Board Thread:Writer's Workshop/@comment-26867018-20160524133711

      I was walking through the large gates of Brown University to go see a friend I have not seen in years, Mr. Scott Angel. His wife, Lily, had asked me if I could speak to him due to his odd behavior that has been happening recently. Seeing as Scott is soon to be a father I assured Lily that I could figure out why Scott has become reclusive recently. I entered Brown University and walked down the echoing halls while looking for Scott's office. Down at the far end of the hallway I saw one door open and out stepped Mr. Angel, his wife was right to worry about him. His skin which was once a fair tan, had become very pale and greasy. The man, whom was once around 250 lbs, had lost so much weight he appeared to be only 100 lbs. His eyes were glossy and bulging painfully. Scott's clothing hung off of him, like a child who was wearing his fathers clothes. Once I got closer I began to smell a strong odor of alcohol radiating from Scott, I knew whatever was wrong had lead him to begin drinking like a fish. “Scott!” was my first response as I held out my hand, giving him a stern handshake which I softened, fearing that I might shatter his hand.

       “Oh Nate its wonderful to see you.” Scott smiled as he shook my hand very weakly, his skin was like ice. “I have been very busy lately, please come in.” The office was small and cluttered with papers, “What brings you here?” Scott's skin was glistening.

       “Lily, she wanted me to talk to you about your recent... changes.” I sat down in a chair opposite of his desk.

       “Lily?” Scott removed a rag from his pocket and wiped his forehead looking ashamed with himself. “I wanted her to call you, because I need to talk to you about something.” I leaned in to make sure he knew I was listening to him. As he sat up and looked around the room I could tell he was more nervous than before. “Nate my friend...” he handed me a file, “...I need you to go somewhere for me.”

       “Ok, where?” I took the file.

       “A small costal town about 3 hours north from here, a place called Lakeshore.” Scott removed a picture from his pocket and handed it to me. “I need you to locate this man.” The picture was of a curly haired hispanic man, about my age. “His name is Sebastian...” Scott looked sad “... I send him there 4 days ago and I want to know if he is ok.” Scott explained that he could not call him due to the town having no phones or cell towers. When I asked him about why he didn't go himself, he explained that he was too weak to go around the town looking for him. Sebastian was sent by Scott to the town so Sebastian could find out about the towns culture.

         “So I need to find him?” I was puzzled by this story.

          “Indeed...” Scott's voice became more gravely “... and I need you to do it.” Scott then became more angry and hurried me out the door. As I walked away from the building I turned to see Scott Angel frowning out the window down at me.



         I walked outside only to see a pasty man with large puffy lips and a crooked broken nose. He was standing in front of a car and holding a sign with my name on it. I approached him and questioned why he was looking for me. His face was very stern, “Mr. Angel hired me to drive you to Lakeshore sir.” I was untrusting of this man, but no one could know about this except for Scott and Myself, so my tension eased a little as I hopped into the small car. As we drove he kept the radio off and his eyes occasionally looked back at me, the man had about an hour into the drive began telling me about Lakeshore. It was a fishing and logging town which was almost always foggy. Lakeshore had no supermarkets or diners and even the town's doctor was their hospital pretty much. He told me I could find a room at the inn which would house me for as long as I was there. He then asked me about The Following of Phuatep. I was told it was just the local church and that they held sermons on the boardwalk. As we continued driving I looked from side to side, studying the landscape which began becoming more swampland and fog. I soon saw the road sign which said “Welcome to Lakeshore” I felt nervous but was assuring myself that I would just find Sebastian and leave, but I still felt a shiver as we crossed a wooden plank bridge into the quiet town.



        The town was paved with a mixture of dirt roads and cobblestone, while the grass was overgrown and dying. The town square had a small fountain which was covered in moss and the spout at the top was rusty. We rounded the corner and were in front of the inn. “Ok stranger, here is where we stop.” I stepped out and the car quickly zoomed down the road and disappeared into the fog. I looked around and was surprised to see no one outside, I saw gas street lamps which were not lit and the boardwalk, which was my first stop on my investigation. The boardwalk was like most of the town, abandon, but there was an altar which I assumed was for the Followers of Phuatep. It was made of silver with emeralds surrounding the outside of it. The area around it had small cushions on the ground which were what I assumed for kneeling. The air stank of fish and low tide, made me queazy. I didn't want to stay around that area any longer so I decided that the library would be a good location to check next. I searched the library where I saw my first native, an old woman with the face like a guppy. I had to ask about Sebastian, but she was very reluctant to speak to me about anything.

           “Listen stranger, I know nothing about whatever you're talking about.” she let me walk through the library I saw only a few books that I could read, most were either in latin or in some language unknown to me. I occasionally saw from the corner of my eye, the Librarian following me and keeping a vulture like vigilance on me. I saw one book that caught me eye, The Followings of Phuatep. The book was not dusty like most, but the inner pages were covered in a pink transparent ooze. This ooze was eating through some of the pages of the book and I decided that it would be best to leave this book. However as I went to return the book to the shelf I saw a pair of glasses which I asked the Librarian about. “Stranger, I'm closing soon so please get out and stop your snooping.”

          “Ok miss, have a nice night.” my stomach was churning as I left because I then noticed the inside of the glasses were labeled to a Mr. Acosta S. which I knew meant that the woman was lying to me, and something was up with the town. I waited for the Librarian to close up and begin her walk home to see if she could lead me to anything. The woman locked the front doors of the library and began her walk up the street. I shadowed her through the town as she began making her way to a police station, walking with an awkward slouching shamble. She walked past the police station handing an officer stationed outside a small slip of paper which he read before walking into the station. I felt like it would be too risky to follow her any further, and realized I should book a room tonight. The inn keeper was very gravely and looked like he had lived a very long life. He was very round with a messy, and un-groomed look.

        “Well sir if you would follow me I will take you to your room.” He walked me to the second floor which had only about 4 rooms to pick from. The room was dark and had only a bed, a wooden desk and a chair. He walked me into my room and was very quick to leave. “Sir I need to go, I have church.” he slowly shambled backwards towards the door and closed it slowly. “Good night.” as soon as he left I took out the glasses and began looking around the room while making sure to make as little noise as possible.

          “I just need a sign, any sign that could help me learn what happened here.” I heavily breathed as I paced the room for hours. My hopes were answered by a book resting inside the drawer of the desk. It was Acosta's journal which sadly was full of writing too cramped and eccentric to be legible in any way. Except for the last few words in the last blank page he wrote in.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">          “I have seen that which rests in the dark corners of the earth. The town is planning my death and I know I shall not make it through the night. Please to whoever finds this get this journal out of Lakeshore and away from Phuatep, the semiaks are close, they will soon be kicking down my door.”

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">          It was those words which began to heighten my paranoia. I grabbed my chair and used it to block the door hoping that it would hold anything that tried to catch me. It was then I heard a knock on the door.

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">          “Sir?” it was the inn keeper, who began trying to open the door. It could give way any minute so I had little time now. “Damn! He barricaded the door, he's trying to escape.” The shouting keeper was meet with gurgles from outside. I opened the room's window and looked outside, in the distance the place where the altar was began glowing bright green and I looked down at the drop from the second floor onto the sidewalk. I would be hurt but I probably would live, hopefully. I sat on the edge as I fell from the second floor, my back scratching the building and spraining my ankle as I landed on the ground. I quickly stood up and limped across the road and crouched against the dumpster in the alley across from the inn. I saw the keeper walk to the window with the policeman behind him. “Damn he's escaped, officer round up the townsfolk.” the officer ran back as the keeper stayed vigilant out the window as I began duckwalking along the alley, I had all I needed for Scott. The town was now full of people, all grey skinned and showing signs of inbreeding and insanity. Each group of bulging eyed cultists were shambling the streets with lanterns and weapons. The police were guiding groups of people in search parties which were no doubt in search of me. I worked my way around the town ducking behind walls and occasionally limping weakly across the streets. I reached the beach after what felt like hours of hiding and crouching on my sprained ankle. I was scared and alone in this nightmare.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">              As I snuck around the town I came back to the Altar of Phuatep which was now covered in the same pink ooze that was on the book I found in the library. As I slowly approached I saw the meat clever embedded into the altar along with scraps of cloth. I looked around only to find a trail of ooze leading to the ocean. I followed this trail down many corners until reaching the ocean. As I rounded the corner I saw an unmistakable sight, of the trail of ooze disappearing into the sea. The oceans waves while normally calming only cemented my horror. Is this ooze actually from Phuatep? I heard people coming and the only place I could then hide was in a sewer pipe that jutted out from the rocks on the sea wall. I crouched against one end of the inside of the pipe and was on the verge of tears, when instinctively I hushed my breathing when it became clear they were coming my way. The voice of the town were all in one collective gurgle of gibberish. I backed further into the sewer as I saw the first sign of what I automatically identified as a semiak. It had tightly clung greasy skin and large glossy orbs for eyes. They walked on all fours with four claws on each hand and three toes on each foot. They reeked of fish and blood, which hung from their mouths like vines. I didn't want to die, not now and not like this. I slowly backed further and further into the sewage which stung my eyes and nostrils. After sniffing the outside of the pipe they faced each other and grumbled before turning around and heading back to their group. I knew it was my time to escape. I exited the pipe and began shambling along the shoreline until I reached the outskirts of Lakeshore. I was wet, cold, tired and frightened but I kept moving until I ran into a modern police car. I stopped them and the cops were worried about me due to how I looked. Fearing the thought of having to return to that dreaded place I told them I fell off of a boat and swam to shore. They believed me and offered to give me a ride all the way back to Rhode Island. I passed out once I realized I was finally safe.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">         I got home early in the morning, the dawn was breaking over the shores of Providence. I entered my house and showered changing clothes and grabbed the notebook of the dead Sebastian Acosta. It was ruined by the sea water and sewage but I didn't care I put it in a small bag and began to make my way back to Brown. I entered the office of Scott Angel who was gone, his desk and papers were cleared excluding a note left on my desk. I was confused but then I picked up the note and all became clear.

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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">For Mr. Nate Cambridge,

<p style="margin-bottom:0in">Why? Why did you live? You were meant to be my final tribute to Phuatep. I was supposed to be welcomed back to Lakeshore, to my home with open arms from my semiak cousins. But you lived and now you know the truth, I am a human semiak hybrid. I was shunned for my wife but was allowed to return if I made two tributes. Don't worry I will return to repay my debt, and if I don't my son will. He is like me, he will become like me and he will bring honor to me. In the last corner of Lakeshore and Kraviknok, Phuatep will embrace me and my offspring. We will live forever in Lakeshore and be ready to take out your pitiful race when the time is right and the stars glisten the night sky. I will return and I will kill you. Ia semiak poks ach Kraviknok, Trief colobno Phuatep. (Rough Translation: A semiak rests in Kraviknok, feasting with mighty Phuatep.)

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<p style="margin-bottom:0in">        I was angry at and sad for Scott, he will be forgotten by most, like me and like many other people. My memories will be only remembered, like Sebastian's through the words I have written and like Sebastian I will soon fall victim to my own curiosity. Phuatep lives too I supposed, That trail of ooze only leads me to finally wonder if gods can exist. Or is it a thing meant to terrorize humanity which may never show it's true form. Part of me is now feeling an impulse to return to Lakeshore, a trip that would surely mean my death, but also mean enlightenment for me. To finally know the truth about that which still keeps me awake looking out the windows at night, when even alcohol cannot drown my withering sanity. Lily died in labor, and the child was a healthy, normal looking baby boy. His mother wanted him to have the name Jeremiah Xavier Angel, I granted the mothers wish before bringing the child to an orphanage. I will die knowing that the world is blissfully unaware of the horrors that haunt this world. If Scott is telling the truth the child will grow up and learn of his heritage, returning to Lakeshore, after killing me and bringing my corpse to clear his father's name. I will die and become a trophy, no one will believe this story anyway so why bother telling it. How long will that be until I die? 20 years or so? Who cares? I have lived long enough anyway. <ac_metadata title="The Followers of Phuatep (second draft) unreviewed"> </ac_metadata>