The Cult

It was late, these streets were lonely, only the distant sound of cabs and clubbers could be heard above the large machinery that plagued these desolate industrial zones in capital city. A man stepped under a dim flickering light cast from overhead, he had a face as white as snow and thin lips that set in a natural scowl. He pulled a carton of cigarettes from inside his overcoat and lit one, the smoke billowed around him like a harbour’s morning fog.

He coughed lightly and began to walk down the wide street; he could hear soft moaning of the homeless that were prevalent in this part of the city and see shapes moving in his peripheral vision. As he grew closer to the abandoned steelworks factory, he felt a chill crawl over his shoulder and neck like a slimy creature, his stomach felt like a void, his heart was in his throat as if trying to escape the horrific sights he was anticipating.

He had received a call earlier that night regarding a well-known cult in the area, he had many dealings with them before and was sure if they found him, he would be the next gruesome vision left out of tomorrow’s paper. These fanatics had been active for months and the papers had been covering it up for just as long, panic and fear would unsettle the people they claimed, well this man had other ideas. If he could take these acolytes down, he was sure the front page would read “Tony Mclaughlin: Ace Detective.” Problem was Tony knew this cult had some very powerful benefactors, they were smart, dangerous and bloodthirsty. It started with some workers at factories located on the outskirts of town going missing but more recently they seemed to be targeting people of influence or those close to them, of course the papers were blaming everything but a darkness worshipping cult. The most recent disappearance was the daughter of Lord Harrington himself chief inquisitor to his majesty and esteemed inner council member of the Aklanin region.Some had attributed this to recent failed negotiations with the Yohata Region, but not Tony.

He was born in the Clavert region but fled with his mother at a young age when his father was killed by a group of inquisitors known as the Observers; they had claimed his father was using dark magic to produce unregistered weaponry for the ongoing and current war with the Yotaha region who were distinctly honourable. These wars were fought discreetly and by highly trained operatives all of which were extremely dangerous and proficient.

As Tony neared the disused factory, he flicked his cigarette sending sparks cascading across the floor. Slowing his pace, he became very conscious of how loud he was being, noticing a set of rusted iron stairs going up the side of the building he ascended them finding a strong door at the top, which was also rusted and had been chained and padlocked shut. Tony removed his glove and placed his hand over the lock which glowed a deep sunrise orange for a few seconds than crumbled into dust. Putting his glove back on he slowly pushed at the door, and it scraped and ground open, now inside he kept low ducking behind crates and railings. He was at the top of the factory and had a vantage point to see down to the factory floor below, it was dark, and he couldn’t discern much; he peered into the darkness and thought he saw movement, yes definite movement. His eyes began to adjust, and he could make out figures they almost looked one with the darkness, but they were most certainly there and not an apparition of Tony’s paranoia. Then slowly an eerie emerald green glow began to emanate from what Tony could now see was a central altar encircled by figures dressed in dark robes. That creeping feeling on Tony’s neck was starting to crawl its way back up and he felt his blood run cold as four more robed figured walked into his eyeline. These four were baring another between them, a young girl, they each held a limb and walked her up to the central alter. The alter was thin and made of stone. They placed her upon it and joined the others in the circle. They all began to whisper in harmony like some sort of twisted dark song it was quiet but the rasp of their voices and the still deadness of the factories echoing vastness carried their song throughout the room.

“Bring thy onto us, the dark turn out the light , accept our sacrifice , eternal is the night” they repeated slowly and methodically. Tony was entranced by the chant it filled his head, he stared at the scene his vision beginning to blur: he felt nothing, he was nothing ,he was nowhere. A dark twisted being grew in his mind’s-eye bright burning blackness stared through his soul and the eyes of a thousand horrors pierced through him. He started to feel his body again and as he regained his vision, he realised he had walked out onto a beam that crossed above the altar. He wobbled, almost falling to an untimely end, as he regained his senses he immediately crouched down and grabbed onto the beam to secure himself. He was right above the girl now he could see she was still, eyes closed, it looked like she was sleeping. One of the robed figures stepped forward and drew a long, sharp knife, shaped in the likeness of a predator’s tooth, curved and with rough blade. He raised it above his head aiming for the girl’s chest.

Tony flew into action swinging down from the beam, it was about a forty-foot drop and as Tony plummeted, he positioned both his palms pointing downwards and the deep orange glow began to emanate again. The kinetic energy of his decent began to transfer into the opposite direction, as he reached the last five feet he gently touched down on the altar. He reached in his jacket withdrawing a handgun and raised it to the robed figure’s head who turned to him, he was sullen faced devoid of emotion with a strange symbol Tony didn’t recognise cut into his forehead but before he had a chance to study the man’s features and closer he pulled the trigger. The cultists head exploded in a shower of blood, bone a viscera, covering the altar and the girl upon it. Tony felt blood splatter his face and felt it begin to trickle down towards his mouth, he was just glad it wasn’t his for once. As the headless body dropped to the floor in a billow of robes the room exploded into motion as the cultists set upon him, raising his gun again a small rune he had etched onto the barrel glowed a dull silver and he pulled the trigger a further three times. These shots ripped through vital organs sending flesh and gore cascading as three more bodies dropped, he spun to face his next set of targets, but he felt a hand grasp around his wrist forcing the gun from his grip. Tony reacted instinctively leaning his head back slightly before bringing his forehead crunching down onto the bridge of his assailants’ nose, he felt more warm blood spray onto his already covered face as the figure dropped back clutching both hands to their

ruined nose. Tony didn’t hesitate as he brought his leg up, popping his hips and turning with his shoulders he sent his shin bone crashing into the side of the attacker’s head, they keeled over: no longer a threat. Tony reached into his belt and drew his knife , it was straight, bladed on both edges, it was roughly eight inches long. Holding it backwards so the blade ran the length of his forearm he brought it across the next two cultists in a sideways slashing motion at throat height, he felt the blade rip through the first cultist neck opening a thin red line across his Adam’s apple, it slowly opened and he fell back gurgling for his last breath. Unfortunately for the second cultist who was somewhat shorter the blade flashed across their eyes, permanently removing the orbits of any kind of usefulness, a shrill scream filled the air as the woman beneath the robe ripped her hood down and grabbed at her ruined sockets. She fell to the floor still screaming a horrible guttural sound, Tony turned leaving her to suffer her fate. He quickly scanned the room, no more cultists for now, he scooped the young girl off the alter and over his shoulder stepping over bodies and trying not to slip on the blood that was flowing over every inch of the altar.

Tony made his way to an old back room the factory workers must have used as a break room, there was a grimy window on the far side, kicking the panes of glass out careful not to cut himself in the process. He could feel the night breeze on his blood-soaked face, felt it beginning to dry, he lifted his shirt and wiped away as much as he could, lowering the girl out the window and as he did. He could hear her murmuring as she began to regain consciousness, he clambered out the window after her. Now on the damp concrete in a back alley he drew his pistol once more ejected the magazine and slid a fresh one in. He knew more cultists could be near or on their way. He glanced down at the girl, she was young, maybe nine or ten with white, blonde hair and golden tanned skin. Tony’s eye was caught by a locket around her neck, it was small no bigger than his fingernail, heart shaped and made from what he could only assume was silver. He stared at it, he wasn’t sure if he was imagining it but he thought the locket was emanating a soft green glow. Before he could question whether this was factual or just a delusion caused by his duress, the girls eyes

flickered open. They were piercing blue, but not that of which was common in the Aklanin region these were certainly unique like diamonds reflecting a perfect sky.

She shot up, “Who are you?” She exclaimed crawling backwards.

“It’s OK I was sent by your father,” Tony reassured her, trying a warm smile despite the fact he had blood staining his face and a gun in his hand.

“You are not with them?” she asked, looking up and down the alley nervously.

“No, no I have had my own disagreements with them,” said Tony.

She nodded slowly standing up,” Look at my locket, isn’t it pretty?” Tony somewhat

confused, looked at the locket briefly and off-handily commented “Very nice, but we need to get you out of here.” He turned scanning for possible escape routes.

“No, you need to look at my locket” The girl insisted.

“I don’t think that’s very important right now” he said turning back to her. As he looked at her, he felt his gaze begin to draw to the locket again, he was uncertain why, but he felt compelled. He felt his vision begin to blur, his ears began to drown out sound as if he were underwater, as a green glow spilled out from within the heart shaped locket. Tony fell to his knees dropping his gun, he clutched his hands to his head. A terrible vision began to burrow its way into his head, his thoughts became obsolete his consciousness began to crack and fragment as a thousand eyes pierced him once more.

Screaming silently, he fell back writhing on the floor, he could see it clearer now a creature of impossible terror, black and burning with eyes that had no form. The girl stepped over Tony’s still warm corpse and strode down the alleyway, a small smile curling around her lips.