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Friday, December 9, 2011

Michael Shorde's The Lost Book - Part Eight

I immediately heard the snarling of the dogs behind me, and I turned, holding up the book as my only weapon. They came swiftly, tentacles reaching out for prey. I held up the book, and a white light engulfed them. They fell dead in their tracks. I recalled what the Others said: the chain of life must take its proper course.
They were not violent, but we were. Our violence would lead to peace one day. The dogs lie dead, and I did not care – I started down the path of the main cavern, or part of a living being as I was told. A one eyed beast appeared, and then another. The first tried to snatch the book from my hand, and in my anger I snatched the knife and thrust it into its eye. It grabbed at its wound and fell trembling to the ground. More appeared, and I was in such a state that I worried not about the book, only my savage instincts. They came at me and I pushed the knife into the closest one. It bent its head to look at its wound, and I stabbed directly into its face. It barely had time to look at me before it fell dead. The others fled as I stood there in defiance.
I had not time – this I knew, for time here was different. I swiftly entered a large cavern infested by the spiders. I then turned my attention to the book. I held it before me, and saw a shadow far into the cavern. I do not know if it was David or apparition, yet I realized it was one of the older ones. The shadow held its arms up; I knew what it was trying to tell me.
I snatched the book up, held it aloft as the creatures came at me. They were everywhere, crawling along the sides of the cavern, and it was then I saw a figure I thought I would never see again.
It was David!
He was trapped against the pink, fleshy wall, hardly able to move, for he looked at me with sickening terror I have never seen before; he tried to speak, but I had no time. I didn’t know if destroying the spiders would also destroy him.
I quickly retreated as they followed – a swarm of them, I tell you, everywhere. I raised the book and took my stance. Flames shot up from everywhere, scorching my skin. Yet, I held my stance. I did not expect the circumstance – on of the bastards got through somehow and bit me on the arm. I had no alternative.
I struggled for my knife and stabbed it deeply into the center of the predator and into my own arm. Blood was flowing from my wound as the thing released its grasped and fell dead to the cavern floor. I had no choice – I continued forward, and heard a great roar from within the huge cavern. I knew what it was, and I was determined to show it the power of humanity or die trying.


There it was – Cthulhu. Huge and resolute in destroying me, this I knew. I held the book up once again and forced all my energy at the thing. Its huge tentacles rose to the top of the cavern, coming alive with light. It forced upon me a power I have never felt before; and I was already weakened by my wound. The tentacles, they were everywhere, surrounding me, burning me as I had burned it. They surrounded me an embraced me so tightly, I knew not what to do.
I saw the sad figure of David on the wall, and at the same time saw the gigantic maw of Cthulhu open – I didn’t know what to do, and then I heard a voice…
Into its mouth! Now!
I thrust the only tool I had powerful enough to defeat it into the black throat in front of me – the book.
“DIE!” I screamed, and it released me. It thrust itself back, releasing me; I lost my senses for a time, but I felt the thing dragging me along. I was helpless.
I saw the strange shadow appear again, and I could tell it was smiling. I took my knife from my belt and buried deep into the beast’s head. It released me and retreated to an one known place. I quickly ran up to David and used my knife to carve him from his prison.
He had no injuries I could find, only weakness. He could barely walk; I had to nearly carry him out of this prison of disgust and ungodly creatures. The book was gone. It had served its purpose.  We finally made it to the verges of the cavern, and he tried to speak, but I stopped him. And then we were standing in a light snow flurry – we both looked at the cavern as it vanished. I dragged him inside…