Dweller In The Deep: Cthulhu Rising

Chapter 5

As they approached Nagoon through the thick and uninviting jungle the trees became slick with a sticky liquid. They were oddly smooth and patterned, like the skin of a slug, not like the foliage that should have been there. Though there was no wind, the ghostly white trees swayed back and forth, making them seem like they were doing some strange dance. In what seemed like the outskirts of the jungle, very close to Nagoon now, they came across a huge growth that seemed to be sharpened to a point. It was even paler than the other trees that surrounded it. The tip of the thing began to curl downwards. Jack and Randolph were too transfixed to notice the skeletons of offerings around its base at first. Most were just cows and pigs, but some...

It curled closer from above. Randolph realized, almost too late, what it was. Jack stood staring at the monstrosity as Randolph turned tail dragging Jack along behind him. It reached the floor where the duo had been standing, and with a slow determined movement the tentacle unraveled itself, across this time. Another tree began to morph into an alien finger. The two newly formed tentacles writhed around looking for the two colleagues.

"Good Lord!" Jack exclaimed, "That thing used to be a tree! The entire jungle is going to end up like that!"

"I know," Randolph replied, "I figured it out when it came down to get us."

After a short trek across a series of fields they arrived in the village of Nagoon.

All hell had broken loose. Like the maniacally chanting tribe members back at the plane, those under the influence of Cthulhu were becoming something else. The invaders of the village were much worse though. They were barely human anymore. Their skins were pale and slimy, like the tentacle jungle. The remaining humans were being terrorized.

To name this wreck Nagoon anymore would be pointless. All was fire and flame, blood and soot, smoke and ashes.

"Quick, in here!" shouted Randolph, pointing at a blackened stone building. "I think I've found shelter."

They ran inside slamming the iron door behind them. As their breathing slowed they were aware of another's breathing. They scanned the room, not daring to move, finding only bare brick walls and earthen floors. Jack's eyes landed on a cupboard and he froze. For what seemed eons he stood still, trying not to shiver with fright. Randolph, who was not so tense, having not seen the cupboard, toyed with the idea of speaking – he decided to go ahead.

"Who goes there?!" The cupboard doors swung open on creaking hinges and a man clutching a satchel to his chest blundered out. He fell to the floor with exhaustion. He gasped for air as they knelt down to relieve the man of his burdens, whatever they were.

Frenzied words tumbled from his lips. His eyes were vast chasms of torture and despair.

Jack recognized his language, and began to translate: "he's been hiding in the cupboard for...I can't understand that bit...I'll tell him to slow down." He muttered something in a Haitian language. "Ah that's better. He says...it's his fault...not sure how he could have done this though...he's got something in the satchel; something he just clung onto, apparently because he had nothing else left."

The man reached into his bag and withdrew, in a clutched fist, a circle of stone. Upon it was carved a pentagram.

"Great scott – that's a Star Stone!" Exclaimed Randolph, all too loudly.

"Hush, they'll hear us!" Jack mouthed.

"Ask him where he found them!"

After some more words in Haitian Jack turned round with a grave expression on his face. "He says he moved them from a ruined jungle temple. Something came out of the temple. The walls all came down on his friends and killed them. He threw his torch into some ceremonial oils surrounding the thing, which burned the damned beast. After that all of this started, and he thinks he's cursed."

They heard banging on the door.