The Adventure of the Double Image

by Kevin L. O'Brien

pattern of paths, but one was illuminated by a series of lamps that hung from the ceiling. The rest of the chamber was cloaked in shadow, lighted only marginally by long, narrow windows of tiled glass sitting high up the walls just under the ceiling.

  "Hello!" Sunny shouted again, but as before no response came; the only sound was an electrical hum that sounded like a generator running.

  Sunny took hold of her hand, and she could feel her clammy skin, but she strode forth without hesitation and pulled her with her. She could feel her own anxiety rising by the moment, but she convinced herself it was just nerves. Even if someone did live here, chances were very slim it was anyone dangerous, like an insane serial killer, a Quasimodo monstrosity, or a mad scientist.

  She chuckled at the thought.

  "What?"

  "Ah, nothin'. I was just thinking that I watch too many horror movies."

  She felt Sunny shudder. "Oh, please don't say that!"

  "You wanna turn back?"

  "No!" She flashed a wide-eyed, nervous expression. "Just don't jinx it!"

  She scoffed, though as much to settle her own nerves as Sunny's. "Come on! There's probably nothin' more dangerous in here than a buncha rats."

  "That'd be plenty dangerous enough."

  They emerged into an open area. "Don't be such a pantywaist, ya ditz--". She cut herself off and pulled up short. She saw something on the other side opposite them, something that looked anthropomorphic.

  "What?" Sunny stopped, but she didn't let go of her hand.

  She pointed at the figure, but then relaxed. It turned out to be just a mannequin of some kind. "Heh, I must be gettin' jumpy."

  Sunny followed her gaze. "What, that?" She had a disparaging tone. "That's just some old dummy."

  "Ah, a cousin of yer's, huh?"

  Sunny gave her an exasperated look. "Very funny; hardi-har-har."

  Eile grinned. "I thought so--"

  It moved.

  "Eeep!" Sunny danced behind her. For her part, she froze as she watched it step into a cone of lamplight. It looked like a posable artist's mannequin, with a bulbous head, torso, hips, upper and lower arms and legs, and feet, connected together by ball joints. The feet were solid and flat, like shoes, but each hand was fully articulated, with four fingers and a thumb. Its skin appeared smooth, flat-finished, and gun-metal gray, with no sign of seams, rivets, or welds. The face, such as it was, consisted of three camera lenses, large, medium, and small, arranged in a lopsided equilateral triangle in the upper middle section, with a double-set of seven tiny holes arranged in two rosettes placed side-by-side just below them. Two clamshell-shaped microphone dishes sat on either side of the head, but there was no indication of a speaker. She realized it probably wasn't designed for talking, but its most disturbing feature was the futuristic, double-barrel assault rifle it held.

  "What is it?" Sunny whispered, as it paused, its eyes rotating and sliding in and out as it focused on them.

  "It looks like some kinda robot."

  "It can't be." She sounded less than certain. "It's too sophisticated."

  "Yeah, well, I'm not waitin' around ta meet its owner. Let's get outta here."

  "I'm with you, partner!"

  They backed away, and it resumed coming towards them. Its movements were far more fluid and smooth than she would have expected, and she heard no clanking, whirring, or clinking noises, not even a hum. Even its feet made no sound as it stepped; it was totally silent.

  "Uh, whadda we do now?" Sunny twittered.

  "Run like hell!" They turned and quickened their pace, and ran straight into another one, which was unarmed. As they bounced off it, it reached out for them. It grabbed Sunny by the arm, but Eile managed to evade and dance out of reach.

  "EEEE-AH!" Sunny tried to pull away.

  She looked around and found a crowbar leaning against a machine. She snatched it up, held it in both hands, and charged the robot.

  "Let go of her, you asshole!" She swung it like a bat, and caught the robot on a temple, whacking its head off center. It tilted to one side, but it swiveled around and stared at her.

  "I said, let her go!" She swung again. The robot raised its free arm faster than she could follow and grabbed the crowbar, stopping it cold in mid-swing. The force was so strong it jarred her body and rattled her teeth. It pulled the ersatz weapon out of her hand and threw it aside as she backed away, and collided with a third robot that had come up behind her. It took hold of her arms before she could get away, and it lifted her off her feet.

  "Aaarrrgh!" She struggled and kicked. "Dammit, put me down, ya hunk of junk!"

  "Eile!" Sunny fell silent as the first robot reached them and leveled its rifle at them.

  She calmed down and the robot that held her set her back on her feet, but it did not let her go.

  "Eile, whadda we do?!"

  She looked at the three automatons, then at Sunny. "Whatever they want us ta do." She spoke in a resigned voice. "We ain't got no other choice."

  The robot that held Sunny took her purse and then Eile's. The armed robot examined them for several seconds, as if trying to figure what to do with them, then it turned and headed out of the open area as its two companions followed, bringing her and Sunny with them.

  From "Youthful Indiscretion"

  As soon as the block fully reassembled itself, the tolling stopped. Apprehension crept over Henry; he knew something was about to happen, he just didn't know what. Then the room began to grow dark. He looked around at the lights. They didn't appear to grow dim; in fact, they seemed as bright as ever. Rather, the areas over which they cast their luminance shrank as the borders became more distinct and sharp. Beyond them, the room fell into shadow like it would at twilight when the sun had set but the sky was still bright.

  In that moment They appeared in his room. It wasn't like how Vlad emerged from shadow, or the affect of Dr. Mabuse's transporter machine. Quite literally one moment the room was empty, and next five beings stood in its center. The thing he noted first was the stench. Though not overpowering, it was enough to turn his stomach, and yet overlaid was the scent of vanilla, which partially mitigated but could not completely cover their foul, rotten odor. At almost the same time he spotted the blue phosphorescent glow that surrounded them like a mist.

  Their most horrific feature, however, was that each was deformed or mutilated in some hideous fashion. One was morbidly obese, with its face so swollen with fat that the wrinkles distorted and obscured its features. Another had a flap of skin covering its eyes while its disfigured mouth had the lips pulled back well away from its mouth and the teeth clattered together endlessly like it was chattering. The third was the size of child about his same age, but its flesh had been seared as if in a barbecue while its eyes stared out from their sockets without blinking. Number four looked like a teenage girl, and while bald was otherwise unmarked, except for a gaping wound in her throat held open by small hooks. They all wore clothing that looked like a combination of religious vestments and butchery garments, except they were made from black leather and vinyl. The robes exposed areas of skin on their chests and stomachs, and it was pierced and sliced and coated with fine powder, like talcum, or...ash? The garments themselves were sewn or hooked into the skin, as if that was needed to hold them in place, in the manner of buttons or zippers.

  But the fifth and foremost, whom he took to be the leader, was the most compelling. He was hairless, with dead-white skin, and his face and scalp was etched in a grid of lines. At each intersection a large pin or small nail had been driven into the bone below. Unlike the others, who looked vacant or mindless, he seemed intelligent and aware. He stared at him with a sardonic half-smile, as if he alone knew a secret others would give their lives to know. It sent chills down his back even as he felt ill. Yet despite how repulsive they appeared, there was something about them that he found fascinating, even provocative. Even as he feared he would vomit at any moment, he felt enchanted by their presence, even a little bewitched.

  But
then the nail-headed one frowned, like he realized something was wrong. His companions moved towards the bed, he assumed with the intent to take him, but as they tried to go around their leader, he held up a hand.

  "No, he did not summon us."

  Summon!? He stared down at the block in horror. That's why it was in the vault! How could I be so stupid!

  Vlad appeared in an explosion of shadow, in front of the bed between him and the monsters. "Run, Little Master!"

  Whatever spell, psychological or psychic, that held him in that room broke, and his terror galvanized him. He ran for the door to the nurse's room, pulled it open, and made for the opposite side, which led into the nursery. From there he could access the secret stairwell and make his way down to his mother's office. She would protect him.

  As he reached the other door, he heard the one to his bedroom slam shut.

  Vlad moved to block the door to keep the Cenobites from following his Master's son, but he felt the one called Pinhead extend his power to push it closed.

  "Vlad Tepes Drakulya." Pinhead regarded him with what appeared to be an arrogant expression. "Have you finally decided to surrender yourself to us?"

  "No. My current existence still satisfies me."

  "Then why do you interfere with our actions?"

  "I defend the Van Helsing Bloodline. So long as I draw breath, no harm will come to those who possess it."

  Pinhead sported a bored expression. "So be it." Even as he spoke, iron hooks at the end of