The Lurker at the Threshold : A Horror Mystery by Brandon Berntson (books under 200 pages .txt) 📗

“We all live under the guise of uncertainty, Dev.  That’s where faith comes in.  Besides, that’s one of the main reasons I stay put. In case anything bad happens.”

“You sound like Millie, too,” Macky said, smiling.

“No thing ever really dies,” Armitage said.  “Not like that.  We’ve had several  . . . disturbances since you left.  The tomb-legions.  Even . . . laughter.”

“Laughter?”

“The laughter of a mad woman.  People claimed to have heard it in the night.  Some say it comes from underground.”

Macky thought about Angelique, the headless wife of the headless Moorland, and how she hadn’t wanted to be a part of Moorland’s ‘vision.’  In the end, she’d gotten the best of her husband, instead of vice-versa.  The whole thing had been eerie from the start.

“I’m getting the Hillbilly Shakes,” he said.

“I know the feeling,” Armitage said.  “Some things don’t want to die, and those things come out only at night.  You keep a firearm by your side, plenty of matches, and torches.  That’s the way of life in Arkham now.”

“But Addy is okay?”

Armitage nodded and smiled.  “Strong woman.  Determined.  She talks about you and Millie a lot.  I admire her”

“I’ll have to tell Millie that.  I’m sorry I didn’t have time to say hello.  Maybe next time.”

“I’m sure she’ll understand,” Armitage said.

They were quiet for a while.  Macky continued to drive.

—

They finally pulled up to Millie’s building on Kensington.  They got and took the stairs, not wasting time with the elevator.   Armitage left the books in the car.  Macky, Capshaw, and Armitage were out of breath by the time they got to the 6th Floor.

Sarnath had grown.  Expanded.  It was taking over the hallway, branching off in all directions from the nexus that was Millie’s door.  The floor was covered in tall grass, stalks of wildflowers and roots of trees pushing through the walls.  Rocks and boulders were visible.  Leaves had sprouted on vines.  Macky, to his surprise, saw creatures in the midst of it.  A caterpillar was crawling along a branch.  A praying mantis blended in with the leaves.  A ladybug flew in the air and landed on his hand.  He shook it off.  This was too close to Arkham, especially since they’d just been talking about it.

“Good Lord,” Armitage said, eyeing everything with horror and amazement.  “I didn’t expect this.”

Mack grabbed the knob, but it wouldn’t budge.  The branches, vines, and rocks moving in and out of the wall had intertwined with the door, sealing it shut.  He dug his fingers into the vines and tried to rip the branches off.

“Help me with it,” he said to the others.

Capshaw and Armitage were quick to help. They took pocketknives from their trouser pockets and proceeded to saw through the branches.  At this rate, it would take forever.

“Stand back,” Macky said.

He ran into the door using his shoulder.  After the fourth time, the door gave way, creaking open. His shoulder throbbed.

The door across the hall opened.  Mrs. Newsome, a middle-aged woman who lived alone and sometimes looked after Mr. Kalabraise, poked her head into the hallway.  She saw the growth, widened her eyes, screamed, and slammed the door.  A sparrow flew into her apartment before she did.  They could hear her screaming inside.

Armitage, Capshaw, and Macky looked at one another.  Macky shrugged.  “She doesn’t adapt well to change, I guess,” he said.

They pulled at the door until there was enough room to get inside.  One by one, they stepped within.  It was like walking into another world.  The sun shone, but it was going down.  The grass was thick and green.  The lake reflected the stars and moon.  There was the sound of music, revelry coming from the city to the south.

“Incredible,” Armitage said, in awe.  “The city of Sarnath in the land of Mnar.”

The towers and trees, the city below was filled with torchlight, music, and dancing.

“This isn’t a good sign,” the doctor said.

“What?” Macky asked.

“They’re celebrating Ib’s destruction already, the city on the other side of the lake.  The one in the forest.”

“What does that mean exactly?”

“Sorry, Dev.  There’s more going on than I realized.  The people of Ib had green skin, pouty lips, bulging eyes, and strange ears, but they never spoke.  They came back years later.  Many years.  In all that time, Sarnath lived in peace after the People of the Moon were slaughtered.  But the people of Ib, the People of the Moon, never forgot.  On a certain night during a full moon, they returned.  They killed the high priest and stole back their idol as a warning.  The high priest knew who they were and why they came.  He was able to write a single word in blood on the ground before he died. ‘Doom.’

“Years later, the city of Sarnath was celebrating the destruction of Ib, like they did every year.  Lights in the sky started to form.  A mist rose from the lake.  All the people of Sarnath were driven mad, driven away, or . . . destroyed.”

“You mean . . ?”

“Yes, Dev.  Look.”

A mist was rising from the lake as Armitage spoke.  From the forest, lights emerged.  The moon was beginning to rise.

“You mean it’s happening . . . now?” Macky asked.

Armitage nodded.  “We’ve no time to lose.”

The three of them found a trail and descended into the city.

—

The moon was bright and full, like a bulbous eye.  Lights were visible in the trees on the other side of the lake.  It took Macky a second before he realized they were eyes, attached to lunar green faces.

He swallowed the lump in his throat.  He picked up speed while Armitage and Capshaw lumbered after him.  Sarnath and the celebration were in full swing.

“Come on!  Hurry!” Macky called.

“Of all the blasted, ridiculous antics . . .” Armitage muttered