9 Tales Told in the Dark 23
Page 13
I overslept the next morning and awoke right before lunchtime. Father Limon had just returned from his Sunday mass preaching and had brought with him sacred objects for use in the confrontation against Abacus. As we entered the deconsecrated room, Father Limon began by sanctifying the room and proceeded with religious invocations. The familiar oscillation of the grip of Abacus manifested with the provocation of the pious man. However, during one of the instances in which the girl regained control of her body, she desperately asked her mother to inspect a green valise she kept under her bed. Without hesitation, her mother grabbed the valise and exited the room. I followed her in order to know how the contents of the valise related to this incident. She explained to me that the green valise was a safe keeping container her daughter kept for storing personal objects such as candy, flowers, and her personal diary.
When we opened the valise, such items were the contents inside apart from one. In the valise, laid an effigy made from naturally contouring roots that resembled a human head. However, the twisting and binding of the roots gave it a diabolical aspect that was exemplified by the loathsome disproportion of the facial features. The figure featured an elongated nose and chin, protruding eyes, droopy ears, and a sinister smirk. As I inspected the object, I was not able to identify any tool markings that would indicate this object was manmade but I could feel the roots throbbing with what resembled a faint heartbeat. As I felt this sensation, I could not conceive how nature could have created such heinous object, as it upset all aspects of natural law. At the same time, the primal fear I had experienced earlier suddenly manifested and took over my body as I dropped the cursed item. There are no words I can use to describe the malevolence that one can perceived just by looking at this object, it was just as if the doors that lie beyond human comprehension opened and allowed you to peer into the horrors contained in true darkness. Now I understand that the limits to the human mind are set in place in order to maintain our sanity, for if we were allowed to perceive what lies in the abyss we would surely fall into a pit of insanity and lose our way back home.
As we examined the object, their youngest daughter approached us with curiosity. It was at this moment that we learned the true origins of this eldritch object. She immediately recognized the object as astonishment manifested in her facial expression. It was then, that we proceeded to question her about its origins. Since the position their father held in the La Cuesta reservoir demanded him to spend 24 hours at the site, his wife would often send their children during the weekend to take supplies up the mountain. These supplies included miscellaneous items such as canned food, blankets, and consumables. According to the girl, it was during one of these excursions that they deviated from the usual trail and stumbled on what appeared to be an earthly manifestation of the seventh circle of the inferno. Vertically protruding from the ground was a root that stood erect at about 2 feet and had a surrounding vegetation blight. This anomaly featured a contorted appearance and budding appendages that resemble miniature hands desperately attempting to detached themselves from the confinements of the root. The vestigial appendage also contained what appeared to be the reminiscences of a primitive cardiovascular system that connected all components to the base. Although, the natural aberration was completely desiccated, the outlandish appendage culminated with the profane figurine we found in the valise. However, the figurine was a morphed depiction of what appeared to be a hybrid humanoid that contained arachnoid, feline, and reptilian anatomical elements. As described by the girl, one of the most peculiar aspects of this depiction was the way in which the figure's right arm (or what it would be perceived as an arm) pointed to the heavens as the left pointed to earth.
The boy’s curiosity prompted him to get a close examination and as he touched the figure's head, it detached from the rest of the body and fell to the ground. He picked up the head and showed it to his sisters for close examination. Both of his sisters were disgusted by the unnatural facial proportions that they quickly asked him to get rid of it. As they continued their ascend through the mountain they came across a cliff that overlooked a dried riverbed. The boy took a last looked at the profane object as he thrust his arm and plunged it into the abyss. That was the last time they saw the accursed item.
By this moment, I was left with a desultory sense of understanding since I could not explain how she came to possessed this item or how it manifested dominion over her body. The only certainty at this point was that it was a direct link to her ailment and needed to be decimated. As such we proceeded to construct a pyre of dead leaves and broken furniture, in which we tossed the profane head. As the flames engulfed the head, the crackling of the wood resembled what can only be described as screams of lament. The flames quickly began to oscillate within the electromagnetic spectrum and radiated the distinctive 420 nm wavelength of sulfur. The characteristic pungent odor of hydrogen sulfide perfused the house as the screams of their daughter intensified. We observed how the disorderly flames began to decrease their entropy and formed the reminiscent imagery of what I can describe as intertwining serpents. When the flames finally consumed their prey, their daughter’s screams abated and the atmosphere ceased to contain its oppressive density.
As Father Limon exited the girl’s room, he confirmed that the malady taking hold of her body had been vanquished. Not through the effect of his rituals but rather through the cleansing properties of the flames. His appearance seemed to have a somber tone as he no longer carried that ardent ray of faith in his eyes but now, his eyes were dim and hopeless. I could not help but feel an unsettling sensation that prompted me to ask what events had occurred in the room. He replied by saying that there are realities for which mankind is not capable of understanding. There is an infinitely vast darkness that lies within the confinements of the mirror, from which we live in perpetual ignorance. A darkness so immense that we can only perceive a miniscule amount with our effete senses. He did not mention anything else, as he made his closing remarks to the family and departed. Only he knows the truth of what Abacus revealed to him and stands as the sole witness to that horror.
On my official report, I attributed this incident to an endocrinological dysregulation of the pineal gland caused by an infection of Toxoplasma gondii. The presence of the protozoan in this region of the brain could have caused the chemical alteration of the amino acid L-tryptophan which serves as a precursor to the alkaloid dimethyltryptamine. I further supported these findings by reporting the presence of 5-methoxy-dimethyltryptamine in my toxicological report, which explained the psychological effects on the girl. I knew that if I were to report on the true nature of the events my reputation and credibility would be compromised, followed by the ridicule of my colleagues and rejection from the medical board. Hence, the necessity to falsify my report. Although displeased with my sudden departure Dr. Baca accepted my report and did not pursue any further explanations.
A week had gone by and I returned to my normal duties at the clinic when I was informed about the death of Father Limon. Although shrouded in mystery, local authorities ruled his death as suicide. However, I knew that there could only have been one culprit to this incident. Father Limon was exposed to areas that are beyond human comprehension and although a pious man, his devotion could not have prepared his frail mind. Understanding the limits of the human mind is crucial for our survival and as a man of science, I dare not to venture into those depths. Even the art of science is not capable of explaining the infinite, the eternal and the profane; as it has been exemplified by the mental crumble of Georg Cantor and Kurt Gödel. Two brilliant mathematicians that made an attempt to go beyond the wall of rationality and got lost in the abyss, unable to find their way back home.
As I am concluding the writing of these pages I fear for the worst. My primal instincts remind me of the inevitable peril that is to come. I know I am to suffer a similar fate and often find myself looking over my shoulder in constant vigil. I am beginning to lose grip of my sanity and feel my mind slipping into the pa
ranoia that was brought by this experience. I have not been able to find comfort in the sanctity of sleep, for it is interrupted by the pungent odor of decay. I have proceeded to remove and dispose of all the mirrors in my dormitory with hopes of prolonging the inescapable. I can feel their presence as they wait patiently...eternally. Waiting for a wretched soul to use these nefarious objects and manifest their blasphemous presence in our world.
It is with my last written words that I warn the reader of the dreaded forces that dwell within these objects and the entities that reside behind the mirror. We are only particles of dust in the larger scheme of the universe and any attempt at pushing the boundaries of the human mind can also push it to a breaking point. The time has come, I can hear them coming, I can feel them coming, I can see the light fading away. They are here.
THE END.
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