by Sam Zadgan
The sun was setting on the town of Bowral, but inside the records room of the library, Amanda and Shannon were only beginning their fatal adventure. They were not packing anything except for courage and knowledge of what was ahead of them on that foul night. Amanda, however, had one item to take, and she opened the cupboard to the dagger. She took a moment to think, then finally turned to Shannon.
“You should take this dagger, Shannon. When the time comes, you will be responsible for extinguishing the fire and destroying the statue bearing my ancestor’s head.”
Shannon was surprised and wary of taking on the responsibility. She hesitated at first, but then reached out to grip the knife. Amanda again blocked her hand.
“Not so hasty, Shannon, that knife will burn your hand. The first person to grip it will be its owner. When you hold it, know that it will burn, but only as long as it takes you to pour the glass of water over your hand. Do you understand?”
Shannon was a little dubious of the claim, but she honoured Amanda’s instructions, and sure enough as she gripped the knife she felt the burning pain on the palm of her hand, as if pressing her hand against a hot iron. She quickly poured the water over her hand and knife, and with the splash the pain subsided. Shannon inspected the knife and her hand and was astonished that her palm had no burns or blisters from the sharp heat of the dagger.
Later that night, Amanda and Shannon, with dagger in hand, made their way through the town in Shannon’s car until they reached a dirt road leading to a local farm, an abandoned farm with the forest beyond it.
“This is the old Green farm. No one has lived here since that wretched group left Bowral, and the land itself is infertile and unholy. We need to drive to the edge of the forest and we will go on foot from there.” Amanda had obviously been down this road before.
Shannon did as advised and they began the rest of the journey on foot through the forest. With no trail to guide them and the moonlight finding it difficult to break through, the journey became a gruelling one. The forest was quiet, very quiet, no noise besides their footsteps, which Shannon felt was strange given the wildlife in the area. Amanda was aware of the reasons; she had been through this area once before and knew the evil in the forest that protected the town. All wildlife in this forest had left long ago, the fear of the unknown and evil that lay near drove them out.
Before long they were at a small clearing. Amanda stopped to assess her surroundings, taking her time to pick the right direction, but Shannon noticed something in the woods.
“Amanda, there’s something out there,” Shannon said in the quietest of whispers.
Amanda, however, was looking in the opposite direction, where there was something ghastly already in sight. Shannon turned her gaze towards it and was immediately hit with a stench that almost triggered her reflux. The vision, however, was enough to disrupt her vomit. The grave image she witnessed was of an goat-shaped black mist with glowing white eyes floating towards them. Shannon started to tremble as she turned back to where she heard the first noise, and there she found another misty creature, a black bull whose horns extended up, forming a white burning fire.
Amanda quickly pushed Shannon to the ground and ordered her to close her eyes and not open them until she instructed. Shannon felt the stench even more heavy in the air and the heat of the fire was starting to burn her skin, but she didn’t flinch and she kept her eyes closed.
Just then she heard Amanda muttering some words, her voice became louder and louder as she progressed as if growing in strength and confidence. The words were foreign, but she heard parts of it as Amanda’s voice started to boom through the air. Her voice peaked, with a volume and an echo unnatural for a human voice, repeating the chant over and over again
“Kê verethrem-jâ thwâ pôi sêñghâ ýôi heñtî cithrâ môi dãm ahûmbish ratûm cizhdî at hôi vohû seraoshô jañtû mananghâ mazdâ ahmâi ýahmâi vashî kahmâicît…
“Kê verethrem-jâ thwâ pôi sêñghâ ýôi heñtî cithrâ môi dãm ahûmbish ratûm cizhdî at hôi vohû seraoshô jañtû mananghâ mazdâ ahmâi ýahmâi vashî kahmâicît…
“Kê verethrem-jâ thwâ pôi sêñghâ ýôi heñtî cithrâ môi dãm ahûmbish ratûm cizhdî at hôi vohû seraoshô jañtû mananghâ mazdâ ahmâi ýahmâi vashî kahmâicît!!!”
Finally Shannon felt a cool breeze come through and a strong all-encompassing light that she could see through her eyelids illuminated the dark night. As quickly as these came they also disappeared. Everything went quiet again and the dark returned before Shannon felt a soft hand on her shoulder.
“You can open your eyes, Shannon, it’s quite safe now.” Amanda’s voice was reassuringly calming and her fear faded away as she opened her eyes.
Briefly, there was a weight off their shoulders as the overbearing evil in the forest seemed to have disappeared, or at least subsided for the moment. The familiar feelings rushed back, however, when Amanda discovered the unholy gates to Larwock.
They walked towards a disguised wall covered in weeds and wall climbers, which they had not noticed moments before. But this wall was very real and tangible. The two started to peel off the weeds to reveal the stone behind it. There was a distinct line in the middle separating the two stones, but this was no door that could be opened by hand; this needed a key of some sort. Shannon looked lost, but Amanda knew what was needed.
“Shannon, I need you to cut my arm,” Amanda said as she revealed her forearm.
She was sceptical but kept one eye closed as she proceeded to lacerate Amanda’s arm. The wound was on the vein and blood was in good supply as it pumped out her arm. Amanda stepped over to the gates; with her finger she retrieved blood from the open wound and began to write on the wall, in the same text as the book.
The ground began to tremble ever so slightly and small amounts of rock started falling down and out of the slit of the gates. The sound of stone on stone grinding became louder as the gates began to dislodge from aeons of decay and reveal the town inside, along with a stench that ungracefully floated in the air.
6. Nothing
It was dusk when they entered Larwock through the stone gates. Shannon took a look back to the gates only to see the forest instead. The stone gates and night that lay beyond it back to Bowral had disappeared and were replaced by this new place. This was not a town near Bowral; this was a town that did not belong on earth. This confirmed everything she had read and researched over the last few years and the truth was now more unsettling than the fantasy of a place like this existing. But she suppressed her fear and discomfort for where her feet lay, she knew she had a responsibility to not only keep Stewart alive, but also to fulfill her task with the dagger.
The two made their way through the outskirts of the town to the main road, much like Reverend Larwock and Steve Coolings had when they rose up against the evil of this clan. They soon found the main road of the town. It was a quaint town, and harmless, with regular stores, but as the sun was setting there was a queerness in the air that made the town seem more sinister than it appeared. They spotted the Elder Inn, which was lit up inside, busy with people drinking and dancing. This affirmed Shannon’s fears that they may have been too late to save Stewart, a feeling that Amanda seemed to share as well. They didn’t hesitate as they made their way to the main road and walked towards the inn.
As they stepped into the middle of the road, a voice from behind stilted their progress.
“Can I help you, ladies?” a masculine voice said.
He approached them as he put his keys in his pocket. The man was just leaving the local café and locking up for the night. He was middle aged with a balding hair line and a dark beard covering his jaw line. He brandished a friendly smile and genuine helpful demeanour. Amanda didn’t fall for the charm. She approached the man and seemed to overpower him by her will. He remained in the same position, unable to move or defend himself while Amanda placed her hand on his forehead and spoke in the ancient tongue.
“Yathâ ahû vair
yô athâ ratush ashâtcît hacâ.”
The man fell to his knees with his hands over his head writhing in pain. Shannon witnessed his hands ageing. In seconds the man looked like he had aged fifty years. His skin wrinkled and became limp, and his bones appeared more defined as the muscles started to waste away. He looked up with a face of anger and agony.
“YOU BITCH!” he cried.
But he didn’t have the strength to stand or take action. Instead he slumped further down, ageing into death and beyond. His body decayed at lightning speed, till only large bones remained, and the rest turned to dust and sank into the ground.
Shannon was shocked at the transformation of the man into ruin, and looked back at Amanda, realising that Amanda was more than she let on. A great power dwelled inside her. Amanda felt Shannon’s uneasy peace with what had transpired.
“Shannon, when I said I have studied the book, that’s what I meant. I have learnt a great deal, some good, some bad. But nothing I learnt took me on the wrong path. The powers I use, I use against evil. What you just saw was a wicked man, a man that has killed and would kill again. There are no innocent people in this town…and that includes us.”
The two turned their attention back on the Elder Inn; the party was somewhat subdued. Instead of drinking and dancing, through the windows they could see the hoard circling around the centre of the room. They slowly crept up to the window and peered inside. Their hearts sank as, in the middle of that room, Stewart lay helpless whilst a man with a knife, similar to Shannon’s, began cutting his chest open. Shannon saw the looks on the faces of the group as their eyes turned ravenous and their mouths began to salivate at the sight of blood and freshly cut human flesh.
She was disgusted by the image and the absolute insanity that fuelled such a desire for cannibalism. Amanda motioned for Shannon towards the church.
“There is nothing we can do here, Shannon. You need to do the final bidding, whilst the coven is busy with their feast.” Amanda had a sense of urgency in her voice.
But Shannon didn’t want to be alone in her quest. “What about you?” Shannon quickly asked.
Amanda’s answer didn’t come, as the door of the Elder Inn opened before them. They both stood to their feet, as Charlene Everette stepped out. Long red hair framed her attractive face with baby white skin, and she was dressed in a flowing white cotton robe, stained with the fresh blood she had just consumed.
Amanda pushed Shannon away. Charlene was all too aware of the two women’s reasons for being in Larwock.
“Yes, Shannon, you go to the church. Young Ms Larwock wants to redeem her family pride. Oh, Ms Larwock, your family will never learn.” Charlene’s tone was mocking and drunk with bloodlust.
Shannon didn’t need any further invitation; she ran towards the church. Meanwhile Amanda stood her ground for an encounter she had prepared for her whole life. She stared deep into Charlene’s eyes, and with complete focus she muttered the Zoroastrian prayers that would bring on the demise of the witch.
Charlene paused; this was not something she expected from the young Larwock woman. She felt great power exuding from Amanda’s words, and it was something that she hadn’t felt before.
“I’m glad you didn’t come unprepared,” Charlene said as she struggled forward.
Her next step fell short and she went down to one knee, as a sharp pain travelled through her abdomen. Where there was a mocking nature to her manner and voice was now replaced with a serious threat. Charlene struggled back to her feet, shouting at the top of her voice.
“ENOUGH!” Charlene’s voice reverberated throughout the whole town.
Amanda’s voice cracked and no sound emitted from her mouth. Her mind suddenly became a mess of words and languages with no logical progression.
Meanwhile, Shannon had reached the church, but was met with a surprise. An acute heat burnt her skin as she approached. She paused for a moment, and the truth revealed itself. Before her eyes, a wall of fire came into view, burning with hellish intensity. She thought for a moment; how was she to penetrate the flames, and still be alive to destroy the statues? This was not something that they had planned for.
Charlene’s voice interrupted all her thoughts and she looked back at Amanda. It was a dire moment as Amanda gazed back at Shannon. Charlene held her by the neck and thrust a knife in her upper abdomen and began to force the knife up, cutting and breaking through rib cage all the way through her neck and up to her chin.
Shannon broke down, witnessing Amanda meeting such a devastating fate at the hands of Charlene. She was lost without her and had no idea how to fulfil her task. She fell to her knees, the weight of all the events of the last few days breaking her spirit. Meanwhile she could see Charlene make her way towards her, knowing she would meet the same fate.
But then, a strange vision behind Charlene, the man that had handed Charlene her knife stood locking his eyes with Shannon’s. Not speaking but willing her to stand up. Then a voice travelled to her through the wind, breaking through the evil around it like a bright light in the darkest night.
“Save me, Shannon.” The voice had power in it that lifted Shannon.
She stood up in time to confront Charlene, who was only a few feet away from her.
“Join us, Shannon.” Charlene’s words seemed to carry all the evil in the world, but it washed off Shannon’s spirit.
“What will you do, Shannon? You realise you have reached your end. You don’t know what you’re doing.” Charlene’s mocking tone returned.
“I will cut the head off that statue in the church!” Shannon shouted back defiantly.
Charlene smiled like a mother smiling upon her child’s claims to courageous actions.
“Shannon, you can’t wield the power of that knife, only a Cooling…” Charlene paused for a moment.
She looked back at the inn and saw Steve Cooling standing outside, looking in on the events. It suddenly dawned on her. Shannon was a descendant of Steve Cooling. This was the day that she feared when the Faithful Few return to free their ancestors and destroy Larwock. Her face turned to terror and she felt Shannon growing in stature and power. Before she had a moment to take any action, Shannon thrust her dagger into the fire.
“No!” Charlene’s once powerful voice seemed to have lost its thunder.
The flames subsided and parted to let Shannon through. She looked back and Charlene had dropped to her knees. Shannon quickly ran into the church, and was first hit with that horrible stench of rotting flesh, and now she had seen the source of the smell. The human flesh that was attached to these statues was rotten. She fought hard to compose herself and keep herself on track. She assessed each statue, one more grotesque than the other. Finally she arrived at the sea serpent, which had the head of Reverend Larwock. It had grotesquely taken on some of the serpent facial features and structure, and its resemblence to a human face was slowly disappearing. She knew this was the statue that had to be decapitated.
“STOP…!” Charlene ordered with one last gasp.
Charlene stepped through the furious fire, but her skin and hair burnt instantly, her skin glistened as multiple layers were burnt off revealing naked flesh. The pain was too great for her to step into the church. She pleadingly reached out to Shannon to stop, but Shannon was determined to carry out the task. She pierced the neck of the statue with the dagger and ripped off the head.
Charlene screamed as the head was removed, her voice echoed through the church and the town, followed by the collective screams of the coven still in the Elder Inn. The flames outside the church vanished into smoke, and with a snap everything turned to white.
Everything had dissolved into white. All the screams had quietened down to nothing. Shannon felt no air or ground and could not see beyond the infinite white. Then she realised she wasn’t breathing or standing. She was suspended in nothingness. Shannon closed her eyes, hoping and praying that when she opened them again, everything would return to normal.
She waited a few moments and
slowly opened her eyes.