Phantasma I: The Summoning

"The moon has awoken, with sleep of Sun.

All lights have been broken, the spell has begun".

Heavy beating of drums smeared in loud enchantings, convoking the malicious power with sinful offerings.

 All comes to a still, no breeze around, no leaves knew moments, time has stopped.

A silent entity, darker than night, older than eons, walks down a manor; robbing the near grave, feeding on the corpse.

Men in black hoods kneeled down surrendering themselves to the entity. A woman in red trail walks down with a crown of bone and blood.

 "Mortem tuam! Mortem tuam! Mortem tuam!"

              BREAKING NEWS!

       A PSYCHO KILLER HAS MANAGED

       TO KILL TWO NURSES AND ESCAPE

   FROM VIDERI CITY MENTAL HOSPITAL

..........

"Good morning Mr..."

"Sean! Mr. Sean. Good morning! Where's Peter?"

"You see, a killer has managed to escape the asylum. Peter was worried about his mother. He moved to his hometown for couple of weeks"

"Well, what's your name, new boy?"

"Robb"

"Well Robb, I expect you to have a prior knowledge about this city"

"I do Mr. Shaen. Peter has educated me enough for the locals. Even so, I'd be grateful if you could fetch me with the information about the residence of the outskirt mansion"

"A red priestess young boy. With few of her followers. City dwellers usually dont interfere in their chores. The mansion is believed to be cur...."

"Supertious are leeches aren't they. Anyways, thank you Mr. Shaen. Peter told me not to miss any house, so I'll give them one paper and return."

"Well in that case. Your call new boy. A few more pennies won't cost your safety. Have a nice day Robb".

Upon completion of the city houses Robb decided to head towards the abundant mansion to pass a newspaper.

While walking towards the mansion, Robb came across a forest with bladder-brown trees. Grains of poison begrimed the bark and gleamed like witch dust. The decaying air and stifling atmosphere provided a well abode for the ones who worshipped darkness over light. There he found a dead sparrow with bloated body and slurp on hot blood. The forest seemed primordial, centuries old trees with dense canopy blotting out any sunlight. Breaking sounds ghosted through the trees, and it was certainly forest to be avoided. Robb was having a hard time to make out of the forest. The big mansion was visible but the forest seemed to know no end. After a long walk he finally reached at the edge. He saw a big graveyard and few empty huts around which he thought the people living there must have left for their daily work. He very carefully tried to climb down the cliff but suddenly someone pushed him from back and disappeared. Robb rolled fell and fainted. An elderly wrinkled hand touched him and took inside.

Few hours later, Robb gathered to manage his senses. He found himself laying on a bed and with his freshly obtained wound being aided with a piece of cloth. Robb looked around and found a bowl of soup kept beside. Dithering, ruled over his mind at first, but eventually his hunger took over his indecisive state and went for the sip. He enjoyed the soup and whispered to himself "Not a methodical soup. It tastes way better".

With the last sip from the bowl, he left the bed and walked out. While strolling through the mansion he found heavy droplets pounded against the window pane as the murky clouds obscured his view. Reading noises created by thunder could be heard from miles away, as the lightning crashed almost hitting the mysterious, haunted mansion; the walls were even and perfect squares, as if the builders new magic, as if they really worshipped what they made. The antiques seemed to live under constant shadow adding to its terrifying beauty. If the mansion of stone could speak, one would beg for deafness.

As he wandered through the dimly lit hallway of the old mansion, his eyes were drawn to a series of paintings that lined the walls, each more unsettling than the last.

The first painting captured his attention with its depiction of two sisters laughing, but his gaze was soon fixed on the vague, a nebulous figure loomed behind one, its embrace chilling and possessive.

He moved on, feeling a growing unease, and saw a father playing joyfully with his son. But his heart skipped a beat when he noticed the boy's hidden hand, clutching a knife poised to strike. Trembling slightly, he approached the third painting, a grand wall clock, its hands frozen in time, with a girl's anguished face trapped behind the glass, as if pleading for release. 

The fourth canvas revealed a mysterious figure, kneeling with a bloodied knife and stained knees, his back turned, exuding an aura of malevolent intent. 

Finally, he came upon a painting covered by a heavy cloth, its concealed secrets emanating an overwhelming sense of foreboding, making him shiver as he hesitated to unveil it. As he gathered courage to unveil the cloth...

"Welcome to CAPRAE young man" said an alluring woman in long red period dress. She seemed to be the perfect demonstration if the mansion had a face. Silent, mysterious and unearthly beautiful. Robb got transfixed by her beauty and managed to say

"Good morning! Ms..."

"Circe. Ms. Circe"

"I'm Robb, I sell newspaper and I'm here to give you one" He started to check for his bundle while he realised he must have lost it when he fell off the cliff.

"Good afternoon! It's been a span since you have been insentient or as they say a state of unknowns"

"Unconscious. You mean. I'm extremely sorry to trouble you, I think I've lost my..."

"Yes you have, the bundle and your sense. But don't you worry I have succeeded in collecting both. They are kept in the hall".

"That is so kind of you. And thanks for the soup, I really enjoyed it" 

"I believe you did. We don't get much visitors here, even if we do, lesser of them prizes the eatables"

She smiled and leaded him to the library.

"Sit. Any sojourner at CAPRAE, we offer them stories for their memory. 

Five of them. The priestess would take her honor in doing the same with you."

"No Ms. Circe. I must leave now"

"Things that are out of control are the those that engages me. It's raining outside. I am afraid if it is possible for you to make it out of here".

Robb didn't miss the treat of hearing stories from a pretty lady and nodded. 

"Very well then.The first story is two sisters....."

  

              THE THIRD ONE

The door knocked with continuous bang. Lisa ran to reply. "You are late Lilly. You told me you'll be back by 8"

"Sorry Liz. Jason forced me to stay longer. And mother isn't home, how can I refuse him" 

"Well, if so, you could have stayed at his place a bit longer and informed me. As far as I know you, you will never miss such golden chance"

"You're right I wouldn't. But tonight I wanted to stay with my responsibile sister and help her with the dishes. And may be then listen to old romance and dance"

They both hugged and went to have the dinner. As decided it was, the two were enjoying their sibling slumber until it was 2 in the morning when they heard a bang on the door. Lisa got scared. Lilly calmed her and told to avoid as much as they could. As time passed, the banging grew immense, left with no choice Lisa had to open the door.

"Were you sleeping Liz? I'm really sorry Jason forced me to stay longer. And mother isn't home, how can I refuse him" 

Lisa couldn't ut

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ter a word in terror when she felt her brain melt to ground. Some sharp claws grabbed pulled her to the dark from behind and the sisters blended into screams.....

.

.

"Did you get scared?" asked Circe

"Try harder, miLady"

"Then we will go for the second one. It is about a father and his son......

             GOODNIGHT DADY

"And then the dragon breathed fire and the castle started to burn into ashes. Alright Fred, now you will go to sleep. I'll narrate you the rest tomorrow

"But I'm not sleepy dady. I want the prince to ride the dragon and kill all the big monsters."

"Dragon said he won't do it for the Prince if Fredrick doesn't sleep now"

"You are lying dady"

Dady lifts Fredrick in his lap and takes him to the bedroom.

"Can you check if there is any monster under my bed?"

"Monsters fear your dady. So they won't dare come here. Sleep. Now. Into the dreams you go"

"Dady, please. What if he eats me"

"Ok fine"

Dady agreed to him and checked under the bed,

"Dady, help me, there's a monster above my bed. I'm hiding here for hours"

He was shocked, when he moved on the bed he found Fredrick claiming there's a monster under his bed..."Fredrick is that.." the little turned into a faceless monster grabbing daddy's.........

"Preferred?"asked Circe 

"Both the stories sounded similar," said Robb

"Well,then I must say the fourth and fifth stories are going to be the same" she said and continued with the third 

"Its about a girl who.......

              THE NIGHTMARE

The clock hit 12 passed 30. Osha jumped awake from her sleep. She saw a raven watching at her from the window. She sneaked near and pulled off the curtains. The silent night and stranger surroundings made her throat dried out of terror. She went downstairs to fetch herself some water when a noise from the room hit her conscious. She never wanted to investigate such eerie noises but had no choice. She drank and calmed herself to go back. Checked everything and was relieved to find things alright and unharmed. Nothing broke nothing fell down. There was just dead silence complimenting the spooky noise of the clock. As she gazed hypnotically at the clock, slowly a demonic claw broke to grab and...

Osha jumped awake from her sleep. She couldn't be more thankful to realize it was just a nightmare. She waved her hand to the table beside when she found the water jug to be empty. It was then when she looked up the clock to see it was 12 passed 30 and a raven was watching her from windows and.....

"You don't seem to have a frequent opinion? Don't worry we are soon going to be done with the stories. And you can leave. Before that the fourth one its time for. You will admire it I believe. And me, I will love the fifth" said Circe and started to narrate the fourth one.....

                      YOU WILL ADMIRE IT

There was a mad man, captured and shackled for years. Five and more to be precise. He was blamed to kill his mother and two of his siblings. The brotherhood was liquidated when hunger and cravings bruised him inside out. He was a cannibal, like a demon disguised in human flesh and weaker emotions. His father found him feeding on his brother's flesh and informed the cops. His father than left the town. The boy was tortured in there, left to rot and fed on flies. 

But you cannot chain a beast for longer, can you? Soon enough he unalived two of the nurses and escaped the psych ward. Running into the woods, a newspaper seller saw him and ran away for his life. The mad man couldn't fight his urge of feast, chased the seller and managed for a catch. He stabbed, bit and tore him until the organs were perceptible. Blood gurgling throat drenched the killer's hands. The next morning the mad man tactically returned to check whether anyone has found his half eaten body or not....

Circe couldn't finish the story when Robb took a dagger hidden under his shocks and stabbed her yelling "Yes,I am your mad man. I killed that Peter. He had seen me escape from the asylum. His pretty ocean eyes were wide open but can't see anything you know when I pushed my hands inside his throat. I admired his stare as I carved them out to lick and munch on those eyes. And you my pretty lady.I liked your stories. Thanks for investigating my past with your worthless hoodoos. Never try to outsmart me, or shall I say you won't ever get a chance to.You are going to see Peter soon" 

Robb repeated the same with Circe until she collapsed on the floor. As soon as her blood touched the mansion floor, the walls shook to dusts. The windows cracked the doors opened and shut rapidly. Robb couldn't process and tried to run away. He was stumbling through the hall when he saw men in blacks, heads covered and shader than canopies. A red woman laughs and walks through them. It was Circe. Robb couldn't trust his eyes as his spine chilled into brittle ice. "I said you can't leave without hearing the fifth story and here it is......"

                         LET HIM IN

"I'm not here to hear any of your stories. And how are you still alive how do you...."

Someone hit Robb behind and he fainted there.

When Robb gathered his senses he found himself locked with chains in a Pentagon depicting a ritual is to be performed soon. He saw candles all around and a goat head kept in front.

He saw Circe  smiling at him with pity "Don't worry mad man. You will be informed why you here. CAPRE is a temple. Temple of Baphomet, our king. We are his creation, we are his disciples and I will carry his blood sooner. We had to made thirty three human sacrifices to bring him here. You've killed Peter at mid-night. You chased him, and ended up killing him here. You came here to check whether any of us have found the dead body or not. But you didn't come, you were brought.You were brought by the the king. You are the perfect host for him, you are a cannibal, you enjoyed the soup that contained the blood of the sacrificed. You are the chosen one".

Circe walks towards him and takes her clothes off, she started chanting loudly. She abruptly started dancing in front of the totem. With each of her gracious moves Robb's body twitched and turned. The pain of cracks suffocated his whines. His screams were suppressed somewhere among the beats of drums played my the black men. Circe didn't stop until something behind her started growling. She turned back and saw Baphomet, possessing over Robb's body. She couldn't stand and fell on her feet. Every men kneeled in front. Circe covered her naked body with a shawl and took the crown made of thirty three bones and dipped in the blood of the sacrificed humans. The entity then walked down the mansion, the black men shouting    "Mortem tuam! Mortem tuam! Mortem tuam!"

The entity started feeding on the near corpse when Circe in her red priestess form walked down with the crown, her shawl was blowing in the air. She stood in front of the evil and opened her ruby ring. As soon as she did so, the magnificent beauty turned into a wrinkled scarred old lady with grey little hair and soggy eyes. She talked in her broken voice "This is me my king, I owe you my life. You are our king. The time has come, I'm primed to bear your successor" she crowned the entity and disappeared with him in the dark.

The cloth from the fifth painting fell on to ground....