THE EYES OF RAWLURAH
SHORT STORY BY RYAN MELROSE
AN ANCESTORS SECRET PAST I
My father had just died I thought to myself as I left the funeral. Why would I think this to myself? I find those who have lost a loved one may understand there are those moments before a funeral where you think this is all just a dream. You think “Oh I am going to wake up and he’d still be there in his study looking at his old Hieroglyphics he discovered during his days as an archaeologist and professor. As for me I was never interested I had my own ideas wanting to be a policeman. Looking back now I should have listened to my father if I had I may have stopped this journey right here and now before I discovered what it is that I am about to.
It is 2002 and my father has been dead a week the funeral was hard to process. A bunch of people there I never knew people who knew my father professionally. They had come to pay their respects I could not deny them.
I was then approached by an elderly gentleman by the name of Professor Samuel Godwin. He offered his condolences and asked me of my father’s research they were discussing it the same day he died. Hard to believe a man screaming in terror repeating the same gibberish repeatedly before dying of a fatal heart attack and having a sane conversation with a colleague only hours before. If I did not know any better, I would have said he was scared to death. Professor Samuel Godwin asked me if he could have my father’s research. I agreed to let him have it I had no use for it. I did study Archaeology and Dad often told me about his research it seemed very dark according to him. It was enough to scare me away from his line of work.
Mythology, gods that could destroy civilizations gave me nightmares as a child. In the end they were just children stories. As I looked through my father’s research I found that what he was researching was far more terrifying than I thought, for it was more than just a mere discovery it was connected to my family my Ancestor Jedediah died November 17th 1866 in an insane asylum he too screamed gibberish and died from a fatal heart attack.
As I continued going through my Dads papers all I could think was how glad I would be to get rid of it why would my father research something involving an ancient relative what was he trying to prove. I then found something, something I have not seen before an old journal by my Ancestor Jedediah. This Journal had everything from when he and his wife Elisabeth settled in a Colorado Mining town in 1862 called Mynaton right between Cheyenne and Arapaho. According to Jedediah it was quite a wealthy town Gold and Silver were mined everyday there was plenty of work to go around it was a beautiful community.
Could you imagine life back then mining for Gold and Silver acquiring real value that never drops and having fires and camp songs every night with a Beer in your hand. Would have been a great life unlike the stressful rushed life in the big cities today working for paper money that loses value every time the governments decide. As I read further, I found the good times were not to last as Mynaton was stuck in the crossfire of the Colorado war in 1864 The Cheyenne Nation and Arapaho Nation were at war.
For the most part Mynaton seemed to stay out of the war until the retaliation of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864.
In early 1865 Mynaton was attacked by allying Native American tribes the men including Jedediah stayed to defend to buy time for the women and children to escape. A lot of men died that day it was another massacre. Mynaton had nothing to do with what happened at Sand Creek but that did not stop the Native American act out their fury. Of course, did not stop men like Jedediah from fighting for the place he called home or his pregnant wife. If she had not escaped, I never would have been born.
As I read on Jedediah explained how his fellow countrymen were dying like flies sure he had the better weaponry, however the Native Americans had the numbers and a common goal. Soon Jedediah was the last man standing he lured the Native Americans into the mountain mine where a trap was set should the Mine fall into the hands of a hostile enemy. As they followed my Ancestor in, Jedediah lit a fuse blew the whole mine and those Native Americans to kingdom come his words not mine.
He too was trapped but alive. The next thing he remembered was being in a tunnel with water running along it. The tunnel was not something he or the other towns people had mined he looked up found a big hole in the ceiling most likely where he came from he began walking it there seemed to be a faint light source. Not very bright in the distance but enough that Jedediah could see. He had found some Hieroglyphics I guess when he was found he had managed to scribble some I recognised them for my father had photographs of the same Hieroglyphics in his research. Could it be he went to Mynaton and found that tunnel he never said anything.
I had to read on. These are his words.
As I walked down this mysterious tunnel, I realized this may have been here for centuries the texture was smooth crafted by a master craftsman I believe this will stand until the end of time. Still I feared I should not be there. I felt fear the darkness around me it is overwhelming I think I would rather be fighting Indians then have been trapped in that place. After the things I saw next, I can tell you I was right. Forget what these doctors try to tell me I saw what I saw down there those moments are as real as my final moments now. I will not be able to hold back the horror of what I saw much longer now soon it will overcome me and my life will end. My only hope is that my story will warn someone before someone else goes looking for it. I kept walking the tunnel the further I walked it was like a living presence was all around watching me as I looked around, I was all alone. I cannot tell you how long I was down there wandering could have been weeks for all I knew.
Suddenly I heard something a voice at first, I was relieved I thought maybe someone else was down here they could show me the way home. However, the more I heard the voice the more it terrified me I couldn’t understand the words “hshstsg cavalhaha Rawlurah tjeih” It was all I kept hearing “hshtsg cavalhaha Rawlurah tjeih” Even the voice didn’t sound right it was fowl just like the energy in the air. I did not want to go on why I went on I cannot say for sure I do not know if it was by my will or by the will of someone or something else.
I then found myself what looked to be another world a dark world beyond the tunnel a civilization hidden under our world. I could hardly comprehend it I honestly thought I had died and gone to Hell it was dark and terrifying but interesting I began moving about the city. The buildings were old like the Mayan Civilisation but not quite the same. As I ventured further l heard that same voice again repeating that very same chant.
“hshtsg cavalhaha Rawlurah tjeih”
This time it was much louder I looked around my gun drawn I looked up above I could not see any rock what I saw terrified me more a night sky and a Moon. Am I out of the cave or have I truly ventured into another world?
At that moment I accepted the truth I was going to die in this place there was no going home. This was the price I would have to pay for the men and women I killed today. Suited me fine knowing my wife and soon to be born child would survive. First time I smiled in days I decided to enjoy the moment I sat by lighted Lamp and smoked my last Cigarettes. Suddenly I was startled by a figure in the distance it was pitch black and wavy I open fired it looked like the bullet passed through it. It seemed to fly away into the darkness once it came.
Suddenly an agonising pain came over me from my ears it was that voice again but louder could make anyone deaf. I crunched up like a bug and covering my ears as hard as I could I then came to a terrifying realisation. I could still hear that voice loud and clear even with the hands covering my ears it was then I realised that voice was in my mind tormenting me WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME I YELLED.
Suddenly I hear a loud screech sound like the ones my mother use to say came from scary monsters in the stories she used to tell me as a kid. I got to my feet and some sort of monster was running at me. It had like a bat face long hair a pale human body it almost glowed in the dark all I could do was shoot at it I fired two shots and killed the creature. At least I think I did I was running in the other direction. The place was hard to make out in the darkness even with the torch I took from what looked to be catacombs.
I followed it through there was nowhere else to go I saw what looked to be human skeletons. Either that or maybe that creature may have been human once this might be what happens to humans if they are down here too long. I had no time to question I just kept running hoping to finally reach the end of this journey.
Eventually I made it to the other side. I could see more of this world, more of this Ancient looking city I could see what looked like mountains stretching all over you cannot see the end. I decided to go for it I would follow the Mountain path and take my chances out maybe I will find another tunnel leading me home.
I walked cautiously but did not see any more creatures. I did not understand this was the opening I would have thought there would have been creatures lying in wait. Or maybe the creatures in the city if they were once human like me never made it this far. This place is like a maze. Still I felt that something was guiding me to this place guiding me to wherever I am going now. The Higher I climbed only seeing more mountain and that almost pitch-black sky. I began to wonder if there was any end to it.
Still I pushed forward even though I wanted to drop something kept me going. If I only knew what that something was, I may have turned back and let those humanoid Bat head creatures eat me alive. For What happened next would change me forever as I came across a structure at the top of the Mountain It was like an ancient Shrine I walked through to the outside Balcony.
I could not see anything just the moon on a dark sky reflecting above a black seemingly endless motionless Ocean. I stared out for a while I could not believe I was trapped in this god forsaken world.
Suddenly I fell to my knees again that voice that pure evil voice entered my head again chanting this time saying words I just can’t pronounce.
“Chtgkay chtgkay Rawlurah jedjjhtaa” Chtgkay chtgkay Rawlurah jedjjhtaa
Repeatedly I heard this every time faster and faster it was maddening. Then the moon faded away into darkness like an eye slowly closing. I felt a chill which was weird cause there was no wind. I saw what seemed to be a storm cloud. I was terrified it was moving fast and getting bigger the cloud seemed to be touching the water I could hear what sounded like movement in the water something big huge. As the cloud got closer, I soon realised this was no cloud it was a monster I saw it’s legs they were like a Spiders and there were four It had a human like Body and a Lions mane hair. Its face I was the stuff of nightmares bright leering eyes huge fangs a Y shaped mark down the left side of the face. I Was frozen stiff with fear as I stared at this entity of darkness, it stared back at me for what seemed to be an eternity. Suddenly It came for me charged at me I could not do anything I could not even scream I was so terrified I blacked out.
When I finally came to, I was in a town emergency ward. Apparently, I was found atop of the rubble closing off the Mine entrance from the explosion I caused.
Now that you know my tale I must remind you whether your my future descendant or someone who finds this journal I must ask don’t go looking for that tunnel or the creature I have come to know as Rawlurah. a Cosmic Horror Story
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