Blackrift Gate Read online

  “You know surprising amount of blasphemous stories for a christian man, Dominik. Mister Loudy would be very displeased if he knows this, you know that?”Kendall commented.

  “I know this because we still have the ceremonies in the village sire! The Day of Yig, where we burn an effigy of Yig to celebrate the banishment. Then we bury the remains, for Yig was sealed with the help of the earth.”

  “And you believe that this Yig is taking our people?”Kendall mocked.

  “Of course not sire! It is a tale only.”Dominik said.”But I would like to take a leave today, and go to visit my family. The ceremony of Yig is today, and everyone in my village celebrates. Lord is not here, and Yig or no Yig, I do not want to go missing.”

  “That last one is true.”Kendall said.”I do not believe it is some demon or thing, but there must be something wrong here. It can be a dangerous animal none the less..or maybe some robbers. I say we arm ourselves and search the whole mansion.”

  “I am going sire.”Dominik said.

  “No you are not, if you want to keep your job.”Kendall said.”You are going to help us search.”

  The servants split up in teams, arming themselves as best they can and went to search the whole mansion.

  Marie and other maids were sent into the servant’s dining hall for their safety, as it had a rather sturdy old door. It was planned that everyone shall return to the kitchen and report to Kendall what they have seen.

  There was not a lot of space in the room, as there were many shelves and cupboards around the walls. Scores of plates and utensils were stored in there for future use during feasts. The maids were all huddling in the middle.

  Many maids were praying, and Marie joined them. For a while, everything became quiet other than the chanting of women in broken phrases and crude approximations of whatever parts of whatever hymns they may have heard from the distances during various congregations and sermons they may have heard in their life.

  Allissi was standing beside Marie, but not closing her eyes like others, and looking here and there. Her bony fingers lightly clutched onto the cloth of Marie.

  Suddenly Marie felt Allissi clutching on her tightly, with as much strength as possible. Looking at her, she found nothing but dread.

  “What is it?”She asked.

  “Ma’am, can not you hear it?”

  And then, Marie could hear it. A sound very faint, but it was there, and it should not have been there. Ocean or any river is too far off for this. A sound of water, a slushing sound, a squishing, thrashing sound of a liquid falling on stones. Allissi suddenly cried out and tried to run out of the door, but Marie held her in.

  The others did not say much, as they also heard it. It was increasing every moment.

  “Should we go out?”A maid said nervously.

  “We are better in here. It is safer.”

  “But if it comes in here we will be trapped!”

  “What comes in?”

  “..nothing.”

  The sound did not stop. It was increasing now to an extent where it can be heard by everyone clearly.

  “We need to find a way to get out.” A voice whispered.

  “There is a door behind that cupboard.”Another frail, shaky whisper came from an old maid.

  Some of the maids dragged the cupboard aside, revealing a door that was closed shut for ages, standing behind the cupboard all dusty and unneeded. The spiderwebs were torn aside, and they tried to open the long jammed planks of the door.

  But it was jammed for decades, so it was not moving. Some other maids went for a window on the side of the room instead. This one they managed to open which lead to a corridor going to kitchen, just beside the door to this room. Just then, all of them stopped.

  The sound was now definitely in the kitchen. They thought they may have heard a sound of surprised human voice, but then it was all silent again.

  After some tense silent moments, they sighed of relief, as nothing seemed to be happening anymore. One of the maids went closer to open the door and see, but Marie pulled her by the waist right at that moment.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Look at the door!”

  The door was being pressed from the other side. They made no sound, and the few that were still trying to open the door on the other side tried even harder, trying to do it as quietly as possible.

  The pressure on the door seemed to coincide with a rise and fall of the slushing sound. Then they heard it. Thud. Thud. Thud. Something knocking on the door, sloppily, clumsily. Tirelessly. There was a wet nature to the thud, as if something was moving through water to hit it. But there was no sign of water on the gap between the door and the wall.

  One of the maids could not take it anymore and went to the window on the side of the room that opened to the corridor. She jumped through it, but unfortunately did not consider that the corridor she was going in was opening in the kitchen just beside the door. They could see her run away through the corridor in the opposite direction, crying rabidly.

  The thudding sound suddenly stopped and they could hear a massive slushing sound moving towards the side where the corridor was. One maid quickly jumped to the window and closed it shut with a bang. A piece of the window panels came loose, clacking on the floor. They all gazed at the opening in the window, giving them a view to the corridor. Although it was darker in there, it was sunny outside, and the kitchen had an ample number of backyard facing windows as a part of renovation. Thus, there was ample light in the corridor to see anything that would pass through. But even as they all gazed into the gap, they saw nothing, even though the sound passed the window chasing after the unfortunate maid.

  They could not hear the sound anymore, so after a while they opened the door to kitchen and waited anxiously. The maid who ran away did not return.

  With time the other teams returned. The numbers were less this time. Dominik could not be seen anymore. As the maids said their story to them, Kendall, visibly shaken, sighed.

  “I did not see anything either. But still I do not see a lot of us here. Giovanni and Braedon went from under my nose.”Kendall sipped from his bronze flask, his hair unkempt now.”And from what I hear from you…I don’t know what to say.”

  “Let us go outside, sire.”A fearful servant pleaded.”Let us wait till lord comes back.”

  “Agreed. We shall be safer outside this damned house.”Kendall gulped a bit of drink and said, fishing out the key of the gate that he kept in a drawer in the kitchen as he was prone to misplace it otherwise. They marched outside, and hurried through the massive compound.

  Just as they reached the gate, they saw Loudy returning with three guards.

  One of them was Rhett, one of the strongest men in the ranks of Lord Houston, built like a war machine, fearless and battle hardened. He had been hired by Lord Houston after his previous Lord died in a battle aiding the crown.

  His figure towered over the rest, giving some sort of courage to the frightened servants and maids.

  “What are you planning? Heading out to the pagan village fair with all the staff? Leaving the house of your lord completely undefended for the looters and theives? Is this how you act anytime we are not home, Mister Kendall?”

  “No sire.”Kendall said.”It is a dire situation. Please do not get into the house before we tell you everything.”

  After listening everything, Loudy made a face.”You all believe in such gibberish pagan nonsense?”

  “No, master Loudy. But certainly things are happening that we can not explain.” Kendall said.”It would be best if we stay outside.

  “And I think it would be best if you find out better excuses to slip out from the lords home.”Loudy said.”Clearly others have already left the house and went to the village.”

  “I can vouch for a few who did not slip away to the village, and we have never done so without asking permission from the lord. Why would we do that?”

  “Untill now. I do not think you have had taken permission from the lo
rd to go out with everyone.”

  “It is an emergency,”

  “I would like to check it out first myself.”Loudy said.”I am here to bring the news that the lord shall not be staying at Berkshire, and would be returning to his home here by evening. I came early to inform you so that you prepare foods for him and his guards.” Loudy paused and finished.”And I would see it get done.”

  “Sire, please see reason.”

  “If it was some actual believable reason, I would have.”Loudy said.”And in any case if there is a monster, you now have me. We would have to slay the beast if something is in there.”

  “It is not a beast I am afraid.”Kendall sighed.”I did not know this would be our fate when we came to work here. I am quitting.”

  “Get in the house.”Loudy said, keeping his hand on the hilt of the sword he was wearing.

  The table was set for Sir Houston, as Loudy wanted; and food was prepared for the guards which rested in the guard quarter dining hall in the lower floor. Unfortunately, inspite of Loudy and his guards searching the mansion , they could not find the missing people. In fact a few more went missing.

  “Insubordinate, ungrateful bastards, with no regards for the God and none for the lord that feeds them.”Loudy frowned and scorned at everyone. ”Slipping away to get to the village or whatever damned place, even when I warned them not to! I will not have it! I also made a mistake trusting you with the keys, Mister Kendall!”

  Rhett stood silently by the side of the wall, unbothered.

  “I did not let them go, master Loudy.” Kendall frowned.

  “I will hear from them when they get back here, after I teach them a lesson and put some fear of God in them.”Loudy said.”For now, no one is getting out without my knowledge. He thunked his hand on his waist, two bunch of keys hanging from the belt. One belonged to him and the other was the keys that were in Kendall’s custody, till Loudy took it from him.

  “All keys now are with me, all doors are locked, and the only other key is with the lord.”Loudy tried an attempt of a smile.”Now lets see how you ungrateful bastards slip out without my knowledge. I should have done this the moment I came in here.”

  “You are the reason we are all going to die, sire! You are so stubborn that you would not see the truth!”Emma, a maid, lashed out.”First you insist on setting the stupid table at the cost of our lives, and now you lock us up? What will you do if more of us go missing? Why do not you go to the village and check if anyone of us are still there?” Emma had a liking towards Fendrel, a servant who went missing recently, and she was already in tears.

  Loudy stopped, staring at Emma in disbelief, flummoxed to see such a bold display of insubordination that he was not able to say anything for a moment. Emma was generally timid and very docile, who always have been most respectful to him and all authorities. Gathering his senses, he was about to lash out at her.

  But even before he could begin to chastise her, Kendall stepped in.

  “She is right and it is you who have put all of us at risk. You will have to take responsibility for this sire.” Kendall said, calmly and coldly.

  “What do you mean? How is it my responsibility that they ran away?”Loudy said.

  “Do you think they ran away?” Kendall said.”Do not you look at the face of everyone? Do you think they are this desperate to get to some village fair?”

  Everyone, including Loudy could see it. There were clear signs of fear that had captured every single one of them. The act of insubordination also came from the same place. For, when man is confronted to a corner and has his life and soul at stake, he forgets the fancy rules and addendums of the societal expectations; and the most barebones, most primal urges of self-preservation prevails.

  “I too think there is something wrong, sire.”Rhett said, turning all eyes onto him.

  “I have faced a lot of battles, seen a lot of deaths.”He said, putting his hand over his greatsword.”Death leaves a certain trail, that you learn to pick up after you have seen a lot of it. People died here. Many people. I can feel it in my guts.”

  “Then you want to run away too like a scared puppy?”Loudy mocked him.”Run away from your duty because your gut feels that way?”

  “No sire. ”Rhett chuckled slightly.”I am not afraid of anything and nor I want to run away. But these people are. They can not fight anyway. They will just make it harder for us. I suggest, let them go to the village, and we search the whole house and see what it is about.”

  “And what would you say when lord comes back and finds the entire mansion to be empty? ”Loudy said.”This is all baseless!”

  “It is not, sire! So many are missing!”Kendall said.

  “Missing because they ran away. If they were really dead, where did their bodies go?”Loudy placed his hands on his waist assertively. ”Do you mean to say that they just disappeared in thin air? Rhett, can you explain how can so many people have died without a drop of blood to be seen?”

  “No, sire.”Rhett said, caressing his trusted greatsword.”There is something off about all this, is what I am saying.”

  “If there is really something, we will find out. We will search again, making teams.” Loudy chuckled. “Have faith in the Lord Christ Jesus, and all will be fine. There is no need to panic.”

  “Unlock the gate sire. We have set the tables and did what you wished.” Kendall said.”We want to stay in this accursed house no more. We want to leave at once.”

  “Too bad, I am not going to take orders from any of you.”Loudy asserted. ”Nobody leaves till lord Houston comes back.”

  “Sire!” Kendall roared. ”Give us the key.”

  Loudy was still about to say something, when they heard it again.

  The sound of slushing and mushing, coming from down the corridor.

  Others cried out and prayed and cursed, Loudy gestured his guards, and drew his sword.

  “Let us deal with whatever this is once and for all.”Loudy said. ”Come on, men.”

  “Sire, I request you, do not go that way!” Kendall cried out, as they were passing to the opposite door.”Let us all escape while there is still time. Give me the key!”

  “Shush! We will see what is it all about.”

  “Give me the key!”

  “Come and get it!”Loudy pointed out his sword towards Kendall, stopping him on his tracks.”If I am dead, you can collect it from my corpse.”

  “Fine! Go play with your lives!”Kendall ran after the last servant that ran out of the room to the opposite side. They were heading for the kitchen which was on the western wing of the mansion.

  Loudy went into the corridor, from which the sound was fast approaching.

  Chapter 6

  Dominik was panting as he ran a long way from the mansion all the way to the village, where he stopped at the well to grab a sip of water and a few curious eyes at his distraught appearance and the look on his face. He did not respond to the questions that flied to him, and resumed his journey to the other end of the village, where near the edge of the western woods, the time old village ceremony was being held.

  He did not run anymore, it drew too much attention and his body was not able to take it anymore. Instead, after a very brief rest, he walked as fast as possible, and reached a large shack, pushing away the heavy hay curtains.

  Inside, some village elders and their helpers were preparing for their ancient ceremony in the dimly lit shack, with only a few openings in the roof and walls letting in a few sunbeams as source of light. Dominik went straight to them.

  Dominik talked with one of them who was busy applying paints to a set of ceremonial masks. He immediately called others from their preparations, and they spoke in hushed, hurried tones, huddling in the middle of the shack. After a while a small group of these villagers was seen to be leaving towards the the western woods, a place very less frequented by the villagers. They carried unlit torches with them, and an axe.

  Chapter 7

  Marie and Allissi came in the kitchen wi
th Kendall, all sweaty and distraught. They did not hear from Loudy anymore after they left.

  The other staff were not with them. As they were heading for the kitchen, they heard the sound again, and most had split up as the sound appeared from different sides from each one’s perspective, and everyone ran to whatever direction they could.

  Marie and Allissi stuck with Kendall, who was steadily heading for the kitchen, trying to be discreet. As they reached the kitchen, Allissi noticed that she had soiled herself from all this fear during the way.

  The kitchen gave them a sense of familiarity and comfort. A fool’s comfort, but a bit of ease none the less. The windows of southern side were now dimming, and the only westside windows made way for some fading light of late afternoon to pass into the big hall like kitchen. Soon it would get darker. Servants and maids only had lit a few of the lamps by Loudy’s direction, though the oils were filled in the morning.

  “We will have to get the keys from Loudy. We will have to go there in the East wing again.”Kendall said, grabbing a heavy butcher’s cleaver from the table.

  “How will we go there with that thing roaming around?”Marie said, as Allissi held onto her dress, while standing cross legged from the embarassment of her soiled clothes.

  “It is the only way to escape from here.”Kendall said.”You hide here, I am going to fetch it.”

  “No! Please do not leave us!”Marie pleaded.”You will disappear too. I can not take it anymore!”

  “Then the only option remains is to climb the high wall.”Kendall said.”You think you can handle that?”

  “We can try that if we must.”Marie said.”We will use a tree. We will be safer that way.”