The Labyrinth

Originally Published August 4th 2020

Because of the knife attack by tye Cultist.  Ms Kuchma’s soul separated from body.  Knowing this Claire Thomas sends the spirit of her daughter to pull Josephine Kuchma into the Labyrinth. 

Meanwhile,  we will be going back a little in the story.  To find out what REALLY happened to Alex Kuchma.   

This is the final piece of this puzzle.   

Now, let us descend together into the darkness of

The Labyrinth 

Transcript

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The following podcast is a work of fiction. All characters are the creation of Peter Williams. Any resemblance to someone living or dead is purely coincidental. Thank you. Another Tentacle Tuesday has dawned, and today we enter the Labyrinth. Apparently, it's used as a tool to make a soul lose itself. Despair in the darkness. Sort of like watching an episode of Two Broke Girls. You keep waiting for it to be good, to be funny, but instead you get eaten in some horrific manner. Is that the fate of poor Miss Kuchma? And what of her daughter, Alex? Last we saw her, she was being mistaken for Ikiatsu's dither. But what has really happened to her? Well, grab your tentacles as we delve into the darkness and rejoin our story. But first, tonight's episode is in remembrance of an old fiend of Lord Beautras, Elsie Ginsberg, who left us way too soon. Since I know she adored Steve Pentacles so much, I thought this would be a fitting tribute. Elsie was a good woman who tough as nails and helped me find my way out of my own personal labyrinth. And we will always remember her very fondly. God bless you on your way, Elsie, and please don't get eaten by any Lagots as you go. That being said, this episode, as all episodes, contains images of graphic violence, child endangerment, and salty naughty words. Now, for chapter twelve, The Labyrinth. Wendy Thomas grabbed firmly onto the hand of Miss Kuchma and pulled. Come on, she said. Your daughter's this way. Come on, you old hag, she thought to herself. Why are you hesitating? She could see the increased aura of blue and purple surrounding the elevator. He is coming. She pulled harder, remembering what her mother had said before she sent her here. Claire Thomas held high the mason jar and shook it, awakening the sleeping spirit inside it. It fluttered out of the jar and it took shape on the earthen floor before her. Arise, my darling daughter. Mother? What happened? Where are we? Why is it so cold and dark? Hush now, my little child. Quiet. There's no time for such worries. But mother, where's my body? What have you done? I did nothing, she snarled. It was that Kutchma child that bewitched your brother, making him turn on us for a norm, a stupid human girl. Wendy's memory was foggy, but she did remember the girl, their birthday party, and her mother continued. Our great mother, Lady Cassandra, has given me a wonderful opportunity. One in which I can have you reborn to me. You do want that, right? Knowing better than to disagree with her mother. Of course, mother. Lady Cassandra, Claire continued, has told me that we'll have a chance to get revenge on that awful Miss Kuchma. You see, she's delightfully suffering at the hospital. It appears one of our servants has managed to mortally wound her, and her soul, in despair, has separated itself from her body. You mean she's like I am now, mother? Right? Yes, my clever girl, that's right. What is it you want me to do, mother? I need you to distract her, tempt her into the labyrinth. Once there, her soul will become lost, and we can take her body for our own purposes. I see, mother. I mean Wendy. She grabbed her daughter by the etherolink that they shared, as if grabbing her by her own dress, even though neither Wendy nor the dress were corporeal. She pulled her in close so that their noses touched, and then she emphasized her point. You understand, right, my darling daughter? Yes, mother. I have always done what you wanted. Mrs. Thomas released Wendy and she fell back. Out of habit, Wendy brushed herself off, even though she wasn't really there anymore. Oh, and Wendy. What now, mother? She projected her thought. She could see a man with a blue aura and amorous eyes carrying a girl getting onto an elevator. Something about the man terrified her. You must be very careful to get this done before he gets to her. You will only have this brief opportunity. Once he arrives, he'll be able to see you and destroy you. Now go! You literally have no time to lose. The ding of the elevator snapped her back, and she could see his aura bursting through the air. Terrified, she gave one last hard yank and managed to get Miss Kutchma beyond the gate. She gulped. She could see one of his eyes looking straight at her as the gate closed, and a voice echoed into the nothingness of the labyrinth. It said, Josephine, don't Josephine looked back briefly as a swirling mass of light collapsed in on itself, barely conscious of her own actions. She looked at the hand of the little girl in the black dress. Where are we? she asked, trying to comprehend her surroundings. Tunnels of thought and light swirled like vast tornadoes branching off in every direction, accompanied by a low, buzzing noise. This is the labyrinth, the in between of life and death, Wendy said, trying to explain, trying to appear kind. I don't think I should be here, Miss Kutchamer replied nervously. Too late for that, lady. You're here, and if you don't want to get eaten, you should stick with me. Eaten? She looked around nervously, half expecting some drooling beast to be breathing down her neck. Yeah, by the Largot. The who? The Largot. They're man-sized fly-like creatures with fat wings. They roam the labyrinth looking for lost souls to consume, the same way flies eat a rotting corpse to keep the world clean of the dead. And Miss Kutchmer gave her an inquisitive look. Wendy was growing frustrated with this woman's lack of understanding. Well, you're a lost soul, so you should stay close to me. Although Wendy sounded confident, she too had to be concerned about the Largot. They would eat anything that moved, and she, although she was more spiritually aligned with those creatures, she didn't belong here any more than Miss Kuchma, and to the Largot, food is food. The buzzing grew slightly louder, and she could hear the clicking noises they make to communicate to each other. Wendy pulled Miss Kuchma deeper into the swirling tunnels. The walls gave off a low moan. Come on, lady. She just had to pull her deep enough so that she'd be lost and confused, and then she could abandon her. Miss Kuchma's fragile state was evident. The constant buzzing from the Largot and the low moaning sounds emanating from the walls had her skittish. She held onto Wendy's hand as if her life depended on it. I really don't feel good, she muttered to Wendy, who immediately scolded her. For crying out loud, lady, you need to toughen up. I'm sorry. Sorry, won't cut it here. Then came the sound of a singular heartbeat. It pulsed all the way through the labyrinth, making Wendy stop. She could sense something. Someone. Someone else had entered the labyrinth. They were coming. What's wrong? Miss Kutchma asked. She hadn't heard it. Nothing, lady, she snapped. We just need to hurry. Wendy picked up the pace. That's right, she kept saying to herself, a little further, a little deeper. They turned the corner into one of the millions of intertwining sections. Good. One more of these and something flew over her shoulder and landed directly in front of them. A crow sat there staring at them. In particular, it was staring directly at Wendy. Is that one of those? Miss Critchman began to ask. She was terrified of the unseen Largots that buzzed just outside of their sight. But as she spoke the crow began to transform, its body lengthening, its wings forming into arms, and its feathers wrapped around a woman becoming a long black dress, her amor set eyes never moving off of Wendy. Wendy let go of Miss Kutchma's hand and backed up. Um just the woman said nothing as she slowly began to march towards them. Miss Kutchma backed away as well, the intensity of her stare so fierce this woman was terrifyingly beautiful. Wendy now turned and ran away at top speed, heading back into the tunnels that had brought him here. Miss Kutchma cried out Wait, little girl, wait Don't leave me here. The woman raised her hand and pointed directly at Miss Kuchma and in a commanding voice spoke for the first time. Don't move. Who are you? A friend. I'm so confused. That little girl. Then the woman smiled. Miss Kutchma sense a dread falling away by the warmth of it. Trust me, Josephine. When I say she didn't have your best interest at heart, she extended out her hand and placed it on Miss Kutchma's shoulder. I'm Maggie. I'm here to take you back. Will Alex be there? she asked. I can't promise you that, but that is our hope, our plan, Maggie said, trying to reassure her. Then they heard a scream in the distance. What about that little girl? Oh, she'll be fine. She's a lot more cunning than she looks. But the Largot Josephine, she brought you here to abandon you, to leave you, for them to feed on you. As far as I'm concerned, you get what you deserve. Now, please take my hand. I'm gonna fly us back out of here. Miss Kutchma did so. She was much more gentle than Wendy. Almost instantaneously she transformed into a spirit ball and floated just above Maggie's outstretched hand. Transforming back into a crow, Maggie gently placed her in her beak, as if she was a coin for collecting, and the two flew off. Crouching nearby, Wendy looked on in horror. Mother would not be pleased. She had hoped her fake cry would have been strong enough to tug at the heartstrings of that old hag, but to no avail. Taking a deep sigh, she stood up and backed away from where the crow had opened the doorway back out of the labyrinth. She herself didn't have such skill or strength. She would have to leave the old fashioned way. Damn it, mother, she grumbled to herself. As she turned to go, she bumped into something tall, hard as stone. It made a buzzing noise and clicked loudly as it reached down towards her. This time, Wendy really did scream. Alex Kuchma stared up at the impossible, a tower hanging in the sky, its stone staircase spiraling around it until it hung in a vast emptiness. How did it float there? How did you reach it? It was as if it was a part of an incomplete jigsaw puzzle. She could almost picture some giant hand placing the pieces. The beast that she had been following was now directly underneath the tower. She wondered what it would do next. The wind picked up, making her shiver. She wrapped the warm grey trench coat around her and watched as the slate-colored moon rose, filling the horizon. It was cold, so cold. Her mind scurried with unanswered questions. How did she get here? How long had she been here? What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered was a kind voice speaking to her, calling to her as it wrapped a great trench coat around her in the living room of the Thomas house. She remembered watching him as if outside herself, as he picked her up and carried her out of the darkness. But she could only watch him go. She was still there, still sitting on the stone floor. She tried calling out to him, but her voice sounded wrong, distant, echoey. She looked down at herself. She seemed to shimmer in a bluish-white light. The coat? Somehow it stayed with her. Getting up, she began to follow the man and then froze. It wasn't the bodies that frightened her. Somehow, they didn't seem real, like wax dummies in some twisted macabre panorama. She looked up at Michael's sad face. He was so empty. It was cruel. Whoever did this was so cruel. But this wasn't what made her stop. She sensed something. She sensed she wasn't alone. Something, someone was watching from within the shadows, almost with a childish glee, delighted in the demonic setting she had found herself in, swallowing hard. She backed away from the archway. Whatever, or whoever it was, was like an intense pressure coming from the front of the house, pushing her back into the living room. She began to feel sick, to feel wrong. As it approached, the shadows seemed to dance in delight. Then her heart dropped as she remembered that thing. It she quickly pushed the memory away. She began to panic. Was it coming back? How did she escape it? The wall of pressure began to increase as two red saucer-shaped eyes gleamed in the archway. She backed further away from it, looking, feeling for a place to hide until she realized she was up against the opening for the fireplace. Could she? The flames had long gone out. Only some embers smoldered. She stepped into the hearth, her bare feet briefly igniting some of the broken pieces of charred wood. Instinctively she pulled back, expecting to scream in pain. Nothing. She quickly pulled the coat around her, not wanting to risk it catching fire, but again, nothing. Not even a smudge of ash. Again she noticed a bluish-white glow that surrounded her. Was she? Where have you gone, little girl? A deep, sickly voice called from inside the chamber. I know you're here. She pressed herself further into the fireplace. Please come out. I can help you. Somehow she knew that was a lie, that she had to get away and fast. She felt an icy cold breeze at her back and ran her hand across the giant crack in the wall. It shimmered the same way that she did. Come out, come out wherever you are. It was getting closer, that sickly feeling growing deeper inside her. She couldn't get any deeper into the corner. She looked at the crack and wondered. She put her hand inside it and vanished, just as a half-painted face stuck itself into the gaping mantle. Found you! His voice fell away with a crack, as if a large door had closed behind her. She found herself back in that impossible world, the two moons setting behind the mountains, as a pale yellow light crept over the ice-covered mountains, far away, echoing across the high cliffs and the deep black sky. She could hear a bell tolling. She didn't know why or how she knew this, but she needed to go there, pulling the coat around her for warmth. She started to follow the stone pathway cut into the mountains. Deep below, on the valley floor, she could hear something else. A bumping sound as a massive beast pulled itself across the landscape. Keeping her back against the cliff walls, she watched it make its way until it had vanished between the mountains. It hadn't seen her, or it was indifferent to her presence. Either way, it didn't matter. She had to follow it, for it was headed in the same direction. She had heard the sound of the bells. A couple days passed as she followed it. She couldn't quite make sense of what it was. It had a body, almost slug-like. It spread out in every direction, and like Celia on an amoeba, it became a multitude of tentacles. When it stopped, the mass of tentacles would sniff the air and ground, grabbing anything that crawled or flew too close to it. Every now and then eyes would appear, rolling, searching for her? No. She was certain it could sense her, but not see her. She had figured out that much at least. Some of the bat-like creatures that it snatched out of the air had come close to where she hid. One sat inches away from her, it was a cross between a man, a bat, and a fly. Its mandibles would click in an incessant chatter, and phlegm would pour and pus over its jaws, drooling onto the ground where it pooled and hissed in an evil manner. Sometimes, at dusk, the creatures would gather in front of the slithering bulk and bow to it. A chanting sound would echo as the sun set and the moons rose. The bell would begin to toll again as the words Tolen Ikyatsu, Minor Ikyatsu, Shalek Ikyatsu would echo throughout the valley. A roar would go out, shaking everything. If she could have crawled into the rock face itself, she would have. A shrieking sound followed it, and she couldn't help but peer down and look as it grabbed hundreds of the creatures and devoured them. The more she watched, the deeper her dread grew. I want to go home. Please, someone, help me. It began to slosh forward and grab the base of the tower floating in the sky, wrapping several tentacles into the open floor and slowly pulling itself up into it. The bell kept tolling, growing louder until it vibrated her teeth. She could hear screams, cries, and what sounded like a gunshot. A fire erupted in the sky above the tower, and with a clap of thunder, the horrible beast came hurtling back to the earth. Once more everything shook. Stones crashing, landing on the beast as it let out another terrifying roar. Was it dead? No. Slowly, surely, it started to crawl again. She looked up at the sky where the tower once stood. Briefly, she saw something else. Almost like a swirling mass of light before dissipating into the darkness. And for the first time since finding herself here, she had found hope. So, Maggie's a woman, not a crow? I'm so confused. How is that? And why is that? Hmm. I guess that's part of another story. One I will endeavor to tell you on another day. More importantly, she rescued Miss Kuchma. And Wendy? Did you become dinner? It's never a good idea to wander the labyrinth on your own, my dear. And Alex, surprise, surprise, your soul is wandering in between where Iyatsu crawls. Hmm. What did you see that gave you hope? And does that mean there's still a chance to rescue you from this dark realm? So many questions, so many possibilities. But now, all the pieces of this puzzle have been laid out before us as we slowly start heading for our inevitable conclusion to this story. Don't worry, children, we still have several more Tentacle Tuesdays to go before that. So tune in next week for Chapter thirteen Escape