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Inferno - Chapter 4: Discovery
Posted By: Skul<skulkrusha2000@hotmail.com>
Date: 11 August 2006, 12:03 am
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Journal Entries of Professor Peter Dennison
11:02 pm, June 8th, 2553
At last, I am in Egypt. I am eager to get to the destination, but I have to rest. I don't want to collapse shortly after we enter the Tomb of Tunukama. All of the equipment needs to be tested to affirm that it is operational, but we will do that tomorrow morning after breakfast. Right now, though, a good night's sleep is what I need. We will be leaving at around seven o'clock, so I need to get as much rest as possible.
7:23 am, June 9th, 2553
We are finally on our way. All of our equipment is fully operational and today's temperature is said to be low – for Egypt, anyway – so that is good to hear.
According to what I have read from very old Egyptian writings, it is said that the Tomb contains a relic that is 'beyond ancient'. I am not sure what that means, but it definitely stood out amongst the other hieroglyphics. The writings describe the relic as a blood-red stone that is extremely hot to the touch and emits a bright red glow. There were other fragments that yielded only partial nuggets of information, most of it very confusing. There is a reference to a 'gateway of fire'. Other stone fragments told stories of an epic battle between the ancient Egyptian warriors and a powerful army of evil that emerged from the gateway. The red stone seems quite important in this tale and plays a key role in both the arrival of the 'army of evil' and their downfall. I am eager to find this 'Fire Stone', as I am calling it, and cannot wait to uncover the mystery that surrounds it.
The Fire Stone has been locked away in the deepest levels of the Tomb and will take some work to recover, but I have a good feeling about this expedition.
I have just been told we are only five minutes away from the Tomb. I can barely contain my excitement! I will log whatever we find as soon as we stop to rest.
7:34 am, June 9th, 2553
The Tomb's entrance sits among some ruins of an ancient Egyptian village. We will need to remove a large pile of rubble that blocks the entrance. The strange thing is, there are no pillars or buildings nearby that could have created this blockade, so it must have been created intentionally. I have never seen anything blocked off like this, before. It's like the villagers did not want anyone to enter… or maybe they didn't want anybody or anything to leave. Certainly a chilling thought.
The buildings that are still standing are now only dead husks. Strangely, I do not want to look inside them. I usually explore an area before heading off to the main attraction to take photographs and collect any trinkets I find such as bowls, shoes, pots, etc. I have a large collection of such items in my office's back room in Florida, but I do not want to go near any of the houses or pick up anything I find. Indeed, when we first entered, I saw half a cup, faded red with the handle intact only a few feet away, but the thought of going over to it caused me some apprehension. This has unsettled me quite a bit. This peculiar… I suppose fear would be the most suitable word… seems to have affected the whole team, all five of us.
We must continue on. We cannot have come out here only to turn back. I don't want this to have been a wasted journey.
7:52 am, June 9th, 2553
We have managed to remove the rubble. The pneumatic drill we brought along helped immensely. However, none of us feel inclined to enter. You see, we cleared away enough rubble to allow us to open the heavy iron door. We had it halfway open when an airy half-scream, half-howl echoed up from the darkness inside the Tomb. This had everyone running and screaming, myself included. Gary was swearing bloody murder and quite literally dove behind a large piece of masonry that had fallen off a large building.
I ducked behind the corner of what must have been a small shop and peeked out to see if anything was going to come charging out, shoving the door out of the way as if it weighed nothing.
Of course, nothing happened, but we were very shaken. We still are, in fact. Larry had suggested we go back for weapons before entering the Tomb. It was dismissed quickly, but it was a tempting thought with the memory of the screaming howl still fresh in our minds.
We know that there is nothing down there. The Tomb was blocked off, so nothing could have gotten inside and if anything was inside, it had been trapped for several hundred years. Anything in there would have died long ago. But that sound has suggested otherwise. We all heard it; there is no mistake there. I am completely certain that there is no other entrance into the Tomb of Tunukama. Even if parts of the Tomb have caved in, there could be no way to gain entry through all of that sand, earth and stone.
I do not want to enter, yet neither do I want to leave. I will need to think hard about this. The Fire Stone is a very rare and valuable artifact. Even if I cannot touch the stone, just seeing it would be enough.
8:03 am, June 9th, 2553
I have decided to enter the Tomb. Despite having had breakfast only an hour ago, the experience we shared drained us. Some water and energy bars were enough to refuel us and finalise my decision.
The others are preparing themselves, all except Sam and Gary. They are staying above. Sam was going to stay up here, anyway, to keep an eye on our belongings and to make sure the door doesn't close on us while we are inside.
With Sam and Gary staying up here, that means Larry, Neil and myself are going inside. Gary has a bad feeling about the Tomb. He doesn't want us to go in, but I have made my decision. We will be taking portable radios into the Tomb to keep in touch both with those staying above and with each other in case we get separated.
I will record our findings once we are a little way inside.
8:32 am, June 9th, 2553
It has been hard work getting down here, but we are now standing in a large, round chamber. We have had to light some wall torches, as we can't see very well with our own battery-powered ones. We had quite a scare, again, when we were in the narrow corridor leading to this great chamber.
We heard what at first sounded like a squeaking noise. We soon realised it was not a squeaking, but more like a baby crying softly. It seemed to come from all around us and did not get louder or quieter when we steeled ourselves to move on. That was ten minutes ago and the crying sound has since stopped. That experience has given rise to apprehension, yet again.
8:34 am, June 9th, 2553
Gary has presently contacted us through the radio. He is yelling at us to get out. Neil is trying to calm him down, but he doesn't seem to be having much success. The fear in Gary's voice is starting to infect us, but we cannot let fear control us. The Fire Stone is close. Very close. I can feel it.
Ah, Neil has finally managed to quieten Gary down. I'm starting to feel more confident, already, now that Gary's voice is no longer shouting, "Get out! Get out, now!"
We are moving on.
8:46 am, June 9th, 2553
We are standing in front of a large stone door with hieroglyphs carved into it. They reference the army of evil and the Fire Stone. The hieroglyphs are telling us to turn back, warning us not to go any further.
I have not come all this way for nothing. We are continuing onward!
8:52 am, June 9th, 2553
We are here! The Fire Stone is right behind the next door! I can see a red glow seeping through cracks in the large stone double-doors. There is a definite change in the air temperature here. It has become warmer, thicker.
Neil and Larry are currently opening the doors. The red light is getting brighter. The temperature is rising. I can see something! Yes, I think I see it!
The Fire Stone!
9:11 am, June 9th, 2553
I am beginning to lose my nerve. We had just entered the room and approached the Fire Stone – the air around it is almost unbearably hot – when we heard a loud, unearthly roar coming from the passageway we had came from! It sounded like a huge, angry beast. We could hear its footsteps booming through the halls, toward us. We kept our flashlights pointed down the corridor, waiting for the beast to appear.
Its heavy footsteps suddenly stopped. We waited a long time, but nothing happened. I can only guess that it is still out there, waiting for us. I am beginning to wish we had brought guns with us. We should have done that. We should have!
Damn it! This heat is making it hard to think. The heat radiating from the Fire Stone. With the sounds of the approaching animal, I hadn't truly looked at it.
It is not a beautiful gem, as I imagined it would be. It is very… ugly. I don't know what, but there is something about it that stops it from being beautiful. The stone is about as big as a human skull and is on an intricately designed pedestal made of steel. Actually, the stone is not on the pedestal, but above it. The stone is floating and slowly rotating horizontally in an anti-clockwise direction, making its beams of blood-red light flicker around the room, as if a raging fire is burning fiercely inside the artifact.
We have come all this way to collect it and that it was we shall do. We have a small metal container to place the stone in. It is open, right now, awaiting the valuable object.
9:20 am, June 9th, 2553
We have the Fire Stone, now! It is sitting in the container, quite safe.
I reached out and grasped the stone with both hands, moving automatically. I realised I had touched the stone at the last minute and waited for the searing pain, as the stone must surely be burning hot for the high temperature it generates. To my amazement, the stone was only very warm, enough for my hands to bear.
I carried it to the metal container and placed it inside, plunging the room into darkness so complete, I thought I had gone blind.
No sooner was the Fire Stone in the container than a deep laugh, filled with malice rang out. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it was real! That much I knew. I broke out in a cold sweat and snapped on my flashlight, expecting to see a malevolent being standing in the room, grinning evilly at me. Nothing was there, but I could feel a presence. Even now, I feel it, watching me, studying me… stop it, Pete! Stop trying to scare yourself! Damn it, we have to get out of here, NOW!
9:59 am, June 9th, 2553
We have escaped! We are currently in the jeep, speeding away from the Tomb. I have never been so relieved!
Finally deciding that we were going to get nowhere standing around in the dark, we chose to make a break for it, whether there was a monster in the passageway or not. We gripped our flashlights, with me also holding the container with the Fire Stone in it, and ran. Our flashlight beams danced around in the dark, but we were still able to see where we were going. Larry radioed back up to Gary and Sam. I was half-expecting the cliché horror scenario of radio communication being unsuccessful, but to my great relief, we heard Sam's voice coming through. Larry wanted to make sure the door was open for us. Of course it was, Sam and Gary were both there – they wouldn't let it close on us.
The loud roar we had heard earlier boomed out again, shaking the walls. My legs almost failed me, but we were very close to the surface, now. I could see the cracked and broken staircase just ahead. The way out! Freedom! Sunlight!
We bounded up the stairs, taking them two at a time, never looking back. I could see Sam and Gary's shocked faces staring down at us. They had heard the roar, too. As soon as we were all out, I started to close the metal door with Neil and Larry leaping over to help me after a couple of seconds, our other two team members too shocked and confused to do anything but stand and stare at us, mouths agape.
Without saying anything, just wanting to get away from the Tomb as fast as possible, the three of us sprinted towards the jeep and leapt in with Neil taking the driver's seat, myself in the passenger seat and Larry in the backseat. We frantically shouted to Sam and Gary, who had began moving towards us, to hurry. My eyes were fixed on the Tomb's door, which was barely visible through the rubble we had parked behind. Gary and Sam hopped into the back of the jeep and Neil hit the gas. I'm not sure if I imagined it, but it looked like the door was beginning to swing open, but Neil had turned the jeep enough that I couldn't see the door without twisting around in my seat. I did not twist around. I did not want to see if the door had opened.
I did not look.
We are now travelling back to the hotel. I can't wait to get back amongst society, again. I just need a good meal and plenty of cool, refreshing water. I can't handle any more surprises. I don't want to think about the Tomb for a long time.
Log ends.
1:42 am, June 10th, 2553
Something terrible happened, tonight. The exact time, I don't know, but it was at least an hour ago, maybe more.
We had returned to the hotel, thankful to get away from the Tomb and forget about our experiences. We had a splendid meal and spent the rest of the day just doing whatever, trying to clear our heads.
Soon, we retired to our rooms. The Tomb was still on my mind. It was hard to forget when the Fire Stone sat in its container in my room. I tried to ignore it and lay on my bed, feeling the heat from the Stone, even although it was on the other side of the room.
I was just dropping off to sleep when I heard a bloodcurdling scream coming from further down the hall. The sound was so terrifying that I ducked behind the bed and peeped out over it, looking towards the door. I heard other people coming out of their rooms, their voices low and confused.
There was a loud crash and the harsh snap of splintering wood – I later found out it was a door, the door to Liam's room, who had accompanied me in the Tomb – followed by several deep thumps. The people who had come out of their rooms were now screaming and there was a terrible commotion outside. Screams, footsteps and, most disturbingly, wet splattering sounds. What made those wet sounds? Blood, it turned out to be.
It was quiet outside the room, in the hall. Not a sound except for something that sounded like heavy breathing. The thumping started up again, coming closer. I ducked down lower behind the bed, sweating profusely. The thumping stopped outside the door! From the small band of light that crept in from the hall, I saw a shadow. Not all of it, but it was there and I could tell it wasn't a human that stood outside my door.
Without warning, the entire door was thrown into the room, towards the bed. I ducked and the door landed on the bed, part of it sticking over the edge above my head, which I had covered with my hands. I don't remember if I screamed or not when the door came flying towards me, all I remember is that I saw it flying in my direction and I ducked just in time.
Now everything was still, again. I could hear the heavy breathing once more. I could hear a kind of growling undertone when each breath was taken and expelled.
Then the thing in the hall stepped into the room. I went numb and my heart froze. The thumping turned out to be the creature's footsteps and it came thumping into the room. The footsteps were so heavy, I could feel their vibrations, now that the thing was inside the room. I looked over my shoulder at the wall and saw the creature's shadow. It was at least ten feet tall and had what looked like spikes jutting out from it, but I couldn't tell much from its shadow, as it was too blurred.
I slowly and quietly got on my stomach and peered under the bed. I saw the creature's red, four-toed feet from which black claws curved wickedly. Wicked – that is how they looked. Like they belonged to some demon.
From my view on the floor, I saw the… demon… moving towards the steel container with the Fire Stone in it. It bent down and I saw its huge, clawed hands lift up the container. Apparently, this was what it was looking for. Why it hadn't come for me, I don't know. Either it couldn't see me, or it had just come for the Stone. But for what purpose? Again, I don't know.
I watched its huge feet begin to step back towards the doorway. When it reached the door, it stopped and turned. Was it going to come for me, after all? I waited for it. Waited for the thing to come charging towards the bed, reach over and grab me. After that… I didn't want to think about it.
Nothing like that happened, however. The monster in the doorway took a deep, growling breath and then let out a loud, terrifying roar that no animal on Earth could ever possibly make. It was a warped, evil, malicious sound and sparked terrifying images of fire and brimstone in my mind.
The demon then left. I heard its booming footsteps receding down the hall, then nothing.
I didn't move for a long time after that. A long, long time. It's still quiet out there, but I can hear approaching sirens. I'll wait here. They're sure to come up to this floor. I can't get out by myself. I took one look at the hallway and went white. I can't describe what I saw. It's too horrible.
The Fire Stone… that's what it came for. But why? I don't think I want to know.
No, I don't want to know! I absolutely do not wish to know anything about that creature's plans for the Stone!
3:57 pm, June 10th, 2553
I have returned to my office. I left Egypt on the soonest possible flight after my experience.
Liam, Gary, Sam and Neil are all dead, killed by that… thing. Their bodies have been flown back to America and the funerals will be held in a few days. My friends… they're all dead because I wanted to find a stone buried away in a tomb. All those noises we heard… we should have turned back. I blame myself. I'm sorry, my friends, I am truly sorry.
Forgive me…
4:19 pm, June 12th, 2553
I haven't been able to sleep at all since I got back, especially not at night. I will nod off at various times during the day and night, but will wake up only a few minutes later, with strands of nightmares floating around in my head. I have tried going to the doctor, but nothing has helped. I also feel uncomfortably hot all the time. Even though it's summer, the weather hasn't been any hotter than previous summers. I'm not running a fever; I'm just incredibly hot.
I'm also seeing things in the shadows. I don't know what I'm seeing, but I don't like them.
I'm feeling tired, again. I w
The entries end here. The journal was found in a pool of blood on Professor Dennison's apartment floor open at the page with the final, incomplete entry. No body was found and no signs of Breaking and Entering were discovered. The cause of Dennison's death is unknown.
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