Trepidation Hour

“The King saw the darkness in the light, and knew that the time was nigh. The flames engulfed his mind allowing the essence to spill.  The King was delighted with his creation, but awe and fear of its power soon took hold.” - Excerpt from the Dictionnaire Infernal.

The main road leads to an old and run down dirt trail deep within the forests of Maine. The trail has seen its share of abuse from frost heaves and hard rains, leaving cracks and snakelike tears in their wake. The dirt bends around a corner that changes to a straight stretch, leading to large home of weathered age in the distance. The surrounding woods are dense and truly wild in every sense. The home is a large, two story block of painted red shingles with black window frames. The shape is unusual, looking similar to a church rather than a living space. A large deck protrudes from the front door, yielding a hot tub and craftsman table. The front door a deep gray with a small window avoiding the sun. Many of the shingles and frames are infected with moss and ivy gripping the house like a fist. A large stone chimney rises out from the roof, coated with thick ash and stains.

A man in a long gray overcoat suit stands before the residence. His hair is hidden from the sky, covered by a dated black cap. He face bears a light goatee on his chin and a small scar on his cheek. A cigarette hangs from his lips, filling the surrounding air with smog. Despite his youthful and handsome face, his eyes carry the weight of bags, either from stress or restlessness. Hanging from his side is a small leather case with a silver cross emblem. His pockets are bulged with various items along with a small dagger sheath resting upon a belt. Jack Necron wondered what kind of people would live in such a remote, outskirt location.

Jack walked toward the door, coat swaying in the light breeze. Tossing the smoke into the gravel that leads to the steps, he snuffs it out before pressing on. He leaps up the small steps and knocks on the door, awaiting a response. Nothing happens, not even a movement. Jack knocks once more, this time hearing a dull noise from inside. The door opens and an older man stands before him. He has little to no hair upon his head, save for the spots near his ears. He looks at Jack from behind wrinkled, troubled eyes. A set of light yellow teeth are revealed when the man begins to speak.

“You must be…The Spirit Weaver. Thank God you are here; I thought you would not show. My wife and I began to worry that we….” The elderly man lightly shakes with fright.

“Don’t worry Mr. Carver. But do keep in mind that this is just a quick examination first. I want to be sure that we truly have an event here before I pursue anything else. Now, if you would be so kind to lead the way.” Jack kindly reassures.

“Sure sure, follow me into the living room.” Mr. Carver replies whilst leading away.

Jack closes the door and follows Mr. Carver’s lead, walking through the kitchen and into a larger room. A fairly large TV in the far end of the room rests near an end table. Many bookshelves align the walls and an area carpet covers the glossy hardwood floor. A painting of a woman standing near the sea hangs over an old Baby Grand piano that is coated with thick dust. Two green recliners and a white couch stand before the TV set, where Mrs. Carver is sitting. Jack takes one of the recliners while Mr. Carver rests near his wife. She looks near his age, bright white hair and wise eyes. She wears a blue over shirt with white Capri’s. She appears tired and somewhat shambled, same as he.

“Oh, I should probably tell you our names. Mine is Alan and my wife is Judy. We are so very glad that you came.” Alan speaks from a warm smile.

“Pleasure to meet you both. Okay, I need to know when these events starting happening. Has it only been a few days or for a long duration of time?” Jack questions while setting down his bag.

“Actually, we moved into this home a year ago. Since then, odd things have happened almost daily. It was just little things at first, noises that barely registered with your ears and things in the corner of your eye. But within the last three months things have gotten worse…much worse.” Judy replies in a quavering voice.

“There were noises all over the house, banging and slamming. Sometimes there were screams that did not sound…human. Some of the wallpaper in the bathroom was deeply scratched by something large, and the basement door refused to open, despite not being locked. But things became more violent. Judy was thrown out of her bed and I was grabbed by the arm. I have the bruises, here look.” Alan spoke while lifting his shirt sleeve.

Jack leans in closer to look at Alan’s arms, and sure enough, there are several circular bruises. The circles left a clue behind as to how much pressure was applied. The bruising had bled much underneath the skin.

“That is not the end though, not even close. The bathroom mirror had blood stains all over it and many…crude words have been etched across the walls upstairs. Please Jack, help us.” Alan continues.

“I am going to look into all these things. You can stay in here if you like; I can check the house on my own. I will let you know what I think when I return.” Jack states with a stressed sigh.

“Don’t mind the disarray of the home. We haven’t touched much of what was left by the last…incident. It only seems to heighten it if we do.” Judy adds.

Jack stands up and starts toward a hallway bearing the stairs and two rooms. Jack opens the first door to peer into it, seeing a toilet and shower. He heads inside and looks about the room, but the mirror stands out to him. Dried markings of blood appear on the glass, in splattered blots, some of which appear to have been smeared by attempted removal.

"Normally for splatter to occur, at least in homicide cases, something has to be hit or thrown. This wasn’t a homicide though, yet."  Jack thinks to himself.

The wallpaper over the toilet has been ravaged by an unknown force. Four long, deep scratches have been torn down the wall, digging through to the wooden beams beneath. The width of the scratches is alarming, nearly two inches in diameter; something with immense force created these. Absorbing his thoughts, Jack proceeds out of the bathroom.

Passing the stairway, Jack checks the next room. Many more bookshelves and tables holding papers quietly sit within it, along with a computer. Jack assumes that it is a study as he enters. Several of the books have been thrown to the ground, torn to shreds in a white and text coated blizzard. Jack looks them over and notices that they are all religious in text. Shaking his head, Jack leaves the study and heads up the stairs, bracing himself for what he may find.

The hall from the stairway leads to three rooms: The master bedroom, the guest room and another bathroom. Jack begins walking toward the master bedroom when the walls catch his eye. His gaze widens as he reads the words that have been etched into the wooden panels.

        Herzeleid
    B*****d Spawn of Humanity
            Eid Eid Eid
            Herzeleid
       Take Me From Shadow
        Nommus  Em       
And Into Light
                Herzeleid
             Alas the Father Wept
Puppets by the intestines
            Herzeleid
                   Herzeleid
            Herzeleid
              Herzeleid
                    Herzeleid

Jack takes a step closer to examine the scratches near them. The wallpaper appears to have been pushed out and then torn. Whatever created it did not stand before the wall…rather, it was inside it. Jack backs up, continuing to examine the words and scratches while gathering his thoughts.

"How could something fit within the wall? It would be difficult for a human, let alone anything larger. Unless, of course, it wasn’t physically there. This is no ghost haunting this home. No, something far more sinister has taken hold here."

Jack heads back the way he came, going down the stairs to the living room. Judy and Alan are holding each other and looking at him with concerned faces.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to use your telephone. And also, if it is not a bother, I may bring in an old acquaintance of mine to help me.” Jack asks while rubbing his face.

“Sure, it’s not a problem, the more help we can get the better. But who is this person you speak of?” Alan curiously replies.

“Her name is Maria Antes. She knows more about demonology than anyone I‘ve ever met.” Jack’s voice slowly fades away with his steps.

“Demonology? You don’t mean….” Alan jumps up.

“It would make sense to me dear. All the ghost stories I was ever told were not like this…never like this.” Judy states in fear.

The two converse amongst themselves, arguing over the idea of a demonic force in their home. Alan refuses to accept it, while Judy firmly agrees with Jack’s words. Jack returns to the living room and has a slight urge to chuckle. After all, he did not say there was a demon in there home; he just said he knew someone that was educated in the matter.

"I probably should’ve elaborated." Jack thinks.

He rests in the green recliner once more and tries to calm the couple down, explaining the situation to them. The three converse for a short time, going over the events that have taken place and what might be causing this phenomena.

“Out of curiosity, why do they call you The Spirit Weaver?” Judy questions.

“Well, when you dream everything is peaceful. The images are full of memories, ideas, fantasies and escapes. When I dream, I see the dead, the damned and the lost. They come to me and tell me of their deaths, and sometimes they want me to help them. There are times as well when they just need someone to confide in…someone that can listen.” Jack gravelly replies.

A loud knocking at the front door silences the talking and Jack leaps from his seat. Rushing to the door, Jack opens it with haste, revealing a young woman at the step.

Her hair is long and flows like a river of shimmering red. Her eyes of an azure green clash with her lips of a dark violet, glossy void. Her body is shrouded in a dark gown with laces that entwine the outfit. Her right hand bears a tattoo of an eye with bloody tears, while her left holds a set of prayer beads. She looks at Jack with serious yet caring eyes.

“It has been some time Necron. It’s nice to see you.” Maria pleasantly welcomes.

“Indeed it has been, Maria, and it’s nice to see you in return.” Jack retorts from a familiar grin.

"She is lovely as ever, despite the things she's been through." Jack's mind slips to memories for a moment.

 I am most intrigued by your story of this home and I plan to find the root of the evil. Let me speak with the owners.” Maria quips.

Jack leads Maria into the living room and introduces her to the Carvers. She does not take a seat and instead looks about the room with squinted curiosity.

“From what Jack has told me, this sounds very different than most events I have experienced. Blood on mirrors, wall markings and actual physical contact with an entity is serious. Whatever has taken residence in this home is a fearsome being, one that may be quite powerful.” Maria gruffly explains.

“I suggest we wait until nightfall before we continue with the investigation. These matters tend to occur under the cover of darkness. We must take caution, however. We do not fully know yet what we are dealing with.” Jack continues.

“Agreed. Whatever you two need to do in order to rid us of this evil. My wife and I cannot take anymore of this.” Alan rubs his brow.

“Perhaps you should leave then. It may be a better idea...and safer, if you two find somewhere to stay for the evening. We can sweep the entire house and let you know what we found by morning.” Jack suggests.

“I think that is a good idea honey. I trust these people, and if they think it would help their investigation…” Judy concurs.

“We can stay with by brother Michael for the night. Honestly, I do not want to spend anymore time in this house until whatever has taken it leaves.” Alan shrugs while standing up.

Maria heads out of the room and begins looking around the home. Jack walks out with Judy and Alan as they head to their car. Alan gives him a concerned look and Jack tells him that everything will be fine. Alan returns an agreeing nod and hops into the vehicle. As they drive away, a haze of dust makes the car vanish out of sight into the coming dusk.

Jack heads back into the home and begins looking for Maria. He hears some sounds from upstairs and decides to check there. Once at the last step, he sees her looking at the words on the wall. She turns to give Jack a puzzled expression.

“Jack…do you know what Herzeleid means?” Maria nervously asks.

“No, I was hoping you could tell me. Is it a name or….” Jack cuts himself off.

“I have never seen it before, and that is what frightens me. This is the first time I have been perplexed by something of this sort. The way it is written over and over…it could be an incantation. But I have a gut feeling that it is something much more than that…” Maria backs away.

“There could be something in the home that may give us some clues. We could search around. I have not checked the basement, which is supposedly sealed, or some of the other rooms.” Jack explains.

“I agree. Many types of entities are linked to an item, using it as a gateway. Do you want to check the house or the basement?” Maria asks.

“I’ll go the basement, I have seen most of the things up here…and you have not. I will let you know if I come across anything.” Jack replies, walking away but stops for a moment.

“Maria, thanks again for coming here. I know it’s been awhile since you’ve been to an actual investigation.”

“Don’t mention it. I needed to get back out and besides, we’re old friends.”

Jack heads down the stairway, his destination being the kitchen. A white door leads to a pantry room that then leads to the basement door. He tries to open the door and is surprised when it moves relatively easy. Jack flicks the light on to remove the thick darkness of the stairway. A clammy, tingling chill rises up Jack’s spine and races back. He takes a deep breath as he begins walking down. The walls are a very jagged rock and in some places, ledge. The floor is uneven, with rocks and crevices rippling the ground like wrinkled skin. Various boxes and barrels clutter the room, along with some holiday decorations that show lack of use. Jack wanders around the area, shifting through boxes and anything he can dig into. Jack opens one of the larger boxes when something reaches toward him. He falls backward and slams into a pillar, causing an instant rush of heat and pain. He looks to see what came at him to see two eyeless, dark holes with a permanent grin staring back at him. He kicks the skeleton upside the head with frustration.

“Spooked by a Halloween prop. Christ.” Jack mutters to himself.

He stands up to brush himself off, letting out a relieved chuckle while looking at the fake skeleton. Just as he turns to walk out of the basement, he looks down toward the spot he had landed in. A small square line is slightly visible in the ground. Upon further examination, Jack sees that it is a secret opening in the floor, leading to perhaps another basement below. He digs around, stirring up dust but finds no way to lift it. He makes a mental note of the finding before going upstairs to find Maria.

When Jack opens the door to the kitchen, he is lightly startled to see Maria standing before him. She looks somewhat worried.

“I was just getting ready to head down to you. I looked at all the things you mentioned in the phone call. This home is gripped in the hands of an extraordinarily rage filled being. I found little to nothing around the house that would be of any use however.” Maria shrugs.

“There is something of interest in the basement, though I have no idea how to open it. It is like a hidden or forgotten door that heads down. It has no handle or anything. I am going to try and find something that can lift it.” Jack quickly explains.

“We need to find out what is down there. Maybe the Carvers aren’t aware of it or they could never figure out how to open it either. That gives me the sense that there may be other hidden passages. I can check around for them.” Maria replies.

“Ok, that works. But we should meet back up shortly, the sun is getting ready to set and I think we should stick together at nightfall.” Jack firmly states.

As Jack returns to the basement, Maria heads toward the stairway to the second floor. Once at the top, she walks into the guest room. The room only bears a small bed, end table and small shelf covered with pictures. She looks about the room, checking behind and around the objects. Nothing seems out of the ordinary and she walks back out. The master bedroom is larger than most of the others, filled by a queen size bed, dressers with a television and a large armoire. Clothes are folded and piled in corners of the room, while the floor is mostly swallowed by a large carpet of olive. Once again, Maria feels unsatisfied with the room, finding nothing but cobwebs and dust balls. She lets out an annoyed sigh, hoping to find something soon.

She had checked most of the rooms and feels as though there is nothing left to find. As she sulkingly walks down the stairs, she stops and looks toward the study…the only room she has yet to thoroughly look into.

Maria walks toward the study and heads inside. The books quickly grab her attention and she looks over the titles:

Moby Dick
40 Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
The Stand
From Beyond
Watchmen
Prisonic Fairytale
James and The Giant Peach
(Blank)
Interview with a Vampire

Maria stops reviewing the books and goes back to the nameless book. It is small, almost insignificant. It has been driven between two larger books and the dust reveals that it has been overlooked for years. Maria slowly pulls the smidge of a book out and blows the archaic dirt off. A golden emblem of a massive eye is depicted on the cover. The pages are browned and faded, barely translating the already difficult print. The pages are nothing but symbols and outlandish drawings. One is of a demon with its mouth gaping open as a hand reaches out of it. Another show a man hanging from the torn flesh of his feet, bleeding into a saucer. Maria rushes through the book, in shock over what she has discovered. Near the middle of the book, a page is completely blank except for two words:

Bookshelf Behind.

Maria drops the book and begins to shove the shelf out of the way. It is quite heavy, but it moves slowly. Once she slams it into the desk, she looks down at the floor. Against the wall, coated in a thick layer of webbed waste slumbers a thick tome of a book.

She picks it up to rub the filth off, allowing the brick red cover to shine. The words on the cover read: Dictionnaire Infernal. Maria's eyes glow then widen. She dashes out of the room and out into the kitchen, rushing through the pantry and into the basement. She hears some creaking and banging as she descends the steps. Jack is standing over a small opening that leads downward, while a crowbar rests at his feet. He gives her a look of restlessness as sweat runs down his brow. Apparently, the doorway was harder to lift than originally thought.

“You need to see this. Let’s talk upstairs in the kitchen.” Maria exclaims.

The two walk up the stairway once again and sit at the dining table. She slides the book over towards Jack and he looks it over curiously. He opens the pages and speed reads, looking for anything that may stick out.

“That book is dangerous, Jack. I have heard of it and in my circles it is a tome that is to be kept away from human eyes. It is supposed to have the names of every demon that rules in Hell and every way to…appease them.” Maria shutters.

As Jack burns through the pages, he sees various names and macabre illustrations. As he continues to look through it, he stops and nearly falls out of the chair.

“I can’t believe the chances…look at that page…” Jack shockingly speaks, sliding the book back over.

Maria looks at the words on the open pages and instantly looks up toward the ceiling and back down with terror.

“Herzeleid, The Devourer. (also known as The Destroyer, Shilgohaud, Grul’El and “He Who Follows)”

“Little is known of the Arc-Demon known as Herzeleid. Various scrolls state that he was born in Hell and purged in the blood of the dark lord himself. Because of this, many speculate that he may be another Son of the Beast. In Christianity, he is said to be the dark angel of the Bottomless Pit, he who followed Lucifer in his betrayal. In Slavic mythology, he is the tormentor of St. Elijiah. Translated from Sumerian text, he is referred to as “Enu’s Accidental Creation. He is part of the Legion and Hierarchy of the Abyss according to unspecified scriptures.”

“It is not known what Herzeleid looks like physically or if he even possesses such a form. It is also unknown how to summon him, as that knowledge has likely been lost to the passages of time or held with such secrecy, few know it.”

Maria closes the book and pushes it away with shaking fingers. Jack looks at her with a face of dreary terror, pulling on his collar.

“We are going to have one hell of a problem.” Jack stutters.

“Jack…you need to use your gift. If the being in this home is truly Herzeleid, you will see it. I will wake you so you are not in his presence for long.” Maria hesitantly states.

Jack says nothing and walks out of the kitchen and into the living room, where he rests upon the couch. The light from outside has completely faded and Maria turns several of the lights on. Jack reaches into his sack and pulls out a small prescription bottle and a strange ring of ivy plants.

"I am going to take this sleeping pill. It will only take a matter of minutes to put me to sleep. If I begin to shake, scream or do anything violently, wake me up. Also, this is a Laurel Crown. I have used them before in various cases despite not being religious. It will help ward off any evil forces while wearing it. If for some reason I cannot be woken up, wear this it and enter the hole in the basement without me. There should also be a flashlight in my bag.” Jack speaks in a frightful tone.

“What if I can’t wake you up? What will I….” Maria is cut off.

“Don’t worry. Though I‘ve never encountered a being such as this, I have done this numerous times.” Jack reassuringly states.

Jack takes one of the pills and dryly swallows it. He leans back in the couch and relaxes. His eyes close but he speaks with Maria.

“It is always a pleasure working with you, Ms. Antes.” Jack mutters.

“Let us hope this will not be our last collaboration.” Maria states while sliding the Laurels on.

A few moments later Jack has become silent and seems to be in a deep sleep. Maria watches over him, waiting for the moment to awake him from the dream.

Jack sees nothing but an unending darkness devoid of life. A strange, static like sound continues to buzz in his ears. He has never had this occur during his Spirit Weaving. He continues to wait in the icy blackness, waiting for a spirit of any sort to appear before him.

Still nothing, nothing but buzzing noises and electronic screeches.

Within a bright flash teeth cover most of his view and the moist heat of heavy breathing fills the air. Eyes that radiate like blood stained light bulbs stare ceaselessly from the darkness with a tremble inducing roar.

Jack’s body begins to shake and thrash, knocking the pillows from the couch. A flying arm slams into Maria's head sending her to the ground. She sees the view in a fuzzy haze, but quickly breaks out of the daze. She rises to her feet to grab Jack by the arms; shaking him and screaming to him wake up. He continues to violently shake and grunt, his veins bulge out in lines of pulsating fury. Moans and horrific growls fill the house, while slamming and stomping quakes above. Jack yells the name Herzeleid several times, increasing in pitch with each yelp. His body instantly ceases to move and the sounds fade just as hastily. Maria shouts his name and tries to get him to move, but nothing happens. She continues to shake him in desperation, failing to create a reaction. She slumps over and her head rests on his chest.

Just when thoughts of sadness and regret fill her mind, she feels a bump. Lifting her head, she sees that his chest is slowly moving up and down. He is breathing. She lets out a deep breathe of relief and lifts her head back up.

She knows that she cannot stir him from his slumber, so she reaches into his bag and grabs a silver flashlight. Flicking it on to see that it works, a beam of hope shines outward.

As Maria walks to the kitchen, she can’t help but notice that the house seems to be warped. As she walks, the floors seem tilted, though her stance is unchanged. Trying to ignore the cold and sick feeling in her stomach, she bravely marches onward. Parts of the kitchen walls are splattered with globs of gelatinous liquid and the sink is raining an endless flow of thick, milky yellow pus. More stomping echoes from upstairs while a faint sound of laughter rings out. As she walks past the front door, a glimmer of light shines from outdoors. She presses against the glass and notices the Carver’s car.

“Why have they returned here? And why have we not seen them?” Maria whispers.

She turns away and slowly proceeds to the basement. As she starts to descend the stairway, a thunderous boom and clicking sound fills the house. The lights vanish in a disorienting instant and Maria switches the light on, gripped by a quiver in her legs.

The basement is flowing with spots of freezing to burning air. The flashlight reveals the small hole gaping open and with a quick look back, Maria slides into it.

The tunnel is nothing but a thin crawlspace shivering with centipedes and other bugs. Maria gulps and pushes herself onward, trying to pretend that the insects are not there. As she crawls with the light, she sees an opening ahead. Pulling herself out of the tunnel, she lets the flashlight search. The area is quite large and candlelit, appearing to be a hidden room. As she surveys around, an altar appears in her view that immediately grabs her attention. It is covered with dark cloth and holds a small dish of gold. She grabs her mouth and nearly vomits at the site within it. A human hand rests there, holding a very much human heart. The hand is pale and has black spots covering it; the heart a dark purple. Part of the hand’s skin begins to pulsate and move. A cockroach bursts from within and feverishly runs about.

Maria gets a hold of herself and looks around the walls. Several images of people being sacrificed hang all over the room. As she edges closer to one of the paintings, a smash to the back of her head creates a tidal wave of pain. Her sight goes dark before seeing little white spots for a moment. After that, silence.

Jack’s eyes burst open and he gasps out for air. He huffs and hyperventilates, trying to recover from the horrendous imagery he witnessed. He looks around the couch, not being able to see anything due to the absence of light. He yells Maria's name to no reply. Feeling nervous and concerned, he reaches for his pocket and slides the pack of cigarettes out of the way to grab his lighter. He flicks it on but barely manages to see anything. He goes for his sack and pulls out his dagger that has been fashioned to resemble a cross. Sliding it under his belt, he uses the struggling light to guide his path.

As Jack walks into the kitchen, trying his best to not disrupt the lighter‘s flame, he feels something rub against his shoulder. It is wet and warm. Jack turns and shines the lighter in the direction where he felt it. To his horror a blood covered face hangs upside down, hovering only inches from his face. He screams and jumps backward. It is Alan Carver. His feet have been firmly tied to a chandelier and his torso has been slashed open, allowing his bowels to freely wander out.

Jack cringes and turns away, ignoring the tugging urge in his mind to run away and replacing it with worry for Maria. Looking toward the basement, he sees the word “Herzeleid” written in blood all over the entire floor, much like the words upstairs. As he moves toward the stairway, a strange sensation covers his whole body. His hair stands on end as a shiver gnaws his bones. A gust of breath next to his ear makes the lighter go out and he begins to fly down the steps, missing several on the way down. His leg bends in an awkward position that leads to his collapse, sending Jack bouncing and falling the rest of the way. His face slams into the hard stone below to a grunt of pain that fills the atmosphere. Jack gets up just as fast as he went down and says a silent prayer, thankful he did not drop the lighter. He flicks it on and looks dreadfully looks around with paranoia coursing through his brain.

Searching around along the floor, he feels the opening to the hidden tunnel. He shoves himself inside and begins to crawl, barely seeing anything in front of him save for a glowing light ahead. He continues moving, feeling slimy and strange things all around his body. He crawls up and into the hidden room, which is lit with several torches and reeks of oil. The altar is covered in coagulated blood and the paintings seem to be melting away.

“So glad you could make it Mr. Necron.” A familiar voice growls out.

Jack spins toward the voice, seeing Maria bound by some kind of wire. A spot of blood is on her forehead and she gives Jack a terrified stare. Standing next to her in a red robe is Judy Carver, wielding a dagger and the Dictionnaire Infernal.

“Stay where you are, don’t make any sudden movements or try anything heroic. Throw me that cross dagger.” Judy barkingly orders.

Jack reluctantly obeys and tosses it toward her. He sits down and looks toward Maria again, wondering what in the hell is going on. She looks at him again with a look of fear.

“I suppose you are surprised and perplexed. Why did I go through this charade? Simple, it is all for Herzeleid. It is all in the name of the Order of Everlasting Torment. They will be most pleased that I managed to call forth the new creator!” Judy cackles.

“What the hell is Herzeleid?!” Jack snaps back.

“Young fool, if only you could grasp the mind destroying truth that is Herzeleid. A creature born in the flaming womb of Hades and baptized in the blood of Satan, giving life to a being that could rival the powers of any god. But Lucifer created an accident, a demon beyond all control. It managed to escape the depths of darkness and came to rest in the plane that separates our two worlds. Herzeleid was there, waiting and dreaming an eternal nightmare…the nightmare that is the Order’s greatest wish.” Judy continues.

“So that’s it? You killed your own husband for the sake of a mad demon god and cult? What do you hope to achieve by calling forth something that cannot be controlled?!” Jack shouts in defiance.

“You will see soon enough. Herzeleid will come, and when he does he will devour this pathetically weak universe and give birth to a new landscape. One of pleasurable tortures and indivisible sensations. He will wish to endow those who called him with limitless energy! The Order of Everlasting Torment will hold this new world in its grasp!” Judy screeches.

“Are you really that dense? A creature like that will only continue to devour everything in its wake! You‘re just puppets in it‘s game!” Jack blocks the urge to leap and attack.

“We will see. You will be the one with an eternally ravaged soul. But, I suppose I should tell you why I allowed you to be here. I could not banish Herzeleid, for the book does not contain any hidden text on the subject. I had hoped you would stop him, allowing me to report my success to the Order before we initiate the true summoning. But I changed my mind. If he is already trying to come into our world, why push him back? I killed Alan, knowing he would never see things my way. Now I will kill you two, continuing the sacrifice of blood for Herzeleid!” Judy crudely laughs.

Judy comes toward Jack with the knife, grinning with almost shark like teeth. He starts to back away, eyeing the cross dagger. She continues to creep toward him, pushing him up against the wall. Jack tries to back up more but cannot. He keeps shifting from the cross to Judy, looking for an opportunity.

“Come here, it won’t hurt that much. It will be quick and easy, like slipping into a warm bath.” Judy seethes.

The dagger lunges at Jack’s torso while he leaps to the side. The blade misses the flesh but tears the cloth of his shirt. He rolls toward the cross dagger and grabs it, turning to see a mass of red flying over him. He holds the cross firmly upward.

"What goes up..."

Both he and Judy slam to the ground with heavy force. He hears a light whimper in his ear and he pushes the mass off his body. Judy lies on the ground, bleeding heavily from her side.

"Must come down."

Jack rushes over to Maria, using the cross to cut her bounds. He raises her to her feet.

“Let’s get out this house right now!” Maria pleadingly orders.

Jack and Maria run to the hole, grabbing the flashlight along the way. As they prepare to enter it, they hear choked laughter. Judy slitters up against the wall and grins at them.

“This is not the last of it. You may have stopped me, but there are dozens of others. Herzeleid will come one day, you will see. After all, he is the already inside every one of us. Any dark thought you had, any secret desire you dreamed or any blasphemous act you committed…he is the one that whispered in your mind to do it.” Judy laughs, spitting blood.

“Then we’ll find and stop them too.” Jack instantly barks back.

A massive bang is heard and the room fills with a distorted whirring. The wall behind Judy bursts open by an enormous hand of warped flesh and claws that reaches out. The hand completely covers Judy and clenches her tightly, causing her body to squeeze and crunch. Her eyes begin to bulge, filling with blood that flows down in a crimson waterfall. The fist pulls Judy out of the room and into the darkness from whence it came. One of the torches falls from the wall, hitting the ground and igniting a pool of lamp oil. The room is overcome with smoke and flames within seconds.

Jack leaps into the tunnel, while Maria waits for him to get further into it. She soon follows, clawing her way through the path. She follows Jack’s flashlight as they dash from the basement, running through the kitchen and out into the wispy night. They enter the Carver’s car and are relived to see the keys sitting in the cup holder. Jack starts the car and slams it into reverse, not even looking back at the house as it bursts with flames. Maria stares into the flames, seeing something that causes her start laughing hysterically. Once they reach the main road, Jack looks over at her.

“What did you see? What did you see?!” Jack asks with fright and wonder.

“He Who Follows.” Maria continues to nervously laugh.

The car continues down the road, passing headlights and patches of fog. The two souls escaped the house of terrors only to have more questions than answers. They drive into the moonlit night, vanishing into the mist that coats the black road and twilight.

+TWO WEEKS LATER+

In an apartment building filled with books, tomes and various oddities; Jack is sitting in a chair skimming the pages of a brown book. He has not shaved in quite some time and his hair is a tangled mess. He obsessively flies through the pages, seeking an answer to the many questions that plague his mind. His apartment is in shambles with various items thrown about the floor. As he flips the pages of the book, his ears pick up a shifting sound near his door. He places the book down and slowly steps toward the sound, seeing a shadow through the bottom of the door. The shadow leaves and a small piece of paper slides underneath. Jack hesitantly picks it up and opens it. A single word is written in the middle of the page, a word that makes Jack’s hand shake uncontrollably. A word that makes his nerves scream and sweat tremble from his forehead:

Herzeleid.

Continued in Act 2.

Author's Note

An old story I wrote from 2011.

Reviews

[Ashish]

I am reading horror story for the first time and it felt great... The story gave me a feeling of professional writing..
Good job...
I am totally impressed
Really horrifying though I think I have to Google many words which are new to me.. :)

[Jack Necron (Aubrey Jack Peaslee)]

I'm glad you like it and were impressed! I should post the other parts to this soon. Thank you for the kind review and for reading, I appreciate it.