Into the Tunnels

	Sign In Sign-Up

Into the Tunnels
The tunnels 19¹⁵, Saturday, 27th August 1921.

Carefully Pierre descends the stairs. After only a few steps Charles notices a scrap of paper in a corner which Nick missed. "Halt. There is something here." Charles picks up the paper that is yellowed by age and nearly crumbles in his hands. Charles reads aloud.

The party continues the descent, and approximately 15 feet below the ground level the tunnel aligns and leads in the direction of the river.30 more feet and Nick abruptly stops and shouts, "Stop, stop. Dat was close. Issa trap! See dat mechanism an' de ceiling. Step onta dat board an' Hell next. We can step over it or dismantl' de mechanism."

Doc asks, "Nick, do you think you can dismantle it?"

The note

Nick grimaces as he looks over the mechanism then shakes his head thoughtfully, "I dunno, Doc. I tink I could try, but one wrong slip an' de whole roof falls in. I ain't want'n ta play dem odds. I tink we c'n jes' step over it'n be real careful-like. Maybe we should mark de wall here or something so dat if'n we comin' back dis way at a run, we won't step on de trap. If'n you want me ta try dis, I'd say I got less den a fifty-fifty shot," Nick shrugs, "Whatcha say, Doc?"

Doc replies, "It sounds too risky to try to disarm, can you determine the extent of the trap and warn everyone where not to step and touch?"

-----

The tunnel width is increasing slightly for every step Nick takes. He makes the sign to stop. "I heard something, a load moaning or something."

Nick continues to advance, all senses alert, and the rest of follows. A few steps more and you spot a door on the left wall and then another door on the same wall. The tunnel takes a left turn Approaching, you hear the sound coming from the closest door. It is difficult to place the sound, a hurt kitten maybe?

Swallowing hard Nick tries for the door handle and the door swings open. The hinges can't be oiled for a long time and the squeaking sound is penetrating. "So much for de suprize". Nick shoves the door open with the gun. What he sees he was not prepared for and so were not the rest of you.

The room is dark before your lamps light it up. On the floor lies a man on his stomach, or the resemblance of a man, or previous a man, your choice. He has no skin. You see tendons, flesh, muscles, and white bone. He, or it, is alive. It reacts to the light and slightly lifts its head to the light and moves the arms an inch. The sight is shocking, sickening and gruesome, but not as shocking, sickening and gruesome as the neck and head that grows out of the back on the first being. The head is chewing on meat, and it does not react to the light. As you stand there the head takes another bite of its host.

"Dear God!" exclaims Charles and lowers the tranquilizer gun. His face is ashen with shock and disbelief. "What in the name of insanity is this?" He takes a step closer to the gruesome sight before him and kneels. "Can you hear me?", he softly says, cocking his head to one side as he awaits a response from the suffering, shredded corpse before him. "Can you understand me?" His eyes dart towards the feeding head, but instead of shock or revulsion, it is anger that blossoms in the archaeologist's face.

Before whatever it is can do its worst, Len lurches forward and hauls Charles away with his left hand, grunting both with pain and revulsion, Len yells, "Kill it, kill it for god sake!"

Doc yells, "Destroy it!" He pulls out his pistol and shoots the eating creature.

Nick joins in and both of them empty their guns. The creature is dead.

The creature

Holding the back of her hand to muffle a cry of despair, Penny backs away from the horrifying sight as the bullets pump into its skinless flesh. Attempting to compose herself in the darkened hallway she is relieved when it is announced then the thing is dead.

"What was it?" she says through watering eyes. "Should someone check it for its identity?"

Doc glances for anything that might serve to identify who they were before this horrible transformation happened. He comments, "We must keep going on, we were following Bishop."

As both Doc and Nick blazed away Len stood almost paralyzed his hand still on Charles' shoulder. As they move on to the other room, Len is heard to mutter under his breath...."Bassza meg!"

"That could have been Bishop! Maybe he was "emerging". As undorító as that may sound it could have been him!" Len watches the others search his .45 in his left-hand. The blood has begun to seep through his bandages and drip on the floor. "Hurry let us get what we can and then burn this place. Churck do you think that could have been Bishop? And if so is he really dead?"

The next door squeaks as much as the previous and this time there are no nasty surprises. This seems to be a laboratory of some kind.

Shielding her eyes momentarily from the contents of the room as the door opens Penny is comforted at the sight of a mundane laboratory.

There is another room at the end of the laboratory. This is a study of some kind. Here is a simple desk, a chair, some papers and some books.

As the others enter the laboratory, Nick remains in the hall looking both ways for trouble. His eyes seem a bit wider and whiter since seeing the man-thing and the feeding parasite. Making sure his pistols are loaded and ready Nick whispers to the people in the room, "I agree wit' Doc. Les' fin' dis bastid'n den we's c'n come back. Ain't nuthin' gonna leave." He looks down the hall, hoping to see something he can shoot at.

A quick search in the laboratory and the study turns up with a small note of interest. "It looks similar to the Chem Lab at school," Penny muses. "Although this one is a bit less tidy," she continues trying to add a little mirth to her blight situation.

Looking around the room Penny begins to concentrate on the desk and the papers therein. A quick search in the laboratory and the study turns up with a small note of interest.

"What's this?" Picking up a crumpled piece of paper she begins to flatten it out. After briefly reading it she turns to Doc. "Doc, what do you make of this?" Showing him the letter she once again turns her attentions to the desk being careful as she can with the unknown.

Doc replies, "Looks likes a letter to Bishop from his wizard friend and hints that Bishop may have done what we saw in the previous room. We also are gaining clues to some of the counterparts in other parts of the country."

Doc asks, "Where's Bishop? Search for secret doors, we can examine the rest of the room later."

Another note

Penny makes no actions indicating she wishes to head out of the room. She continues to search the desk and study.

Nick hears footsteps, or so he believes and Nick has a good hearing, from behind the left curve. Nick moves forward without his lamp. As Nick follows the curve it is getting pitch dark. Nick can't hear those sounds anymore, but he can feel the presence, a new, strange and discomforting presence. Then Nick hears the sound of wings flapping in the air, the sound of large wings, but he can't see anything, it is pitch dark.

Deciding that they would be five seconds well spent, Nick turns back and makes a beeline for the others. Keeping his head half-turned he tries to keep an eye in front of him (so he doesn't run into any walls and heads in the right direction) and the other eye behind him. He points his .45 down the hallway behind him and fires off a shot, hoping to slow the thing down, "Doc! Dere's sump'n behind me!" Nick yells towards the others hoping they won't get itchy trigger fingers as he runs back at them (please don't shoot me :)).

The rapport of the single gunshot snaps Penny out of her concentrated search of the desk. "What was that?" she shouts turning to the doorway from which the sound emanated. Instinctively she looks for something to hide behind in case she needs one.

Len whirls around at the sound of Nick's cry and the gunshot. Somewhat unsteadily he raises his 45 and waits to see whatever is chasing Nick. Hoping to "plug" the damn thing before it can do them any harm. He growls under his breath, something in Hungarian..."az isten bassza meg a bu"do"s ru"csko"s kurva anya'dat!" which although untranslatable is obviously a strong curse.

Nick reaches the door and read fear and panic in the faces of the others.

"What is it Doc says?", who is the last to enter into the tunnel.

"We'll soon see." Nick says and lift his gun to fire position.

Into the light flies a creature so ugly and terrifying that everyone is stunned for a short second. It is black and of man size. On the back are attached great bat's resembling wings. Its head is formed as a horse and with protruding sharp eyetooths. It's arms and teeth end in sharp talons.

Penny emits a small scream but it is drowned in the sound of gunfire. Nick and Doc hits and the creature is taking damage, yet it advances and fast. It advances directly towards Len and tries to grip him with his talons, but Len's is lightening fast and dodges. The creature flies over you.

The flying creature

Nick and Doc turns and fire another shot in the direction of the creature, but both misses.

"Are you alright Len", Charles asks and helps Len to a standing position.

Len holds his arm to the wound curses and says, "I think so."

Doc says, "It got to return, the tunnel is too small further in for it to fly. Charles and Penny retreat into the laboratory. Nick and Len, stay close to the walls". Doc does likewise.

The flapping sound comes closer again and then you see the creature again.

The sound of gunshots in a tunnel is deafening, and this time the volley is deadly too. The creature is hit with three shots and crash-lands to the ground. Nicks empties the barrel in the already very dead body. Then there is silence.

Doc comments "I would guess that is some form of demon, fortunately not immune to bullets. It seems that Bishop has been very busy since he got free. Everyone reload, I do not know what awaits us next."

At the sight of the flying creature, Penny gets down low and covers her head with her arms and shuts her eyes tightly while yelling "God protect us!"

"Now we face Gargoyle's! Creatures from legend? Dear God this is worse than facing a Hun gas-attack or spending time waist deep in mud and bodies in the trenches."

He shrugs off his shotgun and holds it out to Nick. "Try this for anymore of those things, or if you can't use it maybe someone else can? And can someone reload this for me?" He holds out his .45 auto.

Nick takes the shotgun, "Yeah, I c'n use dis. Dunno if I c'n hit anyting, but I c'n aim'n pull de trigger. I'm much bettah wit dese," he says gesturing at his pistols. "If'n someone eltse c'n shoot dis bettah, den take it." He also takes Len's pistol, slaps another magazine into the handle and loads a round in the chamber. "Dere ya goes. Try not ta use it much, since yer hurt. Nice dodge, by de way. Sorry we din't nail 'im on de first pass," Nick says as he hands the pistol back to Len.

Doc continues "When everyone is ready, let's try that again, hopefully with no more monsters."

Nick leads the party as they turn the left curve. The tunnel opens into a large circular cave 30 feet high and fifty feet wide. The walls aren't smooth and apart from the tunnel this cave seems to be created by Mother Nature. Water covers most of the cave, except for a small path leading along the right wall ending into new tunnel at the right opposite end of the cavern. There is also a third entry to the cave leading into the water.

*Bang* you hear a new gunshot.

Doc drops to the ground and looks around for the source of the shot saying, "That should be Bishop."

Penny and Charles hit the floor as the sound of gunfire once again erupts.

Len stops and drops, not worrying about his wound and rolls from his position a few feet closer to the wall. He holds his gun in front of him and scans for the shooter. All of his WWI training comes back to him, it's almost as if he never left.......

Catching the strobe effect of the gunshot in the corner of his vision Nick dodges quickly to the side of the tunnel the shot came from, so he is standing to the side of the tunnel opening, out of sight of anyone inside. Once there he quickly warns the others, "He's down here! Get out of sight!" Nick then points his pistol down the tunnel and sticks his head just around the side and fires two shots into the darkness, hoping for a blind hit or at least make him duck.

Nick dropped the kerosene lamp, but it did not break. Penny and Doc dived with their torches in their hands. All of you are visible in the light.

Nick let's one more bullet fly, but he can't see his target and there is no sound indicating that the bullet hit flesh. Len dare not shoot, Nick blocking the line of fire five feet in front of him. Doc is putting his gun before him in firing position.

Another shoot whistle passed you but misses.

Doc didn't see where the shot was fired from and shoots at random. A miss of course.

Nick however, waited for this opportunity, when Bishop would reveal his location and shoots again, shots in the direction of the flame of Bishop's gun, and misses again.

"What the hel…", Len was trying to advance to a better firing position close behind Nick when he notices that surface of the pool is broken by something big. Len was the first to see it, but it catches the attention of everyone immediately after.

A nightmare, plastic column of fetid, black iridescence swims towards you. A shapeless congerie of protoplasmic bubbles, faintly self-luminous, and with myriads of temporary eyes forming and unforming as pustules of greenish light all over the cave walls. You can hear an eldritch mocking cry - "Tekeli-li! Tekeli-li!"

Penny, still on her stomach, squirms her way backwards trying to put distance between her and the horror before her. Her head turns from side to side as if the say, "No, this cannot be...."

The creature

Len screams at the sight of the apparition. He appears to be repeating one phrase over and over, most of it is unintelligible. He continues to roll about on the floor, oblivious to his wound and the gun he has dropped... "NO! NO!....<indecipherable>...IT CANNOT BE!....<indecipherable>...GET AWAY!..."

For a moment Charles is at a loss as to what he should do, but only for a moment. In one swift motion he picks himself up from the cave floor, yanking Penny to her feet by the arm. "Hang on to this!", he barks and shoves the tranquilizer gun into her trembling hands. As he quickly crosses the distance between himself and Len, he unslings his Winchester and readies the weapon. When he reaches Len, he raises the Winchester to his shoulder and aims. He fires once at the thing in the water, a spurt of flame shooting from the barrel. A cartridge is ejected to the side of the cave, hitting the wall with a "ping", before rebounding unto the cold floor, with a "cling-cling'.

Charles is certain that he hit the thing, it is impossible not to hit. But Charles can’t see the entry point of the bullet and the monster is advancing as no harm was done. It was as the bullet just was swallowed up by the big plasmatic body.

A swift flick of his wrist as he cocks the weapon. Again he fires. In the eyes of Charles Cochroft you see a determination akin to steel. Irrespective the effect of his bullets on the creature; after his second shot, he lowers his left hand from the rifle and reaches for Len's collar. With adrenaline pumping through his veins like a raging torrent, he clenches his teeth and pulls. Whether he brings Len to his feet or not, Charles does not care. He will drag Len across the floor with one hand if he has to, but he does not intent to leave his companion behind. "Let's get out of here!", he hisses as he drags Len towards the exit. "Nick, cover us, then bring up the rear!"

Nick watches in disbelief as Charles runs across the floor of the dark cave while some monster looms so near. As Charles pulls/drags the injured Len towards escape and calls out, Nick nods and grits his teeth. He quickly spins towards the opening Bishop disappeared down and pulls off two shots, hoping once again to make the madman duck his head. Then he turns around and squeezes off two shot towards the creatures...uhh....head. Hoping that everyone has followed Charles into the tunnel opening Nick quickly backtracks the same way, keeping his pistol pointed at the monster.

Doc hears the command and backs out of the room quickly ready to use his pistol. He looks closely at all those around him with puzzlement on his face.

The monster glides onto path where you once stood and begins to roll after you. Only now to you see the creature in full size, it is huge (Size 84) Although the monster is not very fast (Move 10) it begins to roll after you.

Nick is in the rear as you retreat the way you came. He fires and reloads as fast as he can but the bullets make no apparent damage on the thing. You pass the laboratory and it gets to tight for the monster to roll. It then begins to glide forwards, but it glides much slower than it rolls (Move 3).

Passing the trap Penny heads for the stairs and the room above hoping that the others left behind are able to take care of themselves.

The tunnel narrows to it’s smallest size, but the monster is advancing, and it fills the entire tunnel in width. Finally you arrive at the location of the trap and it’s not far to the secret door. Charles is the first that arrives at the base of the stairway. As the others arrive he hushes at them.

Nick is the last arrive. He has carried Len most of the way. Len is sitting there staring on the wall, saliva on his chin and his good arm making occasional twists.

When everyone has arrived he says, "Let's wait here and see what happens. If the monster crosses the trap, the tunnel should cave-in, which would leave us with no choice to enter into Bishop's house again."

Charles stairs at Len with worry, "Doc, you are the doctor here. What is happened to Len?" Doc doesn't answer. "Doc, Doc I am talking to you." Doc doesn't respond. Charles gives Doc a box on the ear. "DOC!"

Doc with a puzzled look on his face asks, "What is going on here? This makes no sense to me at all."

Penny bolts up the stairs and gets to the secret door and pushes with all her might for it to open into the living room. "It's behind us!" she screams. Doc starts a pursuit after Penny.

Penny literally runs into a startled police constable. "Help us, it is behind us. It will kill us all."

Another police constable enters the room. The police constable grips her arm. "Miss calm down. Speak slowly and plainly. What is behind you."

But the policeman's words has the opposite effect on Penny and she spirals upwards into hysteria. "You don't understand. It will come and kill us all, now. A beast straight from the depths of hell. We must flee or we'll all die!"

Doc enters the room and upon hearing Penny's statement and seeing her hysterical description, neither of which he recalls, he checks his pocket watch, notices the amount of time that has past, realizes that he probably has suffered some form of memory loss. He steps over towards the officer who is holding Penny.

With all of her strength Penny attempts to escape from the police officer. As her arm is released from the officer's grip she slaps the symbol of holding upon the unfortunate man. After saying the mystical phrase, she bolts out the door of the house to the waiting streets of Arkham.

The police constable is immediately paralyzed, but as Penny withdraws the symbol he regains his control. However he is so stunned that he was unable to prevent Penny from fleeing.

A confused Doc yells at Penny as she leaves the room, "Penny! STOP!" and hopes she will hear him.

Stumbling out of the decrepit house Penny sees more officers and Daria. She runs to her friend and grasps her by the arms. "For the love of God and all that you hold dear, run. We must flee from this place or we shall surely die." Penny begins to pull away from her as she tugs on her arms to urge her to follow. Letting go of Daria Penny continues to back away slowly keeping her eye on the front door of the house expecting to see some new horror escape into the night.

The police officers are keeping the distance, as if she were plague infected. Daria however, follows her but at the same time tries to calm her and at the same time tries to guess what happened. Daria speaks with a soothing and comforting voice, "Penny, relax. It is over, we're in the daylight now. The things that you saw can't expose themselves to daylight." Daria tries to embrace Penny still speaking softly into her ear. Penny's arms go limp falling down to the sides. The symbol drops to the ground.

---

The other policeman takes interest in secret passage Penny revealed. He is pointing a flashlight down the stairway and shouting down. "Hello is anybody there. Hello?"

Charles quickly sets down his rifle, so as not to startle the police. The next moment he bursts out of the darkened passage. "Nick, carry Len out. I'm going after Penny", he shouts as he rushes up the stairway. He pauses briefly at the top of the stairs to address the police officer. He's demeanor is serious, yet authoritative as he speaks, "There's an injured man down there. Doc, help bringing Nick up the stairs. Call an ambulance. I'm Charles Cochroft and we're helping detective Sticky with an investigation. Don't proceed any further down those stairs until you have contacted him! I have to catch that girl now, all right. She's panic stricken and could hurt herself if she's not detained" He then rushes for the door. "Penny! It's Charles. Slow down girl. It's over now. You're safe!", he shouts as he tries to catch up with her.

When Charles reaches the courtyard Penny is already calmed down by Daria. Charles is assessing the situation. There is three police constables and a man, evidently a detective, in the courtyard. Charles doesn't recognize the detective, but the police officers do recognize him. The man in plain-cloth speaks, "Hmm. Mister Charles Winston Cochroft, maybe you can come down hare and shed a little light on this situation. Obviously grave incidents have taken place here."

"Certainly", Charles responds. Charles steels himself, trying to regain that familiar appearance that radiates trustworthiness and credibility, shedding the past experiences of horror and pain. "We have wounded people inside, call for an ambulance. Second, call detective Stuckey, he is aware of the facts of this case, we have been co-operating with him and helping him."

The detective nods to one of his men who disappear. "You stay here for the moment, Mr. Cochroft, while I go inside to inspect." On the steps he turns around, "and that goes for the rest of you to."

---

Doc descends the stairs in company with one of the police officers. The remaining officer is still perplexed after Penny's attack. When finding them, Doc is surprised by Len's condition, but helps bring him up the stairs. On the way up he asks them what happened and why is Penny so hysterical. Nick answers "Wat's da matter with ya, Doc? Have ya gone bonkers?"

Doc whispers back to Nick, "Nick, I do not recall what happened when we went down here. My mind is totally blank for the time period. Based on Penny's hysteria and Len's state, I suspect that what we saw my subconscious mind is having difficulties accepting and has blocked those memories from my conscious mind. How are you and Charles doing?"

The police officer lights up the tunnel with his flashlight and moves some steps down the tunnel. He stops and listens. He takes a few more steps before he shakes his head and turns.

*****

The courtyard 20¹⁰, Saturday, 27th August 1921.

Looking out the rear window of the ambulance as it drives away, Penny observes the detective and Charles in a heated conversation. As it turns the corner and out of their sight she surveys her situation.

There is one person driving the ambulance and one person tending Len in the back of the car. Penny is also sitting in the back of the car. Both of these persons are medical personnel. Len is fastened to a stretcher, Penny is not restrained in any way.

Penny dropped the symbol but Daria noticed and got Penny to pick it up again without anybody noticing the incident. The symbol now lies in a pocket in your coat or whatever Penny is wearing.

---

Detective Stuckey has still not appeared when the ambulance drives away with Penny and Len. More police have arrived and the courtyard and house is being examined. The investigators have been searched and their weapons confiscated. Nick is not at all pleased by the situation, and Doc is perplexed by the situation he is in.

"Mr. Cochroft, you may all be in grave trouble with the law. I know you claim to be co-operating with detective Stuckey, but he isn't here to confirm your statement. We have witnesses reporting you sneaking around here and telling of gunfire. We have brought out a man suffering of gunshot wounds. What has happened here?"

"We are helping detective Stuckey with the Atwater case. The person who injured Mr. Colson is one very disturbed individual, who just happens to be masquerading as Henry Atwater. It was our wish to capture this person and bring him to justice before he could do any further harm to the community. ", responds Charles in a calm manner. He pauses slightly, before adding, "Now be a good chap and find us detective Stuckey. I'm sure he'll back up my claims. I don't see the need to press this issue further if someone of your office already knows all the details at hand. I'd also advise that the press not get involved in this affair. The investigation is at a sensitive stage and any exposure of the roleplayers at present could be disastrous "

The detective quietly listens to Charles and says humbly, "I'm very sorry sir, that I didn't bring with me detective Stuckey and that this incident may become harmful for your good name and reputation would the newspaper get a sniff of this." Then he explodes, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! What do you take me for, patronizing me like this, now be a good CHAP! Just because of your good name and your insisted friendship with detective Stuckey, you think that you can run loose with weapons and go on a manhunt just as you please, and thereafter treat a police officer of Arkham like he was your manservant? I don't care how helpful you have been to detective Stuckey in the past, I'll sure as Hell will see to it that you won't get away with this. You have broken a number of laws. Wasn't it for the importance of the Atwater case, I would have taken you all in immediately. Until Detective Stuckey arrives consider you all yourselves as detained."

"Now just wait a damn minute...", explodes Charles, "...I was not patronising you, I was being polite. So pardon me if I bruised your over sensitive ego. But before you cuff me and take me in for lipping a servant of the law, consider this. The person who shot Mr. Colson is still down there, and while you're standing around here, telling me how you'll make me pay, he's getting away. As far as asking you to keep things quiet is concerned, I did it out of genuine concern for the safety of the people involved in this case and not NOT the preservation of their reputations! Now, I assume you're taking your men down that passage to search for the perpetrator, so if you won't take offence, I'd just like to point out that there's a trap that will collapse the tunnel if you set it off...oh and be ready to have your guts churned by several other deranged, mind twisting encounters..." Charles is visibly trembling with rage as a result of his confrontation with the officer. His eyes are ablaze with anger. He raises his hand as if to gesture something, but instead turns on his heel and walks over to Doc and Nick. "Doc and Nick, are you ok?"

Doc listens to what Charles has to say, it makes sense, but should not have caused his memory loss or Len's condition. Doc mentions to Charles, "Charles, I am very confused and having problems. We need to talk privately."

"Come back your arrogant hothead. That Bishop got away is only because of your amateurish and headless expedition. If Bishop gets away, you may have many lives on your conscience, and I'm not going to send my men down there before I know what happened to you. I asked you a direct question and I want the answer in details. What happened down there? And don't defy me again, or I'll have arrested for obstruction of the law. I also want to remind you that offending a civil servant is a legal offence."

"And badgering and insulting a civilian is not I suppose?", says Charles calmly and adds, "Very well. Here are the details. We came here to apprehend the Atwater impostor. While Mr. Colson was outside the house, trying to get a look inside, he was fired upon from inside the building and hit. He returned fire. We ran up to assist him. By the time we inspected Mr. Colson's wounds and made our way into the house to sedate the shooter with a tranquilizer gun, he had disappeared. We found a secret passage leading underground and went down it. We discovered a trap, which would cave in the tunnel if it were to be set off. We bypassed it and continued down the tunnel. We entered an underground chamber, where we were fired upon again out of the dark. At that point we retreated. You found us as we were making our way up the stairs."

"Good. Mr. Cochroft, you will follow me and show where this trap is. Then you will wait until detective Stuckey shows up. "

Charles leads the detective into the house, when he suddenly bends forward and leans himself to the wall. "What is it?", the detective asks a little concerned.

"I…can’t…breathe", Charles stutters. The detective comes to aid. "Terrible…breast pains", Charles speech is only a whisper now and the detective can barely understand what Charles says.

"Darned, what now." Charles goes down on his knees only making a moan now and then. The detective leaves Charles where he is and yells from the door. "Hey, this guy here is having a cardiac arrest. Call an ambulance again, and quickly."

Doc is dismayed and runs to Charles side. He lays Charles down on the floor taking his pulse and listening to his breath.

The detective stands over them, "How’s he doing, will he die?"

Doc replies to the Detective, "I think it is a bad case of shock. I have no idea when he will recover. It may have been induced by the idea of returning to the tunnel. Detective, I would recommend that no one go down there until we find out what happened down there and that an armed and alert guard be posted at the entrance."

"This is the most absurd case I have ever experienced. I need to know where the trap is before the rest of you dies or goes insane." A constable enters the hall and the detective orders him to take Doc and Charles out to the courtyard.

"No, that may not be a good idea. He needs peace and quit, the fuzz in courtyard will only weaken his condition. It is better if we can find a couch somewhere in the house and let him rest there until the ambulance arrives", Charles says.

"Alright, then. Jones, go with them and see what you can find." The detective enters into the courtyard.

Constable Jones and Doc find a suitable room. "Constable Jones, can you stand guard outside the room and make sure that no one enters besides the medical personnel when they arrive?" "Certainly Mister."

Doc whispers to Charles, "Ok, Charles, what is going on?"

Charles softly begins to whisper to Doc.

---

Meanwhile the detective has located Nick and ordered Nick to enter the tunnel with him. Nick leads the way.

"Mr. Berone, you are from New York?" "Yes." Nick answers briefly.

"There is something familiar with you. Have you been here for a long time?" "No, I just arrived." Nick answers briefly.

They have reached the end of the stairs, and Nick leads on. "There is something. What is your occupation and where do you work, Mr. Berone?" "I’m a janitor at the Arkham Historical society." Nick answers briefly.

"I know you from somewhere, I just can’t make the connection. Is it far to the trap?" Nick is sweating, he doesn’t at all like the situation. Then he makes his decision. "No, we are soon there."

Nick carefully places his feet, all his senses fully alert, and at the sound of the first crack he throws himself forwards. He lands hard at the ground as the roof cave in behind him. Dust surrounds him and he begins to cough and crawls forward. It is completely dark and quiet, the torch was destroyed as he hit the ground. Nick finds the small knife hidden in his boot and begins to feel his way along the right wall to his destiny.

---

Five minutes later.

Doc and Charles hear the rumbling from the tunnel where they are. Soon the corridor is filled with shouting and the sound of stamping feet.

Charles grimaces and attempts to get up, but sinks back into his reclining position. "Doc, what's going on?", he softly moans.

Doc replies, "I have no idea, stay here, while I check", and Doc rushes to investigate.

First illustration from the Arkham Unveiled. Art copyright Chaosium Inc. for Tim Callender.

Second drawing is from page 92 in Call of Cthulhu. Art Copyright Chaosium Inc.

Third drawing is from page 120 in Call of Cthulhu. Art Copyright Chaosium Inc.

Please read the aftermath or go back to the table of contents.