© Donald Correll 2008 All Rights Reserved.
The Scene
Summer had just dragged on at Miskatonic University
in Arkham. Finally exams were concluded and the summer session was
finally over. It was August and the weather was just unbearable. It
seemed like the whole world was sweating under the hot, humid, dead
air. Ralso Marsh was in his dorm room packing his backpack to leave
Miskatonic University in Arkham for the end of summer 'Woodstock
Reunion Save the World New Age Arts Festival.' Ralso had no time for
the garish headlines splashed across the
Arkham Gazette
Mayan Apocalypse Threatens End of World Nears
A gigantic nearly invisible object was found near
sun the during an eclipse by astro scientists at the Mt Palomar
Observatory. What had been a theory has now been proven. Advanced
computer studies have shown that very small perturbations of the Solar
orbit prove that our sun is actually a Binary or dual system. With this
discovery science may have taken one giant step with the discovery of a
‘dark twin’ to the sun. This nearly invisible neutron star is
relatively small in volume but has incredible mass. Despite the
incredible shock of such a discovery there is no cause for undue alarm.
Ralso exploded in mirth. Such twaddle! I can find
better than that in a tabloid at the Quicky Mart checkout. Then he
lovingly cut out the advertisement.
Woodstock Reunion
Save the World
New Age Arts Festival
A weekend of fun in the beautiful Berkshires.
Near historic Dunwich
At
the Olde Whateley Farm.
Performing Artists
Pie in the Sky
The Wrecking Crew
Can of Tuna
Sign of the Times
Hot Wax Job
Pizza Delivery
Ratz and the Cheese Pistols.
Where is my map and where is this Dunwich? Too bad
that they could not get the NY farm of Max Yasgur again. Ralso had just
found the map and was writing down the directions. Past Springfield
take the Aylesbury Pike toward Rowley, then west to Dean’s Corners,
turn left at the junction and continue---
About that time into his door popped his friend Phil
Howard. Hey Ralse we best hit the road before all the best camp spots
are taken. I hear that the Rolling Stones are going to be a surprise
late addition to the show. When word gets out you will not be able to
squat on an acorn! Ralso grabbed up his bag and headed out of the dorm
with his friend. Down in the parking lot he threw his bag into the back
of that big old pink convertible Caddy that his friend had borrowed
from his brother for the trip.
As the car rolled out of Arkham Ralso caught sight
of New England’s rolling hills. It’s great old trees interspersed the
gnarled orchards behind crumbling ancient stone walls. Here and there
still existed a few neat farms slowly giving way to exurban sprawl.
Past Springfield and onto the Aylesbury Pike they went through Rowley
until just past Dean’s Corners they turned at the fork of the junction
and continued into the most lonely and curious back country. Then as
the terrain got higher they rolled past brier bordered stone fences,
surprisingly barren fields and empty pastures. It was a sparsely
settled country with only a few barren and scattered houses. Everywhere
the two friends looked everything bore a uniform facade of age,
squalor, and dilapidation. Traveling through the wild and strange
country the boys found squalid farms decked with curious old motifs,
like hex signs and other cabalistic designs on the gables. As they
topped a ridge on the mountain road a skyline of silhouettes came into
view which clearly revealed queer circles of tall stone pillars. That
reminded them of the stone circles of Devon, Cornwall and the moors of
fabled old places far removed in time. Finally the road dipped into a
stretch of marshland along the Miskatonic River. It was barely late
afternoon but both boys could already hear a hideous chorus of unseen
whippoorwills. That chorus was soon joined by thousands of small
batrachia chiming raucously in creepy insistent rhythms with the
strident piping of bull frogs.
Finally at length Ralso spied a covered bridge
across the Miskatonic where he could see a small village huddled
between the stream and the vertical slope of Round Mountain. He was
quite taken aback by the cluster of rotting gables and gambrel roofs of
an even earlier architectural period than that of the immediately
neighboring region. And it was not reassuring to see. Most of the
houses were deserted and falling to ruin. The sole broken steepled
church was now a slovenly country convenience store. Both boys took one
look and dreaded to trust the tenebrous tunnel of the bridge. Yet there
was no way to avoid it. Once across, it was hard not to reel before the
impression of a faint, malign musky odor about the village street, as
of the massed mold and decay of centuries. Fortunately as they drove
they spotted a sign on the store:
Cold Beer. Git yer Supplies
Last stop before Festival.
With some relief they pulled to a stop and pushed
through the milling festival crowd in the market. Ralso picked up a
couple of cold six packs. Phil picked up some hot dogs and a few packs
potato chips. Then they both confronted a fish faced ancient
storekeeper at the register who took their money. With a leering
toothless grin gave them directions.
'Ayup ta git to the festival go back ovah tha bridge
and turn left up tha dirt rud. It’ll be about a half a mile away at the
old Wizzud Whateley Place. Ye can’t miz it.'
It was with some relief that the two students
recrossed the bridge and began to dodge the ruts in the dusty curving
road up to the Sign:
Woodstock Reunion Save the World New Age Arts Festival
As Ralso paid the repulsive gate keeper the ‘twenty
dolluhs campin fee’ he received a rude map, a pass and headed in. They
passed the many parked cars, vans, and even a few garishly colored
relic hippy buses. Finally they parked in the designated area, grabbed
their gear and headed up the trail exploring for a camping spot.
Ralso remarked to Phil, ‘the evening air in these
deep woods sure is disturbed by a lot more than just fireflies.’ ‘And
will the danged Whippoorwills pipe down so that we can hear the frogs,
give me another beer, hick.’
Then a buried tunnel caved in. The two friends
disappeared into a shaft filled with the decayed rubble. Picking
themselves up Ralso opened what appeared to be the remains of an old
trunk. Within he grabbed a tattered old book. They both pulled then
pushed till they were both clear of the debris of what appeared to be
remains of a fallen in basement. It was a very decayed rambling old
farm homestead.
‘You O’k Ralse?’
'Yeah dust me off and let me sit and rest a minute.
That copse of old trees hard by the spring looks like a pretty cool
encampment.’
'Yeah, this place looks cool. I see a lot of folks
moving around staking out a piece of turf.'
Both boys sat down and grabbed for another beer as
the first star came out in the young evening sky.
Picking up his prize Ralso turned the book over and
examined it closely. What was left was a heavy leather volume with
tarnished silver clasps. Barely visible in raised letters could be read:
Ye Necronomicon
Abdul Al Hazred.
Turning it over in examination Ralso could see the
inside pages were covered from end to end with hieroglyphs of the most
bizarre description. Ralso was suddenly struck by inspiration as he
stared bug eyed at the unknown script. ‘Say Phil this resembles some of
my class work at Miskatonic in Ancient languages.’ Those hieroglyphics
are not Sanskrit or Naacal, but R’lyehian. This is Abdul AL Hazred’s
Necronomicon a book which was said to be brought to Earth by the spawn
of Cthulhu countless ages ago. I think that this is it! We have been
allowed to study a similar old manuscript in the library this term. But
it is normally kept under lock and key. Dr. Armitage is right fond of
his rare books. He even hinted that there was actually some danger in
reading the book. The old coot especially warned us not to repeat
anything that we read aloud. Here is the beginning of the fifth century
Arabic text:
'And while there are those, who have dared to seek
glimpses beyond the Veil, they would have been more prudent had they
avoided commerce with them of the Outer Gods altogether; for it is
written in the Book of Thoth how terrific is the price of a single
glimpse. Nor may those who pass the gate ever return, for in the
vastness transcending our world are shapes of darkness that seize and
bind. That horrid abomination from the dark star is he that shambleth
about in the night, his is the evil that defieth the Elder Sign. All
these Blackness are lesser than He Who lurks and guardeth the Gateway.
It is He Who guides the rash one beyond all time and all space of all
the worlds into the Abyss of unnameable devourers. For He is Umr At
Tawil, the personification of Yog-Sothoth the Lurker at the Threshold.
The shocking form of fabulous Yog-Sothoth is seen only as a congeries
of iridescent globes, this is he the Most Ancient One, which the scribe
hath rendered as “The Prolonged of Life.”'
‘Hey man!’ said his buddy Phil, put that away and
help me with the tent. You rustle up some firewood and I’ll lay the
fire. We got cold beer and hot dogs to grill. Say tonight might be a
great night to drop acid and geek with the stars.----
Instead of complying Ralso chased Phil with a beer
until both fell laughing at the base of a big blown down tree. For the
next half hour they both grabbed armfuls of wood and dragged the
massive limbs back to camp. Soon Phil lit the fire as guitar music
filled the air and hundreds of campfires began to pierce the gloom of
the deep woods.
Despite the warm glow of the beer and a belly full
of hot dogs Phil turned to Ralso and said 'hey man, look two hits of
Orange Sunshine. I copped them from a bro’ at the I Felta Thigh house,
time to drop, tonight’s the night at the fest.'
After about an hour the Acid Trip began. At first
both boys started out by feeling warm soothing waves of energy. Next
followed more pronounced flashes as the drug came on. Then they started
to rush. And suddenly everything was very funny. Grabbing up the old
book Ralso started to read parts of
Booke VII Ye Necronomicon
to gales of laughter by Phil.
"YOG-SOTHOTH! come forth! come forth!
The words that Break thy Bonds are spoken.
Thy seal is shown forth.
O thou who art the Gate enter the World!"
Phil who had began to chuckle was now heartily
laughing. At each line his laughter swelled and swelled.
Nexte drawe ye Pentagram of Fire,
and saye ye ninth Verse
“Per Adonai Eloim, Adonai Jehova,
Adonai Saboath, Metraton Ou Agla Methon,
verbum pythonicum, mysterium salamandrae,
cenventus sylvorum, antra gnomorum,
daemonia Coeli God, Almonsin, Gibor,
Jehosua, Evam, Sariathnatmik,
Veni, veni, veni."
By now a small group of neighboring campers had
begun to join Phil in his mirth. After all they were young, and the eve
was alive with life. So they laughed and laughed, and laughed.
"Yai ng'ng ah Yog-Sothoth-hee lgeb fai-throdog
Uaa ah Ogthorod Ai'f Gebl Eeh
Yog-Sothoth Ng ah ng Ai'y Zhro
Yog-Sothoth Ng ah ng Ai'y Zhro
Ygnaii Yog Sothoth open thy gate.
Ph'n'glui---Hei! Aa-shanta 'nygh!
Send forth Shantak and Dhole!
Bring forth a Shogoth, too."
Neither Phil nor Ralso quite expected what happened
next. Accidentally a psychedelic lit gate of sorts opened up in the
air. It was as a shining bubble congeries that now appeared but Marsh
was not laughing. Somewhere in the back of his mind a brief caution
awoke as the hairs began to bristle along his neck.
Phil just started wowing at the multi colored many
faceted lights of Yog Sothoth which he did not understand as anything
other than pretty colors brought on by his trip.
Ralso at this point started to leave his body. Which
at first was all in rays of light. While Phil yipped and wowed Ralso
started to follow the rays like the tracks of a train back to the
source. He felt limitless bliss and union until dissociation from his
ego began. The parts of his soul started to differentiate into multiple
awareness. Ralso was in more than one body at a time. It was utter
nullity of individual existence. Lighter than a feather Ralso began to
drift toward the Shining Congeries. Until with an odd popping sound he
was beyond the Ultimate Gateway. As he drifted he realized in a moment
of consuming fright that he was not one person, but many persons. He
was equally in many places at the same time. First a vague shadow of
Ralso Marsh was sitting amongst the Ancient Ones in Earth’s trans
dimensional alternate extension. Here, too, was another Ralso Marsh
floating in an unknown and formless cosmic abyss beyond the Ultimate
Gate. In a chaos of scenes Ralso became aware of his own multiplicity
in diverse and sometimes monstrous forms. Ralso came close to the brink
of madness. He now perceived limitless confusion of beings which were
also himself. Ralso become aware of being in some inconceivable way a
legion of selves.
There were Marshs in settings belonging to every
known and unknown but suspected age of Earth. Some were even in the
remotest ages of earthly existence. There were also Marshs of forms
both human and non-human. Some were manlike and some were frog or fish
like. And worse, some of the Marshs had nothing at all in common with
earthly life. Some were nothing but spores of life drifting from world
to world, and universe to universe. Marsh had lost his identity and
nothing could assuage his anguish. Merging with nothingness he found
was not necessarily peaceful oblivion. It was neither death nor doom
either. He was somehow aware of his existence but he was no longer a
definite being, distinguished from other beings. This brought Marsh to
the summit of agony and dread. His self had been annihilated.
Stunned and formless, yet alive and aware Marsh now
heard that most dread of spirits the Ancient of Days Umr at Tawil speak
to him:
'Human, Ye are most lucky to meet me in my most
benign form. Know thou not, oh thou mortal, that he who calls me from
the void beyond time and space is most rash. Thou hast read in a loud
and mocking voice that which thou understandeth little. For ye have
unleashed the foul Shantaks and Ye Dhole are sure to follow after.
Already ye foul larvae from the air have come to feed upon the dead.
Then the acid really started to hit as Shantak and
Dhole start to come through. Now the Shantak are monstrous evil horse
headed birds, who demand sacrifice and kill the living to sate their
evil lust. But the Dholes are giant worms who always follow the Shantak
from beyond the Plateau of Leng in the Dreamlands. They seek carrion
and are much worse. As Phil turned in an agony of ecstasy at the colors
and sounds, the earth shook violently. A giant Dhole lifted it’s
bliscous head towards him. It was only luck that kept him whole. His
acid trip was not just interrupted but it was short circuited. So much
for save the planet. As the Shantak attacked from the air. This was
save your ass time.
Now only two camps over were a group of Hippy Shaman
who in between beating on the drums and passing a wine bottle, had been
chanting. They did not know the words or even the meaning but it was a
popular chant of the pop scene of the day. It started out sounding like
Oh Wa Oh Hob o mock oh a oh! But all that they knew was that the chant
was from the Pocumtuck. They could read that on the CD label but unless
they read the cover notes they would not know that they were the lost
aboriginal Native American inhabitants of North Central Massachusetts.
But when they got to the part that they knew, everyone joined in:
Oh Wa Oh Hob o mock oh a oh!
When situation is dire
He comes, Yea He comes
from region of the great beaver.
Chant for peace. No more war.
Always love and protect the mother.
Oh Wa Oh Hob o mock oh a oh!
At that point with the Shantak swooping low from
overhead and the crowd panicking to rush for cover came Sachem
Pocumtuck. When the Shaman Pocumtuck appeared, he seemed to just walk
out of a cloud of smoke and queer lightning. No one understood but
Sachem Pocumtuck had come to his ancestral home once again in answer to
the chanted cry of his worshipers. He had come to save them and to
drive off the attack of Shantak and Dhole. The Sachem smudged his
circle and began to chant in earnest, to banish the Necro beasts.
Oh Wa Oh Hob o mock oh a oh!
When situation is dire
He comes from the region of the great beaver.
Come oh great protector of thy people.
Come oh come Hobomock,
Oh great spirit giant,
kill all the evil spirits.
Oh Wa Oh Hob o mock oh a oh!
The clear night sky was rent by repeated great forks
of lightning and where the bare rock was struck a mighty form awakened.
Hobomock who was all smoke and lightning took a form much like a very
large Black Bear. When he coalesced from the smoke and the lightning, a
titan hell wind blew through the embattled camp. Next Hobomock ripped
up a huge oak and began to swing it around. First stricken was a Giant
Shantak which had swung in too low seeking human prey. Next was an
immense Dhole. Which when struck emitted a great foetid stench that
choked the nostrils and gagged everyone, as the bleached and viscous
head splintered. Hobomock then chased the Shantak and Dholes into the
Miskatonic striking all about with the large tree trunk. Hobomock
killed all of the giant pets of the Other Gods. He caused them to turn
to stone and sink to the bottom of the river. Sachem Pocumtuck then
pointed his spear towards the gate and uttered:
Bu gsa ash Yog Sothoth Zhro Orhz Yog Sothoth hsa asgub.
at first low. Then he bellowed forth again;
Bu gsa ash Yog Sothoth Zhro Orhz Yog Sothoth hsa asgub.
Finally fading off he shouted into the night one final time,
Bu gsa ash Yog Sothoth Zhro Orhz Yog Sothoth hsa asgub.
And the Shining Bubble congeries faded back and the
open gate shut upon itself.
Well at least that is what the few remaining
coherent witnesses swear too.
At that point the sun rose.
Also at that point Ralso rolled over on his blanket
admired the sunrise a bit. He then uttered to his buddy Phil, who was
just rubbing sleep filled eyes, ‘That was some pretty good acid!’
Phil and Ralso struck camp and headed home.
Obit for a Festival
In a special to the Arkham Gazette. It has been
reported that Mass Hysteria struck last night at the Woodstock Reunion
Save the World New Age Arts Festival. What promoters were billing as a
weekend of fun in the beautiful Berkshires near historic Dunwich, At
the Olde Whateley Farm turned tragic, possibly due to the use of strong
illegal psychedelic drugs. It has been hard for our reporters to get
the full story as the Festival was shut down prematurely and State
Police were called in to disburse the crowd.
END
Read: Watchers Return
