babies and virgin girls are not left untouched. They sacrificed them in a huge inferno, coupled with screaming in agony in an attempt to appease the spirit of the True God.

  The enchanter stepped forward and began to chant, “Unto you our hearts and souls belong, Lucifer, Ouyar, Chameron, Aliseon, Mandousin, Premy, Oriet, Naydru, Esmony, Eparinesoni, Estiot, Dumosson, Danochar, Casmiel, Hayras, Fabelleronthou, Sodirno, Reathan, Venite, Venite, Lucifer. Shemhamforash!” Energy travelled round the mansion again, while another smoke rose up and filled the whole place that none could be seen clearly.

  Satisfied with these offerings, the creature, that had come back from the zoo, where he was swallowing the animals in their numbers, forcing them to extermination, opened its fanged mouth wider and wider that a sort of terrific portal could be seen from the other end.

  In the portal, everything appeared so horrible and infernal that whoever that saw whatever that took place therein; including the cult members, instantly became insane and begged to either eat up themselves or one another alive. As the portal never stopped increasing in size, indescribable species that had never been conceived in man’s mind sprouted and came through the portal. With the way they looked, they seemed like horrible unimaginable and abominable creatures from Hades itself.

  Due to this, destruction, chaos, as well as death came in human form into the city. The species that came through the portal began to eat the remnants of the dismembered bodies that littered the floor. Some of the cult followers were also gulped down their throats alive. As they about to be consumed, their countenances showed that of awe and confusions as to why the cult members couldn’t protect them despite being ardent acolytes.

  In the end, the rampaged city remained desolate as there was none left but an elderly priest, in his tattered garb and soaked in the blood from the massacre, who held up a cross at the gaping creature. The cross he had been going around with had really helped him and save him to the extent that each creature disappear at the sight of the cross. More creatures kept emerging with terrifying noise.

  The last elderly priest screamed prayers to God, “Oh Lord of Heavens! You’re the judge on the day of recompense! To you alone be my praise. None, except you, is worthy of my praise. You’ve been our pillar of support and help in ages past. You saved the Israelites, despite being a recalcitrant generation, from the scourging hands of the tormentors in Egypt. You, who saved David from the claws of the Lion, should look down and come to my rescue from the cold hands of death that’s about to cudgel me with its club. Save humanity from the hands of these destructive creatures.” He pointed the cross in his hand at the creatures that emerged thereafter, thinking it would have effect on them. Unfortunately, it didn’t as these new creatures came with an additional head.

  My prayers aren’t answered? God failed me!

  The elderly cleric was still thinking what could’ve gone wrong that made his prayers go unanswered, when a reptile-looking creature stood tall in front of the priest. The former began to observe the latter, with utmost curiosity, while its tongue kept dangling. It touched the priest’s shoulder, and with a mental connection, the reptile species clothed in its multicolored skin, transmitted all the pieces of information about the cosmos and reality as well as the meaning of life.

  In no time, the priest began to convulse pathetically that his eyes smoldered. Consequent upon this, the wooden cross in his hand dropped off, and the cross began to burn.

  “Father, in thy hands I leave my soul. Save it from eternal damnation of hell, and make these creatures pay for all these heinous crimes on humanity,” mumbled the priest softly as his eyelids began to close up till they shut finally that all that beclouded his mind was nothing but darkness.

  Elation rose up in the midst of the cult members, having had the understanding that they’ve been able to wipe out from the surface of the earth humans. The more the creatures fed on the mutilated bodies, lying on the streets; the more they grew bigger and that alone increased the blood flow on the altar where the Old Ones gathered to appease the True God.

  Streets remained deserted that not even a single bird flew across. Then, once upon a time bubbled city became a desolate habitation. Flies and worms scrambled for food on the carcasses for months. The blood of those who used to occupy the city tarred the road in red. Fear lurked in the air. Since nobody existed there again, the cult members felt their new world should exist.

  “This world had we envisioned for long: a place for us of the same kind. On this rock shall this new faith be built, and no light shall prevail over it,” one of the elders said with zest.

  Still in their ecstatic feeling, they began to drink the blood on the altar in turn. And when some of them had drunk to stupor, they lost their wits and began to misbehave, which led to sex orgy. The Old Ones still stood, with their masks on and observe as their followers busied themselves with fun.

  A loud rumbling like a thunderstorm rose from the forest, and darkness took over the whole forest. In the mansion, only the light from the Old Ones’ eyes illuminated the room. Some of the inhabitants of the village who had been captured before the creatures started to kill them in their numbers were brought out and slaughtered right there while their blood flowed ceaselessly.

  The cult members took the blood and marched humming to the sacrificial altar that had already drunk to stupor blood splashed on it. A blonde virgin, stripped of her cloth carried the calabash that housed the blood and began to walk towards the altar staggering, while others began to celebrate with an uninhibited dance step.

  “We call on you this day to accept not only the blood of these souls, who are with you already, but that of this fresh and unstained blood, whose spirit will be crowned after her death,” the moment the elder announced this; the whole congregation ululated in a reverberation tone in unison.

  Even though Leslie’s mind wasn’t fully committed toward surrendering herself to the cold hands of death, she had no other option than to do so since it had been in her lineage to do so. Her mother’s elder sister was the one who stood in the position where she was standing now.

  Cursed be the day I was formed in my mother’s womb. May the womb that carried me for nine moons seize to bring forth goodness. Leslie gnashed her teeth as she advanced in her movement towards the altar of blood. A smile forced itself to appear on her face, because it was customary for her to laugh before being kissed by death.

  The closer she got to the altar; the thinner she grew as her body kept emaciating as her blood kept dripping on the floor.

  “All hail Lucifer! All hail Lucifer! All hail Lucifer!” Everybody began to chant while stamping thunderously their feet on the ground and the sound of their feet echoed fear throughout the forest that all the leaves went into hiding.

 
; At the very instance she took the last step and should have stood in front of the altar, she collapsed as her last droplet of blood embraced the ground. In a jubilant mood, all of them roared thunderously and paid their obeisance to the lord of darkness who had accepted their humble offering.

  Nostra oblatio tibi sit accepta. Sit laus Lucifer! Offerimus sanguis illius!

  BOOK THREE

  DESTINY

  As soon as Larry opened his eyes, he caught the sight of a shimmering light, gushing out of his body, and the generated from that seemed to electrocute him and the feeling he got was like he wasn’t molded of material matter anymore, since he appeared much lighter. He was stupefied to have found himself stark naked, and with no feeling of shame.

  The place he found himself gave the impression of a whole rectangular cell, with no doors or windows, not even a space to permit light to eavesdrop on whatever that would take place therein, save for the glittering light emerging from his body. Its floors, ceilings, and walls were all crystal white. Larry wondered, what the hell is going on here? How did I get here in the first place? Where are my clothes?

  While he was still in this state of dilemma, he tried to recollect the last images that were in his mind before waking up in this forgotten zone. Though it took him quite some time to piece together the jig-saw puzzle, suddenly, all his last memories came flooding back to him. The image of the dead woman flashed through his mind; the creature that swallowed him also appeared like a mirage to him.

  An urge to let out a loud shrill of insanity stung him so hard that its agony travelled round his already electrified veins, which didn’t seem to harbor blood any longer.

  Could all these be real? Was I sedated before being brought here or what? Did I resurrect or something? Was I by any chance admitted in a mental institution? If it were to be so, wouldn’t there be, at the very least, a door? So many questions began to beg Larry for answers that he could not provide. And the rate at which these thoughts flooded his heart gave him a stolid migraine that could pummel a mountain into sand. All what these thoughts did for him was to confuse him the more.

  “Hello!” Larry screamed so loud that he almost got his Adam’s apple torn apart and even right on his temple, he felt he was being hit with a sledge hammer. “Is there anybody here?”

  Answer came from nowhere to him except for the echo his voice gave birth to. Undaunted by that silence, he shrieked again and this time it was louder than the previous one that he was driven to tears. Despite all these, it appeared silence was the only trusted companion he had at that moment. Not even a single breath was heard except for his that was faintly racing.

  Hardly had he completed another round of his shrill than two black hooded figures, which appearances were like shadows, surfaced in the whiteness of the room. From behind their dark velvet capes revealed yellowish glittering eyes in a triangle, with smoke emanating from what seemed to be their mouths since they were masked.

  On getting to where Larry was, one of the hooded figures said, “Come with us!” Larry backed away, but the figure pulled him by the arm, and in that very instant, he could feel slimy scales scraping his skin. Terrified at this feeling of his, he shook away from the hooded creature’s grip and ran to hide himself in one of the corners so as to keep his head safe. He’d forgotten there was really no hiding place for him.

  “I’m not going anywhere until you tell me what the—“ He was cut off mid-sentence, as he suddenly found himself floating in mid-air, his legs and scrotum dangling above the ground.

  “The Master Old One wish to speak to you,” said the other hooded creature that was busy scribbling some ancient sentences on the floor. As he arose, he extended his arm by some strange power, having chanted, Larry began to levitate. His guttural and husky voice as if he’d just drank liquor pierced into the bones and marrows of whimpering Larry.

  Probably he had, Larry mused, now that anything seemed to be possible. The creature made a gesture with his right arm and Larry, without hesitation, began to levitate rapidly toward one of the white glass-like walls.

  I’m going to die. This is the end for me. He thought. Or I was dead before now? Larry thought this way since he’s been eaten alive by an infernal species much uglier than these demonic fellows. Amused by these thoughts, somehow, made him smile like a mad man.

  Surprisingly to him, there was no crash. All that happened later, which shocked him was that he found himself inside a foggy forest, not being able to see clearly in front of him or to either side. He really was beginning to think he had gone insane.

  “No, you haven’t yet,” answered a voice from the darkness. “Hi Larry,” said the voice, very serene and calm. “I’ve been watching your work for some time now. Very tasty stuff.”

  Larry had the feeling of a man smiling in the darkness.

  “How many Larry?” asked the voice in the silence of the night.

  “How many what?” replied Larry with a worried look that had flapped its wings on his face.

  By the time he asked this, the presence laughed frightfully and its echo travelled across the forest like an angered lightning.

  “Amy was the last one, correct?”

  The figure’s question caught Larry off-guard. He then understood that all that had been happening to him were staged professionally and executed with absolute wit. “How do you know all of that? I’ve never told anyone those things.”

  “I’m quite aware of that, Larry. But please answer the question. That night there were plenty of beautiful dead women, many of which weren’t as physically mistreated as Amy. So, why her?”

  Surprised at this revelation, Larry stood still, and became so terrified to his very core. “Who are you?” He forced out those words from his mouth with shaky courage.

  Immediately he asked this, the whole atmosphere, bubbling with eerie sound, returned into the cocoon of silence. However, in all this, Larry’s heart kept pulsing so hard that it almost got burst.

  “I AM,” said the voice, which broke the silence in the mansion between Larry and him. “Now, answer the question. At least, you’ve known me now. Why her?”

  Larry stalled for a moment. The incident that was inquired of him was what took place in the morgue, where he covered his track from the detectives, unknown to him that there was another being that just sat and observed as the event unfolded. His shadow travelled back in time to when he was patrolling that night, checking whether things were normal as they used to be. Then, suddenly, a loud whisper banged the door of his heart. He followed the voice until he saw his shadow moaning while gliding in and out of the dead woman vagina. All these flooded his mind in a split second. And after returning from his short trip, he spoke bluntly to the dark presence.

  “She called to me, I don’t know. Inside my head. Images.” His words were incoherently structured.

  “Ah, temptation was it? Such delights, such pleasures. Am I right?” The figure cast an inquisitive look that demanded for a swift answer on him.

  Silence, without being given the baton, snatched Larry’s gut awhile as he lost credible words with regards to what to say. He didn’t understand anything of what was happening. This might as well be a nightmare and he might wake up at any time. He began to tap himself so as to wake up from his supposed slumber. His eyes did he wipe tears away from, having thought that he’d been sleepwalking all this while.

  “I want to offer you a job Larry,” said the voice, which broke the weedy silence that overtook power again from the two of them. “One I think suits your, let’s say, particular set of skills.”

  Though shocked at this due to the fact that he hadn’t fathomed what the nature of the job would be like, Larry still had to lean forward and asked, “And if I say no?”

  “Don’t you want to hear the offer first though? I assure you, it is right up your alley,” the voice rang through the room before it finally slept peacefully in his ears.

  Leaving an uncomfortable silence to lie fallow agai
n, Larry bought his time-out from it, and in the deepest darkness of the shadow, the presence laughed hysterically.

  “Have you ever seen the Cosmos Larry? I don’t mean through those primitive instruments your kind uses. I mean, truly seen it?” said the voice with anger and bitterness felt so strongly in his question.

  “No, no I haven’t. What does that have to do with anything we’re discussing here?”

  “Patience—Larry. In your world, there is some saying about patience being a virtue of the gods, or something along those lines. Very true, by the way. Don’t worry, I will soon explain,” the presence spoke out with an emerging smoke from where he sat. “The reason I ask you this is because I have—seen the Cosmos, all of them. Do you know why?”

  Exasperated by the incessant questions the voice kept rolling out like the National Day’s Celebration drums, he looked at the corner where the presence had been speaking from and answered feebly, “In this moment, I feel like I don’t know anything, to be honest, but tell me.”

  At that very instance, the presence appeared from the shadows. It had the shape similar to that of a human, but much thinner, and taller. It carried no facial features, except for the gleaming colors like stars and planets and black space on its body. It had not genitalia neither despite the fact that his voice was that of a man. Floating slightly above, on one of its hands, was a miniature crystal cube, which appeared to be a round object on the inside. Bewildered at not being able to make out what it is he had beheld, Larry left his mouth open.

  “I know because I helped create it Larry.” The colors and stars as well as black space shifted constantly on the being’s body like the laser protecting a diamond.

  Then, Larry was able to get a closer glance at the object the Old One held: it was planet earth, encapsulated inside a square crystal cube. In that short glance, he saw smoke and fire over several continents, as if the earth were under attack.