Miskatonic Dreams
Page 20
I shook my head and set to work. The grate was monstrously heavy and all but grown secure in place. It would have proven impossible for a dozen men to have dislodged it. But I am so much more than a dozen men and within a few seconds I had pulled the thing free of the cavernous maw that held it in its dark embrace and shoved it aside, out of my way.
I stared into the gaping black chasm for just a moment before nimbly picking my way down a set of stone stairs edged with a rotting wooden railing. Counting as I went, I traversed five hundred steps and some few more in number and lost all presumption that this place had anything whatsoever to do with Miskatonic University. A notion briefly touched my mind then darted swiftly into the shadows. I both deeply regretted, and was profoundly joyful, that my companions had no knowledge of this place into which I now ventured alone.
I came at last to a smooth rock floor not fashioned by any hand but the ancient creative forces of the Earth’s beginnings. I counted another fifty paces before I came to what looked like an ancient well. Walking around to the other side, I saw it was not a well at all but another staircase leading down into what unknown depths I could not imagine. It was also getting much warmer, which of course was a pleasant respite from the winter’s cold of a snowy northeast.
Two hundred steps more brought me to solid earth, soft and loamy as my shoes sunk in several inches before finally coming to ground. I removed my shoes and socks—meaningless affectations used only for the sake of whatever humans I might encounter on my rounds. I wiggled my thickly webbed toes in the warm moist soil and sighed a breath of deep relaxation.
A faint smoky glow began filling the chamber. Either my eyes had grown accustomed to the greater dark or the glow itself bloomed and crescendoed before me to greet my gaze. A moment later, I beheld the source of the glow and my breath caught in my chest as within an iron fist. Never on land nor sea had I encountered anything like it! As my mind stilled enough to take in the scene more fully, I recalled that I had indeed seen something reminiscent to what lay before me, in the deepest part of the sea near the great coral reefs.
It appeared to be a vast undulating bed of pale air-breathing anemones covering the floor of a chamber the size of the library. It struck me this chamber provided the deepest foundation of the library and of Miskatonic University itself. Here were hundreds, thousands of soft fleshy chimneys, each at least two feet high and crowned with a thick nest of gently floating tendrils. They were all of a range in shades, from the ruddy pink of a corpulent man to the pale opalescence of a slug’s trail.
The tendrils fanned together gently as if of a mind and beneath deep still waters, but there was no water here. They flickered and shone with scintillating illumination as if before a full unclouded moon, but no celestial light could penetrate so deeply into the dark black body of the earth. I breathed in the warm heady fragrances they emitted and then lay down upon the earth to regain my strength for a moment for the long climb back to the surface. I knew no more until I awoke in the library, slumped over a long wooden table covered with my books and papers.
December 31st
The last two days were spent exploring the lovely diaphanous creatures dwelling in the cavernous chamber far beneath the subbasement. They are so remarkably beautiful! They thrive in their subterranean enclave and, most tantalizing of all, they are sentient, most exquisitely sentient! They have graciously accepted me among them to complete my research as long as I do them no harm, but how could I?
Last night I finally had to meet with my batrachian companions in a nearby deserted alley. They had been trying to contact me for days, they said, complaining that the time had come for me to produce my findings and return with them to the sea. I had heard them of course, calling to me within the soft folds of my innermost private thoughts, threatening to uncover the monumental secrets I so jealously guarded.
Last night, I knew I could hold them off no longer. They immediately demanded to know why I covered myself against them beneath my great coat and fedora as I did when I passed among the humans. Force of habit, I told them. Of course. I had been so long away from the sea except for short sporadic dips that I had grown shy and wary of my appearance.
They mumbled and grunted among themselves as they do. Glancing at me curiously, their broad downturned grimaces falling upon me in disapproval as the unmistakable blush of anger soured their normally robust greenish countenance. But they left, appeased for the moment with declarations that I would soon complete my work and rejoin them with my findings fully prepared for general release.
January 1st
Somewhere outside, the humans are celebrating yet another holiday. Well and good, I say, as long as it keeps them far away and leaves me in peace. But then, how on earth or under it could they ever find me here? I have tidied all I touched among them upstairs and refiled every letter, shelved every book and journal, and jogged tight the corners of every stack of paper I handled with my gloved appendages. Never would they suspect I have been moving so freely among the precious artifacts of their, of our, nefarious shared history.
I laugh as I sit here in the deepest chamber beneath the subbasement among the singing ones. Yes! They have begun to sing. Or perhaps I have only now grown worthy of discerning their tenebrous tones from my own disordered interior musings. The vibrating luminescent glow of their inner light has become fully audible to my ears. Such songs they sing to each other, and to me! I tremble with pleasure as their lush undulating fronds, now grown to fantastical lengths and thickness, brush my face and limbs and probe the softer flesh of my body, encouraging me, tempting me to what, I dare not yet contemplate.
As I drift off to sleep among them, I behold that the entire chamber is filled with the delicate waverings of their countless fluttering protrusions. Oh, how wondrous they are!
January 3rd
I marvel at the transcendental mystery of my captor beloveds! I marvel in shame at my presumption to understand what the gods have in store for us all, great old ones and new usurpers alike. I laugh aloud. But my mouth is filled with them as they caress me inside and out. I am completely naked now, as I should be. The garments worn to protect me from prying human eyes are now cast aside so the delicate fronds may caress me fully without hindrance or veil. I will continue to write in this journal only so long as the fetid fragments of ignorance belligerently maintain hope or fear within me of what, or who, may come here.
*****
My mind is violently assaulted as I am dragged forth from such unutterably sweet bliss. I roar an oath to destroy the stars in the firmament themselves if I am not unhanded at once!
My arms are rudely grabbed and bruised by rough unforgiving hands, and my feet are ripped cruelly from the dark soft earth where they have taken deep root.
I glance at my body and gasp with pleasure! I am all white now and aglow, my smooth delicate flesh opalescent and shimmery pale. The looks on the faces of those who have come here, human faces and batrachian faces, is revulsion! Human and batrachian arms and strong hands work together frantically to pull me free of the embrace that holds me in thrall. Their mutterings and cries, their howls of rage and fear mean nothing and is met only with my laughter!
Their eyes turn upon me in disgust and horror as they drag me from this place. They would flee if they could but they are committed to the task of unearthing me. My eyes burn back into their own as I demand they behold me fully, and marvel as I writhe in their midst in ecstasy and pride, longing to burst forth into a cacophony of delicate wavering fronds. My work is at last complete. MY work just now begins!
CAMPUS PERSONNEL CORRESPONDENCE
Miskatonic University Email Updates
Lyssa Wilhelm
NOTICE; Staff Only
(Sent: August 13, 2016; 5:03 p.m.)
We would like to welcome all staff members (new and old) to a new year at Miskatonic University. It is the staff’s job to make sure the students are always accommodated. If a student comes to you and asks for help, you must do everything you
can to perform their request. They may need help finding a certain room or a book needed for a class.
Many students will have heard rumors and feel nervous about coming. We want to make sure they feel comfortable and aren’t scared or hesitant in coming to this school. We want them to recommend this University to their friends and family.
We ask that during your classes, you remind students they should read the student handbook, as it is mandatory. They need to review/learn Miskatonic rules as they are there for their safety as well as our staffs’. We would not want a repeat of last year.
NOTICE; Staff and Students
(Sent: August 20, 2016; 7:35 p.m.)
Miskatonic would like to remind students and staff of the rule of not staying on school property other than your dorms after 8:00 p.m. and not coming outside until after 6:00 a.m. This rule is in place for your safety, so we ask you please follow it. Due to the breaking of this rule on multiple occasions, Miskatonic will be implementing new guard “dogs” during the hours when students and staff are supposed to be off the property.
We would like to remind you of this policy which will be put into place tonight at 8:05, so please, get to your dorms before the listed time. Remember, these are “dogs”, and they are unable to listen to reason like the normal guard. They are highly trained and will not hesitate to attack anything that they believe is a threat.
There are no exceptions to this rule.
NOTICE; Students Only
(Sent: September 1, 2016; 4:30 p.m.)
We would like to remind the students of Miskatonic they should purchase a student “survival” kit as soon as possible. These kits are sold outside of the library during the morning and afternoon. They are specifically made to help students live on the campus with as much ease as possible. Included in these kits are:
A ruler
A pack of pencils and pens
Candles
A hex bag and small spellbook
Whistle
Salt
Bandages
We recommend that every student buys one of these bags as it is useful for those living on campus.
NOTICE; Students Only
(Sent: September 17, 2016; 4:30 p.m.)
Clubs have begun once again this year and we highly encourage students to join one of the many clubs we offer. Here is a list of some of the clubs offered, though the clubs are not limited to these specific examples. If you want to see the entire list, please check inside the library on the bulletin board. Here are some of our more popular clubs that we offer here at Miskatonic University:
Art Club
We are happy to announce that we will be offering our real-life art program once again this year. It will be run by Mr. Pickman in his room down in Room 19 in the basement. This will be the third year in a row that this will be offered.
As always, students under the age of 18 will need parent’s permission and a signed contract to allow their children to be part of the club. All students are required to also have their rabies shot before joining the club.
Astronomy Club
This club has been around for almost as long as Miskatonic itself. They are excited to welcome some of the new students into their happy group of members. It is one of the biggest and most successful clubs offered on campus. The leader of this club hopes to welcome many new members into their club, as well as greeting old members once again.
They have told us that they expect this year is going to be a good one. They will not tell us any details as to why they believe so. But, they have changed their motto to, “The stars are right.”
Egyptology
One of our more recent clubs, they plan on studying old artifacts that come from Egypt. This will be like the class Egyptology but is offered in club-form, in case students may not be able to join said class or are already part of the class. The teacher of Egyptology will also be hosting the club. Members of the club will meet in room 102, Mr. Een’s room. He hopes to see many new faces as well as old.
Swimming
Miskatonic has always had a wonderful swimming team and has won many championships. That is expected to continue this year. A few exchange students from Innsmouth are rumored to be some of the newest additions to the team. We would like to wish the Squids the best and hope for another wonderful year. We know that they will be bringing home many medals to add to their trophy case, already filled with many accomplishments.
NOTICE; Staff and Students
(Sent: October 3, 2016; 2:04 a.m.)
We would just like to remind students and staff that, yes, Miskatonic University is a very open and tolerant university. This does not mean that you are allowed to do any religious practices outside of your personal time. If you are disrupting class or any other activity related to school during school hours, you will be punished. We want to make sure every student feels safe on campus, which includes keeping religious beliefs out of the way unless it is during personal time. Our main goal here at Miskatonic is for everyone to be able to learn and concentrate. So, religious activities are banned during school hours.
This includes praying, chanting, bloodletting, sacrifice, and use of religious items such as crosses, elder symbols, crystals, or hex bags. Please save any religious practices such as the examples given until school hours have closed and you are in your dormitory.
The only exception to this rule is if it is for a required academic curriculum and is supervised by a teacher.
NOTICE; Staff and Students
(Sent: October 15, 2016; 6:00 p.m.)
On October 20th, Miskatonic will be hosting a presentation in the auditorium at 4:00. This presentation will be run by graduates of Miskatonic, giving advice on what you can achieve once getting your degree. The people involved are:
Ramsey Campbell
Robert M. Price
Joseph Fink
August Derleth
Sutter Cane
They will be informing students about the amazing opportunities available for you after graduating from Miskatonic University. Sutter Cane will also be talking about his newest book and having a Q&A at the end of the panel. We encourage all students and staff to attend this amazing opportunity.
NOTICE; Students and Staff
(Sent: October 23, 2016; 5:40 p.m.)
Tomorrow, October 24, Mr. Herbert’s advanced biology will be reporting to Room 231 until the incinerators are successfully installed. Room 201’s classes will be reporting to Room 102, due to 201 needing to be cleaned.
Also, teachers, we would like to remind you that when teaching ancient texts, please do not read them out loud.
NOTICE; Students and Staff
(Sent: October 30, 2016; 3:15 a.m.)
Students and staff, for your safety we encourage that you stay in tomorrow, October 31. All classes for the day have been canceled and students are warned to stay in their dorms. No matter what you hear outside, stay in. Remember the phrase “Shut your blinds, cover your ears, and pretend everything's okay.”
NOTICE; Students and Staff
(Sent: November 1, 2016; 7:00 a.m.)
Unfortunately, a few students didn’t listen to our last message and we are sad to lose them. Please remember that whatever is written in these notices should be followed. We just want the students to be in a safe environment. That is our main concern. If you do not follow these messages, we cannot be held responsible for your actions.
Also, classes have all been canceled today so we give the custodians enough time to clean up the mess from last night.
NOTICE; Students and Staff
(Sent: November 15, 2016; 3:20 p.m.)
We would like to remind students and staff alike that the swimming pool is not for recreational swimming. Only the members of the swim team, who are skilled enough, are allowed in the swimming pool. The school will not be held responsible for anyone injured or missing because they didn’t follow the rules. If confused as to what the rules are, please consult your student handbook, which must be read and followed.
Also, if you see something on the edge of the pool that may seem tempting, please ignore it. It will only cause trouble and you will be breaking another rule in your handbook. The rules are only in place for your safety, whether you live on land or in the pool.
NOTICE; Students and Staff
(Sent: November 20, 2016; 6:00 p.m.)
A new shipment of books has arrived at the library. Please remember that, while these books are wonderful to read and anyone who has the chance should, you still are not allowed to check one out unless given permission from a teacher. These books are to stay in the library if one does not have permission.
Students are not allowed to take these books home and try some of the blood sacrificeshidden in its pages. It is too dangerous for the student performing it, as well as others. Students are to use the locked room on the left side of the library if they would like to practice any of these spells. It is why we built that room, so everyone can be safe while also letting the students practice the important rituals.