But I put off the generating set light.
“What’re you still waiting for? Go make that available right away!” Brad instructed Tony with a grin on his face. He scurried off hurriedly.
Should I own up to the crime now? Will they temper justice with mercy? What will I say was the intention behind acting in this manner? Should I rather go and meet with Tony to clear my image off the cassette? Larry thought.
“Nobody leaves here until we get to the root of this matter,” the detective’s stern words frightened Larry that he felt the man had heard the intent of his heart.
Sighting Tony coming back with a smile on his face and the video tape in his hand, Larry became more terrified, and coupled with the fact that Tony was just looking at him.
“You saw the tape?” Brad, with zest, asked Tony.
“Certainly, I did but….”
“Hand it over please,” the detective stretched forth his hand, while Tony placed it on his palm.
As he turned to leave, Tony spoke grudgingly, “There was no footage inside.”
That halted Brad’s movement away from him. He turned back slowly, and his face spoke of anger though he needed to control himself.
“I thought you said there was capturing?”
“Yes, that I said!”
“And was coming back smiling?”
“That I did too because it’s a good antidote for good health.”
“Now, where did all these go then?” Brad pointed the video cassette at Tony as the former walked toward the latter.
“I’d wanted to explain the other time but you….” Tony began to stutter.
“Can you please go on and explain yourself before I llose my patience?”
“I forgot to let you know then that we usually switch off the light at night as well as the CCTV cameras,” Tony said in his shaky voice.
“For what, if I may ask?” Brad growing impatience now.
“That’s the modus operandi we met on ground here.”
“Who watches over them at night?” The detective asked after he had jotted down his observation.
“Over who?” Tony showed a surprise look at the question.
“Don’t even make any attempt to try out my patience here!”
“I only need to know the people you’re referring to and to see if I can still be of any help.”
“Another contrary word from your mouth again will make you regret ever working here.” Brad told him and everywhere remained silent. “Okay, I mean who stays with these bodies at night?”
All eyes, present, save for Brad’s, went towards Larry where he stood. That simultaneous stare dragged Brad’s eyes to follow that direction too. He tried all he could to bury the haughty fear that had the plan to humiliate him. Larry thought, perhaps, this is the beginning of the end for me.
“What’s your name?” Brad asked with a smile.
Larry would never fall for that sheepish but devilish smile. He forced himself to reply confidently, “Larry…Larry Fox.”
“Larry,” he flung his arm round Larry’s shoulder, “You’ve been on shift for quite some years now and no incident as this has ever happened?”
“Sure,” Larry seemed to be gathering some effrontery in answering Brad.
“But yesterday, an unfortunate incidence that you wouldn’t have wished to happen took place under your nose. And that got you worried, ain’t it?” Brad inquired from him with his eyes penetrating his eyes.
“Of a truth, I’m worried and that got me thinking that…no….”
“Tell us, what exactly do you think of?” Brad with his look now seemed to have found a loophole where he can tie his knot very well. He was expecting Larry to spill the beans.
In all what Larry said, though there was no iota of truth in it, his track was neatly covered. He was able to hide conveniently behind the cyclorama of the morgue’s policy. That got Brad frustrated that he threw his jotter at a wall.
“My years as a detective had never presented before me a hard case like this to unbutton. One thing I’m sure of is…Larry; my eyes are still on you. You’ve proven to be a smart ass up here. But, when I catch up with you…,” he used his two finger as a symbol of a revolver as he walked out of the room hitting another can that lay on the floor. With others’ reactions too, it seemed they suspected Larry since he was the one that would stay there till late in the night.
A few days later, when sanity had been restored on the sea, Larry set out to investigate about the dead woman that everyone seemed interested in. He stole in at night, with his torch, after everybody had left, to the filing department. Since their names were written on the tag placed on the corpse when they were brought in to the morgue, it was so easy for Larry to locate dead woman’s body: Amy. After a long search, he found it.
Flipping through the pages of the files, he felt like pouring out seeing her different mutilated bodies. He took a cursory look at the symbol carved out on her body under her breasts, and wondered where he had seen it before. When he couldn’t place where, he stopped the endless search in his brain and resumed work knowing well that he had little time left. After seeing Amy’s right calf that was hugely pierced, he felt nauseated. The note attached to the pictures stole his attention.
“Life for life to stay longer;
Soul for soul to see clearer;
Spirit for spirit to breathe better;
Heart for heart to connect brighter;
Such is the fate of Amy,
Whose blood gave us all hope
Of a better tomorrow.
One for all; all for one
To Lucifer, her soul belongs
The key to free her lies in HER.”
Without given it a second thought, he returned the file to its position, rushed to where he parked his car and headed straight to his apartment to see how he could help Amy gain her freedom from the cult she’d delved herself into the demonic worship. On getting home, he saw his lock torn apart, while a scary sound was coming out of his basement. His pulse raced so fast that he almost tripped over.
When he got to his basement, he saw that the dead woman’s belly had swollen up so big that it left his mouth wide open. An unthinkable creature: disgusting worm-like specie, tentacle animal with a mouth in its centre full of bloodied jagged teeth, erupted from the corpse’s belly.
Having awakened in this realm for the first time, the creature was at first at a complete loss. It had been born and reborn many a times in different realms. But in this realm, it perceived much suffering, agony, much blood and hungered for much food. Knowing that he was an acolyte of the Old Ones, he derived pleasure in feeding from these negative energies, but mostly they fed off in astrophysical from the agony and suffering of all the species in the galaxy.
The kind of suffering they enjoyed most was that of human because they, human, seemed to be endeared to suffering since they have the tendency to be self-destructive. Among the species in the cosmos, humans were perceived to be a failed experiment molded by the Creator, the All Powerful, who, after seeing the results of their experiment, left them to their ultimate and imminent demise. The creatures were given the permission, though, to prey upon the negative emotions of this failed lab experiment, since they barely had the opportunity to really taste and eat human blood and meat. Thus, at every given time that a species, being stupid enough, would open a portal for them, as Larry had done, it’s be a feasting time. They just had to wait for the portal to open.
Sighting Larry, the creature made a move towards him, after scanning the whole environment for what he can consume. Realizing he had found himself in a predicament that would undoubtedly endanger his life, he attempted to bolt away. It appeared his fate disagreed with him as his attempt proved abortive. The creature pulled him back holding his right leg. A loud scream came out of his mouth that his neighbor got worried but couldn’t come down to check on him. While the struggle lasted, he picked the metal he’d held unto for some
hours and struck the species with it so hard that one of the creature’s hands was chopped off. The creature retreated to regroup. To Larry’s amazement, his chopped off arm grew back to its normal position. He began to run helter-skelter in the already disarrayed basement, looking for a way out. Before he could escape, he was grabbed once again, and this time around, it was fatal. Larry was torn apart limb by limb.
Without much ado, the disgusting looking creature settled down to enjoy his supper by feasting on its prey. It ate Larry up piecemeal while his belch echoed pain and agony throughout the building. It began to grow unstoppably after it had preyed on Larry. Neighbors felt the thudding, pain and agony coming from the creature.
“Jim! You heard that or not?” Bernie called out to her husband while she was having her bath.
Jim didn’t hear her so clearly because of the sound of the stereo that was so loud. He assumed he heard his name and called out to his wife, “Bernie! You called me?” When he heard nothing again, he went back to gulping down his throat the champagne he had in his hand.
“Go get the kids please!” She said again when the bathroom began to shake so hard that she had to quickly hold on to the bathtub. Before she could pick up her towel and wrap it over her nakedness, the floor gave way for her legs and straight did she jump into the creature’s mouth. Her loud shrill that echoed in the building alerted Jim.
“Bernie, what’s that?” Jim rushed to the bathroom to check what really was going on. As he opened the door, he almost fell into the huge gorge. The thought that he needed to save his kids now dawned on him that when he turned to rush back inside, he was caught as the whole floor collapsed.
A state of alert went off in the city as soon as the man-eating monster broke loose from Larry’s apartment into the midst of people, ripping their hearts open. Blood flowed ceaselessly on the street. Sirens rent the air as men in blue uniforms came out, without waiting for order, and began to fire at the disgusting worm-like species. Seeing that their bullets couldn’t pierce through the thick flesh of the creature, they began to throw grenade and also tear-gassed it, but all was to no avail.
“Attention! Attention! Attention! You’re advised to evacuate your building immediately, and do not—I repeat—do not engage the destructive creature in any way you think is right to you. Officers should be at alert and report any strange sound from any quarter. Move it!” Detective Brad announced over the megaphone as the patrol vehicle that conveyed him was moving around the environment. Families were seen leaving behind their properties and running into the waiting long vehicles that would take them to their temporary camp built for them.
Four different television stations had already begun the broadcast about this inopportune incident in broad day light. People began to scamper about with the thought that the whole place had been made to become a frenzied war zone, with the declaration from an unfathomable creature.
It became so difficult for even the reinforced police officers to bring to an end the chaos, and massive massacring the creature awarded on a platter of gold to the people. What kept wowing people, while they were looking for a way out of the mess, was the fact the species kept growing to a larger size each time it swallowed up a human. That made them increase the tenacity of their escape.
“O my gosh!” One of the bystanders, who were supposed to have taken to their heels, stopped and looked to take a final glance at the creature, and perhaps take some video clips of the creature exceeding increase in size. After bringing out his camera to do just that, the creature turned to him and before he could think of escaping now, he was swallowed up.
Cries and gnashing of teeth filled everywhere as the creature kept wreaking havocs, mostly, on humans. The presence of the police officers that was innumerable didn’t in any way reduce the threat and annihilation tourney it embarked on. Thus, they couldn’t avert the disaster as it was already too late to do just that. In its quest to feed fat, more on flesh, the creature found its way to the zoo.
“Report reaching us live from where we stand is that the creature is heading towards the local zoo in the community. Therefore, should the species there be endangered, that will amount to the outright extinction of so many animals, which will definitely result to a huge disaster on our part as humans. As the events continue to unfold, we won’t but bring them to your notice. I’m Vickie Cleveland for The Cable Network,” the reporter made the announcement, while his cameraman videoed all the actions as they occurred.
“Please stay back!” Brad waved at the reporters and some of their other colleagues.
“Sir, you’ve got a call,” an officer lower in cadre walked up to Brad, saluted him and handed an already received phone to him.
Pressing the phone closer to his ear, he stuttered having recognized the voice. “Madam Secretary—yes ma’am—we’re on it! No, no, no—we can’t engage him now. Allowing him get in there will make it easy for us to trap the freaking-disgusting creature,” said Brad as he was pacing up and down. “It’s just some sort of a dark magical creature allowed to enter this city after a so-called portal was….” Brad was cut off by the Secretary of State while he was still trying to explain.
“I’m not so sure if your explanation will be tenable in front of Mr. President. You’ve got to do something quickly within 48 hours. And when I call you again, I want to hear that this worm-like creature whose image I’m seeing in front of me has been laid to rest on American soil,” the Secretary of State spoke sternly and hung the phone on Brad.
As he removed the phone from his hear, he hit with his right foot a tin beside him. His eyes caught hold of a camera on the floor where the tin he hit raced to. The place had been cleared off quickly as everybody shudder home.
Breaking into the zoo and devouring the larger animals, the creature grew so large that it became unstoppable. The officers couldn’t do anything other than to watch and wait as the horror kept unfolding. A lot of people, in agony, stood miles away beholding the gory sight. Many of the officers lost their lives in an attempt to salvage the situation. It was so devastating that only the insignificant animals could manage to escape the wrath of the beast.
However, in the mansion that stood aloof in the forest occupied mainly by woods, the original cult, that wore masks, saw the havocs the creature kept wreaking and the ululation amongst them was unimaginable to show how elated they really were. Owing to the ocean of blood flowing, they were able to appease their One True God. One of them was called upon to step forward and appease him on their behalf.
Having brought out a paper, pencil, salt and lavender, he crouched and drew a spiral on the paper he placed on the floor and an X through it. After that, he sprinkled some salt around the circle, he’d drawn already and burned the lavender and began chanting.
“I summon you The Old Ones to this room!” roared the elder while the others in the room began to hum so loudly that everywhere shook as the smoke from the lavender rose up tenaciously. “I command you stay in this circle of safety. I summon you so I may ask you for our purposes in this sect. So, more be!” He chanted these words and switched over to the ancient language which he did with an orgy dance. That resulted in more drumming, humming, and raucous ululations from every angle to the extent that everybody could feel the heat and the breeze that travelled around the room. The room got electrified that all fell into a trance.
As this continued, the Old Ones, dressed in their black robes and masks, and appeared in a mysterious way looking furious with the eagerness to suck blood. Had they been summoned with no blood to prey on, they’d have been left with no other option than to feast on the cult members’. Smokes travelled with them as they marched across the streets. With their presence in the scene, many souls lost their transient breaths as they rolled out their drums, which they hit so hard while they chanted so horribly that its echo deafened whoever that heard it.
Where Brad was at the zoo, working out a modality for them to douse the tension created by the creature, he was radioe
d about the presence of another sect in human forms, and whose visages were hidden away from them. Returning from the zoo to the street, the catastrophe he beheld struck him like lightning and it wearied his heart, but couldn’t show because he owed the city his allegiance to live only to protect the city against any form of attack.
Thinking he could just handle the situation on his own, his hand went for his revolver as he crouched beside a police van, with his rifle pointed at the bald-headed Old Ones, whose movements were simultaneously made.
“Drop your swords, and your lives shall be spared,” announced Brad. He knew within him that definitely their lives won’t be spared should they surrender. The men didn’t show any sign that he was talking to them. He repeated the same instruction with no response or reaction coming from the Old Ones. He beckoned to one of his officers to go close behind them and opened the mask off the face of one of the men.
As the veil came off, the officer got burnt into ash. Another shock was they had no ear, eyes, nor nose on their head at all. Other officers retreated at this revelation. Without hesitation, another fidgeting officer fired a shot at them. And the bullet bounced back, having no effect on the Old Ones.
Smiling wryly, they looked at Brad and other men in blue, who carried prickled sweats on their faces. The elders continued to slice the throat of the people, as the pace at which they move is that of lightning. Thus, before any man could escape, they would have appeared ahead, slaughtered and moved on to the next person. Not only were they lynching humans in their numbers; they were also setting ablaze churches, mosques, and synagogues around the city.
In one of mosques down the road, the Imam gathered the brothers and was preparing them to quell any attack from the Old Ones, after they’d taken their women, the aged and young ones to safety.
“Peace be unto you brothers. Since we’re experiencing one of the signs of end time, we shouldn’t be dismayed by this, but rather stand our ground and fight it till we wipe them off our holy land,” charged the Imam. “This is our own Jihad! And if we lose the battle now, we won’t be forgiven by posterity.”
Dark King of Horror Page 4