The Gathering. Carl Read
The woman nodded mutely and went back to sleep. It was morning when she reawakened. Looking around the room she saw the detective sitting in a chair beside the bed with her eyes closed. She was rather strikingly dressed in her dark-blue slacks suit set with a three-quarter jacket over a white blouse, and she wore practical work shoes. Short auburn hair styled to the contour of her face gave her a firm appearance. The detective’s eyes flickered and then opened.
“Have you been there all night?” asked the woman.
“Yes,” she said, smiling. “Is your name Margery Wilson, and do you live at 888 Wallace Drive, West Yuulong?”
“Yes,” Margery answered, noticing how the woman’s face softened when she smiled.
“Margery, I’m from a special department dealing with assault. You were in a bad way when you were brought in last night. Your consent was unable to be obtained for the doctor to do a complete forensic examination, so I took the liberty of ordering one for you. If you don’t agree with my decision then it will not be permissible in court. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand. I agree, thank you,” Margery replied, looking wan.
“I traced your identification from your driver’s licence and credit cards. They were found in the supermarket car park with your groceries at the back of your car. The attendants heard you calling for help. Unfortunately, they weren’t quick enough. They rang the police and we’ve been looking for you ever since. Are you well enough to talk about your ordeal?”
“Yes, I’m ready,” Margery replied. “I had just finished my shopping and was putting the groceries in the boot of the car, when a bag was put over my head. I screamed. The man was laughing, I felt a whack on the back of my head and everything went dark. I awoke blindfolded; I think I was tied to a bed, as my hands and feet were tied to four posts. I was naked and fully exposed; I couldn’t move; it was horrible!”
Laura leaned forward, offering comfort while Margery sobbed in her arms. She looked a mess; the bastards had really worked her over. Margery was the fifth victim who had been abducted and the only one not raped. This was the first time they’d been this brutal.
“You’re fine now. Take all the time you want. There’s no hurry.”
“No, I want you to get these brutes!” Margery said, trembling. “I’m a psychologist and have dealt with this sort of thing with my clients. I never thought I would be in this situation myself. I heard their conversations. The one who kidnapped me is called Terry; from his behaviour he needs to feel empowered when with women. He wanted to rape me but couldn’t. The more he tried the more enraged he became. He was rambling incoherently. I heard him grab something and he started hitting me with it. Then I passed out; when I came around I pretended to be unconscious.
“The one in charge is called Andy, and he was giving orders to a Mick and Joe. He told Joe to wash and dress me. Joe’s hands were gentle and never strayed. Mick organised the transport and then they put me in the back seat with Mick and Joe either side for support. If Terry hadn’t hit me, I believe all but Joe would have raped me. He wouldn’t have stopped the others, which makes him just as guilty in my book.”
“You’ll be happy to know that there was no violation,” Laura said quietly. “You have several broken ribs and some nasty cuts on your face that needed stitching. Being a vascular area it bleeds profusely when cut. That’s what saved your life.” She saw Margery’s grimace. “With all that blood they panicked and brought you to the hospital. I have already taken some photos and will take more when the extent of the bruising is visible.”
“After they put me in the wheelchair they removed the blindfold. They thought I was still unconscious. I saw the registration plate – would that help?”
“Oh Margery, you are a gem,” Laura said, while busily taking notes.
“I didn’t see where they took me,” rushed Margery. “But it had a real bad smell, like rotten fish, and I heard crystal gliders going past. I think there was construction work as well. I’m sorry. I can’t think any more.”
“You have been of tremendous help,” Laura said warmly, looking at Margery. “I don’t know if I could have been as brave. The triage nurse gave us a good description of the two who brought you in. From her account they would be in their early twenties; could you verify that at all?”
“From their behaviour, speech patterns and what little I saw, they couldn’t have been much older.”
“I believe they’re also responsible for four other abductions,” continued Laura. “The thing they hit you with is called a truncheon; it was stolen from a security guard walking the wall the other night. To the best of your knowledge, was Terry the only one who assaulted you?”
“Yes, when I came to, Andy was yelling at the others. Oh, he told Mick to put plastic on the seat to catch my blood.”
“Thank you, Margery, that’s all for now. If you think of anything else, no matter how insignificant, notify the staff and I’ll return.”
A nurse came into the room indicating it was time for Margery’s medication, along with a sedative to help her rest. Laura left, returning to police headquarters.
Slegna had listened, supping on the Unbalanced emotions from Margery and Laura. Leaving a hound of despair with Margery to keep the horror alive, Slegna left to find the boys. The hound of despair suddenly appeared, whimpering. This woman wasn’t like the others; she wouldn’t wallow in self-pity.
* * *
Slegna found the boys sleeping; he gently entered Terry’s dream state. Terry was once again dreaming of being hunted by something he couldn’t quite see. This was becoming a regular nightly occurrence; his mind couldn’t take much more. After terrorising him into submission, Slegna would have to give him the illusion of hope or he would become totally deranged and useless for his purpose.
As the dream progressed, Slegna introduced the stimulus required to bend him to his will. About a dozen spiders and moonlight should give an eerie feel to his terror. Slegna watched as Terry started twitching. This wasn’t correct; Terry’s subconscious mind had taken control of the dream. The wickedness of Terry’s spirit was too much for his soul to cope with any longer. Slegna had lost control.
The soul brought forward horrors in far greater amounts than Slegna would have dared. The spiders multiplied in their hundreds in the dream. Terry awoke furiously swotting at his face and body, jumping out of bed and screaming in terror. Slegna tried to wake him from his dream, without success.
If this kept up Terry would lose his mind and be in torment till the end of his mortal days. This would be a fitting punishment for his actions but Slegna needed him and had already resolved to make him a fiend in the realms of the Unbalanced.
The spiders climbed Terry’s legs, torso and neck. As they began to enter his mouth, Slegna made his move. Focusing all the energy about him, Slegna constructed a hound of despair out of the spiders. Terry stood in horror as the spiders formed a grotesque crawling mass the shape of a hound. He was transfixed as the beast stood before him, adding to his terror. The hound spoke in a hideous guttural tone.
“You have crossed the bounds of humanity with your lust for cruelty and vengeance. Serve me or return to your fate.” Waves of torment washed over Terry indicating the depth of suffering that would befall him if he chose to refuse Slegna’s offer. Slegna patiently waited.
Now Terry stuttered, “Am … I … d-d-dead?”
“Not yet. Now, choose!”
The hound in front of Terry collapsed and the spiders once again headed towards him. His dread was so powerful that he couldn’t hear his soul screaming for recognition. In that moment his soul darkened with the cloak of ignorance and was hidden from his spirit.
Terry was overcome. “I am yours. What do you want?”
“Awake from your dream, then return to sleep. When you wake again,