Antarctica
August 5th 1954
Cold wind and a thick veil of snow reduced any form of visibility to near non-existent but Marshall pressed on, his hooded coat kept in some warmth and the scarf covering his face gave little protection but it was enough for soon the low temperatures would begin to slow him down. Each step crunched in the deep snow and Marshall’s gripped tightened on the rifle, he knew how many bullets he had remaining from the two hundred and ninety five from the start of the journey four where in the rifle and one in the revolver in his pocket he kept saying those words “You won’t take me, you won’t take me” that one bullet in the revolver was for him when the others would fail, they will fail Marshall knew it they didn’t stop Caines when he turned after his bones cracked and those spikes burst through his skin, when he lunged at Martha teeth jagged like some sort of beast from the depths Wallace put three rounds into him but that did nothing but slow him down only the axe worked when cutting him to pieces.
“You won’t take me, you won’t take me” Marshall kept muttering to himself, a shriek came from his right Marshall turned quickly the rifle raised up and ready but with the snow storm he couldn’t see anything, clicking came from the direction he was facing his faced tightened to aim “No you fucking don’t!” he yelled, with a pull of the trigger a shot echoed into the storm, three bullets remaining he turned back and quickened his pace in the direction he was already heading whispering those same words again. In his mind he wondered, he wondered how on earth he wound up here, how everyone back at the university was so excited to explore an unknown region of Antarctica, if only the idiots knew what they would find down it the frozen wastes, the mountains, the ships cut apart and repurposed into a small village with houses covered in those blood drenched symbols, the diary of Ramsay Collins one of the people who back in the 1800s travelled here claiming that voices guided him here, voices? There were voices alright Marshall and his group began to hear them shortly after they arrived in the ship town they tried to blame fatigue or that the weather down south was beginning to play trick but these voices belong to something dark and ancient something that was dormant in this part of the world.
Darlton University
April 18th 1954
Marshall was sat in his office mindlessly going over and over the mountain of student papers that were strewn across his desk, letting out a deep and tired sigh Marshall took a sip of coffee to inject a bit more caffeine to perk up, there was a knock on the door “Come in” he said with elation anything to take a moment from the papers, his colleague Walter Carson entered holding a folder “I’m not bothering you am I?” Carson pondered, “Not at all” Marshall indicated to the seat across from his desk to which Carson sat politely “How can I help you Carson?” Marshall asked “Think I’ve got something that might interest you Henry” Carson said intriguingly opening the folder “Remember that expedition that Bentley took to the South Pole several months back?” Marshall leaned in “Yeah didn’t hear much about it, he only got back last week right?” Carson gave a chuckle “Apparently he may have found something, his report claims he found evidence of people who have may have explored a particular region back from as far as the 1800s” Marshall took a look at the report curiously “1800? Jesus there has never been any journeys to the South Pole that old” Carson replied with “None that have ever been recorded” Marshall sat in silence for a moment reading the report then glanced back up to Carson “So what are you wanting with me Carson?” Marshall queried Carson pointed to the report “They want a team to go and explore the region and see what they can find and I was wondering if you would be interested in going?” Marshall paused for a moment contemplating the information that he had just heard, the possibility of finding a 19th Century expedition to Antarctica would truly be an extraordinary find and would bring great credit and recognition for the University, he looked at the papers to mark and knew that his teaching assistant Hinckley would complete them while he was away he smiled and look to Carson “When do we leave?”.
Antarctica
July 2nd 1954
The expedition was into its third week and the team was moving slowly as a snow storm had suddenly rolled in, the team consisted of Marshall, Carson, James Bentley the team leader and the man who wrote the report, Victor Caines who was a Geology expert, Martha Burgess one of the State’s top linguists, Carson had enlisted the help from Michael Garret who was an expert in tundra exploration and the final team member was Edward Killigan a lecturer with a PhD in History, Bentley took out the compass to gather the teams bearings but noticed that the needle was pointing in the wrong direction he looked up to the sky to try and see any trace of light coming from the sun to use as a marker there was nothing, he decided to follow the direction hoping that maybe this would lead them to the site of the expedition’s last location “Shouldn’t be much longer now” Bentley bayed over the wind the others looked at him not looking as optimistic Carson spoke first “Forgive me if we don’t share your enthusiasm but you said that two days ago” “We need to stop and set up a camp and wait out the blizzard” Martha interjected “But I can feel it we can’t stop now” Bentley sounded determined Marshall replied “Will be no good when one of us loses a foot to the cold Bentley” Caines stopped walking and pointed into the cascade of white “Wait what the hell is that?” the rest of the group looked to where Caines was indicating and could see a large shadowy mass far in the distance it was difficult to make out but there was definitely something there, Marshall took out the rifle for caution there should be no animals or any form of large predator this far south of the world but they were in unexplored territory so there was no chance taking the risk coming unprepared, the team continued to approached the mass and as they got closer and closer the mass got bigger and bigger much bigger until finally they could make out what it was, it was a ship. Marshall couldn’t believe it a wooden 19th Century tall ship trapped in the ice down in the South Pole and still intact “Are you guys seeing this as well?” a puzzled Carson spoke out “Let’s see if there is an opening and get some shelter from the wind” suggested Martha, they found an opening on the port side of the ship and tucked themselves inside getting some relief from the weather, Bentley looked around at the frozen wood of the ship’s hull in amazement he looked over to Marshall with glee on his face “This alone is a history changing discovery” he laughed loudly again with pride on his face.
“Fuck you Bentley!” Marshall barked in anger as he continued his trudge in the thick snow, as he journeyed forward the ground shook violently causing him to stumble and fall his face being covered in snow which caused it to sting he shook his head flicking the snow off “Fuck!” he grunted to himself pushing himself onto his knees picking the rifle back up as he got onto his feet, from somewhere behind a scream filled the air a scream filled with agony and fear Marshall recognised the voice it belonged to Carson the cries didn’t stop but Marshall felt a chill colder than the sub-zero temperatures of this continent run down his spine at hearing his friend’s voice, he turned to face the noise trying to see anything and roared into the white “IT WON’T WORK I KNOW HE’S ALREADY DEAD!” Carson was dead alright because it was Marshall who put the bullet in his skull when he was screaming at Marshall to kill him to stop the voice from splitting his mind apart Carson made him do it when he took out the knife to try and slit Marshall’s throat, the voice, that voice even Marshall heard it some dark language that had never been spoken by any person or nation in the world, when Bentley began speaking it after they found the ships even Martha couldn’t work out the words or translation it was something archaic something not recorded in the history of mankind and it was something inhuman a language not meant to spoke by the tongues of beings of this world but from somewhere else. Marshall could still hear the screaming as he turned away “You took him but you won’t take me!” the sounds of screams became a regular thing out here.
The Village of the Settlers
July 20th 1954
Carson kicked open the door he and Garrett dragged Killigan into one the makeshift houses that had been built using the hull of the ships that had landed here “Hang on Edward we’re going to sort you out soon, Marshall get the first aid bag!” Garrett yelled sternly Marshall came into the house with the bag looking worried there was no sign of Caines “Garrett what the hell happened?!” asked Marshall as he watched Garret and Carson lift Killigan onto the table it was then that he saw the blood stained on Killigan’s coat and the knife sticking out of his shoulder, Martha ran inside to see what was the commotion she shrieked at the bloody sight “Jesus Christ what happened?!” she screeched her hand covering her mouth, Carson took the bag from Marshall he replied “Caines, I don’t know what the fuck happened but we got close the mountains and he started saying those words the ones that Bentley was spewing before he vanished, then all of a sudden he started just slashing at Killigan I don’t even know where he got the knife” Marshall queried “Where is Caines now?” Carson was silent for a moment “Garrett cracked him across the head with the snow shovel, we didn’t check to see if he was alive we need to get Killigan out of there” Killigan let out a yell Garrett kept him held down “Carson get back over here I need your help!” Carson turned back with the bag and ran over to the table, as Garrett began to remove the knife from Killigan’s shoulder Carson took out a suture kit, gauze and some bandages, Marshall led Martha away from the door and over to the other side of the room “Are you ok Martha?” she looked shook up but nodded sheepishly “Henry what the hell going on in this place? Those horrible sounds at night, the symbols and writing all over the walls in some of the houses and the pages in the journal it’s like the Settlers came here to worship something” Marshall placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her “Don’t worry once Carson and Garret help Killigan we will try and find Bentley then we will get out of this place” “He won’t let you leave” Marshall and all the other turned to see Caines standing in the doorway his face frostbitten, blood running down his face from the gash on his temple he slowly entered the room he looked around at everyone “It’s why he brought us here he spoke to Bentley and then you all came to join him” Marshall saw the rifle on the bed but was worried that going for it might make Caines lash out especially with Killigan still on the table he looked to Caines “Who’s he Caines?” Caines laughed in reply “He? It’s impossible to describe it he lies in wait under the mountain so no mortal eyes have ever gazed upon him but to do so would turned even the most educated minds to a gibbering mess for the brain would not be able to accept such a sight, but he is coming soon but he requires souls to do his bidding that’s why he called the Settler’s here to begin his awakening” Marshall kept his sight on Caines “But the Settlers killed themselves” “Which is why you Marshall, you and all the others have come to finish what was started, he has journeyed so far to reach our world that’s why he has slept so long” Martha asked “What do you mean he came to our world? Are you saying this being that speaks to you is an alien?” Caines laughed again “No not even close he is nothing short of a god Martha, emerging from a rip between dimensional realms eons ago he and the other elder beings forged these worlds and the stars and ruled what life came gods of madness until they spread amongst the universe to rest” Carson looked from the table in disbelief “Are you fucking serious gods really? You stabbed Killigan because a god told you to?!” Caines glanced at Killigan “He requires conduits, flesh to envelope to be able to walk this world before he awakens, he consumed Bentley and he consumed me too” Garret shouted out “Christ what the fuck are you talking about?!” Caines began to approach the group his body twitched slightly then it became more violent, Marshall started to make his way towards the rifle, Caines jerked and shivered his bones began to twist and crack “He’s coming, clawing in the dark dwelling in the infinite expanse, he will take you all” he began to spew black goo from his mouth and it cried out of his eyes like blackened tears, his jaw cracked wider and jagged teeth tore out of his upper and lower gums his body began to bulge and moving like some sort of sea of snakes had got under his skin “JESUS CHRIST!” Carson yelled, Caines let out a gargled and inhuman shriek when black spikes started to burst out the huge bulging flesh that was his right shoulder Marshall jumped at the bed and grabbed the rifle he took aim and fired one round which struck Caines in the shoulder dark blood splattered onto the wall and several black tentacles began to surge out of the wound Caines made his way towards Martha who had been backed into a corner, Marshall fired two more rounds one hit Caines’ chest the other went through his neck but he didn’t fall down, another shriek and he charged towards Martha who huddled to the floor and screamed, Carson ran over and swung out with the axe which made its mark by burying deep into Caines shoulder causing him to stop, Carson swung the axe which carved into the neck and sent Caines down onto the floor twitching and writhing, Carson stood over Caines and looked at what used to be his colleague he gripped the axe tightly “I’m sorry Victor” he raised the axe high in brought it down several times hacking away at pieces until he was sure that Caines was dead, after the last swing he stood looking down at what was left panting from exhaustion he then turned to Marshall both had a look like they couldn’t believe what had just happened.
Marshall heard more sounds around him, it was those critters they looked something like a tentacle crab with hundreds of black round eyes they appeared shortly after the incident with Caines and it was one of them that dragged Martha off into the snow, one of the fuckers killed Garrett practically pulled out his spine when Marshall shot it luckily bullets seemed to kill these things, a noise came to Marshall’s left he turned and fired another round into the blizzard, two bullets remaining “Fuck you, you won’t take me!” he grumbled loudly as he kept marching he hoped that the boat that brought them to the coast was still docked but it was still a long way to go “Marshall” a voice cried out he turned to the right to see a faint silhouette in the snowy winds he raised the rifle again “you won’t take me!” he said as he fired another round but the figure was gone “come on Henry get the fuck out of here” he spoke to himself to keep motivated, as his legs were about to give out he stopped something was in the distance it was the ship he sighed with relief and his will to get out and home helped quicken his pace “Going home, going home” but when it came into view he stopped again and couldn’t believe it “No, no, no, no, no, no this can’t be happening!” it was the tall ship Marshall had been brought back to the village where all this nightmare began, he looked at it how could he be back here all the way back to square one he fell to his knees in the snow he gritted his teeth “Fuck you! Fuck you all!” then the wind fell silent Marshall thought the storm had passed but when he looked around the snow swirled all around him but there was simply no noise as he got to his feet a voice spoke from behind he turned to face it, again the figure was distorted from the storm but there was something familiar this time Marshall spoke softly “Martha?” he gazed for a long moment but then realised “No you took her, you’re not her anymore!” he aimed down the rifle sight and fired its last shot which echoed long in the silence, he dropped the rifle into the snow it was no good to him now, a moment passed then the figure made a clicking noise then began to twitch violently the bones cracking with the transformation “No NO!!!” Marshall yelled he fumbled through his clothes until he found the revolver he took it out and put it to his temple he roared loudly “YOU WON’T TAKE ME!!!” the fire pin clicked and the shot rang out.
END
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