Knowhere Oregon

Chapter 5 - My Mind

I woke up screaming. Sweat drenched my body and clothes. Tears running down my face. My mother quickly comes rushing into the room asking me what's the matter? I explained to her the terrifying fever dream that had entrapped my mind. The description of the horrible beast made her face void of all color. She stared back at me, her face a blank canvas, she muttered something under her breath before turning her back to me. I stood up and hurried after her. Trailing behind her she led me through doors and secret passages that I wasn't aware our home even held. A million thoughts raced through my mind about what other secrets she was hiding from me. Eventually we ended up in a damp and dim room. My eyes unable to adjust to the lighting I struggled to see what was before me. At that very moment a flash of light. A small flame appeared in her hand. A small lighter she was using to light a series of candles that lined the walls. A small ornate thing one would think to find in some museum or antique store. Not in the hands of a middle class working mother. As the last candle was finally lit I was able to see the grotesque sight that lay before me. A small wooden altar coated in a faint and sticky brown substance. The head of a beast that seems to have once been a large capra. Its large unblinking eyes staring back at me. Small pale worms moved in and out of its flesh. Its pelage matted and peeling off of it. A drooping maw full of rotted stumps grinned back at me. I was so captivated by the ghastly sight I didn't notice my mother leaving from the door behind me. A loud thunk of the heavy lock sliding shut broke me out of the trance. I quickly spun around and tried the handle. Banging on the door begging for her to open it. That's when I heard it. A soft and gurgling cackle that sent chills up my spine, freezing me in place. The voice then spoke to me "she isn't coming back boy. You're locked in here with me." I quickly spun around to try and find the source of these words, but to no avail. All that was in here was that rotting skull. I moved towards it and that when it spoke again. Its jaw rattled back and forth as it spoke "so you're seeing visions of Surah al-Kahf? Do you know the significance of that cave? The ordinaries saw it as a religious site back in my time, but we know better that NOTHING holy happened there that day. Seven young men entered and 300 years later what emerged was anything but human." startled I shockingly replied "what was it that emerged?" "The ordinaries would say cannibals or vampires had turned them. Yet reality is often much more dark." the beast proclaimed. "It was an afrit that took those boys' souls down to hell and replaced them with a piece of its own. That terrible demon possessed them to do horrible acts." I listened in both horror and fascination as the rotting skull recounted the tale of the afrit and the possessed boys. The words hung in the air, heavy with a chilling truth that I struggled to comprehend. This was no ordinary nightmare; it was a glimpse into a dark and twisted reality that had been concealed from me all my life. As I stood there, my heart pounding, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The room grew colder, and the flickering candlelight cast eerie shadows on the walls. The voice of the skull resonated with a deep, otherworldly timbre, filling the silence. "The afrit, a malevolent creature from the depths of the netherworld, sought vessels to carry out its sinister bidding," the beast continued, its voice laced with a mix of bitterness and satisfaction. "The boys, innocent and pure, were chosen to house the afrit's essence, forever bound to its will." My mind raced, trying to comprehend the implications of what I was hearing. The existence of such a malevolent entity seemed inconceivable, yet the grotesque altar and the unsettling presence of the skull before me left little room for doubt. "Why are you telling me this?" I finally managed to muster the courage to ask. "What does it have to do with me?" The skull emitted a low, raspy chuckle, sending shivers down my spine. "You possess a rare gift, one that allows you to glimpse the hidden truths of this world. You have been chosen to unravel the mysteries that lie beneath the surface, to confront the darkness that lingers in the shadows." "But... I don't understand," I stammered, my voice filled with confusion and fear. "Why me? What am I supposed to do?" The skull's empty eye sockets seemed to bore into my very soul as it spoke with an unnerving calmness. "You must face the afrit, the ancient evil that has plagued humanity for centuries. Only by uncovering the truth and reclaiming the lost souls of the possessed can you bring an end to its reign of terror." A mixture of determination and trepidation welled up within me. I had been thrust into a world of darkness and secrets, but now I understood that I had a role to play—a role that could shape the fate of countless lives. I couldn't ignore the responsibility that had been thrust upon me, no matter how terrifying the path ahead may be. As I contemplated my next move, a faint glimmer of hope flickered in the depths of my being. I realized that the secrets my mother had kept hidden were not meant to harm me but to protect me. She had sacrificed her own freedom to ensure that I would have the opportunity to confront the afrit and restore the souls of those poor boys. With newfound determination, I took a step closer to the grotesque altar. The stench of decay filled the air, but I refused to let it deter me. I would delve into the darkest depths of this twisted reality, facing the afrit head-on and fighting for the salvation of those innocent souls. As I extended my hand toward the rotting skull, ready to embark on this harrowing journey, a surge of energy coursed through me. It was a mix of fear, anticipation, and an unwavering resolve that propelled me forward. I would not allow the darkness to consume me; instead, I would become its reckoning. And so, with the knowledge of the afrit's existence and the fate of those possessed boys, I accepted the weight of my newfound purpose. The path ahead would be treacherous, but I would confront the horrors that awaited me, armed with the determination to banish the afrit and free the souls it had imprisoned for centuries.