Dream a Little Dream of Me

‘At exactly three pm every day the orderlies stop by Helen Pale’s cell. She is restrained for her own safely as they have found that she has a tendency to lash out either at the attendants or at herself. She talks to herself constantly; the doctors are at a loss to explain the condition as she does not respond to either physical or mental therapy.’

Dear N,

My friend, I fear this will be my last letter for quite some time. It is as you suspected all along, and as you can now see my hands are tied. I have been gathering proof for signs of the Outer Gods’ involvement in several unusual events recently and now I finally have it. Inside this envelope you will find pages of a diary from one of the victims of these horrific events. I’ve also included in this letter details from the police report carried out at the time (don’t ask me how I got hold of it as someone of your moral standing wouldn’t approve). Even now my mind sags under the dreadful weight of what these portents could foretell, so we must move quickly in the manner previously arranged should such a calamity occur. This report was taken at the crime scene a few days after the events, just outside of Boston in a place called Arkham:

“...Our current line of thought is that the girl was dragged through the window and that she grabbed onto the broken glass to prevent her from being moved further. This would explain the lacerations on her hands as well as material found on the window pane. Vegetation was found forcibly injected into her lower abdomen with such violence that the upper portion of the body was ruptured. We currently have no theories as to how this was done but we believe the primary cause of death was massive damage sustained to her internal organs. The body was also covered in a clear viscous liquid that our forensics departments have been unable to identify as belonging to any known compound. There were no fingerprints found at the scene and so far the only clue found that gives us a motive was a symbol in the shape of a pentagram with a side removed. The symbol had been carved into the wall and the victim’s blood was outlining it; we believe this connects this crime to the other scenes found today...”

“...the force of which broke most of the bones in his foot and leg and caused massive trauma to the leg’s ligaments. The body was found wrapped in fresh seaweed that forensics report is only found in and around the Pacific Ocean. The cause of death is believed to be due to drowning: due to bruises found on the boy’s torso it is thought that he was held under the water. Although material found under the boy’s nails leads us to believe that he struggled against suffocation, we have not been able to identify what this material was. The current theory is that it belongs to a benthic marine organism, possibly an elasmobranch although we have no idea how it got there. The same symbol was found here as at the crime scene of the other victim. It was similar in style except that a different side of the pentagram had been removed...”

I’m sorry to have had to subject you to that but I’m sure you’ve done...seen... worse. As you can see, the murders follow a pattern that you may recognise. I left out the last police report, as I felt too shaken by the pictures involved to repeat its contents here. It is sufficient to say that the police had a very difficult time identifying the last body by remnants left on the walls. And it again involved the same symbol on the wall with a different side removed from it.

The only person not physically injured by these events is currently residing in Arkham asylum and I believe she suffered the cruellest fate of all the people involved. By asking my contact within the force I was able to gain access to her diary; I also inquired if it would be possible to see her. However due to severity of her condition and the threat she now poses to visitors and herself it was not possible. You should probably read the girl’s diary before carrying on reading the letter to give you a better background on the events that have occurred.

‘The food gets delivered to her cell at six o’clock every day. It is the policy at Arkham Asylum that repetition of events in a controlled manner may provide patients with help recuperating from long term mental conditions. So far nobody seems to have informed Helen of this fact. Helen is believed to suffer from two psychological conditions although she does not display typical tendencies for either malady. The first is that she displays both negative and positive symptoms of schizophrenia as well as a number of schizoid tendencies. When lucid and within control of her own mind she has a being that she blames for her current condition. She calls this being Nyarlathotep and believes that he possesses her body and soul. She believes that she called this being to her on the night of the incident that led to the disappearance and sudden deaths of her friends. It is thought by the doctors at arkham asylum that this is the root of her delusions and may provide the key not only to curing her but also in giving the police a lead on what may have happened that night.’

“04/5/00

Finished coursework for American social history, thank the goddess, so I can finally do some partying this weekend. And this guy called Chad was so checking me out in class today, he’s like fitness personified. Oh and I’ve got to organise something for the group this weekend, so I might check some of the book shops by Dell’s tomorrow evening.

05/05/00

It’s so exciting, I was down by the marketplace on Dagon alley and I must have taken a wrong turn or something. Anyway I ended up turning down into a dark side street, I tried to find my way back but ended up getting lost. I was kinda worried for about ten minutes trying to find a way out but in the end I managed to find this shop. It was very shabby looking and I almost missed it cause it was getting dark but thankfully a light inside caught my eye. The shop was called something like Ryan’s yeah or Re’yells, it was a bit icky but that didn’t matter ‘cause it was full of really cool looking books on witchcraft. I ended up getting two books that looked funky, the Necronomicon by Arab abdul something or other and Adreal by Cap Obed. The people running the shop gave me a really gay look and were kinda ugly so I figured they must be Irish or something. They were selling the books really cheap, it was almost like they were trying to get rid of them. I got directions off them and left pretty quickly, I’m going to have a quick look at these books tonight and do a ritual plan based on it.

06/05/00

Oh my goddess we had a real weirdo come to the group tonight, he was going on about healing and some stuff that had happened to him. He was so bullshitting, anyway Jess really laid into him about it saying it was like totally dangerous to do healing and stuff. Sounds like he was an idiot anyway so I told him not to watch so much of The Craft and to come back when he wasn’t such a fluffy bunny. He left looking quite upset, I did end up feeling a bit bad, but it’s his own fault for lying. On a lighter note the ritual stuff went really well so we should be able to do it tonight. I ended up leaving the Necronomicon stuff out as it was quite weird and made me feel a bit ill reading it. One good thing did come from looking at it, as I put the book down I dropped it and the part of the back came off. But on the inside of the back panel was a crystal shard, it was held in place with metal clappers. It’s really pretty, I’m guessing it must be obsidian or onyx but my crystal guide didn’t have a description exactly like it.

Anyway since there are five of us I’ll give it to James to hold tomorrow. For the ritual he’s going to cast the circle with it. Jess is going to be calling the western watchtower in his aspect as Cthulhu, we’re using the incantation “F’glue mg’naf Cthulhu Re’yells wah’nagl phtag” to invoke him. I’m calling the east using Nyarlathotep and I’m invoking him as the Black Pharaoh. We’re having Nicky invoke Shub-Niggurath for the north in her triple aspect as the goat, the woods, and the mother of a thousand young. Finally Lucy is calling Atzathoth as the watchtower of the south and he’s invoked as the blind being of change. For the God and Goddess we’re using Mother Hydra and Father Dagon. We’re going to drive out to a nice place by the beach just up the coast. It should be quite cool if we get it right.

06/05/00

Oh God, oh God, God, somebody help me. We did the ritual and... and something happened... James is, I don’t know - he’s just gone. Something took him, it came out of the crystal and... we tried to help him but the whole place just went black. We... we did the beginning of the ritual fine, then we called the circle and the quarters. We had just called the goddess and god... that’s when it happened. The wind began to pick up and it got really cold. At first I thought it was just me, ‘cause I wasn’t wearing a jumper or a coat but then I saw that Lucy was shivering really badly. I started to feel really sick and dizzy and I stepped out of the circle. For a minute the land looked... wrong... like it was all at distorted angles and then... and then... I saw things screaming at me, a billion mindless tentacles dancing to the sound of rotting music and something screeching, churning its way towards us from the depths of space. Oh Goddess, James I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I didn’t know...I fell backwards then trying to get away from it. When I landed I was back in the circle and people were screaming, James was clutching at his hand and Jess was trying to stop him from tearing at his wrist with his teeth. There was this pause for about a minute...we were panicking trying to figure out what to do. It was me who first heard the noise, it was quiet at first but it carried on, getting louder and louder. It was the sound of wings beating, everything went quiet, all I could hear was the struggle between Jess and James. Nicky started whimpering, then it suddenly went dark. Next thing I knew Jess was thrown backwards. James went real still, like he couldn’t move and there was this noise, like when you step on a snail but wetter and louder and suddenly he wasn’t there anymore. I think I went into shock or something, all I remember is... is three glowing eyes and my friends picking me up and carrying me to the car.

07/05/00

Jess is dead. He was found this morning, they found him in his bathroom, apparently there’s something wrong with his leg.

I can’t stop laughing, the police came round earlier and I was laughing then too... I was laughing and I couldn’t stop.

I’m feeling better now, Lucy came round and we hugged and... and she started crying. The police think we had something to do with Jess and James disappearing, I tried to tell them what happened but I don’t think they believed me. I don’t know what to do. Lucy thinks that if we read the books I got we may find a way to stop this. I thought this was a good idea so I lent her the Necronomicon when she went home. I’ve always thought Lucy looks good in pink.

08/05/00

Dear diary, the police found Lucy today, I was right she does look good in pink!

09/05/00

Last night I had a dream, there was someone besides me, he was very tall and dark skinned and I remember feeling scared of him. When I was near him I felt like I was lot of different people... or things... I’m not quite sure which. He told me a joke and I laughed and laughed and laughed and I woke up laughing.

10/05/00

I don’t know how long I can hold my mind together; I need to get this down so that other people can be warned. If anyone reads this then you need to know that they are coming, they will destroy everything if they can. I know this because I’m connected to them, all of them. I think one of them forced me to do something last night but I can’t remember what, the books I brought at the shop are gone, as is the crystal that came with it. Nikki’s dead, they’re are all dead, all my friends. So before the police come and I’m...goat of a thousand...gone I’ll make sure that this warning gets out somehow...Al Dagon, Al hydra.

Al shub-Niggurath... Al Cthulhu... Al Nyarlathotep... Al Azathoth... I’ll take some pills and some alcohol, I won’t be made their puppet... I won’t.

Al The Haunter of the Dark... I won’t.

Al... I...”

‘Helen is also believed to be suffering from a severe form of multiple personality disorder, each day she will display a new personality. A very small number of these personalities are friendly, the majority of them are hostile to the extreme. A large number of these personalities claim to be extra terrestrial in origin. Common ones include The Great Cthulhu, where Helen will appear to go to sleep and in doing so will talk at great length about a place she calls R’lyeh and her awakening. A being she’s dubbed Shub-Niggurath, where she will talk at length about her many children, as well as attempt to engage any males in the vicinity in sexual activity. The next is a being she calls Atzathoth who is perhaps the most disturbing of her personalities. When this manifests she will engage in a squirming motion that many of the staff find deeply uncomfortable to watch. She also has a tendency to position herself in strange and alarming postures when assuming this identity. It is for this reason that when showing signs of Azathoth personality that sedatives are administered to her.’

I believe that this diary shows that The Outer Gods are planning their final incursion on earth and unless we act soon there may well be nothing we can do about it. If I can ask that you look into the symbol and what it could mean then it might greatly help prevent this calamity...

‘The last of her most dominant personalities is also her most reasonable, the doctors at the asylum believe that this might be her attempt to fight back at her supposed possession. However this personality has grown progressively weaker as time goes on and it has been presumed that it may disappear as time goes on. She calls this being The Professor. When showing signs of this identity she endlessly composes letters to a supposed ally. When writing these letters she endlessly warns of some imminent catastrophe that she says will occur in a few months time. As time has progressed this personality has become more and more agitated. It is currently being discussed if this will lead to a need for further use of sedatives in the future’

...For my dreams are disturbed and dark forces beyond our wildest comprehension draw their unholy plans against us. I dreamed that we were as insects flying through the night, unaware of the doom awaiting us. And I dreamed that unless stopped there will be a time when R’lyeh, the resting place of Cthulhu will rise above the waves. And when that happens He will awaken from his aeon old slumber and rain fire and destruction upon the earth and there will be an end to all dreams and a beginning to all nightmares... I dream.