The Horror Below by Charles Lankiwicz (top 10 best books of all time txt) 📖

the sarcophagus. Sue felt a chill run through her for some reason as she looked at it. It seemed to be made out of a gold like metal of some kind.`
“Fascinating! These swirls on the case–they’re absolutely hypnotic. And I can’t think of any known civilization that could have produced them,” said Sue.
“Yes we have not been able to identify it either,” answered Baxter.
“But why keep it down here–you should let the world know about something as unusual as this.”
Baxter looked uncomfortable and said: “That’s exactly the problem. Because there’s nothing like it and nothing to date it–it was found on the ocean floor in a shipwreck, it would be suspected as a fraud if the university would announce it to the archaeological community. We want to avoid any embarrassment. There have been scandals like the Piltdown Man and others...”
“But the strange metal...”
“The Board has decided to keep it down here unannounced unless something comes up to verify it.”
Sue had been running her hands over it, feeling a strange tingle, almost like electricity. She then felt a hairline crack along the top.
“I feel a seam here. Can I open it?”
“I’m afraid not, Miss. If fact I have a meeting upstairs in a few minutes.” With that Baxter started resolutely for the door.
Sun opened her mouth, but then realized that it would do no good. She had been lucky to even see the sarcophagus. As she walked out she carefully noted the layout of the basement and an idea began to form in her mind.

 

 

Later that night Sue stood outside the building that held the sarcophagus. She had carefully moved on the grounds outside, staying in the shadows as much as possible, until she stood outside the window she had unlocked as she left the building behind Baxter. Hoping that a janitor had not re-locked it, she slid the window up and breathed a sign of relief that it slid up easily.
I’m being stupid, very stupid, she thought as she boosted herself over the edge. But I’ve got to find out what’s inside that sarcophagus.
She switched on her flashlight briefly to get her bearings. She had dressed herself all in black, wearing slacks and with a soft cap to cover her hair. I must look like a thief, she thought. How could I explain myself if I was caught.
She felt her way along the hall until she came to the basement door, which she opened. She shivered as it creaked, and held her breath, but did not hear anything. Feeling relieved, she went down the steps carefully stepping on her toes trying to be as silent as possible.
She felt a strange cold in the room and a seemingly electric feeling as of static electricity. A curious sense of dread came over her. And for a moment she felt like turning back and running out of the basement.
Then she thought: Get hold of yourself, girl. You did not come all this way for nothing.
At the bottom of the steps she again turned her flashlight on and saw the sarcophagus. She went towards it and ran her hand on its surface. The swirls seemed to move and be almost alive and she felt an electric feeling. Again she felt like turning back and running out of the basement. But she braced herself and began to push on the edge of the sarcophagus.
It seemed to move surprisingly easy for as heavy as it looked. Immediately she smelled a foul odor and heard a hissing sound. Raw fear took over and she turned and ran for the steps. The hissing became louder and she ran faster, banging the door open at the top of the steps.
As she entered the hallways she heard a voice calling down the hall: “What’s going on here? Who’s there?”
Just as she reached the window she had entered in and jumped out the hall lights come on.

Jim Stevens, the elderly night watchman stood at the end of the hall. He went to the still opened window and looked outside, but could see nothing. It was just as well, he thought. At my age I don’t know if I could have done anything against a burglar. But what the hell would anyone want to steal in here anyhow–just a bunch of old artifacts and junk. He started as he heard a noise from the open basement door.
Cautiously he went toward it and grabbed his chemical mace feeling his heart beat faster. Maybe I should call the cops, he thought. But if its nothing, I’ll look foolish.
“Hello! Anyone down there?” he said as he looked down the dark stairs to the basement. He saw something at the bottom, glowing and sinuous.

The next morning Sue looked at the front page of the Arkham Gazette:
SECURITY GUARD MISSING: Jim Stevens, security guard at Arkham University is missing. He disappeared last night. Nothing has been found of him but his flashlight. Nearby was a strange sarcophagus which was opened and empty. It dates back to 1932 and the University Expedition of that year. Professor Baxter said that the sarcophagus had never been opened and he did not know what the contents were. Police suspect foul play as an open window was found nearby.
Further on she also read:
STRANGE TRACKS LEAD TO BEACH: Strange tracks are visible today leading to the beach near Arkham University. Police have never seen anything like it; they are very long and winding and it is not known what could have made them. In addition, a beach comber’s shack was destroyed nearby and there is no sign of Elias Smith, the occupant.

FISHING SHIP MISSING: The Daisy Belle, a local fishing boat radioed a distress call at 2:45 AM last night that it was sinking and needed help. The radio operator was in the midst of talking when he was cut off. The Coast Guard is investigating near Dire Point.

She put down the paper and held her head in her hands. What have I done, she thought. I must have released something terrible last night. This is the same pattern as in Zeke Stubbs time.
But how can I go to the police, they would think that I’m both guilty and crazy. There’s no way I could explain all this.
Then she glanced at the paper and saw the following add:

Arcanologist
John Ramsbotham
4415 Euclid Avenue
New Sutton, Massachusetts

Specializing in matters esoteric and of an
unusual nature: warlocks, witches, vampires
werewolves, and various demons. I also
translate ancient texts written in Greek,
Latin, and Arabic.
I can rid houses of unwanted presences from
the astral plane and supply charms and
potions to ward off evil influences.
Author of The Astral Plane, Demons Among
Us. How to Combat Evil Spirits...
Rates negotiable–no phone calls. Please
come in person.

 

The next day she was walking down the hall of an office building towards the door of Ramsbotham’s office. At least this guy won’t think I’m crazy she thought.

John Ramsbotham looked up from the old tome that he was reading as Sue entered his office. He was in his thirties, tall, thin and with large brown eyes that seemed to penetrate into a person. His normally serious demeanor changed into a smile as he said: “John Ramsbotham at your service. Please be seated. How may I help you?”
Sue sat down crossing her long legs and briefly took in the room. It was filled with shelves and stacks of books, very old by the look of their leather bindings. Some artifacts were also on the shelves, including one odd and somehow disturbing statue, which had a octopus head, bat-like wings and cruel looking talons. It was made of some strange, greenish stone that gave off a faint glow.
“I hardly know how to say this–I hope that you’ll believe me. But let me start from the beginning.”
As she talked Ramsbotham listened with his chin in his folded hands looking intently at her. Occasionally, he would shake his head as she talked.
When she finished, he said: “This is very disturbing–I know what you are saying is true because I have detected vibrations in the ether. What we have here is that one of the Elder Ones has returned to work their ancient evil that your have unintentionally released. Are you familiar with the Cthulhu Mythos?”
As she shook her head, he replied: “Briefly put it says that the Earth was once inhabited by strange creatures beyond our imagination and understanding. Creatures that indeed come from another dimension of which we have no knowledge. Many of these creatures are inherently evil in nature; they consume the life essence of humans to satisfy their perverted appetites.
One of these creatures is Dagon, a sort of sea god. He is believed to have a temple underwater in the Pacific near the island of Ponape. Some islanders have developed a cult that worships him. For giving them good fishing they sacrifice some of their own people to him.
Evidently Zeke Stubbs stumbled upon this cult in his travels. He noted that the natives were also supplied with gold objects by the cult. They had no use for it, but Stubbs certainly saw a use for it. He decided to establish a cult here similar to the one he found, noting that there was a deep trench at Dire Point that gave access to a minion of Dagon.”
“You mean that he would actually sacrifice people to–some sort of monster for gold!?”
“Evidently. Very probably he thought at the beginning that he could control it– but it got out of hand when too many people disappeared.”
“And I brought this all back–by opening that horrid sarcophagus! What was in it–a monster? How could it have survived in there all theses years?”
“It is not human and therefore does not live accordingly. Such a creature can live indefinitely in a sort of suspended animation. I believe that it is a Shugoth, a minion of Dagon, with some of his powers and all of his appetites. In fact I have a stature of one behind me on the shelf.”
He pointed at the statue, and continued: “Actually, this is only an approximation of one as its existence is half in and half out of our universe. And the material that it is made of is of completely unknown origin. It seems to have organic as well as rock compounds in its composition. Also it seems to be charge with some type of energy.”
“How is it that you have one?”
“It is may business to investigate anything esoteric as you read in my add. The object fascinates me. I believe it come from Ponape, where Stubbs found the Cult.”
Sue shook her head and looked out the window, noting the bright sunshine and light of a normal world, instead of the dark one she had stumbled upon. She felt taken aback by the whole business, but she could not deny the recent events and the historical record.
“What can I do about it? It’s the purpose of my visit. I don’t want anyone else to be harmed by this–but I can hardly go to the police with it. They would put me in a straight-jacket.”
Ramsbotham reached into a drawer in his desk and pulled something out. Putting it on the desk, he said: “This.”
“I have here a disk from far Regona. It is feared by the Elder ones and will cause them to retreat back to the nether world if it is used properly.”

 

 

Sue saw a circular object, six inches in diameter and one in thickness. It seemed to be composed of the same material as the strange statue, faintly greenish in color. On it was a swirling design that reminded her of the pattern on the sarcophagus. Reaching out and touching it she felt a slight tingle.
“How could something like this deal with a monster?”
“It is more than what it seems. Again the