Page 122 of Eldritch

Trees. Please. We have to be out of here. Please don’t kill us. Please let us out. Me and my friends are not your enemies!

Sybil heard a shuffling. So many voices at once.

Doug cursing under his breath as he pulled Sybil to standing position and into his arms.

Letisha crying out. Maria and Pauline’s terrified voices mingling.

Then a terrible silence for one millisecond before…

“Jesus! Oh sweet Jesus!” This time Taggert. But not in disgust or anger, but in outright penetrating panic.

Another sound that made little sense to Sybil. A shriek, but not a human one. A fish flopping on the wet floor, the squelch and squish of something slimy and the disgusting odor to go with it.

“Yes!” came Clarice’s triumphant cry.

Sybil sucked in a painful breath as she looked toward Clarice and the box. What she saw threatened to knock the breath from her again.

Clarice stood next to something abysmal. Something that should not exist outside of eldritch tales. The horror was far taller than Clarice, far larger than any of them, and almost touching the eight-foot ceiling.

Sybil understood in that second so many things she didn’t want to know. Clarice had opened the box and from that small space a dark gray monstrosity had emerged to stand in apparent solidarity with the old woman. Sybil hadn’t seen it exit the box. She had only heard the exclamations of horror coming from the others.

The design on the box, and the necklace Clarice and Annapolis wore around their necks, depicted this very being. A bulbous head, not unlike an octopus, crowned the creature. The many tentacled monster with slimy arms filled with suckers could drag anyone toward a heinous mouth hidden somewhere on its body. This abomination could destroy flesh. In the few seconds she had to take it in, Sybil noted the rough appearance of the thing’s reptilian-like skin and perhaps the hint of a tail dangling from the back. Small dark eyes, not much larger than a human’s, peered out at the horrified audience. Sybil stared for too long into the creature’s eyes, and a sudden and terrible panic threatened to send her running.

No. No.

This entity, obviously, had been the one traveling along the floor in the cellar and even in the attic. But how? Why?

Taggert asked, his voice shaking, “What in all mighty God is that?”

Clarice watched the captive audience, glee in her wide eyes. “Behold the elemental Heysooth that my family has worshiped since our ancestors set foot on the Massachusetts shore in 1634. We have ruled far and wide in business, commerce, love, money, you name it, we have had it all.” She held her arms straight up to the sky as if hailing something. “We have traveled all over the world and came to rest in Colorado in the 1800’s. Here, we have increased our holdings, our power. It is up to me to pass on this legacy to someone worthy.” Clarice smiled at them as if they should all feel happy with this bizarre news. “To have all there must be sacrifices from time to time. My father showed me that when I came down to this cellar all those years ago as a child and saw this creature shredding and consuming the man my father had caught trying to harm me. The trees loved us for that, but I think they’ve changed their minds about this mansion and maybe even me.” She sighed. “Truthfully, I have neglected to appease Heysooth for far too long.”

The only sound that filled the cellar was the creatures deep, rasping breaths.

Sybil took the opening and asked, her voice trembling, “Did the…did Heysooth kill Annapolis?”

Regret filled Clarice’s face. “Yes, but only because she was against what has been happening all these years. I would’ve passed on Heysooth and the family legacy to her. But her actions over the years, her rejection of me and our family proved she couldn’t be the one who received the power Heysooth gives us. Everything in this house and all the wealth we’ve accumulated would have disappeared. She probably would’ve given it away to some undeserving person. Perhaps to some horrible creature like Taggert…who knows what she would’ve done?”

Sybil almost choked on her next words. “Then you fed her to Heysooth?”

“Well, in point-of-fact, I did,” Clarice’s voice filled with unhappiness. “You see, Heysooth isn’t bound only to this house. No, Heysooth can go wherever it wishes.” She pointed to Taggert. “It can follow you wherever it wants, as long as someone in my family controls it. Or someone I designate as family.”

“Lady, you are shit all crazy,” Taggert said, as he shook his head, his voice cracking and fear still plastered on his face.

Clarice’s laugh came out as a cackle. “It doesn’t matter what you think of me. You have no power here. Ladies, you have nothing to dread, for I am here to save you from this heinous pimple Taggert. Doug, you are a fine man and have nothing to fear from me or Heysooth unless you interfere.”

Sybil’s heartbeat continued to throttle high, leaving her breathless and every muscle in her body on hypervigilance. Rage surged higher inside her every moment. Doug still held her, and her fingers clutched at his biceps, holding on for dear life.

“Why?” Sybil said through her tight throat. “Why did your family worship this…and where did they find it?” She almost didn’t dare to ask. “Where does it come from?”

Clarice smiled. “That is a lengthy story, my dear. We found it by accident in Massachusetts, but there are many entities like Heysooth all over the world. Surely you didn’t think there was only one?” Clarice waved one hand in dismissal. “I’d hoped to tell you all about it soon, but it seems Taggert has sped up the timeline considerably and forced my hand. You may think I am horrible, but I am only keeping you safe.”

“What are you planning?” Doug’s voice sounded rough. His arms fell away from Sybil.

Clarice ignored him and held one finger up. “Maria. Pauline. Letisha. You may leave the cellar. Grab your winter wear and basic valuables and sit in the van.”

“I’m not leaving Sybil here,” Letisha said, fear widening her eyes.

Clarice shook her head. “She is staying for now. She won’t come to any harm.”

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