Saturday Night Dance

"I wonder where the hell those drums are coming from." Josh asked just as he turned the page in the diary. As Josh sat listening to the drums he flipped through the pages of the journal. Toward the end he found a diagram of a house that contained many passages. The diagram indicated six secret passages that all lead to a great hall somewhere beneath the house.

"I wonder. This can't be this house. This is Texas not Transylvania." Josh said to himself as he studied the map. "If this diagram is of this house and I go to the third row of books and take out the 7th book I will find a switch."

Josh walked over to the bookcase and found the appropriate row of books. "Son of a Bitch," Josh exclaimed as he pulled out the 7th book and found the switch. He pulled it. He watch as the bookcase swung around and there was an opened passage. The sound of the drums was now a little stronger.

Josh entered the passage and noticed that it sloped downward. He walked for about 50 yards and found the passage curved to the left still sloping downward.

As Josh walked along the hall the air grew cooler and there was dampness to it. Josh continued to hear the drums now mixed with another sound he could not place. Josh continued his progress.

"I can't believe this. I have to be in an underground cavern. This is frigging East Texas. There are no underground caverns around here. Yet here I am and this damn hall keeps going." Josh thought to himself as he continued walking on a downward course.

The hall was lit by strange dim lamp every few yards. The walls were dark with no coloration. The floor sloped downward and continued to curve to the left. The floor was covered with a soft material that now seemed wet. Josh could now identify that the sounds he was hearing were human voices, but at this distance he could not make out individual words. He could hear grunts, moans, and even laughter but could not decipher them.

After about 5 minutes of careful walk Josh came to an intersection. His hall and a hall to the right seem to merge into the hall Josh had been transversing. The hall was wider here and made a sharp turn. As Josh rounded the corner he found himself staring at a statue.

"I must be in frigging horror movie," Josh said at he looked at the statue. "This makes the creature in Alien looked like damn kitty cat."

The statue stood on a pedestal about 4 feet high. The statue itself was about 2 feet high. It looked something like the combination of an octopus, a very ugly human with the wings of a dragon all made out of some gross gelatinous leathery like protoplasm. Upon closer inspection Josh could see it exhibited exquisitely artistic workmanship but somehow this made it worse. Josh was beginning to feel sick to his stomach as he continued to study the bas-relief. The creature had an octopus-like head whose face was a mass of feelers on a scaly, rubbery-looking body with prodigious claws on hind and fore feet, and long narrow wings behind it. The overall effect projected an evil malignancy of bloated corpulence that was squatting and looking directly at Josh with an evil glare.

Just as Josh was feeling the full effect of this creature staring at him the volume of the drums increased and the voices of the participants changed. Human voices seemed to devolve into animalistic fury heightened by howls and squawking ecstasies that reverberated through the hall. Josh had never heard anything to approximate these sounds and could take it no longer. He ran back up the hall into the library and quickly shut the bookcase. It was time for a drink.

Josh quickly pushed the book shelf back into place and walked out of the library. The drums could still be heard but only faintly. Josh fixed himself a large Scotch and went to his room.

"Tomorrow I am getting out of this damn place," he said to himself as he downed the Scotch.

Josh did not sleep well that night but upon awakening his plans on leaving did not work exactly as planned. It took Josh some time to get to sleep but then he overslept. He was awakened by Lacy.

"Josh, I have to talk to you," Lacy whispered in a frightened voice. "I don't know what I've gotten myself into," she continued. "You have to help me."

Josh quickly arose from the bed. "What are you talking about Lacy? I was planning on leaving this morning."

"No, Josh, please, you can't leave right now. I need you," Lacy pleaded.

"What the hell is going on here Lacy?"

"There is a lot going on and if it continues it will change everything. I mean everything. You don't know what Hank and Tiffany are planning. I think they are going to do it tonight." Lacy explained almost hysterical.

"I still don't know what the hell you are talking about."

"They are going to awaken Cthulhu," she whispered in a gasping voice.

"That is a bunch of bull-crap. There is no such thing as a Cthulhu."

"Josh, you don't know. It really exists. I have seen it. The stars are now perfect and Hank and Tiffany know what they're doing."

Lacy held up her hand, "This ring is one of the keys."

"What kind of key?" Josh asked.

"This ring belonged to my grandfather who was a friend to Hank's grandfather. It is said my grandfather saved Hank's grandfather from a fate worse than death. Over the years this ring was passed down to my mother and then to me. It was two years ago Hank discovered his grandfather's ideas about Cthulhu and decided he could handle things that his grandfather could not. He feels that with his knowledge and the power this ring will give me we will be successful, successful beyond imagination. He says we can have anything, I mean anything at all. I thought it was all kind of fun and did not really believe the story. I was just having fun. That is until last night and I saw something that should never be seen. I saw a portion of the living Cthulhu and it was horrible."

"You don't really expect me to believe all of this Lacy," Josh asked.

"You have to believe me. They are going to do it tonight and you and I have to stop them." Lacy pleaded. "Hank is convinced if he is successful he will be the most powerful man on earth. I heard him say Kings and Presidents will bow before him. Hank is really a wonderful man but something has happened to him and I am very afraid. I tried to talk to Tiffany about it but she became angry and threatened to tell Hank. Please Josh you have to help me. There is no one else I can turn to."

Josh was very perplexed. Being a skeptic about most things his rational mind felt this was not even a good story. But as he listened to Lacy's frantic pleas he believed that she believed what she was saying. And there was the problem of that long hall underground, the statue, and all the animalistic cries from somewhere down below.

"Ok, let's say I will help you. What should we be doing?" Josh asked.

"I don't know. I just know we have to do something." Lacy answered. "So, you are telling me that Hank is going to awaken some dead but extremely powerful monster probably tonight. We have a ring that hopefully can do something but we don't know what that something is, but we still have to do it. Is that right?"

"Yes," Lack whimpered.

"Do you know how stupid that sounds? Last night I went down the hall behind the bookshelf. I walked far enough to hear the shouts and cries of those idiots doing whatever it is they are doing. There is no way we could take all those people on even if we had a couple of AK-47's." Josh explained.

"Those people are not the danger," Lacy said.

"Those people sounded pretty damn dangerous to me. You only have to kill me once and whether it is an idiot cult member or a monster God I am still dead."

"You still don't understand. If Hank is successful we are all dead."

"Okay where is Hank and Tiffany now?" Josh asked.

"They are down below making preparations and will be there all day."

"Do you know any books that might mention the ring? We don't have much time but if we are going to do something we have to have an idea of what this ring does."

"I think Hank's grandfather's journal has some information. I also have my grandfather's journal but it is mostly ramblings."

"Let's go have a look at both," Josh instructed.

Josh and Lacy spent the morning pouring over various books and documents. They learned a lot about the Cthulhu cult and the various spells to awaken the monster. They found mention of the ring and it seemed the ring was some kind of focusing lens that could control great amounts of power. They were unable to discover the mechanisms of how this works.

"Ok, we now know this ring can control large amounts of some kind of power. Your grandfather was able to use the ring to stop the process Hank's grandfather began. We just don't know how he did it." Josh summarized as he and Lacy took a break.

"That is about it."

"I still can't believe all this shit. It is just too much to take in. If I had not been down that hall I would think you were hallucinating."

"I wish I was hallucinating," Lacy replied. "But I know I saw what I saw. I will probably have nightmares for the rest of my life."

"Well we have to do something. Let's see if we can sneak a peek at what is going on down there," Josh said.

"Ok." Josh and Lacy opened the book shelf and began to slowly walk down the hall. They reached the split in the passage and the statue. They then continued walking for quite sometime. With every step Josh was more amazed by the length of this hall. This cavern had to be huge to support such an extensive pathway. As Josh turn again to his left he could see the dull red glow of reflected light. There was definitely something down there.

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Josh said to Lacy. Josh had always wanted proof that something existed beyond the material world and he may have his proof tonight. His curiosity was most definitely aroused but he was beginning to become frightened at the price he might have to pay for this proof.

Josh and Lacy rounded a last turn and found themselves looking down into a very large open cavern. From their vantage point they could see everything going on and were relatively hidden. Everyone in the cavern appeared totally absorbed in their various duties. At the far end there was an altar.

"That is where Hank will perform the ceremony," Lacy said as she pointed to the far end of the cavern. "Some of those people down there were at the VFW the other night. This thing goes back many years and people have been waiting for years for someone to try again. My grandfather died shortly after he rescued Hank's grandfather. Even though it was ruled a heart attack, many believed he was murdered because he interfered."

Hank surveyed the hall. I was about the size of a football field with a ceiling some 100 feet above. There were numerous people milling around making preparations. Hank and Tiffany were on the altar and were very intense on whatever they were doing.

"The other night we were all standing on the altar. Hank began the ritual and everyone was chanting. It was like we all went into a trance. My ring began to glow and I held it up. Something went through the ring and some kind of portal opened in the air above the altar. That is when something began to appear. It was horrible. It felt so cold and smelled terrible. I could not stand it but I know Hank was right about its power. You could feel the power surge through you but it felt dark and nasty. I think I would have died if the portal had not closed when it did. We only got a sneak peek and I can't imagine what the full view would be like. Hank says the stars were not quite right. But I am afraid tonight it will be perfect." Lacy shuddered as she explained this to Josh.

"I saw it. It's real Josh. I am scared. I told Hank I was feeling bad so he told me to rest today, but I have to report to him at around 11:00 tonight. The ceremony begins a midnight," Lacy continued.

"When I left Hank he was acting really strange. He said tonight is the night we will open the black seas of infinity and the forbidden eons of the past. I think Hank knows what he is talking about," Lacy said and fell silent as she looked pleading at Josh.

"I know something the hell is going on. And there is something very wrong happening. And the worse thing about it is I think you and I will have to try to do something. I just don't know what. The problem is we have to act fast."

Josh made a mental note of where everything was located in the great hall. They then returned to the library.

"Let me see the ring," Josh said and Lacy handed him the ring.

The ring looked the same as he remembered. It had a silver band with a greenish black stone. It did not feel magical.

"So what did you do the other night?" Josh asked.

"Nothing I just held the ring up and felt the power flow through me," she answered.

"Did you feel as if you had any control of the power?"

"I don't know. I felt like I was in a trance with all the chanting and stuff going on. I did feel something as the power flowed out the ring but I can't describe it."

"We could just run away," Josh said. "They need the ring and if we left they could not complete the ritual and maybe the stars would change again."

"We would not get down the lane. They are numerous people watching the house and there is no way we could escape. I believe they allowed you to be here in order to keep me occupied because Hank knew I was getting scared of everything." Lacy smiled and said, "The only good thing about this whole mess is meeting you."

Josh returned Lacy's smile and felt if they survived the night there was a good chance he could fall for this young woman. He felt his body begin to respond, "We don't have time," Josh said aloud.

"I know we have to hurry," Lacy did not miss the way Josh was looking at her body.

"So what did you mean when you said the ring could bring things here but also send things back?" Josh asked.

"I don't know. That is just something Hank told me. He said my grandfather somehow messed things up when he sent Cthulhu back. He said we would not make that mistake again. But that is all he said." Lacy explained.

"Ok it looks like we have no options but to act as if nothing is wrong. Somehow we have to figure out how you can use the ring to send whatever back to hell. If I'm right and this is all some cult bullshit then nothing will happened and we are okay. If you are right and something begins to appear you will have to use all your power to focus your thoughts on the ring to send the demon back. It is not much of a plan but I don't know that we have any other options. I will be there watching but I don't know what I can do. Any ideas?" Josh asked.

"Last night it seemed as if I went into a trance and could not control what I did. Anyway you can help me to focus my thoughts would be good."

"If what you say is going to happen begins to happen then neither of us have anything to loose. I will do whatever it takes if I see you go into a trance. Is there anything here I could use as a weapon?"

"I don't think there is any guns here, maybe a hunting knife. I know there are some firecracker and roman candles in the storeroom," Lacy said.

"Ok let's gather them up and wait for tonight."

There are many turning points in one's life. For Josh his failed marriage made a major difference in his life. However, the grief of divorce, even the death of Josh's father was nothing compared to what he faced this night. He was hoping he was correct and nothing was going to happen. However, Josh's skepticism of metaphysics was totally shattered shortly after midnight on this hot summer night.

Josh said goodnight to Lacy as retired to his room. He did not want to arouse any suspicions. He gave her a kiss and left her alone in the den. She would shortly be joining Hank and Tiffany. As Josh sat on the side of his bed the tom-toms began their beating and it was beginning. Josh gathered his fireworks and one short hunting knife and walked to the library. He quickly opened the shelf and hurried down the hall toward the cathedral of the cavern.

"Oh mother earth lord of creation!" numerous voices echoed.

"Oh hell, the crowd all here," Josh said to no one.

The chanting grew louder as Josh reached the entrance. As his eyes adjusted to the bright light he looked into the vast hall. He noticed the odd angles where the wall joined the floor and ceiling. Something did not look right but Josh did not have time to study them.

"There is no way in hell this shit is happening here, here in Texas," Josh said to himself as he watched this impossible gathering.

Hank, Tiffany, and Lacy stood before the altar. Hank and Tiffany wore black robes. Lacy was dressed in a white gown cut low enough that her breasts were revealed. There were presiding over the ceremony. Josh counted 25 individuals standing before them and another 25 or so surrounding the area in a circle.

"This is definitely not a Baptist service," Josh said to himself.

From Josh's vantage point he had a good view of the activity below him. He was slightly above the crowd and now noticed a lamb tied to the altar. Tiffany moved toward the altar holding a large ceremonial looking knife.

"Oh, God of the Cthyluu, I beseech thy pleasure. Oh Og and Th, you are the ancient ones," Tiffany said as she stood over the lamb. Suddenly she thrust the knife into the lamb's throat and blood gushed forth. It splattered on Tiffany's gown and she smiled as the lamb's life blood flowed out onto the altar.

Lacy looked pale and frightened. What concerned Josh the most was she looked as if she were going into a trance. This was most definitely a bad sign but at the moment there was not much Josh could do. The crowd was working itself into frenzy and Josh did not want the crowd after him.

Josh's attention was pulled toward the individuals inside the circle. He now noticed they had all disrobed and were beginning to grope each other. It was like a herd of horny animals reaching and clutching at whoever happened to be near. Josh could not believe that he was beginning to be excited by this exhibition of pure bestial sexuality. The more he stared at the various combinations of coupling the more his own libido began to awaken. It was as if some force was pulling at him.

"What the hell is happening? This is too gross for words but I can't help it." Josh said to himself not believing his reaction to what he was viewing down below.

Josh fought this feeling of alien sexuality as men were copulating with women, with other men, several men on one woman, several women on one man, and several women on one woman. There was every possible sexual permutation among those in the circle. To make matters worse the groans and guttural nasty slopping sounds coming from the crowd was totally disgusting. But to Josh the most revolting thing about this scene was these filthy pigs were turning him on. Even though he sickened by what he was watching he felt primal urges awakening deep within him over which he fought for control. His rational mind understood the danger of the situation and the moral decadence of the beasts below him. He could feel the evil flowing through the chamber. Yet, while his rational mind comprehended the scene he was witnessing, the lower and more primitive core of his emotional nature were awakening and pushing him toward the frenzy below him. He was keenly aware of the conflict but he felt helpless as his body began to respond and his erection became painfully hard.

The congregation that circled the sexual chaos began to chant, "Oh, God of the Cthyluu, Oh Og and Th we beseech you to favor us. Come to this thy chapel."

Josh continued to exert his will and slowly focused on summoning the rational part of his mind. He could see Lacy now far away. She was actually floating in the air with her ringed hand outstretch. The sight of her suspended in the air helped to shocked Josh back to this reality. As he fought the enticement of the moment he also noticed a flow of milky light that was arising upward from the lascivious gross sexual show. The surreal nature of what he was seeing somehow helped Josh gather back his sanity.