Cthulhu from Yuggoth

by Maximoff 3000

  the smooth stones the voyager couldn’t help but awe at the craftsmanship of the estate. The rock was like none he had ever seen before, like blackened marble cut with an amazingly obscure streamline surface. And the door was a fine solid oak fifteen panels across, curved at the top with the highest point standing at nearly nine feet, a spectacle all it’s own. Erik struck his knuckles firmly against the hardwood knock knock knock. The door creaked lightly as it pivoted gingerly inward. “The door mustn’t have been shut, because there was no way he had exerted enough force to overcome a latch”, Erik thought. He now stood unmoving in the open doorway of the residence. He didn’t want to just walk in uninvited, but he felt a little stupid standing there. “Hello... Is anybody home?.... Hello, is anybody home?..... My car is stuck in a ditch and I need to use a phone...”, his words echoed through empty halls and open rooms. He stood a moment longer before stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

  Gazing about, the interior was no less impressive than the external features previously observed. Set in candlelight it was far from being referred to as bright, and in need of a good cleaning the place wasn’t near the standards of a royal vestibule. But the vast array of vintage to ancient artifacts that filled the manor was more exotic than any museum or archive Erik had toured on television or magazine. The complex needlework of

  heavy silken curtains hanging over beautifully stained glass windows. A chandelier the size of an automobile was suspended at least fifteen feet in the air from a ceiling decorated in over a hundred different shades of oil paint. And one must wonder whom was it that lit all these candles that flicker within this dwelling, for surely they didn't light themselves. As Erik stands with this thought in his head a warm gust blows through carrying with it a fishy scent. "That's unusual", he ponders, "Is someone preparing a meal?" "Hello... Is someone there?" Erik begins walking in the direction of the humid breeze. "I sure could use a drink", he contemplates not referring to an alcoholic beverage like that of which he enjoyed previously in the evening, but water. A bit of time has passed since he last moistened his pallet with the thirst quenching liquid, his mouth becoming dry. As well, the last time food had entered his body was when he had eaten lunch at work, thinking on this made his stomach gurgle. Just then he came to a massive corridor presenting an immaculate staircase that rose to a second level, beyond was a pair of maroon doors cracked only slightly. A silhouette played about the floor from within. “Hello... Is someone in there?”, Erik yelled from the bottom of the stairs. “Hello... Is anyone there?” The only reply was that of his own voice reverberating back at him off the stone. He climbed the stairs in haste, the absence of life within this dwelling

  was beginning to become an annoyance. Pushing the doors open Erik looked in, “Is anyone?...” The room contained an indescribable amount of reading material, a library beyond comparison. Empty of any human presence a swaying chandelier was the only suggestion of life. Approaching a shelf Erik removed a single volume. Leather binding pulled at frail stitches, the book looked as old as the stones of the estate. He took the tattered volume over to a huge table that stretched down the middle of the library. Pulling back a chair Erik sat placing the book gently on the wooden surface. The text was of foreign origin, having been exposed to many different languages, not that he could read them but having seen them many times, he couldn’t place the writing. Flipping through about half the text proved to be no more helpful, but he was able to determine the subject of study from a vast amount of drawings throughout the volume. Erik concluded the author must have been studying deep sea creatures, he remembered seeing many of the creatures in school books as a child. One in particular that caught his eye was the Black Devil, or Melanocetus Eustalus scientifically, an angler fish with a luminescent growth that hung in front of razor spears jutting out of a gaping mouth from atop it’s head. As unsuspecting aquatics approached the illuminated lure the nightmarish jaws would clamp down. This was something that had always amazed Erik

  when he was young, the creativity of nature. So much so that he had done an extensive study on the creature in high school. Suddenly, a sense of deja vu came over Erik, Hadn’t he just seen that name, Melanocetus. He pondered the thought but couldn’t seem to place it. As he closed the text another interesting volume peaked his interest, it’s rough black spine speckled with dust. The book fumbled about in weak hands as he retrieved it from the collection. Suddenly, a distant sound of gurgling liquid touched at his ears. Driven by overwhelming thirst Erik quickly followed the faint echoes out of the library. The reverberations led him down a musty stairwell that descended into the lower caverns of the estate. Exiting the staircase he stood in a large room completely empty except for a large circular hole in the center of the floor, above it hung a wooden bucket attached to a pulley. Walking over he leaned to peer into the opening. He could hear liquid churning below, it appeared to be an old water well. Setting down his text he swiftly lowered the scoop to retrieve the savored liquid. Once filled Erik raised the pail setting it on the edge. He eagerly scooped the drink with his hands taking in several large gulps. The temped liquid felt so good moistening his throat. As satisfaction came over him he leaned against the bucket resting a moment. He felt tired like he could almost fall asleep. Picking up his barrowed text he lazily flipped through it. As he

  attempted to read the words began swaying from side to side. The floor raised and fell before his eyes like ocean waves. “There must have been something in the water”, a string of drool hanging from his lip. It reminded him of a bungee jumper as it sagged down and then sprung back up. His eyeballs throbbed with pressure like grapes about to pop as they are chewed by some sticky fingered little girl swinging her feet as she sits on a bench in front of a five-sectioned styrofoam plate. An unbearable pain burned in his stomach. It gurgled and swirled. Coughing, a wad of red phlegm flew from his mouth splattering his book. “HELP!”, Erik yelled as he tried to get up. He pulled at his feet but they felt like giant sacks of rock sinking in mud. Falling over he cried out once more, “GOD HELP ME!” As he did his stomach burst like an over inflated water balloon spilling organs across the floor. In complete exhaustion he collapsed face down on his text, blood gushing from his mouth like an open faucet. And while he lay helpless as the walls begin to squirt digestive juices Erik remembered where he had seen the name Melanocetus.

  Part 2

  THE ITCH

  A corpse sleeps upon the ground

  Lifeless, rotting, with none around

  In the house of Melanocetus

  it’s head cradled in pages

  Sheets of print as old as the ages

  Spanning crimson pages his cranium lie

  For upon this book is where he did die

  Black in color as well as content

  A book of incantation foreign and domestic

  As the man’s death summons a spell

  From bloody pages a dark mist begins to swell

  It flows over dead flesh causing a twitch

  A rotted hand raises to scratch an itch

  A regenerative curse has come over this man

  To hunger for another hundred year span

  The weary corpse raises from the hearth

  To search out sustenance throughout the earth

  Part 3

  STATIC

  Staggering wearily through the house a stripped corpse strained for reason. Where am I? What is going on here? His mind swarmed with twisted thought. The only thing certain were his most basic urges. Hungry, I’m so hungry. He wandered back and forth throughout the residence not finding even a single bite. At one point he came to a large Victorian mirror. He stared at the blurry image of an unfamiliar being. Who are you? Get away from me! He couldn’t even tell if words were coming out of his slack jaw. A thick rrrrrr filled his head. I’ve got to find something. I’m so hungry. Pushing through the front door the famished being stumbled out of the house. His clumsy feet caught on loose branches twisting and crackling as he walked. I’m so hungry
, please someone help me.

  *****

  “Oh my God! Slow down honey, I think that man’s hurt.”

  “Yeah, I think your right.”

  ......

  “Hey, are you ok?.... Holy Shit!”

  Hhu.. pl... so hung....

  “Babe quick, call the police! This guy‘s mess‘d up bad.”

  “Yeah, ok just give me one sec.”

  So hung... so hung...

  “Ahh shit dude, what the hell are you doing?”

  “Yeah, there’s a man hurt real bad out here, we need an ambulance quick.”

  Hungry...... Ahh..

  “Hey man, let go of my freekin’ arm.”

  Rrrr.. arar.. ahhrr..

  “Fucking shit! Arthur!”

  Rrrr.. arar.. ahhrr..

  “Ahhhh!” EEErr... Whomp crunch crunch crunch crunch...

  *****

  Having fed the weary being feels a bit of relief, the static in his mind is beginning to form a more clear picture yet there is still much confusion. He returns to his last known residence for rest.

  *****

  No!... No!... Not me... No! The man fearfully jerks

  and screams upon the castle floor. His skin burns of fever as his mind swarms with terror. AAAhhh!.. No!.. No!.. Visions of death and torture plague his sleep. AAhhrrrr! rrrRRR! RRRAAH!... ....... ...... Suddenly,... he awakens... He stumbles across the floor. His feet are misshapen. Pressure throbs in his head and his eyes burn like fire. I.. I.. feel like I'm starving. I'm so hungry.... I need food... He savagely ransacks the castle in search of nutrient, but there is none to be found. He must leave.

  *****

  "So what exactly did you say was so interesting back here?"

  "You know it's just more comfortable back here, that's all. See, I can put my arms around you better."

  "Are you tryin' to get fresh with me John?"

  "What? No, I just like to be able to cuddle with my girl that's all."

  "You know I'm not that kind of girl, John."

  "Oh I know. You can trust me, I wasn't gonna try nothin'."

  .........

  "The stars sure are pretty out here though."

  "Yeah..."

  Phoof... Foof..

  "Did you hear somethin'?"

  "I don't know. Probably just a dog or somethin'."

  "Yeah?"

  .........

  FFoof.... fof fof..

  "Hey, there it is again. I'm sure I heard somethin' that time."

  “Ok, just gimmie a minute, I’ll take a look.”

  Eeerrree

  “I don’t see anything.”

  “Hey, are you hard?”

  “What? No.”

  “I see that bulge. You was tryin’ to get fresh wasn’t yah?”

  “Oh, come on babe I... Oh shii..”

  GRRaarrg rag grar

  “AAAhhhgg!!! John!!”

  GRar Ahh!!.. GRarg... Hell..p!

  “Oh God John!”

  GRrrg Screeee.. Crrishh

  “AAAHH!” Vrrooom rroom.. eeeeet

  *****

  Uhhg... I’m so tired... What happened? The castle resident lay exhausted upon the stone floor in a puddle of his own perspiration. His muscles ache of extreme

  activity. I need water. Raising to his feet he wanders about in search of drink. A thick humid scent flitted at his nostrils leading him to the lower caverns of the residence. Entering a large musty room a blood stained text on the ground immediately caught his attention. That book, I remember. Hastily he grabs the volume up looking it over. Scribbled across the cover is but a single word Necronomicon. What? No. He had heard of this book, this evil book of the dead. What has it done to me? He quickly made his way back up to the ground floor racing over to the mirror. The image his opposite was not of man nor beast, but creature. The thing staring back him resembled something of a cross between zombie and octopus. Wriggling tentacles extended from rotted flesh. The elongated organs intricately touching and examining their surroundings. An abomination of nature, evolution gone wrong. He began to feel nauseated just seeing the anatomical nightmare. Oh God, what do I do?

  Go. Feed.

  Who was that? Suddenly, an overwhelming urge of hunger welled up inside him. No, I can’t.

  Go now. The walls shook with every syllable.

  The decree pierced his bones, he couldn’t fight it any longer. I’m so hungry.

  FEED!

  Virginia

  Staring blankly into darkness a young boy's heart raced wildly. He stood frozen, still as a wooden post, as his mind whirled in thought. A flood of anxiety swishing around inside him made his blood feel as cold as ice. An intense mental battle was nearing it's climax within his cranium. Fffhh... Fffhh... Nearby, movement could be heard remitting from an opposing deity. Should I advance? He contemplated. A scent not unlike sweat drifted in the air as moisture began to dribble from his armpits. Is that coming from the other being within these walls or myself? He took a single timid step towards the creature draped in darkness. Fffhh... Fffhh... Again, an adjacent noise tickled his senses. Inhaling slowly he tried to retain maximum silence as his nervousness forced a deep breath. Youuh... comm... Out of the shadows a discreet sound, like a faint mumbling, resonated in his direction. Is it time? He thought. Should I go in? Taking another step forward he reached out a single trembling appendage. He squinted trying to observe the terrain before him. “Uhm..” Attempting forced dialogue proved a fruitless ambition. Suddenly, a feeling of softness passed across his midsection. Did it touch me? Again, a smooth object rubbed his body. “Come closer.” A seductive voice vehemently instructed. “Okay..” His vocal response quivered slightly as he proceeded forth another pace. All at once, a plethora of appendages engulfed his nude frame.

  HAMESTAGAN TALES

  Log#25:73 G'hiron 3

  20 miles outside Sector 115

  Bruce- Bruce zero-one-three reporting. The polarity scanner has been picking up a massive neutral zone emerging in sector 115 for many weeks now. Will enter sector 115 in approximately 30 minutes for evaluation.

  *****

  Sector 115: Main St.

  Bruce- Upon initial visual assessment there doesn’t appear to be anything overly concerning, can't judge a book by it's cover though. Seems a bit too quiet for a city of 40,000 on a Friday afternoon. Gonna need to stop for gas soon, give me chance to interact with some locals.

  See a Philip's 66 comin' up. Appears to be an elderly man smokin' a cig out front, average height and weight.

  .......

  Eeeeerrrr... Clunk

  Dave- Need a fill?

  Bruce- Yes, please.... Quiet afternoon for a Friday.

  Dave- Yeah, nice ain't it?

  Bruce- Is it always this slow this time of day?

  Dave- Yeah, here lately......

  You ain’t from round here is yuh?

  Bruce- No, just got in... Surprised there ain't more folks out crusin' the strip.

  Dave- Oh, they probably just off havin' a git together somewheres.

  Bruce- You know where about?

  Dave- You.. a law man ur somethin’?

  Bruce- No, just tryin’ to get to know the place.

  Dave- Well, folks be liken to gather over by the waterin’ hole on 3rd.

  Bruce- Thanks, maybe I’ll go check it out.... How much?

  Dave- Thirty-two ten.

  Bruce- What’s your name by the way?.. You can keep the change.

  Dave- Dave.

  Bruce- Bruce, good to meet you.

  Dave- Same to you.

  *****

  3rd Street Waterin' Hole

  Bar tender- Said there’s a large guy headed this way, goes by Bruce. From outta town. Actin’ kinda suspicious like. Dave thinks he might be some kinda cop.

  Carl- ....Really?

  Ching ching.... Clump clump clump clump

  Waitress- Take any seat you like.

  Bruce- Thanks

  Waitress- Can I get you somethin’ tuh drink?

&n
bsp; Bruce- A Bud Light will be fine ma’am.

  Waitress- Comin’ right up.

  ......

  Carl- Howdy.

  Bruce- Hey.

  Carl- Names Carl, you new round here?

  Bruce- Bruce, yeah just got in. That obvious?

  Carl- Nice tuh meet chuh. Yeah we’re pretty tight nit round here, easy to spot an outsider yuh know.

  Bruce- Yeah, might need to find a bed for the night... Thank you ma’am.... Know any good motels?

  Carl- One just down the roads only twenty a night if’n you don’t mind a creepy crawly or two.

  Bruce- I’ll check it out, thanks.

  ......

  Carl- Here on business?

  Bruce- Somethin’ like that... Could I get one more ma’am?

  Carl- Well, enjoy your drink, I’ll be seein’ yuh.