9 Tales Told in the Dark 23

by 9 Tales Told in the Dark

  After the initial shock, my mind was not able to assimilate what I had just witnessed and the only method to determine a coherent explanation would be to follow a methodical cross-examination of the events that led to this incident. The family was comprised by a groundskeeper, his wife and three kids (the boy that came to the clinic and his two sisters). The groundskeeper was still working and therefore was not present at the moment. Consequently, I began my initial inquiries with his wife. She explained to me that her oldest daughter began to show signs of misconduct earlier that month, in which she recalled a peculiar incident on the 16th of September. That day, her daughter had a sudden change in behavior that resulted in a frantic attack of insults and culminated in an attempt of physical assault. The exact cause for her abnormal behavior was unknown to her mother and she was perplexed at the relentlessness of her attack. The mother also recalled another incident during the weekend following the attack. Upon the arrival of her husband, her daughter constructed a vicious lie in which she implicated her mother in acts of promiscuity and carnal lust. Not surprisingly, this resulted in her confrontation with the infuriating wrath of her husband. She tried to appease her husband but her efforts were ignored, for every attempt at explaining the misunderstanding was quickly denied by her daughter. Due to the bizarre nature of the events, her mother decided to seek the help of Father Limon, which explained his presence when I arrived. Following the initial occurrence, Father Limon attributed her misconduct as a direct result of malevolent spirits and as such proceeded to deal with her ailment through religious rites.

  It was then that her mother began to quiver in tears and could not continue her testimony, hence I directed my inquires to Father Limon. His presence was not a complete surprise to me, since it is a very common practice amongst the working class to seek medical treatment in religious leaders before resorting to modern medicine. He explained to me that during his initial assessment he utilized passive forms of religious incantations to bless the child with sacred objects. However, the religious provocation only aggravated her behavior and produced disastrous consequences. These resulted in the child self-mutilating her body through the biting of her lips and tongue, clawing her skin, and the pulling of her hair. Father Limon, then decided that the child had to be treated on a consecrated site and arranged for the child to stay at the local church. Their efforts were futile, since the child would often disappear right before arriving at the designated site, only to be found back home. The child’s strength and aggression increased drastically and the family was forced to confine her aggression by tying her to the bed and continuing with Father Limon’s religious rites. Father Limon exhausted all possible interventions on the 25th of September and for two days, the child had been restrained in her bed up until my arrival.

  The hours stagnated and as we progress further into the night the child seem to be calm by the effects of the sedative. As a scientist and a medical doctor, I did not support Father Limon’s conclusions of malevolent spirits manifesting themselves through the body of a child. However, based on my medical training I suspected a possible infection of Toxoplasma gondii. The symptoms could be explained by the nature of this protozoan and the tendency it has to cross the blood-brain barrier. Once in the central nervous system the parasite burrows through nervous tissue and niches within the cerebral cortex. This could account for the aberrant change in behavior and the acquisition of the parasite could also be explained by my earlier encounter with the neighborhood cats, given that the only host reservoir of this parasite are felines. That night, I collected a blood sample to run a quick antibody reaction for the parasite and gave her another small dose of the sedative, enough to carry her for the rest of the night. The following day her father would be coming back home for the weekend and I would get a chance to gather further information from him.

  With an exhausted mind and a methodical approach to this case, I headed back to my dormitory. However, the unhallowed screeches I encountered earlier followed me back home along with a ghastly sensation that perturbed my senses. The moon was waxing like a cruel portrait that illuminated my path with a malevolent light and although it was a clear night, I could not observe the usual flickering of the stars. I tried to rationalize my fears but there are certain times when a rational mind cannot overwrite our primal instincts, that just like cats and dogs forebode tragic events. Once home, I could not shake the sepulchral feeling and almost felt as if the dead had accompanied me and entered my home. I tried to get some rest but my attempt was ineffective for I had a restless night and minimal sleep.

  The following day, I proceeded to run the parasitological assays and to my consternation, the antibody tests came back negative. I decided to run the assay again and even tested for other pathogens such as Plasmodium falciparum and Trypanosoma cruzi however, time after time the data bore negative results. I was perplexed by the negative results but I assimilated the validity of the data and decided to visit the family once again, hoping that my visit would shed light on this mystery. At my arrival, there was a thick sentiment of melancholy that permeated the house and its inhabitants, however there seemed to be a small amount of rejoicement when I arrived. I was told that the child had been tranquil for the day and that her frantic behaviors seemed to have abated. After reassuring for myself that the child was stable, I proceeded to continue my inquires with her father.

  Although her father had the aspect of a commoner, when he narrated his tale, he spoke in a very eloquent manner and I found myself captivated by the astonishment of his morbid tale. The tale began many years in the past, when in his feeble youth was presented with an opportunity to dawdle with supernatural forces. As it is very common amongst the working class, the man had become frustrated with his stagnating financial situation and resorted to other means for closing this gap. He did not detail how he was able to obtain the infamous spirit board knowns as the Ouija and any pressing from my side to determine the origin of this nefarious object, was quickly dismissed. It had been a popular means of communication with spirits during the spiritual movement in the United States and even honorable figures such as the American president Abraham Lincoln professed used of the mystical board. The popularity attained soon transcended into an informal practice, which now comprises one of the major three cults in Mexico. The practice of spiritualism in Mexico varies amongst congregations and this is mainly due to the lack of formal canonical texts. This lack of formality resulted in variations in the use of these objects and in recent times, the use of the Ouija has been used as a method for communicating with spirits. However, the practice of contacting the intangible realm dates back to ancient times and the use of the Ouija has similarities with practices used by shamanistic tribes in Africa, Mesoamerican rituals and a particular resemblance to Chinese Fuji, which was used during the Song Dynasty as a method of necromancy.

  His account continued with a detailed recount of his experience using the Ouija, in which during a night of full moon he was determined to break the veil that exists between our physical world and the intangible realm. That night, the setup consisted in the lighting of candles, burning of incense, and placing an offering that included tobacco, mezcal, and a personal object (in this case the placement of his harmonica). As the hours of the night continued and the moon had risen to its highest peak, the ritual demanded the exposure of the planchette to the moonlight, which according to him was necessary for gathering celestial energy to open the doors of perception. Once the planchette had obtained the desired exposure, the ritual continued with the placement of the board in front of a mirror and recitation of various incantations that beckon the presence of any spirit willing to come forward. He placed the planchette on the board and waited for a response, but as the hours passed, his disappointment was the only manifestation. Just as he was about to abandon his quest, the needles in the clock struck 3 am and the planchette began to move. Using the letters to make the words the spirit made his presence known, and introduced himself as Abacus.

  C
ontent with his success, the man proceeded to inquiry about various methods for obtaining financial success. However, Abacus was not willing to divulge such secrets without any offering in exchange. The man had nothing to give in exchange other than his life in devotion to his will, but Abacus did not find satisfaction with his offering. Instead, Abacus agreed to deliver momentary financial gains but would later return to claim his offering. In his desperation, the man promised to deliver anything that he would asked for and agreed to the terms of the pact. Unknowingly, this would be the beginning of an ordeal that would taunt his nights with darkness and dismay.

  The months following his contact with Abacus, he was able to obtain a position in the newly opened Paper Factory of San Rafael and as a direct result, his financial status improved. He was able to secure the home in which his family resides now and attain a modest income. However, with his financial success came a series of unexplainable events that revolved around a cryptic nature. These events were miniscule in comparison to what was to come and they could only have alluded to the malevolent nature of the forces that reside within the board.

  The first incident occurred while he was fast asleep, but was suddenly woken up by a pungent odor that perfused his nostrils. This was followed by the manifestation of miniature steps that appeared to run across the room, inside the walls, and even through the ceiling. This peculiar incident persisted without any distinguishable pattern and after several nights, the events escalated with the disappearance of small objects such as keys and clothing, only to be found in a location that differed from the original placing. By this time, the man had been assigned to be the groundskeeper for the water reservoir of La Cuesta. The company provided him with a small cottage to stay in, given that the new position demanded a 24-hour surveillance and maintenance of the site.

  Many years passed without any further interruptions, until the end of August when he encountered a very distinctive incident that disturbed his peace of mind. The familiar manifestation of the miniature steps was only the prelude to a circumstance that involved the death of two hikers. Earlier that day, a group of hikers seeking to summit the dormant volcanic mountain of Iztaccihuatl stop to camp at La Cuesta. When they arrived, exhausted from the initial ascent and seeking relief from the heat, one of them decided to dive into the waters of La Cuesta. The reservoir is fed by a network of canals that carry water from the melting ice and snow at the apex of the mountain, hence the temperature of these waters must have been at a minimum of 3° Celsius. When the human body is exposed to a drastic drop in temperature, the body responds by vasoconstriction of vessels in the extremities, which results in diminished blood flow to the limbs in an attempt to maintain homeostatic core temperature. This sudden lack of blood flow to extremities also leads to an increase in blood volume in the torso and head. Considering that this individual already had an accelerated heart rate from the hike, the sudden dive in ice cold water led to a loss of mobility in his extremities, which was probably accompanied by a sudden increase in heart rate and blood pressure. These factors combined possibly led to a loss of consciousness, which resulted in a shocking death by drowning in front of his friends. Any attempt at rescuing him would only have cost more lives and I was relieved to hear that the groundskeeper prevented any of them from jumping to a similar fate.

  That night, the air carried a heavy feeling of sorrow as the group mourn the loss of their friend. During this period of sorrow, driven by the deep sense of guilt, one of the hikers decided to try to communicate with his deceased friend. This attempt involved the use of the infamous spirit talking board, which they had acquired at the local street market. Meanwhile, the groundskeeper was in his cottage resting after a laborious day when he heard the hikers screaming and knocking at his door. As he opened the door, the hikers hysterically called for his help and beckoned him to their campsite. When he arrived at the site, he was astonished to find that one of the young girls was savagely attempting to attack one of the hikers. The girl was being held by two of the male hikers and even with their combined strength, the girl proved to be difficult to control. The man asked how this situation came to happen and one of the hikers replied by stating that they attempted to contact the spirit of their dead companion using the nefarious Ouija as a method of communication. The situation rapidly escalated as one of the spirits began to manifest and took hold of one of the female hikers. She began to convulse and began speaking in an alternating deep voice. As the spirit took final control of her body, she began to assault one of the hikers and while the two male hikers attempted to control her, the others went to get help.

  As the possessed girl liberated herself, she fixed her demonic glare on the groundskeeper and with a maniacal laughter, she approached him. In an inhuman voice that will forever haunt his mind, the girl asked him if he remembered who he was. Startle by the question the man quickly remember the identity of the spirit and his mind began to slip in denial. He could not believe that he was confronting the same entity he encountered during that night many years ago. With the identity of Abacus finally revealed the man asked him why he decided to manifest himself after so many years, and what he sought to obtained from him. Abacus explained that he had come to reclaim his payment, as this was the deal that they made that fateful night. Abacus desired to have the life of his daughter as a form of payment, however the man refused to comply with his end of the deal and attempted to cast away Abacus with religious invocations and the burning of the Ouija. Enraged by the provocation, Abacus began to destroy the campsite and his destructive acts culminated with the possessed girl jumping into the freezing waters of the La Cuesta reservoir. However, before she took the fatal leap, Abacus told him that the flies will be waiting and warned the man that death was going to approach him in thirty-three degrees.

  After the second death, the man decided to comfort the remaining hikers and the following morning called the factory to send a medical team to take the bodies of the deceased. At this moment, his mind was flustered around the recent events as the prophetic words of Abacus echoed in his mind. During the weeks to follow, the intensity of the nocturnal manifestations increased and they no longer confined themselves to mere trickery. They began with nightly knocks on his door, shaking of various objects and scratches on the windows. These culminated in an event with such an incomprehensible nature that language could not explain the anomaly of the experience, and it was only through remote resemblance to our physical world that he was able to describe it. That night, the man was standing in his bedroom when inexplicably the room literally twisted upside down, creating a tunnel like path in front of him that elongated with every turn. Contradicting all laws of physics, objects that would normally be found fixed on the floor were now on the ceiling and angles that were acute to the eye would behave obtuse. His perception of sound inexplicably broadened to wavelengths not usually detected by the human ear and it was through utterless communication that he was able to hear an ancient voice calling for Cabd. Only those elements that time cannot erode were present in this blasphemous moment. Such prismatic and auditory distortions could only have been the work of forces that lie beyond human comprehension.

  The man began to fear for the worst, as he thought he was losing grip of his sanity and decided to return home to his family. However, upon his arrival he encountered the incident that was described by his wife, in which his daughter lied about her mother’s involvement in illicit sexual encounters. Although, that week he did not experienced any further nocturnal visits, he could not shake off a sensation of anxiety as his primal instincts were warning him of catastrophe. Unfortunately, when he came home the following weekend he encountered Father Limon and my pressing inquiries about the mental state of his daughter.

  As my mind dealt with mixed emotions evoked by the tenebrous nature of his tale and before I could make any further comments, the atmosphere was radically penetrated by the unhallowed screams coming from the girl’s room. We quickly ran to the source of the disturbance and found the f
amiliar horrid sight. However, when the girl’s father came in the room the entity that was taking hold of her body quickly turned to look at him. For a moment, there was a minute of silence as the entity stared at the girl’s father with a demonic leer and during this moment the atmosphere became heavy as lead as it weighted down on our bodies. The silence was disturbed by the sinister chuckle of the specter and his blasphemous introduction as Abacus. Abacus reminded the man that he had come to claim his end of the deal and that he would go to any lengths to obtain his possession. The malevolence I perceived in his words penetrated my ears like needles and evoked a dormant primitive sense of fear. His voice carried the ancient sound of creation, which has been echoed throughout the ages since the formation of earth. An echo that permeated my soul and allowed me to sense those eternal elements that time cannot erode.

  The man’s face expressed the same primitive fear as he replied by refusing to give up the life of his daughter. Now, knowing the identity of the demon Father Limon attempted to cast out the spirit through religious invocations and to everyone's surprise Abacus’ grip on her body began to frail. The girl’s mental state began to oscillate between the altered and normal state, in which she would temporarily regain control of her mental faculties. During these brief moments of freedom, the girl would plead for help and complain about Abacus elongating her chin and nose. She would further complain about a burning sensation throughout her body and the gnawing of her lips and tongue.

  Father Limon continued the religious assault against Abacus but as twilight approached, his body began to grow weak. We decided to sedate the girl once again in order for us to replenish our energies. That night, I decided to stay with the family and accompany them along Father Limon as a gesture of moral support. We all looked at each other and without uttering a single word, we knew that this experience will permanently alter our minds. The silence that perfused the house was calming but deep inside lurked an anxiety driven by primal fear. By this point, my scientific mind could not make sense of the events I had witnessed and I struggled to remain faithful to the empirical sciences. However, the profane and mystical began to crawl into my mind with ivy climbing as I began to question my beliefs. Bereft of harbor, I decided to rest my body but the horrors I had witnessed vividly played in my mind every time I closed my eyes. The loathsome sound of his voice will perpetually ring in my ears with such horrid resonance. I was not able to conceive sleep that night due to this lingering primal fear.