The Strange Case of the Jackson Building

Chapter 23 - Devour

Chapter Twenty-Three

Devour

November, 21st, 1958

I was approached today by two devoted members of my Church, Mr. and Mrs. Allord. They have recently moved into town, more precisely into the Jackson Building and are having trouble adjusting. Mrs. Allord, in particular, seemed extremely anxious, talking about an evil presence in their home and strange happenings that she related to a dark entity. I told them to pray and have faith, which didn't seem to calm her.

It's not the first time I have members of my Church come to me with such concerns. Very rarely it is anything other than anxiety and nerves. I believe Mrs. Allord is just having trouble with adapting to change, since they just moved here after living in France for many years.

I shall pray for them.

Petra moved along, focusing on finding another entry related to the building. She glanced over the texts, turning page after page until another entry caught her interest.

December, 14th, 1958

Mr. and Mrs. Allord requested another reunion with me. Mrs. Allord appeared worn out, sickly and her husband close to despair. They have told me several recounts of events that have transpired in their new home and it sounded like it was taken right out of a horror tale. At first I wondered if it was just their imagination or paranoia, but their eyes exuded sincerity and fear. As a man of faith and God, it is my duty to believe my people and answer their cries for help. They begged me to go to their home and bless it, even perform exorcism if deemed necessary. I agreed.

December, 16th, 1958

I went to the Jackson Building today. I could not get inside.

That place is evil. Lord help us. Visions assaulted my mind's eye as soon as I laid my feet on its entrance. It is truly a cursed place with something damning inside.

Mr. and Mrs. Allord begged for my help and I'm not sure I am strong enough to provide it.

I promised I would help and with the Lord on my side, I will try. I need to understand what exactly lies behind those walls. I can't help but feel it is somehow connected to the woman who stood at the entrance. She ran when she saw me.

I will investigate and pray for my Father's help. I will need His strength.

January, 20th, 1959

The monster is real, the Beast rises.

Mr. and Mrs. Allord are long gone. I failed them.

Father, please forgive me.

After this, all entries related to the same. Father Banes became obviously obsessed with it, it became his life's purpose. Most of the entries were scribbled down in a hurry and Petra had difficulty understanding the handwriting. Still, most were prayers and curses, condemnations directed at the place or Banes' accounts of his travels there and his attempts to have it demolished and burned. Most entries didn't even make much sense at all, they were a product of a scattered mind.

And then Petra reached his final entry.

February, 3rd, 1959

They should be coming soon to get me, but I will not stop fighting, with the Lord on my side I shall prevail.

Here I leave the truth, such as it is, so that my battle won't be in vain and someone may come after me to continue His work.

The Damned can't be allowed to rule.

It was 1925 and Kwame Jackson dreamed of being a renowned musician. While this young man did possess the talent and skill, it wasn't enough to stand out among all the great during the Golden Era of Jazz.

Desperate and blind, he committed the ultimate atrocity. He made a deal with the Son of Perdition - his soul for brilliance. It worked.

Before the time came for him to pay the price, Kwame admitted his sacrilege to his younger sister, Naima. Their grandmother had been a powerful African Witch and passed all her knowledge to Naima, who inherited her dark powers.

Naima told Kwame to build a Grand Hotel, where she would trap the Beast pursuing him and where it would feed off the souls of the innocent that would stay there, hopefully quenching its thirst long enough for her brother to live a full life.

Kwame refused to let others pay his debt. And so the Jackson Building was born, 1931. Naima trapped the Devil's Debt Collector and through the ways of Black Magic managed to keep the defiled creature inside. Naima cursed herself, sacrificing her own soul to the cause, forever linked to the Beast's prison, forever devoted to protect that gate and make sure nothing ever came out.

For years and years, generations of Jacksons owned the prison and protected it, making sure the secret was kept safe and no one entered the place. Until the chain was broken, the last Jackson died and left no child behind.

That's when the Beast returned to eat. Now that innocent people are living there, the Monster can feed off of their souls.

And it will never stop. It will always be hungry for more. It will never be enough.

The soul it starves for, Kwame's, is long gone and it will long for it and search for it forever. No matter how much it eats, it will always be hungry for more. And the more it eats, the stronger it becomes, until one day not even Naima's witchcraft will be enough to keep it locked.

If no one stops it, it will devour the world.

God have mercy on us all.

Petra closed the notebook and, for the first time in decades, prayed.