Interview With The Abyss (Mindflayer TG/TF)
The second Shaun Goddard placed his foot on the dusty tarmac of
the train station, he knew that his curiosity was going to get the
better of him. The moment the worn, rubbery sole touched the ground, a
shudder crawled up his spine and nested around his neck, where he
immediately shook his shoulders in an attempt to counter the odd
sensation. Hopping out of the carriage, Shaun pulled his phone out of
his jacket pocket and, after swiftly sliding a finger across the screen,
immediately started tapping his thumbs to reply to the message that
he’d already read hours ago:
Frankie [12:30]: Good luck on your investigation. Don’t know what you’re gonna find all the way out there though… Anyways, let me know when you get there, okay?
As
the squeaks and groans of the train echoed through the grey blanket of
mist, Shaun frowned as he saw the tiny loading circle besides his
message stay for more than a blink of an eye… it kept swirling and
swirling. Huffing harshly in response, he wasn’t really surprised that
it was taking so long for it send through - after all, why would a town
all the way out in the countryside have a strong connection when nobody
had lived in it for over two decades? Placing his phone back into his
pocket, he wrapped his hand around the strap of his messenger bag and
plodded out of the station.
As the taxi trundled down the cracked road, Shaun simply stared out through the dirt tinted windows at the dull, grimy and completely empty streets; his eyes scrolling past at what seemed to have once been a grocery store, judging from the flaked and faded sign above it. The barren feeling this place emitted was only emphasised by how much space there was between the buildings - what would no doubt have been a busy high street nowadays was just abandoned properties dotted around empty stretches of land that lasted for half or quarter of a mile. To make things even worse, what space there was seemed to be marshland - or at least that was what he assumed the gooey black sludge he could see caking the ground…
Eventually, the taxi found itself driving past the place where it had all happened - or at least it supposedly had happened according to the rumors. A couple decades ago, the whole town had apparently gathered inside the church and performed some sort of mass suicide for an unknown reason - it took a couple months of absolute silence before the police had arrived, and the only evidence that supported the rumors were the scattered cloaks and bones that they found. The oddest part about what they found however, was the condition of the bodies… the deaths were initially chalked up to self immolation, but there was too little left for this to be true.It was then suggested some sort of mass acid attack, but then what bones and organs were left behind were too intact. Eventually the discovery of a knife, as well as the remains of a fence post with multiple stab holes was accepted as truth because it was the clearest evidence. But perhaps the oddest part of the case was how a well known doctor of anthropology had also gone missing in the town, a presumed suicide note about “voices” and “the dark” that derailed into feverish scribbles...
As Shaun stared at the rotten, crumpled and twisted building in front of him, there was something about it that made him want to turn away, and yet also keep looking… maybe it was the way its two towers lurched forward at him, their shadows just barely touching the taxi. It was only when Shaun’s mind conjured the image of the two shattered stained glass windows looked like a pair of waxy orbs staring at him that he turned his head and attention to the envelope he’d been holding in his hands.
It had only been a week since Shaun’s curiosity had initially been piqued when he’d first come across the case on the internet, and since then he’d simply been flicking back to it between his usual job of writing columns on local news events… and then suddenly he found that envelope resting on his desk in the office, the one with the wax seal. Opening it, the contents mentioned how there was someone within the town who had been waiting until it was the right time before giving information - apparently that time was now, and Shaun was also the only person worthy of hearing it…
“Just throw it in the trash,” Frankie had told him nonchalantly as she took a sip from her coffee cup. “It was probably sent by some nutcase huddled deep down in his mom’s basement.”
Usually Shaun would have agreed with her, but from the fact that whoever had written the letter had such elegant, flowing writing - even the ink seemed to be from a fountain pens or quill from the way it stuck to the paper - as well as it not devolving into a rambling mess made him reconsider… that, and the thought that if whoever had sent was telling the truth, he’d finally be able to write about more important things that were going on the world.
After another ten or so minutes of driving, Shaun found the taxi pulling up to a pair of wrought iron gates, the tips missing some of the spear-like endings. Stepping out of the taxi, Shaun immediately turned around to give the driver some money, but jumped as he heard the car door slam shut and the car’s rusty engine splutter to life. Before they could drive away, Shaun placed his hands on the open window of the passenger seat and lowered his head in.
“H-hey, what are you doing?! I haven’t paid you yet!”
“I don’t want yer money, pal!” piped the scruffy middle-aged man. “I just ain’t stayin’ in this town any longer!” Before he could inquire further, the man jabbed a calloused finger on a button and Shaun was forced to pull himself away as the window sliced through the air. The taxi then dragged itself around to the direction it came and started to hastily scurry down the road.
Shaking his head, Shaun turned to have a proper look at what awaited him: behind the gate lay was a slightly long pathway lined with trees whose spindly, pale and dry bodies were exposed to the crisp afternoon air; the branches grasping up at the cloudy sky. In another time, this view would have been a tranquil autumn pathway littered with a collage of red, orange and yellow leaves… instead Shaun found himself staring at something that wouldn’t have been out of place in a gothic novel.
Focusing back on the gate, Shaun looked around for some sort of intercom to talk into and let the owners know he was here, but there wasn’t anything like. Shrugging, he pressed a hand against the doors and pushed hard - they immediately let out a rusty squeal for half a second as they parted slightly, but Shaun yanked his hand away the moment he felt something wet stick to his palm. Grimacing as he saw that some sort of oily substance had gotten on to his hand, he slapped it against his jacket to get it off before nudging against the doors with his shoulder and slipping through the second there was enough space. Once he had, he was almost expecting them to ominously slam shut behind him.
Heading down the pathway now, Shaun studied the trees a little bit more: Just like earlier, the ground they were rooted in seemed to be the same kind of wet, muddy kind that he’d seen throughout the town already. Now that he was close enough, he could tell that the “mud” looked too dark to be that. It was more like tar, but that couldn’t be right… some of the stuff had even gotten onto the gravelly path he was walking on, as the usual bumpy texture underneath him was often replaced with a soft squishy sound; he could feel it reluctantly pulling off of his soles.
Shaun soon found himself in front of the steps of a large manor. It seemed to have wasted away just like the church, although at a much slower rate considering nothing looked like it had fallen in on itself and all the windows were not just intact, but also remarkably clean as they reflected the stormy sky.
Despite this, there was something about the building that unnerved him almost as much as the church had: perhaps it was the way it looked like it leant to the side just ever so slightly thanks to the way the various rooms had been built, or how it shared two towers just like the church - but what made it even stranger was that they were both completely different in style, as if each section of the manor were parts of other houses bizarrely stitched together. Shaun’s brain ached the more he tried to think about it, so he quickly climbed up the steps.
Just when he was about to raise his hand up and knock, Shaun noticed that there was a small stained glass window that presumably was supposed to be used as a peephole. But as he stared at its design, he realised that the pale yellow colour along with the crimson circle in its center was, along with the oval shape of it looked like an eye staring blankly out towards the pathway in front of it... or was it observing the person standing in front of it right now -
The door suddenly opened, the quick and harsh clanking sound of the lock turning jolting Shaun out of the stupor he’d fallen into.
Standing in front of him now was a woman who seemed to be only a couple years younger than he was, which was at odds with the short snowy coloured hair you’d expect from someone much older than both of them. She wore a very typical maid outfit; the ruffled white headpiece, a white apron that hugged at her waist and a black dress that stretched all the way down to the floor, puffing out at the shoulders. Shaun initially thought she was dressed up, but it was clear from the elegant and straight way she held herself that she was genuine.
“Good afternoon, sir.” she said in a refined accent straight out of the last century that only confirmed his suspicions. “Mr Goddard, I presume?”
“Uhm, yeah.” Shaun said, and the maid let the slightly too sincere smile curve across her mouth.
“Excellent. Welcome to Yellowking Manor.” She then stepped backwards and aside. “Please, come in and make yourself at home.”
Entering the manor, Shaun shuddered again as his shoes touched down on the checkered black and white floor, although he didn’t think much of it, blaming the cool breeze that had crept in from outside. With a resounding boom, the grand wooden door behind him was closed shut by the maid, who then strolled in front of his view. “Please follow me to the parlor.”
Shaun followed the woman through the grand foyer, which had two sets of staircases spiraling up into the wide balconies above and obviously led to the upper floor. However, he found himself going through the door that sat between the two stairs and found himself entering what was clearly the dining hall, judging from the long wooden table that was decorated with fancy, swirly gold trimmings on the side. However, this little escort didn’t stop here as the maid took him into the room on the right, where a room with two large, red velvet sofas were placed opposite each other whilst a small round table that was dressed with a faint, web-like sheet. There was a single window, lined with equally spectral curtains that offered a view of the bleak, muddy landscape surrounding them, along with some paintings - and all of them seemed to feature ships in the midst of vicious storms… some even had the ships being ensnared, wrapped and crushed by tentacled beings hidden deep within the abyssal blue waves…
“Please, take a seat.” although the maid’s voice was soft, it still made Shaun flinch. Looking at her, he saw that she was gesturing to one of the sofas, so he took the strap of his bag off of his shoulder and sat down on the padded leather material, placing his bag next to him. Even though he was sitting on the very edge, Shaun still felt somewhat comfy - he had to resist the urge to just lean back into it by thinking about why he’d come here in the first place.
“Are you the person who sent me this letter?” He pulled the envelope out of his pocket. The maid took it in her slender, pale hand and stared at it, her ashy coloured eyes intently studying the broken wax seal that had been stamped on it...
“No, I am not.” she finally answered, slipping the envelope into her apron. “This letter was sent to you by the lady of the house.”
“Where is she? Can I talk to her?”
The maid glanced to the view outside the window. “She is… gone.”
Shaun frowned. “Gone? What do you mean, gone?”
The maid lifted a hand to her mouth and chuckled. “Forgive me, I do not mean she has disappeared. Perhaps the best word to use would be… stuck.”
“Stuck? I came all this way to find out more about what the hell happened here, and you’re telling me not only is she not here, she’s stuck somewhere?”
Although Shaun’s temper was evidently getting higher from the tone of his voice, the maid didn’t seem to be one bit worried or afraid as she stared at him, which only served to frustrate him that little bit more. “There is no need to worry, Mr Goddard. I assure you that she will return to this house shortly.”
“I’m sorry,” Shaun sighed. “I shouldn’t have spoken like that to you. If I can’t speak to your boss about what happened, would you mind if I asked you some questions instead?”
The maid nodded. “I suppose I can. But it would be improper for me not to serve a guest who has entered my lady’s abode. Please, stay here and I shall make you something to eat.”
“Oh, uh, sure.” However, instead of her asking what he’d like to eat, the maid immediately got up and departed, her dress never ruffling even the slightest as if she was taking countless tiny steps underneath. Gently closing the door behind her, Shaun was left on his own again. Taking his phone out, he tried to message Frankie again:
Shaun [15:10]: Hey, just so you know I’m at the house. I might be gone for a little longer than I expected, but I’ll keep you posted.
Once again, the message just wouldn’t send. Shaking his head, Shaun figured he’d have to send Frankie a message by carrier pigeon by the end of the day. After a couple of minutes, the maid reentered the room holding a sparkling silver tray with both hands, which made him wonder how she’d been able to turn the doorknob. As she walked over and placed the tray down on the table, Shaun’s eyes widened as he saw what was on it: It was a plain white bowl filled with some sort of dark green liquid that was almost as black as the mud outside, although it was much more watery than that. There were strands of… something that were hard to make out due to how soaked in the sauce they were, and didn’t look so appealing… however, the aroma coming off of it was deliciously fishy and made it difficult for Shaun not to pick up the spoon and start eating.
“What is this?”
“It’s a kind of seaweed soup,” said the maid. “I know it doesn’t look very enticing, but I assure you it’s quite a delicacy.”
Picking up the spoon, Shaun gingerly scooped up a single strand along with some of the broth and lifted it up towards his mouth - the seaweed looked a little bit thicker than he was expecting. However, the second he put the spoon into his mouth and bit down, a wonderfully (but obviously expected) saltiness tingled across his taste buds, and the texture seaweed was almost like pasta in the way his teeth effortlessly bit through it and chewed it up. Gulping it all down, he couldn’t help but mention how great it tasted to the maid, who smiled warmly. Shaun found himself grabbing the bowl and quickly eating the rest - by the time he’d placed the bowl back down, there were only little dregs of the soup left.
“I’m afraid that’s all there is,” the maid noted, answering the question that had only been beginning to form in the back of Shaun’s mind. “I’ll be making some more tomorrow for breakfast, if you’re wondering.”
Shaun raised an eyebrow as he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. “I won’t be here tomorrow morning.”
“But you will be, Mr Goddard. After all, you will be staying the night here.”
Shaun blinked. “What? I can’t stay here-”
“Then where will you stay? I highly doubt the taxi will come back here to pick you up, and I know there’s nobody else in the town to even give you a place to rest. Besides, I know my mistress would not object to keeping you under her roof and serving you to the best of my abilities.”
“I… alright, then.” Shaun unzipped his bag and rummaged through it for a couple of moments before pulling a notepad and a pen. “I was wondering if now would be a good time for me to interview you?”
The maid shifted in her seat and sat more upright. “I don’t see why not. I suppose the best thing to start off with is my name… I am Miranda Felicity Laer, although my mistress often likes to call me Mindy.”
“Laer…” Shaun repeated under his breath as he wrote it down. “Never heard a surname like that before.”
Miranda pouted. “It’s an old surname that has been passed down in my family for centuries.”
Shaun nodded sheepishly. “Right… and how long have you been working here?” He was expecting her to say at least something in the single digits.
“Twenty-five years, at least.”
Shaun immediately did a double take as the pen frantically scribbled across the paper. “And just how old are you?”
“Don’t they say you should never ask a woman that question?”
An awkward silence quickly filled the room, although it was just as quickly broken by Shaun feigning a cough and asking; “S-So uh, twenty five years… you’ve never felt like having a different job, switching things up a little?”
Miranda shook her head gently. “My family have served this house for as long as it’s had it’s surname. I do not intend on breaking that tradition.”
“Still, surely it must be a little bit boring staying in this house all the time…”
“My job keeps me occupied. Providing for my mistress and cleaning the manor takes up quite a lot of time.”
Shaun stared at Miranda. “You… you clean this whole manor by yourself?”
“It is not an impossible task.” Miranda said with a proud smile. “I am… remarkably multi-talented, let’s say. Besides, my mistress does not currently desire any more servants.”
“But surely you must get a little bit lonely around here?”
“I have all the company I need.” Miranda admitted, a pale hand grasping the other as they rested in her lap. Shaun wanted to ask more, but decided to let it pass - whatever he thought was implied was private between Miranda and her employer.
“So.... Would you like to talk about what happened here twenty years ago? That would mean you’d been working here for five years.”
Miranda nodded slowly. “Yes, I had been. Again, my job means I don’t venture out into town often, but I left often enough to gain a general gist of what happened around here. Everyone seemed friendly and normal, until the year in which the… incident occurred.”
“What happened?”
“It all started on a Sunday, which is when the majority of the town goes to the church. It must have started with the new priest.”
“What happened to the old one?”
“I don’t know; my service here means I hardly hear gossip and rumors. But whatever happened, perhaps it had something to do with him.” Miranda looked out the window again. “ After that Sunday… there wasn’t just something different with the people - the air itself had a sort of staticity to it; the kind that made your breaths feel short.”
“Okay… and what about your mistress? Did she ever go to church?”
Miranda smiled. “No, she did not. She isn’t the kind to believe in such things. But yes, on the few times I could leave, I could tell that the people who lived in the town had changed for the worse: their skin paled; some of them acted like they hadn’t slept in weeks… but the most shocking change was their eyes.”
“Their eyes?”
Miranda nodded. “For a long time they were just bloodshot, especially on the Mondays following their visits to the church which would usually take place at three o’clock in the morning. On the day before it happened, one fellow I chanced upon had red blood eyes.”
Shaun looked up from his pad. “Wait, red eyes? Like the one on your front door?”
Miranda’s hands tensed in her lap, her eyes flitting back to stare directly into his. “...Yes, just like that one. It wasn’t always there, but because my mistress did not ever go to the sermons they placed it there. I imagine it was some threat of sorts, but who knows.”
Shaun repeated what she had said down on paper, but next to it he placed a ‘?’. “When the police first found out what had happened, there were all these cloaks that had the same eye sign on them scattered across the scene of the crime. Did you ever see anyone wearing this?”
“Only once, a couple days before it all happened. I don’t know when they started wearing it, but they must have been given it by the priest at some point.”
“Finally… did you ever hear about or meet a Dr Scott?”
“No,” Miranda answered a little too quickly. “I remember hearing about some researcher entering the town a week or so before the incident, but beyond that I never met or conversed with him.”
Shaun simply hummed lowly, the pressure of his pen increasing as he underlined the words never met scott. Twirling the pen in his hands, he sighed “I think that’s all I’ll ask for now.”
“Very well,” Miranda rose from her seat and gestured towards the door leading back out to the dining hall. “As you’ll be staying here for the night, please allow me to escort you to your room.” Shoving his things back into the bag, Shaun hoisted it onto his shoulder and followed the maid back into the dinner hall, finding himself being taken back into the lobby. They then headed upstairs, walking up the pristine marble steps and turning to the left side of the house. A long, stretching corridor was ahead of him with at least three doors in sight. Shaun wondered briefly how such a long hallway was possible considering how tightly packed the manor looked from the outside, but forgot as Miranda continued walking down, her steps oddly silent as she glided across the floor.
Eventually, Shaun found himself at the end of the hallway. Miranda opened the door for him and gestured for him to go inside. He found himself entering a small room with a thin, black wooden desk with a mirror that was unsurprisingly clean considering who apparently had a constant maintenance over the building. Directly opposite the desk was an equally black and wispy four poster bed, with a grey lace duvet interlaced with long, snaking flowers that ended in nine thick petals. Although they bed looked like it should hardly be able to hold the weight of even the mattress against it, let alone his when he’d lay on it later, it looked surprisingly plump and comfy. Miranda slipped past him and cast open the black puffy curtains to allow some light in. Peering out, Shaun could now see the faint silhouette of the church in the distance… even from this massive distance, it felt like it was still trying to reach out towards him…
“I hope this room is accommodating for you,” Miranda said, her calm and refined voice pulling him out of his nervousness. “I’m afraid there aren’t many plugs due to electronics only being installed in a select few rooms thanks to the age of this house, so I suggest using your phone as little as possible while you stay here.”
“Damn it,” Shaun muttered. “I didn’t even think about bringing a charger in the first place.”
“I know there isn’t much else for you to do for now, so I’ll prepare you some dinner.” An excited glint appeared in her eyes. “I do hope you enjoyed my soup earlier.” Shaun’s stomach immediately gurgled in response, and the two of them both chuckled at its convenient timing. “Feel free to make yourself comfortable; I shall return once dinner is ready.”
There wasn’t much for Shaun to do considering he’d only brought his notepad and pen in his bag when he’d left to get on the train here, so he simply sat down on the edge of the bed (slowly placing himself down in case it actually did break) and attempted one last time to text Frankie, although it unsurprisingly didn’t send. Slapping it down on the drawer beside his bed, Shaun sighed and left his room, walking down that winding corridor and finding himself back out on the second floor.
Just as he was about to take a step forward, his ears just barely picked up on a faint, muffled sound: It was a humming of sorts, or at least that's how it sounded. It was soft and high pitched, and seemed to fade in and out… taking a couple steps towards the stairs, Shaun leant against the railing and tilted his head - it was then that his ears picked up the unmistakable chopping sound of a knife.
Realising Miranda was probably just humming some tune, Shaun stood back up straight and turned back around to look at the two other doors that were on the floor: There was a pair of massive wooden doors opposite him that were no doubt belonging to the mysterious and apparently stuck owner of the manor. Looking to his right, Shaun saw that the door was the exact same plain one that went down to his room, so he walked over to it and tried opening it - the door yielded and gasped as he saw that there was a massive room lined with shelves of books.
Creeping inside, he walked around and just let his eyes take in the titles that were etched into the tattered and worn out spines. Whoever this lady was, she was clearly well educated judging from the variety of genres: Philosophy, History, Geography, Religion… and Anthropology, which reminded Shaun of the late Dr Scott. Perhaps if he’d managed to come here, his whereabouts wouldn’t be as much of a mystery. As he continued to study the shelves, Shaun’s eyes were eventually caught by one book in particular, mainly because it had no spine at all… in fact, it had that same gold and red eye insignia on its center that sparkled even in the dim lighting that covered the room. What was this book doing here if the owner never went to church? Something tingled at the back of Shaun’s head, but he ignored it as his hand carefully reached out to curl his fingers around it -
“Your dinner is ready, Mr Goddard.”
Shaun yanked his hand away, swearing under his breath as he spun around to face Miranda, who was standing a couple feet away from him, her hands clasped snugly as they rested against her apron. Her face was as calm as always, but there was something about her that seemed… different somehow; the awkward silence gently broken by the sound of her soft but shallow breaths, and how her eyes seemed to have that shine in them. His eyes couldn’t help but drift down a little, where the puffy part of her dress seemed to be rising in time with her exhales...
Shaun gulped, his heart pumping a little bit faster than usual from how unexpected her appearance was. “How did you, uh… how did you get that book?”
“Did I... not mention it?” Miranda coughed, and the next time she spoke her voice sounded as calm as usual. “As neither I or my mistress ever went to the sermons, I discovered the book resting at the front door one morning. No doubt another attempt to persuade us to join the rest of the town.” She gestured towards the open door. “Please, come eat your dinner.”
Shaun frowned at the maid, but followed her request and headed back down the stairs, walking through into the dining hall and saw that a white bowl resting on a spotless silver tray was resting at the chair on the other end of the long table. Looking at Miranda, who was standing next to him, he said “Are you sure I should be sitting there? Looks like the chair would be where the lady of the house would sit.” Indeed, the chair stood out from the rest by having a grey, silky padding on its seat, backrest and armrests.
“She would not mind, I assure you. Besides, I am required to make you feel as comfortable as possible.” The two of them headed down towards the chair, but as Shaun finally stopped beside it, Miranda moved behind it and pulled it back for him, bowing as a sign for him to sit down. He did, and immediately found himself sighing as the cushiony padding felt amazing against his back… but the most wonderful sense being enticed was that of his nose, as that fishy scent flooded his nose again. Licking his lips, he picked up the fork and eagerly stabbed it into the seaweed, raising it out of the sauce before taking a hefty bite - as the taste filled his mouth again, his hum of satisfaction almost sounded like a moan. Although the bowl was larger than the one he’d been given earlier, he felt like he ate it in the same amount of time, wolfing down the thick rolls of seaweed before grabbing the spoon and eagerly gulping the warm greenish black liquid down.
Once he was done, he leant back into the chair and smiled. “Do you mind giving me the recipe for this? I’d love to try and make it myself.”
Miranda smirked and replied; “I’m afraid not. It’s a… private, personal secret of mine. However, I am willing to give you more, if you so desire…” her voice had a sultry edge to it, although Shaun wasn’t entirely sure if he was just imagining from how sleepy and heavy his mind felt now. Crossing one leg on top of the other, he picked up the white handkerchief that had also been resting on the tray and wiped his mouth. A part of him wanted to tell her to make him some immediately, but… well, it wasn’t like he was her boss, so he didn’t want to impose himself. Although the seat felt almost ridiculously comfortable, Shaun pushed himself upright and thanked Miranda for the food, and she bowed.
However, as Shaun walked past her, he couldn’t help but stop as his nose picked up that deliciously salty scent nearby. It seemed to be emanating from her, which made sense as she’d obviously cooked it… his eyes lidding, Shaun turned to face her and leant in closely, taking in the smell as if it were a perfume. A part of him was surprised she hadn’t tried to push him or move away… if anything she seemed to be relishing it, judging from the smirk on her face and the way her eyes roamed almost hungrily over his body. The two of them stood there quietly, the tension in the air no longer the awkward type… Locking eyes, Shaun moved his head towards hers and -
“I think… I think you should go to bed, Mr Goddard.” she whispered, her hands placed against the edge of the table. “It’s rather late, and… well, eating must have made you tired.” Shaun found himself being snapped out of a daze for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and he immediately backed off.
“I-I’m so sorry Miranda, I don’t know what came over me-”
“It’s alright. I must admit, as I am the only staff here and my mistress is always away… well, I get rather lonely here.” Her eyes flickered up and down his body. “Even someone such as I has desires and needs~” Standing up and dusting her dress, she then spoke in her usual precise tone. “In the meantime, I still have duties to perform in this house. I’m sure you can find your way back to bed. Good night, Mr Goddard.”
“Please, call me Shaun.”
“Then good night, Shaun.” she chuckled, raising a hand to cover her mouth. Shaun spun around and sauntered out of the room, climbing up the stairs and stumbling into his bedroom. Although he hadn’t had any alcohol, his mind felt unbelievably sluggish and his body even more so - before he could even open the covers, he slumped onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.
However, whilst Shaun’s evening had been rather enjoyable… his night was not: At some point in the night, he woke up with a start, bolting up in bed - wait, when did he get into the bed? The duvet and mattress were both wonderfully warm and pillowy, but Shaun couldn’t remember slipping in… unless Miranda had done it? He couldn’t really imagine the slender, graceful woman being able to really shove and lift him around. Opening his eyes, he immediately squinted as a pale white beam of light cloaked his vision - once they’d adjusted, he realised that it was coming from the moon as it hung in the dark, empty night. Obviously Miranda must have forgotten to close the curtains, so Shaun slumped out of bed and headed over to close them… but just as his hands were about to yank them across, his eyes caught onto a gentler light in the distance… roughly the same distance and position that the church would have been.
Curiosity sparking within him, Shaun found himself almost automatically pacing out of the room, walking in a brisk but slow manner so that Miranda would not be disturbed as she slept… wherever her room was. As he stood at the massive grand front doors, he grimaced as his hand wrapped around one of the knobs before gently turning it, expecting it to make a piercing creak or booming clunk… but fortunately it didn’t, and as soon as the door was wide enough for him he slipped through and shut it behind him. Although it was an October night, the air didn’t feel the single bit cold; there was no biting breeze brushing against his skin. Looking at the pathway in front of him, the darkness emphasised by the trees lining the sides looked almost endless and impenetrable. Steeling himself, Shaun took his first few steps towards it...
...And then suddenly he was standing in front of the church. Shaun shook his head and blinked. How long had he been walking for? It was only now that he realised he hadn’t put any shoes on (Miranda must have taken them off for him), but surprisingly they weren’t sore or caked in dirt and dew that would have appeared from the cold. Looking at the building now though, Shaun could see the orange flickers of candlelight emanating through the stained glass windows, which only made the building truly appear as if it were gazing down at him. Although a part of his mind was tingling again, Shaun ignored the feeling and headed inside, pushing the rotten wooden door - what he saw made him gasp.
The floor was completely covered in the same black mud that he’d seen across town, but here it seemed to be constantly bubbling and steaming as if it were some horrible mix between a swamp and a sauna. He could see bits of pews that long since broken up and rotted away jabbing out through the substance, along with the odd ceremonial candlestick. But what had grabbed Shaun’s attention was the altar - or rather, the place where the altar should have been: a person was standing there, although they were turned around and hunched over.
“Hey!” Shaun shouted. “Are you okay?!” The person didn’t even budge, as if he’d never spoken in the first place. Wondering if they were trapped or hurt somehow, Shaun squinted as he tried to see if there was any way to avoid stepping on the mud. It seemed that a tiny path was actually there, swerving and curling through the slime and leading to the steps of the altar. Gulping, Shaun balled his hands into fists and darted across the narrow trail, hopping occasionally as he could have sworn the mud was playing with him; pulsing back and forth so that it would almost come into contact with his bare skin.
Eventually Shaun managed to make it across… but as his eyes took in the sight before him now, he froze: Instead of there being an altar table, there was a large pool… a pool filled to the brim with the same inky substance, although here it seemed to be more fluid from how it ebbed and shone in the moonlight piercing in from the many holes in the roof. The pool also seemed to be rather deep, considering how the hunched over person was standing up and was completely submerged up to their waist.
“Hey, are you okay?” Shaun repeated, reaching a hand out expectantly. The figure slowly turned around, and once he could see their face, Shaun pulled his hand back. “D-Dr Scott?!”
There was no mistaking it; Shaun had seen this face countless times before in old newspaper articles and webpages - it was then that Shaun realised the man hadn’t aged at all in twenty years, making him around forty four, making him look almost look sort of younger than Shaun as a result. But instead of fear, surprise or hope being on his face… Shaun stared at the professor’s face and frowned as he saw the oddly content grin that was on it.
“Hello, Shaun.” he said. “I’ve been expecting you.”
“W...What? Look, we have to get you out of there-”
Dr Scott laughed and stepped back, the black pool rippling as he waded through it. Placing his arms on the edge of the pool, he leaned back and continued. “Why would I ever want to leave? This place… the power, the knowledge… the pleasure I gained from coming here is indescribable to a little mortal such as yourself.”
Hearing what the doctor was saying made Shaun take his own couple steps back. “You’ve gone mad… after what you saw happened here, didn’t you?” The smile on the man’s face only widened even further, revealing his bright white teeth…sharp, triangular teeth that looked more fitting on a shark than any human.
“Mad? Not at all. If anything, I’ve never felt any saner since!” The pool began to bubble and swish, and Shaun watched as some of it started to climb up his body, his already pale skin underneath the moonlight starting to gain an ashen grey colour as if the life was being sucked out of him - and yet from the way he giggled, flicked his shoulder length hair back and ran a long forked tongue over his lips, he was clearly having a lot of fun - Shaun blinked hard. Scott’s hair hadn’t been that long a second ago; it had been the same short and neatly styled cut it had been in his missing photo. But now he could only watch as it grew down and thicked, becoming a brilliant fiery mane that pooled around the surface of the tar.
“Ahhhhh, yes~!” He hissed, his voice becoming higher and feminine whilst gaining a raspy tone, as if his now slender throat wasn’t designed to speak in any human tongue. Running his hands through his luscious black locks, a series of sickening but muffled crunches and pops could be heard coming from his body - and Shaun’s eyes widened as he saw Scott’s hips visibly punch out with a sharp snap - despite how painful it sounded, Scott let out a warbling coo as a pair of undeniably womanly curves appeared on his body. His abdomen wriggled as if something was forcibly pushing itself around inside, but the only thing that happened was waist curving inwards, emphasising the womanly figure he was evidently getting, the marble skin looking so sleek and smooth in the moonlight… Shaun shook his head. Was he seriously getting turned on by this?
“It’s alright, Shaun.” Scott… or whatever he had become now gurgled, her tongue flitting out between her teeth. “I want you to look… I want to show you the gifts you could have if you just submit to me.” As she spoke, the creature’s jaw shifted; its masculine edges giving way to a smooth oval shape, followed by her nose shrinking and flattening, leaving a bizarre amount of space between her eyes and her mouth. She then sunk the tips of her fingers into the pool, sighing with relief as the liquid started to inch its way up her hands, pausing once it had reached halfway to the shoulders, giving the appearance of opera gloves.
Taking them out, the creature then raised her hands up to her chest and slapped them against her skin, moaning wildly as she started to massage and rub her body. Shaun was bewildered as he saw the flesh around the creatures nipples surge out and cause them to rapidly bloom into a pair of heaving orbs that retained their perkiness despite being large enough to surpass any human measurement. Shaun was utterly transfixed in a mixture of terror and arousal as he was unable to turn his eyes away from the creature as she continued to playfully slide her hands around her breasts, coos and moans squeezing out of her.
“There is no point in denying it, Shaun.” she purred, her hands roaming back to her head. “I know how badly you’ve wanted ‘Miranda’... and how you’ve longed for your ‘colleague’ Frankie… All my master and I desire is your desire! To have everyone united in the one thing we all want: Pleasure~!”
She then closed her eyes and bit down A strange rubbery, tightening sounded creaked through the air, and it took Shaun a couple moments to understand the source of it when he noticed that a part of the being’s hair couldn’t be moving because of the wind - it was alive. A bunch of strands had twisted together in order to make one large flower - and then more tangled together, and another combined… within a matter of seconds, dozens of these vine like appendages had sprouted out of her hair. The ends of them started to bulge, the seams splitting apart to reveal a group of yellowish eyes with bright red irises… the same as the sign Shaun had seen on the front door, on his bed and on the spine of the book!
“Ahhhhh, so much better~” the being sighed, opening the eyes on her head - Shaun’s heart skipped a beat as he saw that she now an eye on her head, the two organs somehow merging as her other ones grew out. “Finally, I can have a good look at you.” The creature then rose out of the pit - literally rose out, gently floating a couple inches above the surface as she utilised some of her eldritch powers… and this also exposed the bottom half of her body; her legs similarly covered in dry, almost chitinous pieces of the liquid that simultaneously emphasised her creamy pale and invitingly thick thighs. With how shapely and voluptuous she was, Shaun was reminded of those pictures of ancient fertility idols made back when humans were only brutish, unenlightened and insignificant to the universe surrounding them… and perhaps still were?
“We have always been here, Shaun.” the creature gloated as it peacefully drifted over to him. “We were here long before your sun was even a fusion of cosmic dust.” Once she was more or less in front of him, she extended a single ebony hand. “We do not wish to hurt your kind - we only wish to show them their true place in the order of things. And when our influence has spread far enough, we will finally be able to create an unending paradise. But before we can improve our world… we must first improve ourselves to belong in it~”
As Shaun stood there, his mouth agape as he just… stared at the thing that had once been Dr Scott. A part of his mind was screaming at him to turn, turn and run away from the church, from this entire town and warn everyone to never step foot in it again. But as he continued to take in her form, Shaun couldn’t help but find her alluring; the way her ample breasts rose gently with each breath, the way her skin glistened in the silvery moonlight… how one of her legs rested over the other, emphasising the plump pillowy flesh contained within them whilst their curvy outlines only hinted at what was nestled between them… An instinctive moan slipped out of his mouth, and a certain part of him had sprung to life moments ago was now prodding against the fabric of his trousers.
The being sniffed once, twice, and smiled hungrily. “I sense your answer, Shaun… now, allow me to enlighten you~”
The tentacles then launched themselves at Shaun’s body, wrapping around his arms and legs, lifting him effortlessly so that he was level with Her. They clenched tightly as they pulled him in towards her; that same black ooze weeping out of their eyes and eating away at his clothing, exposing his body to Her… and showing how flawed it was comparison. She cupped his chin in her hand and said soothingly; “Do not be ashamed, Shaun… soon, you will have a beauty that they will never comprehend~”
The two of them started to drift back over towards the pool, and then slowly but surely started to drop downwards. As each second passed, a part of Shaun’s mind screamed and begged him to at least try to struggle out of the tentacles grip… but when the second his foot was dipped into the oily substance, a breathy gasp slipped out of him as he felt cling to his skin - instinctively he tried to lower his leg even further in, grinding his teeth together as he felt the frustration of not being able to do so. As the two of them became submerged however, that feeling quickly faded away and was replaced with the warmth pulsing up from the tips of his toes and seeping into his scalp… no, into his mind.
Relaxing even further into Her embrace, Shaun moaned as he felt the wetness travel further up his legs, eating away at the useless strands of hair that hung to his skin, leaving them almost as sleek and smooth as the being in front of him. He could even sense it thickening and layering itself around his legs, and he whined as he tried to make his feet touch the bottom of the pool - he gasped as his heels, ankles and knees suddenly popped, sending waves of pleasurable tingles up his now longer lower limbs; continuing to stay for long enough that it Shaun felt like he needed to wiggle his toes to make sure they were there, but doing so only seemed to intensify that feeling, and it became harder for him to even curl them, something he put down to the sheer viscosity of the fluid.
Rubbing his legs together, Shaun giggled gleefully as he felt how slender they were now… and their softness only seemed to heighten the sensuality he was gaining from it, his member twitching spasmodically. A couple seconds later and this too was dipped into the pool - Shaun arched his back and moaned as a powerfully pleasurable pulse shot up his length and washed over him.
Once the slime had finally reached over his belly button, he realised that he should have surely been able to touch the bottom of the pool - unless this was just an endless pit of dark corruption… either way, the sheer density meant that he could more or less float in it harmlessly, and so the tentacles belonging to Her finally let go, slithering off of Shaun’s body and coiling back around the being they belonged to. As Shaun stood there in the pool, both his mind and body were utterly enveloped in a warm buzzing sensation, as if every single drop in the pool was alive, wriggling and squirming against him. A glazed look now covered his eyes, and they stared directly at Her single one as they shone with more than just bliss…
“It feels so good…” was all he could utter, and She smiled.
“You understand now, don’t you?” She prompted, stirring a single inky digit through the substance before taking it out and lapping at it her long black tongue. “What you’re standing in is my will, my desire in physical form. And with it, I can shape this world into what it deserves to be.”
She rose that same hand towards Shaun, and then splayed it wide open - and he yelped as he felt the area around his crotch abruptly tighten, and then begin to push inwards. It was almost as if a hand was pressed up against his groin, and Shaun couldn’t help but think that there was, judging from the saucy smirk She had on Her face. He could feel the wet gooey texture hug and press in a tight but gentle manner, forcing it rest against his skin as what felt like a pair of panties melted over them before quickly drying into the same hard shell as the ones She wore on Her legs.
The slime didn’t stop there however, as Shaun felt it crawl up his back, attaching to the sides of his waist. As they dried out, he let out a slight wheeze as he felt the surprising amount of added weight causing his torso to tighten and shrink under it - but what really surprised Shaun was when it went all the way up to his chest and then cupped around his pecs, causing him to moan softly as his nipples were coated in the gooey warmth; another spark coursing through his body as they formed into what looked almost like a bra… The fluid continued to climb all the way up to Shaun’s neck, wrapping around it and pooling around the underside of his jaw, leaving his throat slender and unblemished of any unsightly bumps. Frilly endings started to reach out and stretch towards towards his shoulders, suctioning themselves to his skin before applying that same inhuman strength to make his bones cave inwards and add to the elegant gait he had now.
By this point, an odd colour had appeared across Shaun’s body - instead of his usual pasty complexion, a light purplish hue had seeped into it as a side effect of the unnatural oil melting into his skin. She then lowered Her hand, and Shaun looked down to admire Her work - it was then that he realised his hands had been resting within the pool the whole time, and lifted them out to inspect them… his jaw dropped as he saw that the nails had grown out a couple inches and sharpened considerably whilst also now being coated in an onyx polish that shone brilliantly in the light. But the most eye catching addition was of the sleevelike tentacles that adorned his forearms, jutting out from his wrists and sleepily twitching, bioluminescent dots glowing gently underneath the rubbery hide.
“T-Thank you…!” was all he could muster, his manhood straining against his new clothing in its attempt to embody the satisfaction flowing through him.
“I am not done yet, my pawn.” said She, slowly approaching him. “This next step will be much more… direct, shall we say~”
She walked behind his vision, and before Shaun could ask what She meant, he felt Her hand latch onto his head and yank downwards, sending his view tumbling and falling into darkness as he was completely submerged in the obsidian pool. Initially his body jerked and flailed as it struggled for air, but the moment his mouth parted open and he was flooded with it… along the same briny, salty and delicious flavour of the ‘soup’ Miranda had served him earlier before. She’d been corrupting him this whole time. As his throat willingly gulped the fluid and savoured the warmth growing within him, a smile spread across his face as its features softened.
He began to feel a dullness fading into his head as the substance leaked into his skull and started to melt around his brain, that same tingling he’d felt earlier returning and building… and whispering into his soul all kinds of ancient unspeakable knowledge, knowledge that caused his eyes to shift from their dull brown to a bright stellar orange. Shaun felt his hair grow out and morph into long slender tendrils that squirmed and quivered in delight as the warmth pooled around his chest; the flesh swelling out as the fluid filled the pair of round, perky orbs, the nipples glowing a bright pink as if to draw attention to the unearthly nectar.
The same happened to his rear as it pushed out against the tentacled skirt; his thighs thickening whilst his arms thinned. Soon there was only one part left of Shaun’s manliness - of his humanity - left. And as he felt the fluid wriggle, twist and redesign his organs, he let out a muffled scream of esctasy as that organ pulled back into him and became something tighter, better and wetter.
As She stood there, She chuckled as a series of bubbles frothed up to the surface. Shaun Goddard was the one who had delved into the pool, but it was Shoggoth who quietly and slowly rose back up, her new and repurposed body meaning she no longer needed to worry about drowning. As she opened her star coloured eyes, she shuddered violently for a couple moments as a third, purple one bloomed on her forehead, emphasising the new perspective she had gained on the universe.
Miranda
was in the lobby, dusting the handrails of one of the grand staircases
when the front door suddenly opened and in stepped the purple being. A
warm smile on her face, she cheerfully descended the stairs and bowed.
“Welcome home, my mistress. I assume you gained all the information you
need?”
Shoggoth smirked. “All and so much more,” she replied in an equally reverbing tone as Her’s. “Go and make me some tea, would you? As delicious as you were to have, you’re much more important serving me.” Miranda then stood back up straight… and then started to rise as rows of tentacles spilled out from underneath her dress, the buttons on her apron splitting open to reveal a dozen pitch black orbs. On some of her tentacles, the very tips ended bluntly, as if they’d been expertly sliced off.
“Thank you, mistress.” she said, adding "If you need help.. acclimitising to your new form, may I remind you that I am all to eager to help you in any way possible~" the two of the chuckled briefly before Miranda turning around and slithered away into the lower doors. Shoggoth stayed where she was, closing her eyes whilst holding out her hand. The air around her palm curved and distorted, and suddenly her old form’s phone rested in her hand. Using her newfound cerebral powers, she was able to type a message without lifting a finger and send it instantly to someone who would become the first member of this new cult:
Shaun [03:00]: Hey Frankie, I need you to come here. There’s some information I’ve discovered that I can only trust you with...
Frankie [12:30]: Good luck on your investigation. Don’t know what you’re gonna find all the way out there though… Anyways, let me know when you get there, okay?
Shaun [15:31]: Finally made it. Don’t know how long I’ll be here though. Will let you know when I’m coming back empty handed or not.
As the taxi trundled down the cracked road, Shaun simply stared out through the dirt tinted windows at the dull, grimy and completely empty streets; his eyes scrolling past at what seemed to have once been a grocery store, judging from the flaked and faded sign above it. The barren feeling this place emitted was only emphasised by how much space there was between the buildings - what would no doubt have been a busy high street nowadays was just abandoned properties dotted around empty stretches of land that lasted for half or quarter of a mile. To make things even worse, what space there was seemed to be marshland - or at least that was what he assumed the gooey black sludge he could see caking the ground…
Eventually, the taxi found itself driving past the place where it had all happened - or at least it supposedly had happened according to the rumors. A couple decades ago, the whole town had apparently gathered inside the church and performed some sort of mass suicide for an unknown reason - it took a couple months of absolute silence before the police had arrived, and the only evidence that supported the rumors were the scattered cloaks and bones that they found. The oddest part about what they found however, was the condition of the bodies… the deaths were initially chalked up to self immolation, but there was too little left for this to be true.It was then suggested some sort of mass acid attack, but then what bones and organs were left behind were too intact. Eventually the discovery of a knife, as well as the remains of a fence post with multiple stab holes was accepted as truth because it was the clearest evidence. But perhaps the oddest part of the case was how a well known doctor of anthropology had also gone missing in the town, a presumed suicide note about “voices” and “the dark” that derailed into feverish scribbles...
As Shaun stared at the rotten, crumpled and twisted building in front of him, there was something about it that made him want to turn away, and yet also keep looking… maybe it was the way its two towers lurched forward at him, their shadows just barely touching the taxi. It was only when Shaun’s mind conjured the image of the two shattered stained glass windows looked like a pair of waxy orbs staring at him that he turned his head and attention to the envelope he’d been holding in his hands.
It had only been a week since Shaun’s curiosity had initially been piqued when he’d first come across the case on the internet, and since then he’d simply been flicking back to it between his usual job of writing columns on local news events… and then suddenly he found that envelope resting on his desk in the office, the one with the wax seal. Opening it, the contents mentioned how there was someone within the town who had been waiting until it was the right time before giving information - apparently that time was now, and Shaun was also the only person worthy of hearing it…
“Just throw it in the trash,” Frankie had told him nonchalantly as she took a sip from her coffee cup. “It was probably sent by some nutcase huddled deep down in his mom’s basement.”
Usually Shaun would have agreed with her, but from the fact that whoever had written the letter had such elegant, flowing writing - even the ink seemed to be from a fountain pens or quill from the way it stuck to the paper - as well as it not devolving into a rambling mess made him reconsider… that, and the thought that if whoever had sent was telling the truth, he’d finally be able to write about more important things that were going on the world.
After another ten or so minutes of driving, Shaun found the taxi pulling up to a pair of wrought iron gates, the tips missing some of the spear-like endings. Stepping out of the taxi, Shaun immediately turned around to give the driver some money, but jumped as he heard the car door slam shut and the car’s rusty engine splutter to life. Before they could drive away, Shaun placed his hands on the open window of the passenger seat and lowered his head in.
“H-hey, what are you doing?! I haven’t paid you yet!”
“I don’t want yer money, pal!” piped the scruffy middle-aged man. “I just ain’t stayin’ in this town any longer!” Before he could inquire further, the man jabbed a calloused finger on a button and Shaun was forced to pull himself away as the window sliced through the air. The taxi then dragged itself around to the direction it came and started to hastily scurry down the road.
Shaking his head, Shaun turned to have a proper look at what awaited him: behind the gate lay was a slightly long pathway lined with trees whose spindly, pale and dry bodies were exposed to the crisp afternoon air; the branches grasping up at the cloudy sky. In another time, this view would have been a tranquil autumn pathway littered with a collage of red, orange and yellow leaves… instead Shaun found himself staring at something that wouldn’t have been out of place in a gothic novel.
Focusing back on the gate, Shaun looked around for some sort of intercom to talk into and let the owners know he was here, but there wasn’t anything like. Shrugging, he pressed a hand against the doors and pushed hard - they immediately let out a rusty squeal for half a second as they parted slightly, but Shaun yanked his hand away the moment he felt something wet stick to his palm. Grimacing as he saw that some sort of oily substance had gotten on to his hand, he slapped it against his jacket to get it off before nudging against the doors with his shoulder and slipping through the second there was enough space. Once he had, he was almost expecting them to ominously slam shut behind him.
Heading down the pathway now, Shaun studied the trees a little bit more: Just like earlier, the ground they were rooted in seemed to be the same kind of wet, muddy kind that he’d seen throughout the town already. Now that he was close enough, he could tell that the “mud” looked too dark to be that. It was more like tar, but that couldn’t be right… some of the stuff had even gotten onto the gravelly path he was walking on, as the usual bumpy texture underneath him was often replaced with a soft squishy sound; he could feel it reluctantly pulling off of his soles.
Shaun soon found himself in front of the steps of a large manor. It seemed to have wasted away just like the church, although at a much slower rate considering nothing looked like it had fallen in on itself and all the windows were not just intact, but also remarkably clean as they reflected the stormy sky.
Despite this, there was something about the building that unnerved him almost as much as the church had: perhaps it was the way it looked like it leant to the side just ever so slightly thanks to the way the various rooms had been built, or how it shared two towers just like the church - but what made it even stranger was that they were both completely different in style, as if each section of the manor were parts of other houses bizarrely stitched together. Shaun’s brain ached the more he tried to think about it, so he quickly climbed up the steps.
Just when he was about to raise his hand up and knock, Shaun noticed that there was a small stained glass window that presumably was supposed to be used as a peephole. But as he stared at its design, he realised that the pale yellow colour along with the crimson circle in its center was, along with the oval shape of it looked like an eye staring blankly out towards the pathway in front of it... or was it observing the person standing in front of it right now -
The door suddenly opened, the quick and harsh clanking sound of the lock turning jolting Shaun out of the stupor he’d fallen into.
Standing in front of him now was a woman who seemed to be only a couple years younger than he was, which was at odds with the short snowy coloured hair you’d expect from someone much older than both of them. She wore a very typical maid outfit; the ruffled white headpiece, a white apron that hugged at her waist and a black dress that stretched all the way down to the floor, puffing out at the shoulders. Shaun initially thought she was dressed up, but it was clear from the elegant and straight way she held herself that she was genuine.
“Good afternoon, sir.” she said in a refined accent straight out of the last century that only confirmed his suspicions. “Mr Goddard, I presume?”
“Uhm, yeah.” Shaun said, and the maid let the slightly too sincere smile curve across her mouth.
“Excellent. Welcome to Yellowking Manor.” She then stepped backwards and aside. “Please, come in and make yourself at home.”
Entering the manor, Shaun shuddered again as his shoes touched down on the checkered black and white floor, although he didn’t think much of it, blaming the cool breeze that had crept in from outside. With a resounding boom, the grand wooden door behind him was closed shut by the maid, who then strolled in front of his view. “Please follow me to the parlor.”
Shaun followed the woman through the grand foyer, which had two sets of staircases spiraling up into the wide balconies above and obviously led to the upper floor. However, he found himself going through the door that sat between the two stairs and found himself entering what was clearly the dining hall, judging from the long wooden table that was decorated with fancy, swirly gold trimmings on the side. However, this little escort didn’t stop here as the maid took him into the room on the right, where a room with two large, red velvet sofas were placed opposite each other whilst a small round table that was dressed with a faint, web-like sheet. There was a single window, lined with equally spectral curtains that offered a view of the bleak, muddy landscape surrounding them, along with some paintings - and all of them seemed to feature ships in the midst of vicious storms… some even had the ships being ensnared, wrapped and crushed by tentacled beings hidden deep within the abyssal blue waves…
“Please, take a seat.” although the maid’s voice was soft, it still made Shaun flinch. Looking at her, he saw that she was gesturing to one of the sofas, so he took the strap of his bag off of his shoulder and sat down on the padded leather material, placing his bag next to him. Even though he was sitting on the very edge, Shaun still felt somewhat comfy - he had to resist the urge to just lean back into it by thinking about why he’d come here in the first place.
“Are you the person who sent me this letter?” He pulled the envelope out of his pocket. The maid took it in her slender, pale hand and stared at it, her ashy coloured eyes intently studying the broken wax seal that had been stamped on it...
“No, I am not.” she finally answered, slipping the envelope into her apron. “This letter was sent to you by the lady of the house.”
“Where is she? Can I talk to her?”
The maid glanced to the view outside the window. “She is… gone.”
Shaun frowned. “Gone? What do you mean, gone?”
The maid lifted a hand to her mouth and chuckled. “Forgive me, I do not mean she has disappeared. Perhaps the best word to use would be… stuck.”
“Stuck? I came all this way to find out more about what the hell happened here, and you’re telling me not only is she not here, she’s stuck somewhere?”
Although Shaun’s temper was evidently getting higher from the tone of his voice, the maid didn’t seem to be one bit worried or afraid as she stared at him, which only served to frustrate him that little bit more. “There is no need to worry, Mr Goddard. I assure you that she will return to this house shortly.”
“I’m sorry,” Shaun sighed. “I shouldn’t have spoken like that to you. If I can’t speak to your boss about what happened, would you mind if I asked you some questions instead?”
The maid nodded. “I suppose I can. But it would be improper for me not to serve a guest who has entered my lady’s abode. Please, stay here and I shall make you something to eat.”
“Oh, uh, sure.” However, instead of her asking what he’d like to eat, the maid immediately got up and departed, her dress never ruffling even the slightest as if she was taking countless tiny steps underneath. Gently closing the door behind her, Shaun was left on his own again. Taking his phone out, he tried to message Frankie again:
Shaun [15:10]: Hey, just so you know I’m at the house. I might be gone for a little longer than I expected, but I’ll keep you posted.
Once again, the message just wouldn’t send. Shaking his head, Shaun figured he’d have to send Frankie a message by carrier pigeon by the end of the day. After a couple of minutes, the maid reentered the room holding a sparkling silver tray with both hands, which made him wonder how she’d been able to turn the doorknob. As she walked over and placed the tray down on the table, Shaun’s eyes widened as he saw what was on it: It was a plain white bowl filled with some sort of dark green liquid that was almost as black as the mud outside, although it was much more watery than that. There were strands of… something that were hard to make out due to how soaked in the sauce they were, and didn’t look so appealing… however, the aroma coming off of it was deliciously fishy and made it difficult for Shaun not to pick up the spoon and start eating.
“What is this?”
“It’s a kind of seaweed soup,” said the maid. “I know it doesn’t look very enticing, but I assure you it’s quite a delicacy.”
Picking up the spoon, Shaun gingerly scooped up a single strand along with some of the broth and lifted it up towards his mouth - the seaweed looked a little bit thicker than he was expecting. However, the second he put the spoon into his mouth and bit down, a wonderfully (but obviously expected) saltiness tingled across his taste buds, and the texture seaweed was almost like pasta in the way his teeth effortlessly bit through it and chewed it up. Gulping it all down, he couldn’t help but mention how great it tasted to the maid, who smiled warmly. Shaun found himself grabbing the bowl and quickly eating the rest - by the time he’d placed the bowl back down, there were only little dregs of the soup left.
“I’m afraid that’s all there is,” the maid noted, answering the question that had only been beginning to form in the back of Shaun’s mind. “I’ll be making some more tomorrow for breakfast, if you’re wondering.”
Shaun raised an eyebrow as he wiped his mouth with the sleeve of his jacket. “I won’t be here tomorrow morning.”
“But you will be, Mr Goddard. After all, you will be staying the night here.”
Shaun blinked. “What? I can’t stay here-”
“Then where will you stay? I highly doubt the taxi will come back here to pick you up, and I know there’s nobody else in the town to even give you a place to rest. Besides, I know my mistress would not object to keeping you under her roof and serving you to the best of my abilities.”
“I… alright, then.” Shaun unzipped his bag and rummaged through it for a couple of moments before pulling a notepad and a pen. “I was wondering if now would be a good time for me to interview you?”
The maid shifted in her seat and sat more upright. “I don’t see why not. I suppose the best thing to start off with is my name… I am Miranda Felicity Laer, although my mistress often likes to call me Mindy.”
“Laer…” Shaun repeated under his breath as he wrote it down. “Never heard a surname like that before.”
Miranda pouted. “It’s an old surname that has been passed down in my family for centuries.”
Shaun nodded sheepishly. “Right… and how long have you been working here?” He was expecting her to say at least something in the single digits.
“Twenty-five years, at least.”
Shaun immediately did a double take as the pen frantically scribbled across the paper. “And just how old are you?”
“Don’t they say you should never ask a woman that question?”
An awkward silence quickly filled the room, although it was just as quickly broken by Shaun feigning a cough and asking; “S-So uh, twenty five years… you’ve never felt like having a different job, switching things up a little?”
Miranda shook her head gently. “My family have served this house for as long as it’s had it’s surname. I do not intend on breaking that tradition.”
“Still, surely it must be a little bit boring staying in this house all the time…”
“My job keeps me occupied. Providing for my mistress and cleaning the manor takes up quite a lot of time.”
Shaun stared at Miranda. “You… you clean this whole manor by yourself?”
“It is not an impossible task.” Miranda said with a proud smile. “I am… remarkably multi-talented, let’s say. Besides, my mistress does not currently desire any more servants.”
“But surely you must get a little bit lonely around here?”
“I have all the company I need.” Miranda admitted, a pale hand grasping the other as they rested in her lap. Shaun wanted to ask more, but decided to let it pass - whatever he thought was implied was private between Miranda and her employer.
“So.... Would you like to talk about what happened here twenty years ago? That would mean you’d been working here for five years.”
Miranda nodded slowly. “Yes, I had been. Again, my job means I don’t venture out into town often, but I left often enough to gain a general gist of what happened around here. Everyone seemed friendly and normal, until the year in which the… incident occurred.”
“What happened?”
“It all started on a Sunday, which is when the majority of the town goes to the church. It must have started with the new priest.”
“What happened to the old one?”
“I don’t know; my service here means I hardly hear gossip and rumors. But whatever happened, perhaps it had something to do with him.” Miranda looked out the window again. “ After that Sunday… there wasn’t just something different with the people - the air itself had a sort of staticity to it; the kind that made your breaths feel short.”
“Okay… and what about your mistress? Did she ever go to church?”
Miranda smiled. “No, she did not. She isn’t the kind to believe in such things. But yes, on the few times I could leave, I could tell that the people who lived in the town had changed for the worse: their skin paled; some of them acted like they hadn’t slept in weeks… but the most shocking change was their eyes.”
“Their eyes?”
Miranda nodded. “For a long time they were just bloodshot, especially on the Mondays following their visits to the church which would usually take place at three o’clock in the morning. On the day before it happened, one fellow I chanced upon had red blood eyes.”
Shaun looked up from his pad. “Wait, red eyes? Like the one on your front door?”
Miranda’s hands tensed in her lap, her eyes flitting back to stare directly into his. “...Yes, just like that one. It wasn’t always there, but because my mistress did not ever go to the sermons they placed it there. I imagine it was some threat of sorts, but who knows.”
Shaun repeated what she had said down on paper, but next to it he placed a ‘?’. “When the police first found out what had happened, there were all these cloaks that had the same eye sign on them scattered across the scene of the crime. Did you ever see anyone wearing this?”
“Only once, a couple days before it all happened. I don’t know when they started wearing it, but they must have been given it by the priest at some point.”
“Finally… did you ever hear about or meet a Dr Scott?”
“No,” Miranda answered a little too quickly. “I remember hearing about some researcher entering the town a week or so before the incident, but beyond that I never met or conversed with him.”
Shaun simply hummed lowly, the pressure of his pen increasing as he underlined the words never met scott. Twirling the pen in his hands, he sighed “I think that’s all I’ll ask for now.”
“Very well,” Miranda rose from her seat and gestured towards the door leading back out to the dining hall. “As you’ll be staying here for the night, please allow me to escort you to your room.” Shoving his things back into the bag, Shaun hoisted it onto his shoulder and followed the maid back into the dinner hall, finding himself being taken back into the lobby. They then headed upstairs, walking up the pristine marble steps and turning to the left side of the house. A long, stretching corridor was ahead of him with at least three doors in sight. Shaun wondered briefly how such a long hallway was possible considering how tightly packed the manor looked from the outside, but forgot as Miranda continued walking down, her steps oddly silent as she glided across the floor.
Eventually, Shaun found himself at the end of the hallway. Miranda opened the door for him and gestured for him to go inside. He found himself entering a small room with a thin, black wooden desk with a mirror that was unsurprisingly clean considering who apparently had a constant maintenance over the building. Directly opposite the desk was an equally black and wispy four poster bed, with a grey lace duvet interlaced with long, snaking flowers that ended in nine thick petals. Although they bed looked like it should hardly be able to hold the weight of even the mattress against it, let alone his when he’d lay on it later, it looked surprisingly plump and comfy. Miranda slipped past him and cast open the black puffy curtains to allow some light in. Peering out, Shaun could now see the faint silhouette of the church in the distance… even from this massive distance, it felt like it was still trying to reach out towards him…
“I hope this room is accommodating for you,” Miranda said, her calm and refined voice pulling him out of his nervousness. “I’m afraid there aren’t many plugs due to electronics only being installed in a select few rooms thanks to the age of this house, so I suggest using your phone as little as possible while you stay here.”
“Damn it,” Shaun muttered. “I didn’t even think about bringing a charger in the first place.”
“I know there isn’t much else for you to do for now, so I’ll prepare you some dinner.” An excited glint appeared in her eyes. “I do hope you enjoyed my soup earlier.” Shaun’s stomach immediately gurgled in response, and the two of them both chuckled at its convenient timing. “Feel free to make yourself comfortable; I shall return once dinner is ready.”
There wasn’t much for Shaun to do considering he’d only brought his notepad and pen in his bag when he’d left to get on the train here, so he simply sat down on the edge of the bed (slowly placing himself down in case it actually did break) and attempted one last time to text Frankie, although it unsurprisingly didn’t send. Slapping it down on the drawer beside his bed, Shaun sighed and left his room, walking down that winding corridor and finding himself back out on the second floor.
Just as he was about to take a step forward, his ears just barely picked up on a faint, muffled sound: It was a humming of sorts, or at least that's how it sounded. It was soft and high pitched, and seemed to fade in and out… taking a couple steps towards the stairs, Shaun leant against the railing and tilted his head - it was then that his ears picked up the unmistakable chopping sound of a knife.
Realising Miranda was probably just humming some tune, Shaun stood back up straight and turned back around to look at the two other doors that were on the floor: There was a pair of massive wooden doors opposite him that were no doubt belonging to the mysterious and apparently stuck owner of the manor. Looking to his right, Shaun saw that the door was the exact same plain one that went down to his room, so he walked over to it and tried opening it - the door yielded and gasped as he saw that there was a massive room lined with shelves of books.
Creeping inside, he walked around and just let his eyes take in the titles that were etched into the tattered and worn out spines. Whoever this lady was, she was clearly well educated judging from the variety of genres: Philosophy, History, Geography, Religion… and Anthropology, which reminded Shaun of the late Dr Scott. Perhaps if he’d managed to come here, his whereabouts wouldn’t be as much of a mystery. As he continued to study the shelves, Shaun’s eyes were eventually caught by one book in particular, mainly because it had no spine at all… in fact, it had that same gold and red eye insignia on its center that sparkled even in the dim lighting that covered the room. What was this book doing here if the owner never went to church? Something tingled at the back of Shaun’s head, but he ignored it as his hand carefully reached out to curl his fingers around it -
“Your dinner is ready, Mr Goddard.”
Shaun yanked his hand away, swearing under his breath as he spun around to face Miranda, who was standing a couple feet away from him, her hands clasped snugly as they rested against her apron. Her face was as calm as always, but there was something about her that seemed… different somehow; the awkward silence gently broken by the sound of her soft but shallow breaths, and how her eyes seemed to have that shine in them. His eyes couldn’t help but drift down a little, where the puffy part of her dress seemed to be rising in time with her exhales...
Shaun gulped, his heart pumping a little bit faster than usual from how unexpected her appearance was. “How did you, uh… how did you get that book?”
“Did I... not mention it?” Miranda coughed, and the next time she spoke her voice sounded as calm as usual. “As neither I or my mistress ever went to the sermons, I discovered the book resting at the front door one morning. No doubt another attempt to persuade us to join the rest of the town.” She gestured towards the open door. “Please, come eat your dinner.”
Shaun frowned at the maid, but followed her request and headed back down the stairs, walking through into the dining hall and saw that a white bowl resting on a spotless silver tray was resting at the chair on the other end of the long table. Looking at Miranda, who was standing next to him, he said “Are you sure I should be sitting there? Looks like the chair would be where the lady of the house would sit.” Indeed, the chair stood out from the rest by having a grey, silky padding on its seat, backrest and armrests.
“She would not mind, I assure you. Besides, I am required to make you feel as comfortable as possible.” The two of them headed down towards the chair, but as Shaun finally stopped beside it, Miranda moved behind it and pulled it back for him, bowing as a sign for him to sit down. He did, and immediately found himself sighing as the cushiony padding felt amazing against his back… but the most wonderful sense being enticed was that of his nose, as that fishy scent flooded his nose again. Licking his lips, he picked up the fork and eagerly stabbed it into the seaweed, raising it out of the sauce before taking a hefty bite - as the taste filled his mouth again, his hum of satisfaction almost sounded like a moan. Although the bowl was larger than the one he’d been given earlier, he felt like he ate it in the same amount of time, wolfing down the thick rolls of seaweed before grabbing the spoon and eagerly gulping the warm greenish black liquid down.
Once he was done, he leant back into the chair and smiled. “Do you mind giving me the recipe for this? I’d love to try and make it myself.”
Miranda smirked and replied; “I’m afraid not. It’s a… private, personal secret of mine. However, I am willing to give you more, if you so desire…” her voice had a sultry edge to it, although Shaun wasn’t entirely sure if he was just imagining from how sleepy and heavy his mind felt now. Crossing one leg on top of the other, he picked up the white handkerchief that had also been resting on the tray and wiped his mouth. A part of him wanted to tell her to make him some immediately, but… well, it wasn’t like he was her boss, so he didn’t want to impose himself. Although the seat felt almost ridiculously comfortable, Shaun pushed himself upright and thanked Miranda for the food, and she bowed.
However, as Shaun walked past her, he couldn’t help but stop as his nose picked up that deliciously salty scent nearby. It seemed to be emanating from her, which made sense as she’d obviously cooked it… his eyes lidding, Shaun turned to face her and leant in closely, taking in the smell as if it were a perfume. A part of him was surprised she hadn’t tried to push him or move away… if anything she seemed to be relishing it, judging from the smirk on her face and the way her eyes roamed almost hungrily over his body. The two of them stood there quietly, the tension in the air no longer the awkward type… Locking eyes, Shaun moved his head towards hers and -
“I think… I think you should go to bed, Mr Goddard.” she whispered, her hands placed against the edge of the table. “It’s rather late, and… well, eating must have made you tired.” Shaun found himself being snapped out of a daze for what felt like the hundredth time that day, and he immediately backed off.
“I-I’m so sorry Miranda, I don’t know what came over me-”
“It’s alright. I must admit, as I am the only staff here and my mistress is always away… well, I get rather lonely here.” Her eyes flickered up and down his body. “Even someone such as I has desires and needs~” Standing up and dusting her dress, she then spoke in her usual precise tone. “In the meantime, I still have duties to perform in this house. I’m sure you can find your way back to bed. Good night, Mr Goddard.”
“Please, call me Shaun.”
“Then good night, Shaun.” she chuckled, raising a hand to cover her mouth. Shaun spun around and sauntered out of the room, climbing up the stairs and stumbling into his bedroom. Although he hadn’t had any alcohol, his mind felt unbelievably sluggish and his body even more so - before he could even open the covers, he slumped onto the bed and immediately fell asleep.
However, whilst Shaun’s evening had been rather enjoyable… his night was not: At some point in the night, he woke up with a start, bolting up in bed - wait, when did he get into the bed? The duvet and mattress were both wonderfully warm and pillowy, but Shaun couldn’t remember slipping in… unless Miranda had done it? He couldn’t really imagine the slender, graceful woman being able to really shove and lift him around. Opening his eyes, he immediately squinted as a pale white beam of light cloaked his vision - once they’d adjusted, he realised that it was coming from the moon as it hung in the dark, empty night. Obviously Miranda must have forgotten to close the curtains, so Shaun slumped out of bed and headed over to close them… but just as his hands were about to yank them across, his eyes caught onto a gentler light in the distance… roughly the same distance and position that the church would have been.
Curiosity sparking within him, Shaun found himself almost automatically pacing out of the room, walking in a brisk but slow manner so that Miranda would not be disturbed as she slept… wherever her room was. As he stood at the massive grand front doors, he grimaced as his hand wrapped around one of the knobs before gently turning it, expecting it to make a piercing creak or booming clunk… but fortunately it didn’t, and as soon as the door was wide enough for him he slipped through and shut it behind him. Although it was an October night, the air didn’t feel the single bit cold; there was no biting breeze brushing against his skin. Looking at the pathway in front of him, the darkness emphasised by the trees lining the sides looked almost endless and impenetrable. Steeling himself, Shaun took his first few steps towards it...
...And then suddenly he was standing in front of the church. Shaun shook his head and blinked. How long had he been walking for? It was only now that he realised he hadn’t put any shoes on (Miranda must have taken them off for him), but surprisingly they weren’t sore or caked in dirt and dew that would have appeared from the cold. Looking at the building now though, Shaun could see the orange flickers of candlelight emanating through the stained glass windows, which only made the building truly appear as if it were gazing down at him. Although a part of his mind was tingling again, Shaun ignored the feeling and headed inside, pushing the rotten wooden door - what he saw made him gasp.
The floor was completely covered in the same black mud that he’d seen across town, but here it seemed to be constantly bubbling and steaming as if it were some horrible mix between a swamp and a sauna. He could see bits of pews that long since broken up and rotted away jabbing out through the substance, along with the odd ceremonial candlestick. But what had grabbed Shaun’s attention was the altar - or rather, the place where the altar should have been: a person was standing there, although they were turned around and hunched over.
“Hey!” Shaun shouted. “Are you okay?!” The person didn’t even budge, as if he’d never spoken in the first place. Wondering if they were trapped or hurt somehow, Shaun squinted as he tried to see if there was any way to avoid stepping on the mud. It seemed that a tiny path was actually there, swerving and curling through the slime and leading to the steps of the altar. Gulping, Shaun balled his hands into fists and darted across the narrow trail, hopping occasionally as he could have sworn the mud was playing with him; pulsing back and forth so that it would almost come into contact with his bare skin.
Eventually Shaun managed to make it across… but as his eyes took in the sight before him now, he froze: Instead of there being an altar table, there was a large pool… a pool filled to the brim with the same inky substance, although here it seemed to be more fluid from how it ebbed and shone in the moonlight piercing in from the many holes in the roof. The pool also seemed to be rather deep, considering how the hunched over person was standing up and was completely submerged up to their waist.
“Hey, are you okay?” Shaun repeated, reaching a hand out expectantly. The figure slowly turned around, and once he could see their face, Shaun pulled his hand back. “D-Dr Scott?!”
There was no mistaking it; Shaun had seen this face countless times before in old newspaper articles and webpages - it was then that Shaun realised the man hadn’t aged at all in twenty years, making him around forty four, making him look almost look sort of younger than Shaun as a result. But instead of fear, surprise or hope being on his face… Shaun stared at the professor’s face and frowned as he saw the oddly content grin that was on it.
“Hello, Shaun.” he said. “I’ve been expecting you.”
“W...What? Look, we have to get you out of there-”
Dr Scott laughed and stepped back, the black pool rippling as he waded through it. Placing his arms on the edge of the pool, he leaned back and continued. “Why would I ever want to leave? This place… the power, the knowledge… the pleasure I gained from coming here is indescribable to a little mortal such as yourself.”
Hearing what the doctor was saying made Shaun take his own couple steps back. “You’ve gone mad… after what you saw happened here, didn’t you?” The smile on the man’s face only widened even further, revealing his bright white teeth…sharp, triangular teeth that looked more fitting on a shark than any human.
“Mad? Not at all. If anything, I’ve never felt any saner since!” The pool began to bubble and swish, and Shaun watched as some of it started to climb up his body, his already pale skin underneath the moonlight starting to gain an ashen grey colour as if the life was being sucked out of him - and yet from the way he giggled, flicked his shoulder length hair back and ran a long forked tongue over his lips, he was clearly having a lot of fun - Shaun blinked hard. Scott’s hair hadn’t been that long a second ago; it had been the same short and neatly styled cut it had been in his missing photo. But now he could only watch as it grew down and thicked, becoming a brilliant fiery mane that pooled around the surface of the tar.
“Ahhhhh, yes~!” He hissed, his voice becoming higher and feminine whilst gaining a raspy tone, as if his now slender throat wasn’t designed to speak in any human tongue. Running his hands through his luscious black locks, a series of sickening but muffled crunches and pops could be heard coming from his body - and Shaun’s eyes widened as he saw Scott’s hips visibly punch out with a sharp snap - despite how painful it sounded, Scott let out a warbling coo as a pair of undeniably womanly curves appeared on his body. His abdomen wriggled as if something was forcibly pushing itself around inside, but the only thing that happened was waist curving inwards, emphasising the womanly figure he was evidently getting, the marble skin looking so sleek and smooth in the moonlight… Shaun shook his head. Was he seriously getting turned on by this?
“It’s alright, Shaun.” Scott… or whatever he had become now gurgled, her tongue flitting out between her teeth. “I want you to look… I want to show you the gifts you could have if you just submit to me.” As she spoke, the creature’s jaw shifted; its masculine edges giving way to a smooth oval shape, followed by her nose shrinking and flattening, leaving a bizarre amount of space between her eyes and her mouth. She then sunk the tips of her fingers into the pool, sighing with relief as the liquid started to inch its way up her hands, pausing once it had reached halfway to the shoulders, giving the appearance of opera gloves.
Taking them out, the creature then raised her hands up to her chest and slapped them against her skin, moaning wildly as she started to massage and rub her body. Shaun was bewildered as he saw the flesh around the creatures nipples surge out and cause them to rapidly bloom into a pair of heaving orbs that retained their perkiness despite being large enough to surpass any human measurement. Shaun was utterly transfixed in a mixture of terror and arousal as he was unable to turn his eyes away from the creature as she continued to playfully slide her hands around her breasts, coos and moans squeezing out of her.
“There is no point in denying it, Shaun.” she purred, her hands roaming back to her head. “I know how badly you’ve wanted ‘Miranda’... and how you’ve longed for your ‘colleague’ Frankie… All my master and I desire is your desire! To have everyone united in the one thing we all want: Pleasure~!”
She then closed her eyes and bit down A strange rubbery, tightening sounded creaked through the air, and it took Shaun a couple moments to understand the source of it when he noticed that a part of the being’s hair couldn’t be moving because of the wind - it was alive. A bunch of strands had twisted together in order to make one large flower - and then more tangled together, and another combined… within a matter of seconds, dozens of these vine like appendages had sprouted out of her hair. The ends of them started to bulge, the seams splitting apart to reveal a group of yellowish eyes with bright red irises… the same as the sign Shaun had seen on the front door, on his bed and on the spine of the book!
“Ahhhhh, so much better~” the being sighed, opening the eyes on her head - Shaun’s heart skipped a beat as he saw that she now an eye on her head, the two organs somehow merging as her other ones grew out. “Finally, I can have a good look at you.” The creature then rose out of the pit - literally rose out, gently floating a couple inches above the surface as she utilised some of her eldritch powers… and this also exposed the bottom half of her body; her legs similarly covered in dry, almost chitinous pieces of the liquid that simultaneously emphasised her creamy pale and invitingly thick thighs. With how shapely and voluptuous she was, Shaun was reminded of those pictures of ancient fertility idols made back when humans were only brutish, unenlightened and insignificant to the universe surrounding them… and perhaps still were?
“We have always been here, Shaun.” the creature gloated as it peacefully drifted over to him. “We were here long before your sun was even a fusion of cosmic dust.” Once she was more or less in front of him, she extended a single ebony hand. “We do not wish to hurt your kind - we only wish to show them their true place in the order of things. And when our influence has spread far enough, we will finally be able to create an unending paradise. But before we can improve our world… we must first improve ourselves to belong in it~”
As Shaun stood there, his mouth agape as he just… stared at the thing that had once been Dr Scott. A part of his mind was screaming at him to turn, turn and run away from the church, from this entire town and warn everyone to never step foot in it again. But as he continued to take in her form, Shaun couldn’t help but find her alluring; the way her ample breasts rose gently with each breath, the way her skin glistened in the silvery moonlight… how one of her legs rested over the other, emphasising the plump pillowy flesh contained within them whilst their curvy outlines only hinted at what was nestled between them… An instinctive moan slipped out of his mouth, and a certain part of him had sprung to life moments ago was now prodding against the fabric of his trousers.
The being sniffed once, twice, and smiled hungrily. “I sense your answer, Shaun… now, allow me to enlighten you~”
The tentacles then launched themselves at Shaun’s body, wrapping around his arms and legs, lifting him effortlessly so that he was level with Her. They clenched tightly as they pulled him in towards her; that same black ooze weeping out of their eyes and eating away at his clothing, exposing his body to Her… and showing how flawed it was comparison. She cupped his chin in her hand and said soothingly; “Do not be ashamed, Shaun… soon, you will have a beauty that they will never comprehend~”
The two of them started to drift back over towards the pool, and then slowly but surely started to drop downwards. As each second passed, a part of Shaun’s mind screamed and begged him to at least try to struggle out of the tentacles grip… but when the second his foot was dipped into the oily substance, a breathy gasp slipped out of him as he felt cling to his skin - instinctively he tried to lower his leg even further in, grinding his teeth together as he felt the frustration of not being able to do so. As the two of them became submerged however, that feeling quickly faded away and was replaced with the warmth pulsing up from the tips of his toes and seeping into his scalp… no, into his mind.
Relaxing even further into Her embrace, Shaun moaned as he felt the wetness travel further up his legs, eating away at the useless strands of hair that hung to his skin, leaving them almost as sleek and smooth as the being in front of him. He could even sense it thickening and layering itself around his legs, and he whined as he tried to make his feet touch the bottom of the pool - he gasped as his heels, ankles and knees suddenly popped, sending waves of pleasurable tingles up his now longer lower limbs; continuing to stay for long enough that it Shaun felt like he needed to wiggle his toes to make sure they were there, but doing so only seemed to intensify that feeling, and it became harder for him to even curl them, something he put down to the sheer viscosity of the fluid.
Rubbing his legs together, Shaun giggled gleefully as he felt how slender they were now… and their softness only seemed to heighten the sensuality he was gaining from it, his member twitching spasmodically. A couple seconds later and this too was dipped into the pool - Shaun arched his back and moaned as a powerfully pleasurable pulse shot up his length and washed over him.
Once the slime had finally reached over his belly button, he realised that he should have surely been able to touch the bottom of the pool - unless this was just an endless pit of dark corruption… either way, the sheer density meant that he could more or less float in it harmlessly, and so the tentacles belonging to Her finally let go, slithering off of Shaun’s body and coiling back around the being they belonged to. As Shaun stood there in the pool, both his mind and body were utterly enveloped in a warm buzzing sensation, as if every single drop in the pool was alive, wriggling and squirming against him. A glazed look now covered his eyes, and they stared directly at Her single one as they shone with more than just bliss…
“It feels so good…” was all he could utter, and She smiled.
“You understand now, don’t you?” She prompted, stirring a single inky digit through the substance before taking it out and lapping at it her long black tongue. “What you’re standing in is my will, my desire in physical form. And with it, I can shape this world into what it deserves to be.”
She rose that same hand towards Shaun, and then splayed it wide open - and he yelped as he felt the area around his crotch abruptly tighten, and then begin to push inwards. It was almost as if a hand was pressed up against his groin, and Shaun couldn’t help but think that there was, judging from the saucy smirk She had on Her face. He could feel the wet gooey texture hug and press in a tight but gentle manner, forcing it rest against his skin as what felt like a pair of panties melted over them before quickly drying into the same hard shell as the ones She wore on Her legs.
The slime didn’t stop there however, as Shaun felt it crawl up his back, attaching to the sides of his waist. As they dried out, he let out a slight wheeze as he felt the surprising amount of added weight causing his torso to tighten and shrink under it - but what really surprised Shaun was when it went all the way up to his chest and then cupped around his pecs, causing him to moan softly as his nipples were coated in the gooey warmth; another spark coursing through his body as they formed into what looked almost like a bra… The fluid continued to climb all the way up to Shaun’s neck, wrapping around it and pooling around the underside of his jaw, leaving his throat slender and unblemished of any unsightly bumps. Frilly endings started to reach out and stretch towards towards his shoulders, suctioning themselves to his skin before applying that same inhuman strength to make his bones cave inwards and add to the elegant gait he had now.
By this point, an odd colour had appeared across Shaun’s body - instead of his usual pasty complexion, a light purplish hue had seeped into it as a side effect of the unnatural oil melting into his skin. She then lowered Her hand, and Shaun looked down to admire Her work - it was then that he realised his hands had been resting within the pool the whole time, and lifted them out to inspect them… his jaw dropped as he saw that the nails had grown out a couple inches and sharpened considerably whilst also now being coated in an onyx polish that shone brilliantly in the light. But the most eye catching addition was of the sleevelike tentacles that adorned his forearms, jutting out from his wrists and sleepily twitching, bioluminescent dots glowing gently underneath the rubbery hide.
“T-Thank you…!” was all he could muster, his manhood straining against his new clothing in its attempt to embody the satisfaction flowing through him.
“I am not done yet, my pawn.” said She, slowly approaching him. “This next step will be much more… direct, shall we say~”
She walked behind his vision, and before Shaun could ask what She meant, he felt Her hand latch onto his head and yank downwards, sending his view tumbling and falling into darkness as he was completely submerged in the obsidian pool. Initially his body jerked and flailed as it struggled for air, but the moment his mouth parted open and he was flooded with it… along the same briny, salty and delicious flavour of the ‘soup’ Miranda had served him earlier before. She’d been corrupting him this whole time. As his throat willingly gulped the fluid and savoured the warmth growing within him, a smile spread across his face as its features softened.
He began to feel a dullness fading into his head as the substance leaked into his skull and started to melt around his brain, that same tingling he’d felt earlier returning and building… and whispering into his soul all kinds of ancient unspeakable knowledge, knowledge that caused his eyes to shift from their dull brown to a bright stellar orange. Shaun felt his hair grow out and morph into long slender tendrils that squirmed and quivered in delight as the warmth pooled around his chest; the flesh swelling out as the fluid filled the pair of round, perky orbs, the nipples glowing a bright pink as if to draw attention to the unearthly nectar.
The same happened to his rear as it pushed out against the tentacled skirt; his thighs thickening whilst his arms thinned. Soon there was only one part left of Shaun’s manliness - of his humanity - left. And as he felt the fluid wriggle, twist and redesign his organs, he let out a muffled scream of esctasy as that organ pulled back into him and became something tighter, better and wetter.
As She stood there, She chuckled as a series of bubbles frothed up to the surface. Shaun Goddard was the one who had delved into the pool, but it was Shoggoth who quietly and slowly rose back up, her new and repurposed body meaning she no longer needed to worry about drowning. As she opened her star coloured eyes, she shuddered violently for a couple moments as a third, purple one bloomed on her forehead, emphasising the new perspective she had gained on the universe.
---
Shoggoth smirked. “All and so much more,” she replied in an equally reverbing tone as Her’s. “Go and make me some tea, would you? As delicious as you were to have, you’re much more important serving me.” Miranda then stood back up straight… and then started to rise as rows of tentacles spilled out from underneath her dress, the buttons on her apron splitting open to reveal a dozen pitch black orbs. On some of her tentacles, the very tips ended bluntly, as if they’d been expertly sliced off.
“Thank you, mistress.” she said, adding "If you need help.. acclimitising to your new form, may I remind you that I am all to eager to help you in any way possible~" the two of the chuckled briefly before Miranda turning around and slithered away into the lower doors. Shoggoth stayed where she was, closing her eyes whilst holding out her hand. The air around her palm curved and distorted, and suddenly her old form’s phone rested in her hand. Using her newfound cerebral powers, she was able to type a message without lifting a finger and send it instantly to someone who would become the first member of this new cult:
Shaun [03:00]: Hey Frankie, I need you to come here. There’s some information I’ve discovered that I can only trust you with...
[Artwork for cover can be found here]
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