The Strange Cases of Detective Warren Stevens
The Strange Cases of Detective Warren Stevens
Oh! That's not good!
Today we head inside the Thomas residence as Henry, comes home.
What will this mean to the team inside the facility?
Will Chief Donaldson arrive in time?
And what of Alex?
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.
Speaker 2:Thank you, Honey, I'm home is usually a wonderful, happy thing Children running into the arms of their father, mothers smiling, the sounds of a happy, healthy household but not today. Today, those words bring horror, death, and well, you'll see. First, let me remind you that this podcast may contain images of graphic violence, child endangerment and naughty, salty language. Now settle in. Oh, maybe lock a door or two. You don't want any unwanted visitors or interruptions as you grab your tentacles for this Tentacle. Tuesday's chapter of Woe and Lamentation, chapter 14. Oh, that's not good.
Speaker 1:If anyone had told Roger Diaz that he'd be working in a secret lab in a haunted house, he would have laughed at you. He was a devout realist and didn't believe in anything at all Ghosts, an overactive imagination, angels and demons, maybe aliens, but spiritual. And the creator, please. He and the word are nice stories told to families and children, designed to give hope. It was all bullshit. That was until a strange cloaked man pushed me down and seemed to hurry past him. Hey, he yelled. That was when he saw it, this thing that was lurching towards him. He scrambled backwards and he could feel the dry branches of the bush digging into the small of his back. This thing was half bird and man, maybe lizard, because its human features had scales. Drool poured from its beak, its eyes focused on him as it crawled towards him on the sidewalk, forgetting about the man in the cloak. Oh shit, shit, shit, shit. Diaz thought If he didn't turn and get up, it was sure to catch him, but if he didn't move, it was strange how detailed the creature seemed against the black of the night, a night that vanished instantly in an explosion of blue as a wall of light broke through the darkness, wrapping, warping in an unnatural way surrounding the creature, whose eyes now bulged as if gasping for breath. It made a pirouette towards the light, digging its claws into the sidewalk. It pulled back, screeching, croaking. He wasn't sure what the sound was it could even be a gurgle as it grabbed at its throat, trying to pull away an unseen cord. The cloaked man stepped out of the blue fire and towards it, and Diaz could see that the blue light emanated from the man's left hand. His eyes glowed an eerie amethyst, and he let a small wry smile cross his lips. As he raised his hand, the creature squelched as it spit up blood and goo. And he let a small wry smile cross his lips. As he raised his hand, the creature squelched as it spit up blood and goo. His eyes then looked towards Diaz Get up and move behind me. Diaz nodded and pulled himself off the ground, the thing desperately lashing at him, at the cloaked figure, as crunch, chunk by chunk, the thing was compressed and then pulled into the man's hand. That was how he met Jonah.
Speaker 1:That was the day, well night, that the veil had been torn open and now he was a full member of the Sacred Dawn, which these days, even more than usual, was a difficult and dangerous job. He looked at his watch it was nearly 1600,600 hours. Henry had yet to check in and Alex was running late. He was more concerned about Henry than Alex. Henry Bell, former police chief of Montgomery, was normally confined to a wheelchair, but through some sort of miracle he was able not only to take the form of the low-class demons sent to obtain alex, he was also able to walk.
Speaker 1:The transceiver was increasingly staticky, usually a sign that something more powerful was either near the gate or trying to take form in the house. Even though barriers had been set up and the place had been blessed, the vestibule with the planets carved into the floor seemed to act as a strange conduit. He checked the cameras. They too were glitchy. He couldn't keep the fireplace in focus. Damn, what could be causing that?
Speaker 1:He clicked the radio next to him and called to another station Rosie, it's Diaz. You read yes, diaz, I can't keep that damn fireplace in focus. Can you check it out? I still need to run the specs on Alex's last test. You got it, diaz. Just remember you owe me a coffee after work. Sure, thanks. He began to run the test and the camera came back on. He could see Rosie smile, wave and climb down the ladder before turning back to the fireplace. On the camera it was clear that either the camera had froze again or she Rosie, he called. He could see a puddle of liquid form directly on the floor beneath her. He followed to where she was looking.
Speaker 1:Oh, Lord, it's not good was all he could mutter as he pressed the emergency button and locked down the facility. It would keep anyone that was not marked out and it would keep that thing in. He had him pushed away from the desk when he saw Rosie's body split in two. Her legs stood like an obscene fountain, spewing blood straight up. Briefly as her body crashed to the floor, crossing himself with the sign of the word, he grabbed one item he hoped could help him and ran down the stairs to meet it, whatever it was.
Speaker 1:Rose was half asleep at her desk. It was another day at the Thomas residence Haunted house. She scoffed. She had seen nothing to convince her that this place was nothing more than a creepy, cold old house, although the vestibule was odd. She pulled the pencil back from the white paper and admired her latest cynical cartoon. It was of Alex in what was affectionately called the Danger Room, named after the old Marvel comic the X-Men. There she was training on weights, martial arts, and they even had a creative obstacle course with swinging bags. They also had ropes and some hired actors to attack her with various weapons.
Speaker 1:Ridiculous, she thought. Unlike Diaz, she had never experienced anything supernatural and only came to work here because she had met Harmony, she loved her bewitching personality and when they had sat down drinking at her favorite watering hole, mccluskey's, the Thomas residence had come up, and how she worked there doing paranormal research and again, while she had never seen anything supernatural herself, she still wanted to. That would be so cool. She still wanted to. That would be so cool. She remarked to Harmony Be careful what you wish for. But in the 18 months since she came here, nothing, nada, zip, zilch. She hadn't been present on the day the creature manifested in the fireplace, nor did she see Henry take its form, walk and go through himself. No to her, this place was a silly farce. And well, at least it paid well, and Diaz was pretty cute too.
Speaker 1:The radio crackled Rosie, it's Diaz. You read yeah, diaz. She stretched and yawned and frowned at her empty coffee cup. I can't keep that damn fireplace in focus. Can you check it out? I still need to run the specs on Alex's last test. You got it, diaz. Just remember you owe me a cup of coffee after work. She heard Diaz laugh. Sure, thanks.
Speaker 1:Rose got up and headed towards the great room and fireplace. She grabbed a ladder and climbed towards the camera. The wire was loose and she reconnected it. Her hand felt something wet and sticky on the beam near the camera. Ick, what Ugh? Now she would need to clean up before going back to being bored Seeing the camera light flick back on. She smiled and waved at Diaz. Before climbing back down she brushed the substance onto her pants. It was dark, red, almost blood-colored. She turned to head towards the bathroom and froze.
Speaker 1:Something stood in the fireplace a tall, thick, bulging thing. It had the look of something torn apart and stuck back together. It gazed at her and she felt her bladder let loose as it smiled and said Honey, I'm home. A tree-trunked, skinless arm extended towards her in an unnatural manner, as if it was made of bubble gum, stretching, turning until she felt it plunge into her stomach, punching straight through her. She could hear Dia screaming, still on the radio, calling to her, but she felt nothing, just darkness descending before her eyes as her body split and she fell face down towards the floor.
Speaker 1:Alarms blared and outside, the sounds of police vehicles arriving told Diaz that they knew about the intruder. He could hear it tearing, smashing, screaming. Where is she? Where is she? Where is she? It repeated over and over again. Another voice seemed to try and comment master. It appears she's not here. But but what mark? How can I test my new strength if she's not here? Look, mark was pointing to a room where they kept the creature that henry was pretending to be. Do you sense it? Yes, yes, that sweet smell of decay. Of course Diaz peered at them from behind one of the large posts that held up the home's frame. He aimed his device at the smaller, pale-looking man wearing white overalls with a patch-reading tentacle world order Shit. It was, as he feared. The group that had attacked and had killed so many members of the Sacred Dawn was here.
Speaker 1:Richard Donaldson skidded to a hulk in front of the Thomas residence. Two cars had already taken post and, per his instruction, had pulled out the heavy artillery. Not that they had much in this regards Several pump shotguns, a few laser scope rifles and one rocket-powered grenade launcher they had bought at auction. What's the situation? He called to them Quiet, sir, quiet. That's not a good sign. If Diaz or Rose had emerged into confusion, that would mean that his instincts had been wrong. But silence. Have you tried to raise Diaz? Static, sir? Fuck, what do you want to do? You and the others wait here until the rest arrive and then storm the place. Sir, trust me, he eyed the RPG. We may need that. Why Terrorist? No, eric, terror itself.
Speaker 1:He unholstered his 9mm. You're going in? Eric asked yes. He signaled for the others to stay back. As he meandered his way to the side entrance that Jonah had shown him, it was a man-sized door built into the chimney. It was still intact. That's something. He pressed a brick and the chimney shifted. He signaled back to Eric and the others that he was going in.
Speaker 1:A very narrow staircase gave him no room for mobility, an oppressive air hung around him and it was about 10 minutes until he finally reached the blood-stained floor. He carefully pushed the panel open and looked inside. The blood that had seeped under the door came from a pair of legs Frozen in place. The upper torso collapsed in a heap. The creature wasn't here, although he could hear commotion from deeper inside.
Speaker 1:He pulled back on the gun loading around in the chamber and stepped into the Thomas residence. Where is she? He heard a violent scream and the smashing of equipment. My master, it's apparent she's not here, but Do you sense that? Yes, he heard another crash, this time the sound of stone crumbling. I won't let you. He heard Diaz scream and then something akin to the sound of thunder rumbled the house and walls. A heavy thud followed. Did he get it? A second followed. No, it was walking towards Diaz. He heard Diaz scream and something snapping. No, rich hollered, charging in Above him. The front door was knocked in and he could hear officers filing into the vestibule. We have company, master. Let them come. Their screams may satisfy my desire for blood.
Speaker 1:Rich turned the corner but did not freeze. He unloaded his gun into Mark and the beast. Mark fell backwards, clutching his chest, and the beast moved in a rage towards Rich, who had reloaded, and again emptied the bullets, this time into its misshapen head. A bulging arm shot at him, hitting the wall next to him. The mist was still enough to knock the wind out of him, but it had stopped, as if frozen, something small about the size of a girl was standing directly in front of it. There she is, but Alex glowed, glowed in a way that made both Mark and the deformed Henry uncomfortable. Like the years before, alex yells, I won't let you.
Speaker 2:Has Alex done something foolish? Stepped in front of the very beast out to obtain her. And Chief Donaldson, are you just going to lie there and allow things to unfold, although I'm not sure you have much of a choice. But first we must turn back back to the tower. Jonah and Arista, with chapter 15, silas on the move.