As I pondered over this, I again grew angry. The doctor at the asylum should have known all this, and that David had shared his notes with the others. They obviously had had experiences of their own, but David seemed to be the key to it all.
Before I had returned to England, I decided to pay a visit to Dr. Lansing. I finally found him – in the oldest cemetery in town, Oak Hills. He had become a permanent resident there, among all the rest, of which there were many. David had taken me there once; he had always been fascinated with cemeteries.
But with the death of Dr. Lansing, the trail ended, and I was left with no other choice but to return to England. I had never visited the other students, as I felt that there had been no good reason to. I only wanted to find my friend.
So many questions…
I opened the book and started to read, and almost immediately some of my questions were answered; it came from something David had written after the first few pages, which were void of any information regarding a publisher, or anything else, for that matter. The pages were simply blank. Yet, knowing David like I had, I was not surprised.
Regardless, I abruptly came upon a page on which was short testimony from David:
This all came about as a result of the study on Lovecraft that ten of us were involved in, which I now know was not a study at all, but an experiment conducted by Dr. Stephen Lansing. His experiment worked, but with disastrous results.
My mistake was in sharing my personal notes with the others in the group. Three of us ended up committed, and the other seven…well, I don’t know what happened to those poor souls. In any case, I entered the realm of Cthulhu, and was nearly driven mad.
However, there was something that Dr. Lansing had not counted on, and that was the existence of yet another dimension besides that of the Great Old Ones. It seems that I was the one connection he had been looking for – I not only became a part of Cthulhu’s world, but I discovered another, different dimension. It is not one from far away in the universe, and it is not one next to us; it is a part of us. And no one ever knew.
We share the same space, each oblivious of the other’s existence, living our lives surrounded by those unseen. It is not the dimension of Cthulhu, but it seemed to have been the trigger to open the doorway in time and space, and allow me to witness the atrocities.
As we go through our daily lives, we do everything here, and among them. At first, we saw the face of the dreaded Cthulhu, and he attempted to drive us mad, for he knows that the human mind is not ready for such things. And for the others, it ended there. I was too curious, too open minded, and this angered that disgusting beast for I suddenly knew of another world. Perhaps they are a threat to the Great Old Ones, but they are nonetheless here, and I do not know my fate.
This is what this single volume is about – the unseen creatures sharing our space. All the things I have learned and seen, and I know that soon I will be gone. Cthulhu will not accept it, nor will he let any other humans know of it. So, my friend, I have given to you all I know – by now you know that this was meant for your eyes. Only you can help me escape the world in which I am trapped.
But beware, for the unseen creatures are everywhere, and they are aware of us.
To find me, Michael, you will have to find the secret openings to the underground world of Cthulhu and the Great Old Ones. Without doing that, I would never have discovered the other dimension of what I call The Creatures Unseen.
I had thought that Cthulhu’s world would drive a man insane, but this other dimension, which I postulate to be one of many was one that would definitely drive a man insane, was not meant for that purpose. They are creatures that the human mind is not ready to see. Perhaps it was my luck to see part of the world of the Great Old Ones that accustomed my eyes to the horrors that lie ahead.
I still maintain my sanity, but this is unusual for them, and they will not release me. My friend, if you do not choose to follow this path, I lay no blame upon you, for it is frightening at best. If you should choose to explore, bring weapons – it will be your only defense against some of the horrid things that lie below our world. Arm yourself well, for an army of one you shall be. Good luck, Michael.
David Rhodes
I was intrigued and frightened at the same time, considering what had happened to my dear friend. As I began to read, I realized it was a guide fashioned after what he had done in the beginning of Dr. Lansing’s study. It was obvious that David was much more adept with the subject, his mind open wider. I knew then that while the studies had affected all the students, three had entered other realms, especially David. His curious mind and willingness to risk led him among worlds beyond human imagination.
I oftentimes wonder if he had truly gone insane, or had found a way to keep his sanity, even if it was by but a thread. David was not a young student as were the rest – he was a writer of horrific things, which is one reason we bonded so well, for I, too, write of horrors and nightmares to jostle the imagination and even lead to dreadful dreams during which the dreamer would awake drenched in sweat, breathing heavily. But David always wanted to go one step further.
When he first heard of the study, he immediately went to Dr. Lansing, who promptly turned him down. David, in his usual fashion, pushed on; he explained that he had already studied Lovecraft, the Cthulhu Mythos, and offered Lansing several essays he had written on the subject. I recall David telling me how Lansing had looked up at him in silence for a moment, and said, “Give me your number. We shall, see Mr. Rhodes.” He told me later he knew he would be accepted into the study. And the next day he was.
At first, it seemed simple enough. Ten students, number nine not actually a student, but an explorer. I was not aware of this at first, but when David began to…change…I became worried. I voiced my doubts to him, but he only said he was intrigued with the whole concept of other dimensions, other universes – he wanted to know more.
I began to wonder: was I the teacher, as David would laugh and call me his muse, or was David the teacher, attempting to slowly make me understand the truth as he understood it.
I sat in silence, almost fearful of proceeding further with the book. Nonetheless, it drew me in, and I began to realize the he had, indeed, discovered something that not even the best imaginations could fathom.
I stared at the fire and sipped my brandy. And read:
They deemed me insane. I almost believed it myself had it not been for the simple trust I had in my mind. I was not insane. I was gifted. Or perhaps gifted is not the right term. Open. That is a better term. I was open to realities that others shunned. I discovered I was not alone, as number three and number six had also experienced that they could not comprehend. In the end, they accepted that they were insane. I would not accept that in myself, for I had been shown the truth of reality. I was not insane.
See here now, Michael, the atrocities I witnessed, and do not turn away, but accept it as truth.
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