Chapter 7 Part 1

A Nightmare Reborn

Chapter 7 Part 1

Now I've truly gone mad. I've passed over into the past and can't find my way back. This must be an illusion. Gustaf seemed calm, and I asked, beckoning him for understanding,

"How has this happened?"

Gustaf grabbed me firmly, and looked into my eyes. He then let me settle, and answered,

"You're not in the past, but a nightmare."

My eyes opened further. I asked, as if I'm supposed to,

"Am I not already in a nightmare?"

Thus, the nightmare had been reborn. The past has reawakened, and the nightmare lives once again, ready to destroy all that we know. Everyone has gone mad. None of the occupants in the mine are privy to this fact. The future may never come to pass. Instead, the sun will rise over and over, not giving birth to a new moon. It is clear that our greatest challenge will be to stop Althia. She is the one causing the nightmare to repeat. All of the madness is her child, with Alice bringing forth the nightmare child. Each child becomes a beast, one ranking above all the others. The child is a foul mockery of the cosmic great one, being born with no conception. The other half of this story makes less sense, however. As Gustaf studied my blank expression, he noticed that the change has occurred in me as well. I'll attempt to relate all of this for my own mind alone.

I am the chosen one to defeat the nightmare. I have been reborn as the other one. The nightmare child also threatens my own life. I have been brought into the past for the sole task of ending the wretched child. Father Gustaf, is an old hunter, dedicated to my upbringing in the hunt. If I complete the task I will be given the chance to live on. There is one thing that is more unsettling than all the rest. I will undoubtedly have to kill Alice. Although she is innocent, she is now the doomsday's device. Gustaf, as if he could read my thoughts, said,

"Now, now."

These were the only words he offered me, and they were enough. My mind has multiplied enough words. We pressed on, my hand next to my gun. We left our slumbering bodies behind, knowing that only the death of this nightmare will allow us to return to them. Cursed be us. We are instruments of a cruel doctrine. We have no choice, being the puppets of some ill-conceived great one. Why must the old gods be so sadistic? Nothing can express my hopelessness.

The atmosphere shifted to one of danger, as we moved towards several human miners. Their expressions were not of surprise but instead rage. Their faces were flushed like the beasts they will turn into. As they gripped their pickaxes, I knew they wished us dead. Gustaf pushed me back, and challenged the gruff, burly men. Each man had not seen the light for exactly one aeon. Their demeanor breathed of heartlessness. (Is this what I am to become?) I grabbed my gun, astonished to find six shots in it. Had my bullets somehow been replaced when I entered the nightmare? As I pointed my gun forward, Gustaf did not try to deter me from aiming it at the nearest approaching man, one with a long beard and dirty grey hair. He mocked both of us, as if our weapons had no bearing on his fate. As he approached closer, he drew back his axe, and swung it wildly at Gustaf. In an act of loyalty, I fired at the man's head, the blood from his resulting wound ran down his entire face and tattered shirt. As he fell lifeless, the other five men approached us, Gustaf working quickly to attack and kill two of them with one blow, conserving energy for the next. I grabbed out my knife, and drove it into one of the men's neck, my favored place of killing. As the final two men tried to flee, I shot one, and watched as the other dropped to his knees and cowered. Gustaf closed in on him, transforming, showing both I and the man his inner beast, a large, grey wolven creature that clearly was an alpha. Gustaf stood over seven feet in this form, and he was a sight to behold, one of raw power. His fur shined in the darkness, and I was relieved this man was on my side. As Gustaf grabbed up the man, holding him up easily with one arm, I smirked as he began to bite the miner, consuming his still living flesh, gratified over each  bite. As the man screamed in terror, I went to each of his companion's corpses, ensuring they were indeed dead.

As Gustaf  finished his meal, he growled, fiercely, and let out a triumphant howl. I prayed that all would know where man has came from. We did not come from apes, but instead beasts, crows, wolves, and goats. We have challenged the true measures of sanity, but possess the true ability to grasp the truth. What tortured reality there is in these memoirs must remain hidden in your heart, as none truly hath the capacity to believe that we were once meant to scurry and crawl. Our putrid sin means nothing, as the simple pleasures are darker, such as murder and slaughter.

Chapter 6 Part 5

A Nightmare Reborn

Chapter 6 Part 5

This is not what I imagined it to be. Gustaf, once again, calm and reserved, asked,

"Is this him?"

Perhaps Sam was also Gustaf's target. I had, perhaps, in my madness, rendered Sam as fictitious. This was my error, one in which I should have never left open to my assumptions. He was originally my target, one I had forgotten all about once I had scaled the Catskills. As the conjoined beast lurched forward, Sam moaned and bellowed out in a tumultuous manner, letting me find peace in the fact that his mind has been long since dead. The two twin lady beasts, each which served as sort of makeshift arms for Sam, did not welcome our appearance. As they vomited over and over again, I realized that their puke was the cause of the noxious fumes. Our time was running precariously thin, and both Gustaf and I surged forward, sensing the urgency.

When I had drawn near the right twin, I realized that she was beautiful, as beautiful as a beast can be. Her fur came down her head, serving as a sort of mane, its dark shine enticing my loins as the devil inside of me fought to come out. As she reached out to grab me, I froze, allowing myself to be captured. As I reached for my knife, her yellow eyes sought to hypnotize to me further. As she went to bite me, she let out a fiendish screech, and I gazed at her face one last time, finally coming to the realization that the right hand twin was nothing more than a beast, not human nor better. As I stabbed her in the eye, she screamed once more, and vomited all over me, covering my upper body with green slime. As she became stiff and lifeless, I fell out of her arms, and struck the ground sharply. I began to cough and cough, and I knew my time was limited, as the extra exposure to the newly spewed vomit had caused me to inhale a lethal amount of toxin. With my final action before falling unconscious, I got up, and withdrew my knife from the dead beast lady twin, and drove it into Sam's soft, decayed skull. As he now collasped on top of me, his weight did nothing to injure me further, as I was already to be counted amongst the dead.

I saw him...is this a dream? My vision was blurry, but I could make out Gustaf above me, and he held in his hand some aromatic meat, something I could not quite identify the scent of. How did I come back? I felt myself die. Had I imagined the conjoined beast that had been Sam? How could anyone remove the gargantuan from my once frail body? Is this some sort of foolish imagined display, one that happens to the body, post-mortem? Is this such thing as life after death, or had it really just been some sort of hellish nightmare? As my vision cleared, I seized the food that Gustaf had extended to me, and he said,

"So, you are up."

As he helped me to my feet, I asked, never more astonished,

"I am...alive?"

Gustaf, his usual dire and upbeat self, answered,

"Afraid so."

Sam's monstrous body was no longer here. Instead, a pool of green toxin rested in the middle of the room, and I could breath easily again. As I quickly consumed the hard-yet-edible morsels of meat, which had more than likely been removed from my bag, I asked, in a daze,

"Was I dreaming?"

Gustaf's expression had became sullen, and he answered, quietly, 

"No. It's... our curse..."

Curse? What else could exist in this previously thought imagined world? As I struggled to realize what reality was, I assumed that Father Gustaf had nursed me back to health. Ah, I see now. The lady twin had left green stains upon my beaten coat. It really had happened. The curse, however, was what really perplexed me. Had I not died? As I fought against the ever lurking madness, I asked,

"What has happened to me?"

Gustaf did not reply to me, and I heard what sounded like a faint voice belonging to a woman possessing a hoarse tone. She said,  

"It has began."

I couldn't see her anywhere. Even still, I wanted to know what she meant. I asked, in my mind,

"What?"

That's all I could manage. The woman, now louder, answered simply,

"Your...rebirth."

As I expected, her answer was cryptic. I fought with myself to match the voice with its possessor, and I realized it must be her. Alice, of course. She has been playing me all along, so why wouldn't she be the real puppeteer? Father Gustaf realized my sanity was slipping, and asked, harshly, as he thumbed his ever-growing beard,

"You okay, boy?"

My response seemed automatic, as if Alice was concealing her manipulations. I answered,

"Yes...I...am..."

Gustaf did not seem to believe me, but we continued on. Drinking here and there from his flask, we scoured the room to find an exit. Alongside the eastern wall of the pit, we found a passageway, one that seemed as if it was dug out by once human hands. As we heard some indistinguishable banter ahead, I braced myself. Gustaf, however, seemed expectant. As the sound got closer, I was still unable to make out the  noise, but I realized that there was two of them. They sounded both female and male, and each of them seemed utterly unaware of our presence. As they seemed to stop, Gustaf crouched, and said, in a whisper,

"We can't proceed...not now."

I sat down, and felt my lids become heavy. As both of us laid down, I was instantly pulled into my dreams. After I had been whisked away to my unconscious mind, I realized that I had crossed some unseen border into a nightmare world. Everything was bright, as if we had gone back into the past before the beasts had taken the mine. Everything was illuminated brightly, in a brilliant, translucent, blue glow. None of the features that this place held before remained, and I was baffled by this area's puzzling changes. Gustaf, who also stood above his sleeping body, laughed, and said,

"Nothing like a good nap."

His expression bore renewed vigor, and we both quickly continued in our sleep down the passageway. Ahead was the two from before, appearing as a young and beautiful couple. Their presence here seems off. As Gustaf crossed over the boundaries of the sleeping and waking world, he brought down the male, and revealed the dark truth. He was Sam, and Gustaf now executed him in this life, too. The woman was what appeared to be both of the female twins, the beasts from before, their halves seemingly interwoven together. I reached forward, biting the woman on the neck, tearing out a hunk of bloody flesh. As I chewed and swallowed her salty yet delicate flesh, she fell to the ground, bleeding to death. Gustaf, before we returned to our slumbering bodies, said,

"Nice!"

We had killed them now in both the present and the past. No...our dreams and the waking life? What is reality, and what is really our dreams? Are they one, or are they separate? Is a dream reality, or is reality a lie? This nightmare seems too real. Am I asleep, or am I awake? When will I awaken? Am I alive, or have I died, long ago? Was I truly ever born? Has my body passed away, giving way to some new form? Was I nothing more than a grub in the last life, that form having became the catalyst to this weightless and elegant recreation?

Chapter 6 Part 4

A Nightmare Reborn

Chapter 6 Part 4

We had came to what seemed a dead end. The only way forward is down, and as I peered over the edge, I realized I could see nothing below me. The element of danger was now everywhere, as there is no turning back in this subterran hell. Gustaf, who had struck a match and lit what looked like a homemade cigarette, seemed unrattled. As he took a long drag off his rolled smoke, I sat there, determined to find a way to proceed. As I searched what seemed like every square inch of the chasm, I fought off my dismay, struggling with my sense of hopelessness. Gustaf, perhaps noticing my current demeanor, said, as he held his cigarette away from his mouth,

"Fear not. We can survive the fall."

Has he gone mad? Surly this drop would be fatal. As I examined the shaft below once more, I felt my footing slip. Gustaf had grabbed me and pushed us both in, and we had began a sharp free fall in which I entertained what I believed to be my last thoughts. When I saw the ground ten seconds or so later, I closed my eyes, preparing for my final blow. As my legs bent against the ground, they strained but did not break, and my back struck the ground ever so slightly. Bewildered, I felt beneath me, realizing we were on a soft mound, one that reeked of a putrid stench. As I lit my lantern, which had suffered minimal damage from the impact, I revealed exactly what I had thought. Many had died in the same fall, and their bodies had formed a rotten mass beneath us. Several were beasts, and some appeared to be once living humans. Gustaf, who had already risen to his feet, helped me up, and said,

"Best we don't meander."

There is some sort of increased danger in here, that much is obvious. I've always had the suspicion that Gustaf has traveled through here before, whether it be once or many times. It's as if he has chosen me, too. Whatever partners he has had in the past, I do not know, nor dare I count, as he has struck me as the type of man who has been alone for quite awhile. His sorrow is not as hidden as he may think it is. My inclination to join this man for the rest of my years has never been stronger. Alice is my goal, yea, but I wish to have him as well. What becomes of Alice and myself almost seems secondary now. If she has me or not, that does not matter. I know now that I can have any woman, be her old or young, so long as they submit to the beast that now resides within me. Don't get me wrong, Alice is indeed a bounty, but I hunger. The hunger has found nourishment with Gustaf, and I will trail him throughout his expeditions. The hunt obeys us, and, a normal life will never be mine. After all, who cares for something that they have never possessed?

Father Gustaf had finished what seemed like his third cigarette in a row, and I followed him in his cautious movements through what must be the darkest area of this crazed labyrinth. Curses be upon us. This adventure has led us to the distant brink of reasoning, where not only our bodies are tested but also our slipping minds. My sanity has trickled away, and I wished now that my thoughts and conscience would fade away, never to return. The beastly side of me is...pleasant. Yes, pleasant. If you only knew what cruel innocence the beast has. It ignores the petty feuds that are presented to the human animal. As I embraced the nature of my newly rethought being, I kept myself silent, my hands nearly cutting themselves on the blade of my serrated knife. I wished to plunge it into my wrist, if only to take off my human hand. I want no reminders of what it is to be human. I...I hate them. Humans are the monsters, not I. I am risking everything to save a woman I don't know. I am supreme above the black cur that is humans...aren't I? 

As Gustaf covered his mouth with his coat, I put my hand over mine, nearly choking on the noxious fumes. What lie ahead was inconceivable. Are there three of them? Gustaf said, in a whisper,

"They're here."

What are they? These  people bore neither the appearances of beast nor human, as they had been sewn to one another. The two women and the man has to be an illusion...aren't they? How could this be them? As the gases continued to rise from them, thickening into a choking miasma, Gustaf and I knew that we had limited time to end them, or it would be the end of us instead. Whether this is Sam, as his face faintly hints at, even after what might be weeks of decay, I don't know, but the two twin women that were attached to him, through staples, thread, and what must be dark sorcery, carried no conscious mind, and were poised to strike us down. Sam seemed none the wiser, as he served as little more than a complacent host, belching and wretching as he shambled towards us. As the twins screeched in disgust over our presence, Sam hung his head I'm shame, seemingly wishing for his death. Sam, oh, Sam, how ironic it is to find you in this way. Alice really had not intended to save you. The future promise of lust excited me, and, as both I and my partner charged in, the bloodlust filled me, preparing me for our bloody conflict. Time to die, my misled fool.

Chapter 6 Part 3

A Nightmare Reborn

Chapter 6 Part 3

Now, I've truly lost it. This place, and of its inhabitants, be them Father Gustaf, Alice, Althia, or the beasts,  and everything else, is nothing more than absolute madness. As we walked deeper and deeper into the inner shafts of this horrendous place, Gustaf stopped, and stood there, staring at me. He examined every square inch of me, especially my face, as if he were trying to determine how I was feeling. After a long hesitation, he bore his always notable toothy grin, and asked, 

“Can you feel the change?”

Of course, I had felt different ever since the start of this journey. This isn't what he meant, though. He was asking me if I've became one of them. We both know that the beast has taken refuge in my heart, where it has been clawing away at my once mortal flesh. Those women that I had copulated with weren't even human. With them, I had felt the beast emerge, and I now can no longer control it. Not wishing to entertain these thoughts any longer, I answered him, 

“I can…and it feels…good…”

I wasn't lying, not in the least. My previously inferior state had been replaced by a murderous beast that strives only to hunt. I've became a hunter, pupil to this grizzled master that I know as Father Gustaf. What church would ever employ such a man as him? For this mere fact, it's not him that I question, but more the church from which he has taken his title. My curiosity that had been gradually fostered throughout my years as a detective was now at large. I felt I must know. I asked Gustaf, 

“What church do you frequent?”

He did not seem surprised at all by my daring question. Instead, he pulled at his hat, letting me see his enlarged eyes more clearly, and answered, 

“The Cleansing Church. It's quite far from here.”

How odd. I've never heard of anywhere with that name before, nor do I think I ever would have, had I not met him. The Cleansing Church? Yes, I suppose that would be the perfect name for a church that would use such a man as him. Gustaf is an incredible man, one who is brutally honest and charmingly dry. Wishing not a word more, we proceeded forth, finally reaching our next obstacle. The only way to go any further into the mine was down the tracks. The passageway was barely wide enough for us to squeeze through. Gustaf, as always, did not show any alarm. As I struggled to keep up with him, I lit my hand lamp, and shuddered as I saw what lined the walls of this shaft. Bones, and not just any bones, but the ones of beast and human alike. No, wait? The skeletons affixed and buried into the walls were of both! Where normal digits should have been resting were claws, and their skulls were drawn out with long maws. These are more than just the standard beasts, but instead ones that would make their home more readily in Victorian myth. How could actual werebeasts be a reality? Some even resembled birds and rats! This is incredible! No matter how macabre the grotesque display was, with some of the skeletons being fresh, with shreds of flesh hanging off of them, I could not bring myself look away! As if your standard fare beasts were not enough! 

A grim realization came to mind. What I had encountered before had not been what I believed it to be. They were not demons, nor were they ghosts or monsters. What I had killed before were humans. Neither Gustaf nor I were the ones who could claim to be of mortal men. We were the ones who were the beasts, not them. As more hollow visions filled my head, I knew the truth. The only person that is truly upright in this world is a beast. Humans are the ones who are the villains. They violate person after person, spreading their filth and destruction wherever they go. Those dog-like women that we had saved were like us, at least in so many ways. They were not the ones who had attacked us here in this desolate pit. Though their bodies had fur and their eyes were yellow, they had a more rightful claim to humanity than anyone else, including us. Damn this conspiracy and all that it encompasses. I wished that I had knew it before. Knowing the truth now seems so...empty. 

My eyes had now fully opened. I will call beast man and man beast. There is no other way to justify my crimes. We are the legacy of a bastard creator, be them the god or Althia. Neither is trustworthy, as my bloodlust played privy to my urges. I'm not someone to give up, but, right now, I wanted to. The road ahead is long and arduous. What happens from now on will be a constant trial, a continual battle to stay alive. As we finished traveling down the shaft full of the skeletons, I wiped my brow of its sweat, filling an unnatural heat rising up throughout my body. Is this what it is like to be a thoughtful beast, a restrained hunter of evil? After all, what is more evil than man? 

Chapter 6 Part 2

A Nightmare Reborn






Chapter 6 Part 2



The path now could not be anymore twisted. I have to possess complete trust in my newfound partner. He says that he knows the way. In fact, he says he knows the path very well. I did not question Gustaf. Whatever his reasons may be, he seems terribly interested in killing Althia. He asserts that she is nothing but evil and has been harming Alice for quite awhile. I have several guesses as to how he may know Alice, and there is one that stands out. Father Gustaf has been sent here by some mysterious church that he has only loosely referenced. This church is far from ordinary. It's one that I have never seen nor heard of. From what I gather, they have an interest in beasts and their elimanation. My, what my perception of the world has become. Before I had embarked on this perilous adventure, the idea of beasts and their actual existence would have made me laugh. Now, after encountering and having killed so many, they seem as average as the sun rising each morn.


Gustaf and I had reached what appeared to be a large chasm within the mine. Gustaf stopped moving, letting himself seem to blend in with the surrounding darkness. He said, ever so quietly,


“There, there…”


Below stood what seemed to be a gathering of six beasts. Each one had a crucifix behind them where six naked women were tied up. They seemed to be alive, although malnourished and scarred all over. Their fleshly bodies even bore burns and cuts, and each one moaning with their unbridled pain. The beasts that guarded them carried both long leather whips and lanterns, their faces illuminated, revealing black eyes and emotionless scowls. Despite the impossible odds, Gustaf saw his opportunity. He asked, with no sarcasm in his voice,


“Are you ready to play hero?”


His quick approach became my own, and we began to slide down the embankment, catching all of the beasts by surprise. My gun would be of no use here. I drew one of the larger knives that Gustaf had given me, and began to fight for both the maidens’ lives and ours. Gustaf became a devil in combat, whirling and bringing two beasts suddenly to their end. As for me, I managed to catch one of them off guard, slitting its throat. The blood spray from the afflicted beasts neck covered my clothes, ozzing down my pants and to the ground. As I smelt the slain beasts blood, I, too, became frenzied, and felt myself enter some euphoric trance, one that made my body break out into a cold sweat. As my body resounded with ecstasy, my hands became like claws, and my jaw proved to be a formidable weapon in my mind. I leapt on one of the remaining beasts, clambering up its white fur, and drove my nails into his eyes. As the beast was blinded, I bit its neck, ripping off a piece that I savagely consumed. As the beast glared at me, it tried to escape me, digging its claws into my chest, ripping holes in my coat. I ignored the sting of the bloody wounds that it had branded me with as I knocked on its skull. I broke its horns off, and I became amazed by the extreme force with which I had so easily bludgeoned its head. As the beast fell to the ground, lifeless, I had discovered that one beast had survived our onslaught. As both Gustaf and I charged the confused creature, it crouched, preparing to deliver one last flurry to its chosen target, which was Gustaf. As he and the slender feminine beast grappled, I noticed that the beast was dangerously close to his throat. As the dirt-covered  beast drew close to Gustaf’s exposed jugular, I grabbed her jaws, pulling them apart, snapping it in two. Then, after the beast fell to the ground, I drew my serrated knife, and stabbed through its eye, puncturing the brain. The female beast conceded, and we discovered the dark truth about each of our defeated foes. Somehow, they had been human, as the fur and horns were only some sort of primitive manifestation.


We freeded each of the shackled maidens, who were most gracious to us. They had remained silent throughout the battle, and spoke few coherant words. They were not unlike the beasts, and several of them were eager to please the two of us. In exchange for the pleasant orgy that I was about to partake in, they wanted to be left there, so they may feed their lustful hunger with each other. Father Gustaf had rejected their offer, and laid down, sleeping through the noisy sex that I had with all six of the women. The blood of the beasts had given birth to my temporary extreme libido, and I had taken several of them at once. Their breasts, lips, and all of their other heavenly endowments were to my delight. We had all sorts of sinful pleasures, with my swollen member thanking each one of them thoroughly with my man juice, which I had used to cover each of them with. It had been so long since I had such intercouse, and as I had worn out each of the beastial women, I knew the wait had been worth it. As I had dressed and kissed each of the white-haired women goodbye, I made empty promises to return to them later. Honestly, it was tempting to stay with them here, but the yearning I had for Alice was even greater. As I awoke Gustaf, he laughed, groggily. He rose to his feet, and dusted himself off. He said, dryly, remarking of my deeds,


“The beast always has such desire.”


The beast, hm. It's true what I felt was there. As I struggled to maintain my humanity, I realized my hunger had increased, that for food and edifying passion. Whatever has became of me cannot be undone. It's horrible, really. Still, I like it. What a riddled mess I've become!

Chapter 6 Part 1

A Nightmare Reborn






Chapter 6 Part 1



It would be unwise to say we were truly getting somewhere. The mine really did seem as if it's endless. Father G, however, seemed jovial, as he often has been since meeting him. His small talk and banter kept coming, as if the dangers that existed here meant nothing to him. Earlier, he had identified his name as Gustaf, which meant that the name I had given him initially had been right. How strange it is to be familiar with one as unfamiliar as him. What great amounts of time I had been in this nightmare world without Gustaf were graciously behind me, and I couldn't be happier.


As uplifting as his presence was, father Gustaf made sure to remind me constantly of the matter at hand. He emphasized that finding and killing Althia was not to be taken lightly. He mentioned that her miasma would constantly strike at our senses. I asked him, curiously,


“How will we find her?”


He knew what I meant. He knew I wasn't merely speaking of navigating the twisting mine, but instead of the complicated task of finding the invisible nemesis that had become Althia. Father Gustaf laughed, and answered,


“She's not invisible to us!”


I believe I know what he means. Althia can be seen by us because she has willingly bared her naked flesh. We have seen her crevices and orfices, which will help us to identify her location. She mocks us, allowing us to pass through her world freely. We are not the fools she takes us for. It's mind numbing to think that she may be a god. Why would a god ever be so obstinate, overlooking anything in her realm? Perhaps even gods are imperfect in the end. We are idiotic to believe in them. Men and women do not profit off these gods, instead reaping the rewards of infamy from following their painful edicts. Have I ever casted such faith in them? At one point, like a sheep, I had, that is, I did until my mother died. If that succubus before had really been her then I have no reason to believe that the great beasts that pull mankind's strings are in our best interest. My mother and I have suffered enough. Leave us to our sorrow and spite, coated with venomous contrite.


The mine continued down one open corridor, it being wide enough to usher in several dangers. Father Gustaf smiled, his white teeth flashing brightly against the blue light of the lanterns that surrounded us. He said, under his breath,


“No time, no time…”


He's right. Each moment that is spent locating Alice is one that could test everyone's patience. Althia might kill her should she find out our plan. As I said before, it's impossible to think that Althia doesn't know of our deceit. That being said, we need to be prepared. Who knows what she may have planned for us. I shiver thinking of the true magnitude of our mission. What forsaken souls we are.


Surprisingly, Gustaf also possessed a flask. As I also drew mine, he laughed, and asked,


“Would you prefer mine?”


My hooch had by far became stale. Amazingly, his tasted deliciously bitter, it having a zing to it that caused my body to tingle. The sensation that it gave my tongue was welcomed, a tarty fruit flavor that was barely recognizable. As I drew more from his flask, I realized that it was a whisky that must have been imported, as it was more potent than the usual stock that can be bought here in New York. As I handed him back his black and silver flask, he asked,


“How have you survived here?”


I knew exactly what he meant. I opened my pack, and handed him some dried meat bits. He anxiously grabbed a few, and gratefully ate them, chewing them almost loudly. As I handed him more, I asked him, concern rolling down my face,


“Have you not ate?”


He became dire, and answered,


“Nothing worth mentioning.”


Ah, I knew what he meant once more. This man had been consuming the beasts. I could recognize their stench on him and his flask. Rotted flesh and sour blood. As putrid as that may sound, during my previous fits of madness, I considered their meat several times, finding my hunger to consume it completely unnatural, yet inevitable. It's amazing how savage one can become in the wake of primal nature. The smell has been unmistakable since entering this labyrinth. This man is a survivor, and even more a warrior. I reckon should I have not befriended him he would have been a terrible foe. Let this day (night?) be one that I'll remember throughout my years, the one where I had met my brother-in-arms, Father Gustaf. May I never forget it.

Chapter 5 Part 5

A Nightmare Reborn







Chapter 5 Part 5



The inner sanctum of this haunted mine seemed so far away. In reality, it wasn't a terrible distance from here. However, our progress has already been stunted by one perilous foe. Who knows how many beasts may lie before us? This mysterious father, one that I'll call “G” from this point on, continually rambled about his past as we stepped further and further into the mine. His speech was incredible. Apparently, his late age has not destroyed his mind, either, as his sharp wit brought all of his stories to life. This man was truly something. G spared no details of the demons he had faced before, and remarked on how Althia is nothing more than a depraved beast who will die by his hands. My affections for her had almost completely faded, as my new sentiments for him were already greater than hers. As for Alice, well, she's another story. A completely different one than what I've been hearing. His take on her was one that was startling but not surprising. His dry tone set the narrative to a dim view. He said,


“The woman you saw was not her.”


How could he know this? Before I could question G, he said, continuing,


“She was like…a phantom.”


I wanted to know more, so much more, but G silenced me, and said,


“She's here, but who knows about her mind.”


His facial expression told me this was no laughing matter, nor one to be amused by. These vocal receptions I had been receiving were mostly a deception of Althia. As for the screams I had been hearing? He knew of these as well. G said, answering what little doubt I still possessed, as he often has,


“Means she's suffering. You know what to do, aye?”


The split path ahead of us did not startle G, either. One led to a beast, a sizable, unaware one, and the other led back to where we had came from. The beast laid on the ground, a hulking two-headed goat. I knew we could not turn away. G, who was checking his tricky weapon, one that he undoubtedly made himself, asked,


“Can you shoot him?”


He stared at me from beneath his hat, and I checked my ammo stock. One, two…three, four…yes, I have enough rounds to last a little longer. G didn't believe that four was enough, as he handed me a large serated knife, one that was homemade and meant for throwing. He said,


“Use this to stun him…”


I grabbed it by the handle and postered myself into a stance that I believe could be used to throw it precisely at the beast. I had never done this before, but it seemed natural. G grinned, revealing his mysterious shark-like teeth. As I flipped the knife at the slumbering beast, I hit him right in the back of its left-most head, spewing blood and its rage. The beast tried to rise, its black eyes squinted on each head. It tried to leap towards us, but it was too late. G, in the blink of an eye, had positioned himself behind it. He ran his pole arm through the creature, it finding an exit through the demons chest cavity. As it grimaced and screamed, it became lifeless on G’s weapon, and he threw it off, the beast bouncing violently off the ground.


As I moved ahead, I realized what the creature was. It was us. As I had rejoined G a few steps ahead of us, I felt we had replaced the two-headed goliath. The goatheads were a symbol of partnership. We had employed teamwork to defeat it, and now we have became the beast, two beings, united. Never in a million years would I imagine this to come true. Not once did I think my glory days would start now. Killing these beasts has now became…enjoyable, and it's all thanks to him. This peculiar padre had made me love this maddening nightmare. What was once tortuous is now my victim, my prey, my mark, my enemy, my passion. Let Alice be the first prize I claim on my life-changing journey. We are going into the abyss to kill this queen, and, I don't care. In fact, I love it. May we two men slay an elder god. We have became a dynamic, a duo, right out of pulp fiction, or maybe a tired sketch or picture. G, I don't who or what you are, but you are a godsend. You've shown me the way and I have no choice but to follow you, as I believe in you and your unorthodox ways. May what hints of homoerotcism that comes from our bond be casted aside by the benefits of our union.

Chapter 5 Part 4

A Nightmare Reborn







Chapter 5 Part 4



Who is this man, and why is here? How did one such as he reach this forsaken place? What does he truly want? Somehow, he knows me...ah...yes! That's it! He is yet another trick from my past, some beast or ghost that refuses to let me progress. As I reached for my gun, the old man pressed forward, taking a few steps faster than I could see with my naked eyes. I froze, and he was upon me. Instead of killing me, he said, offering me,


“I am not one of them, boy.”


His boldness left me without the ability to doubt. I don't know who he is, but I felt something. My madness also seemed to belong to him. The way he carried himself, however, told me that he had existed within our delirium for much longer than I have. As his breathing became labored, I realized what I must do. I put away my gun, and said,


“I'm Henry…”


He laughed, somehow finding amusement in my offering. Instead of extending his hand, he put his arms around me, as a father would a son. I did not know why, but I felt…warm. This has never happened to me. After the old man had patted me on the back, he said,


“My name…it doesn't matter. Just call me father…”


Before my irrational mind could jump to conclusions, he said, explaining his words,


“I used to work…for...a church…”


I could not bring myself to judge this mysterious stranger. Whoever he is, he's a much needed friend. The man, “Father,” put his weapon on his back, and began to walk ahead of me. As I struggled to catch up with him, we proceeded into the deeper part of the mine, we went through a long bout of silence, which made the air uneasy. Eventually, I asked, wishing to know more about this odd father,


“How did you find me?”


He laughed, quietly, dryly, and answered,


“You might say you found me.”


What he had said made sense, in a strange way that I barely could understand. He, too, had been lured here. Whatever had brought him here, however, was not the same reason as mine. Instead of wishing to mate with Alice, I know his intention is to slay Althia, the old god. This is our intention, too. Alice hates her. She has always lived in the shadow of the diabolical puppeteer that only she knows. I had never thought life up here could be possible. This place is a fortress, indicating that this father person was not a man of mere mortal caliber. Whoever he is, he has given me what I really need, a stroke of dull sanity, which, up here, is golden. As I walked behind him, father’s garb revealed something to me. It was exactly what you would expect of a padre, except for one subtle error. He bore no cross anywhere on his body. Such a nuance could only mean that he is not a man who dies for others but instead makes them die for him. The experiences he has held throughout his long years would be ones of extreme interest to me, as I'm sure he's lived a peculiar and exciting life. Perhaps his supposed livelyhood has helped him exist in this infernal mine. Whatever it may be, his company has made my heart...warmer.


As we rounded yet another wide passage, the father slowed his pace, perhaps listening for potential assailants. We weren't to be disappointed, either. This beast was not like the others, as it lie in front of us, unaware and silent. It's head resembled an avian creature, and it's body had dark feathers covering all of its flesh. The father didn't seem at all surprised that it was here. He stalked the creature, yet I could not take any chances. As I loaded a single round into my Saturday Night Special, the father did not attempt to halt me, and I fired, hitting the bird-like monster in the back. What happened next was ghastly. It rose to its feet, turning around, revealing a scowl on its strikingly human face. It was female, and it was enraged. Before the beast could reach me and end my life, the father struck the creature, burying his blade into its neck, causing blood to run all over its feathered body, adding crimson to black. As he released her, the beast dropped to the ground, letting out a shriek before it became lifeless, twitching sharply on the ground. The father let out his signature dry laugh, and said,


“You should be more careful.”


This was one of our first memorable experiences that we shared. This father has already taken a place in my heart that had been vacant for quite some time. His age is what makes it so easy to be fond of him. His wiley nature was impeccable. This man was what I thought of as a true hunter, wishing to end the reign of the tentacled queen. She was, at one point, a goddess to me. Now, she's an obstacle to me. What was so far only a brief encounter with this mysterious father has became a catalyst to my mind's change. If I were to pray for anything, anything at all, I would hope that this man forever stays in my life. The boon that once was Alice now seems to have completely faded away. How fast things can change in this life. It's criminal, isn't it?

Chapter 5 Part 3

A Nightmare Reborn






Chapter 5 Part 3



There's something that has remained unsolved since I entered this mine. It seemed to have only one entrance, and thus, one exit. It was built to be a deathtrap, I am sure of it. Althia had lured the miners to this wretched place, and I have no doubt as to what her intentions were. The beasts that inhabit this autonomous region were not really people from my past. They also were not quite the miners. What I have been killing here in this inward infernal maze were none other than phantasms. Such a strange word, isn't it? Phantasms are a tad different from your typical ghost or monster. How I know this, many would ask. It's simple. I have absorbed some of Alice's divine intellect. She has whispered the identity of these foul beasts so that I may use what I have learned for one purpose, and that is to live. Before I get ahead of myself, let me touch on the creatures and their crude creations. Althia killed the miners, and then used Alice to gather their bodies. As she struggled to bring them to her lair, Althia used her tentacles to snatch up each corpse, and carefully worked them into her venomous visages. Each one was meant to temper my mind and thoroughly desecrate it. One by one, each was made to resemble the ghasts that won't let me go. Althia had designed them to do two things, and that is to test me, or kill me. Althia must test all of her chosen knights, and I am no different. If I failed and lost my life, then I would be nothing to her, and Alice would continue her game in which she really desires to find her Adam. How cruel and sadistic this charade is. To think, I had found the phantasms to be so incredibly realistic! What a fool I am. As if my mother could have actually have died not once, but twice. Why would I ever believe that?


I swear that the madness is as straining as it is relieving. I feel as if I have traveled down these shafts for what seems like hours. Every step I take seems to bring me only deeper and deeper into the mine. The lanterns that illuminated the hallways were not of this world, as I began to realize that they glimmered with not orange but blue. Everything in this world is not actually of our world. This place overlaps with the casual and deceiving world we call our own. What happens here is not visible to the rational mind. The perils found in this place are only fatal to a select few. What someone would see here as fantasy or horror is not entirely far off. One could become lost should they not be too careful. I cannot fathom the number of those who may have died here. Alice had related to me that I was not the first who came here, but gave me a glimpse that I have made it further than the others. She mentioned that she has already grown fond of me, and had said that it would be of ease for us to make our own paradise. Eden, however, this will not be. The visions that the old god Althia offers were ones that will pervert both my body and soul. Ah, alas, I can feel the change now, crawling beneath my skin, pulling me freely. What would frighten others I've became delicately acquainted to. The beasts I have slain have become my dear lovers. Each one that had shed their blood on me has seeded itself into my coiling mind. Every beast has rooted its sorrow and pleasure within me. It'll only be a matter of time before I become one of them. Should I control the change, or not, I will be given my deliverance then, it being her or death. For the love of the unholy, I forsake my own demise, as I now dream of Alice's lovely eyes, her soft lips, and her warm bosom. She will be the last thing I see, that, and my elderly mocker, Althia herself. This pair, I swear, is worth every bit of despair. I'll never know what it is like to live until I feel the bliss that belongs only to their embrace. Bring forth the change, bring forth the change.


What has now entered my thoughts only seems mildly disturbing. Why is this? Why does this threat to my sanity and safety seem so small? He stood there, brandishing a large pole, one that had an extremely sharp and well-used knife affixed to it. He bore a grin and a heavy brown overcoat. His eyes gave no hint at his plans, as they were hidden by the shadow that was casted upon his face by his beaten derby. He laughed, his voice rusty, old. His graying beard and wispy hair lied of intention. What he offered me in speech seemed sincere, oddly. He said,


“So, it's you.”


I sighed, relaxing my tense body. I asked,


“Me?”


His introduction was foreign but oddly familiar. He said, not sparing any formalities,


“I'll bring you to her, but, be warned, I have my own plans.”


I demanded no subtle discourse. I asked, pressing the new issue,


“What plans?”


His smile revealed his pointy and crooked teeth, revealing the hidden nature of this crazed old man. He answered, with firmness as resolve,


“We’re bringing her back.”

Chapter 5 Part 2

A Nightmare Reborn







Chapter 5 Part 2



There's nothing I could think that would bring my mind back to rationality. What I managed to say surprised me. I asked,


“You?”


Her face was grieving over my sight. Surly this is some trick. Her face was exactly as I last knew it, beautiful and full of despair. Her dark dress had every crease that it had gained over its long tenure. Nothing could have prepared me for this encounter. The lights that were dimly lit through the endless shafts that laid behind seemed to cast all of their light upon her. This, as I feared, was my mother. She smiled, bringing hope to my accursed soul, and answered,


“Yes, my child, but…”


She sighed, adding tension to what she was about to say next. Her hair was no longer silver, but instead a midnight black that casted an invisible shadow that seemed to surround us. My body filled with tension, and my anxiety made my face drenched with sweat. I asked, my heart on overload,


“Yes?”


She coughed, her showing that she still had the illness that had brought her to the grave. Because of the cough, my mind became unstable, letting the madness that was festering in me increase. I didn't want this to happen. This is playing upon my wretched soul and degrading psyche. My mother let a tear roll down her cheek, making a sort of stinging sensation rise up in my chest. She didn't use words as her weapon now, but instead a long-desired action that sent me to the fringe of my bleeding mentality. She stepped forward, slowly, gracefully, and took me into her arms. Both of our tears fell like rain, and her embrace tightening around me. She said, in a whisper, to my surprise, seductively,


“Oh, son, how I've longed for this…”


The feeling was there, and this struck a sense in my mind. Her warmth tingled against my thigh, and the illusion faded. This was a beast, one that was purely sexually ravenous, a harpie, maybe a succubus, or worse. My strength was not enough to push her away, as I struggled against her demonic loins. Something else occured in me, however, and that was my perception. Her form was pleasing, a dark witch with horns and wings. Her breasts were abundant, their girth pushing against my chest. As she took me into her lips and crevice, I had a thought run into my mind, silent but loud. Alice's voice pierced my skull, and I focused. She said,


“Don't give in. You're mine…”


I mustered all of my strength, and shoved the demon back. Her naked form became exposed, as she let my mother's old dress fall to the earthen ground. Even though her sensual splendor invaded my eyes and mind, I was still able to draw my gun and aim for her head. The witch tried one last deception, using my mother's voice. She asked,


“Don't you want me, son?”


The shot seemed unusually quiet, even as it echoed throughout the mine. All of her blood seemed to gush from her head as she became lifeless on the ground. I picked up the black dress next to the dark witch, and dropped it on her face. I laughed, a bit disturbed, and said, in an utterance,


“Rest in peace, mother…”


A part of me believed this beastial witch really was my mother, returned to life. She's dead again, whoever this trickster was. Did my mother really become an aberration? I don't want to think that, nor less believe it. She's already a tortured soul, alive or dead. As I brought out my lighter to ignite the tip of my weathered cigarette, I could not bear the sight or smell of the beast any longer. After taking one long drag of my smoke, I lit my mother's dress, and disappeared into the long, winding shaft behind me. It wasn't for several minutes before I couldn't see the flame of the burning demon behind me. When I had finally escaped the place where I had encountered the beast, a revelation resounded throughout my mind. Alice. She had proven she truly was the one behind this charade. Is she really Althia? Is Alice really the dark old goddess? Was she lulling me to my final resting place, nestled in her voluptuous bosom? My mother's folly skirted away, and the feeling of lust and love finally crippled me. The thoughts of excitement that come with the idea of Alice and I dwelling together in this defiled mine throughout the rest of our years pleased my burdened heart. Let this dark journey be the one that brings me to my blissful salvation.

Chapter 5 Part 1

A Nightmare Reborn






Chapter 5 Part 1



This maze has twisted me every which way. Wherever I go in the mine I can't help but be led back to where I started. It's absolutely maddening, like every peril before it. I am not of stable mind, for it kills me so. Death hath refused to take me, as the beasts before had proven unworthy. Curses. I beg for deliverance and I am denied. The pathway I have taken has brought forth no leads, and my few remaining bullets offer the only true way out.



I can't let up. This cannot be my end. As I snacked upon dried bread morsels I understood one of life's true mysteries. Famine comes only to those who wish it, as even the hungry child can thieve from its mother. Am I that child? I wish not, but I have believe that I am. The queen of this labyrinth, whether her name be Alice The Deceiver or otherwise, has beckoned me to what could be death to my own grieving coil. She has attacked me with my own personal apparitions. Each has killed my psyche, little by little. My body does not ache like my tormented and twisted mind. I have played her game, and now I want her bosom as my reward. That liar God is her, and Alice has tempted me for too long. She has weaved her web and punished me, becoming my faithful mistress. Her loins thirst for my nectar, and her heart longs for my acceptance. What I would give for you, my goddess in fleshly vise. You have brought me to the corner of the earth, where light doeth not break the prism. Forgive me for my inequity, as my own feeble mind has forgotten what I am attempting. A pilgrimage is just that, and I will pay the toll.



As I fought the continued stale taste of the bread, I swallowed each piece as if they were a grand meal. Each one had a texture that only the poor class would crave. My meat portions were limited, and now I seek to only give me the strength to crawl. As my flask touched my lips, I felt the sting of bitter alcohol pierce my mental integrity, giving me diluted hope, as it often is. The dark chasm of the mine had became silent around me, and my fear increased accordingly. As the silence was broken, I rose to my feet, drawing my wary gun. A beast trod upon heavy hooves, its weight resounding with each stride. I held up my dim lantern, revealing its giant, melancholy form. The beast had but one arm, its left, and its eyes were swollen black. Its face bore a malicious and agonizing expression. As it neared me, I spied black ooze that ran through its fur. The real surprise was its actions, however. It knelt before me, and said, in a low but clearly audible voice,


“Put self on back, yea, yea. No questions, tis be…”


I knew the alternative was death. I gathered up my pack and slowly climbed upon the immobilized beast’s back, it staying very still. As I secured my place on its spacious back, it rose up, taking me deeper into the vast mine. The beast showed no animosity nor care to me, like a ferryman doing his (her?) bidding. I did not know where it was taking me, and dared not dwell on it. Where I go, I go, much to my patroness’ scheme. I will see you soon, my demon queen, for I will not die without you by my side. This is a cursed love, Alice, for you pull my strings gently. When I see you in your twisted upside-down world, I beg that you give me mercy, for that is what I desire. Do not hide yourself from the light as I hath before you. Your silence kills me, but I forgive thy fair lady. What bridges and paths taken before do not matter now. My riddled skull is your prize, as is my grieving soul. Don't let my body cast you aside, as it will pay tribute to your suffrage. While I rest upon this bizarre beast’s back, I know that you care, for this coin you have paid me is one I wish to cherish. Angels guide through the darkness, and you have not held any tokens back. My boon is your faith, and my dark soul delights in your rectitude. You are my salvation, Alice, for I cast out the other old gods in your favor.