Shu’ualathoi

{This ending is part of the Finish the Story Contest, the 19th contest so far. Click here to see the contest… Hey a music pair! I suggest "Shu'ulathoi" from the HL2 OST considering I listened to that when writing the ending.}

The Prompt

Prague, 22 September 1994

Dear silent friend,

once again I will force you to bear the tremulous handwriting of this pathetic old man.
Time has yellowed my fingers and your pages in equal measure. But I know you will not complain in finding yourself soiled by my memories once again, after such a long time, after the hiatus of decades of life, spent far away from the ancient leather of your cover. And I hope it did not bother you to try the tickling of my pen again. Not more than three spots of water and ten sheets before this, you still were curiously waiting for the hand of a fourteen-year-old, full of dreams and watercolours.

As I write, the mist rises from Moldova and lingers among the ancient gothic spires, guardians of forgotten secrets, while a pale September sun, as a master of alchemy, transmutes in gold water and heavens. There is this little kestrel who, for a few days, has been picking on the attic's glass at dusk, while I perform my little preparatory rituals before everything happens like every night. The graceful winged evening’s maid urges me to once again cast my gaze on the hundred towers city, but these eyes will no longer be able to patiently stand on the surface of the mystery.

"I discovered a terrible law that links the green colour, the fifth chord and the heat. I lost the joy of living. Power scares me. I will write no more”. Such were your feelings, Gustavo and I still remember your trembling voice when you confided in me, the last time we met, before the great war swallowed everything and everyone, forcing us to interrupt our occultic studies. Only now that the layers of reality have finally crumbled before my eyes, like a sedimentary stone on the sides of a primordial river, I can grasp the true meaning of your words. The anxious joy of discovery, mixed with the ancestral vertigo of sidereal abysses, has overwhelmed me and continues to overwhelm me every night I leave.

And, just as in the layers of rock are the remains of creatures lost in time, even these levels of reality are not devoid of surprises .. and encounters. By now, I'm sure they saw me, but I cannot help but go back. Of all, I know that the faceless child already waits for me, every time closer, just beyond the threshold. He craves my warmth, my vibration and, this time, I do not know if I will manage to continue playing the game of deceiving him, while I persevere to the end. Certainly, I cannot draw back right now that my human life ends and, at the same time, I’m experimenting one, a hundred, a thousand lives.

Forgive me, dear diary, for having forced you to bear my poor ravings again. Perhaps, we’ll never meet again. The kestrel flew towards the old city. It's time to leave.

Image Souce here

The Ending by @theironfelix

I began biking my way to the city, where the kestrel clearly was in flight towards. Yet, while riding, I swore my periphery picked up the faceless child hiding inside the dense forest, my speed only hastened. I felt the child only got closer as I closed in on the city. I then looked towards him, only hearing a sharp squeal and my vision tunneled, but looking away stopped it. Then I realized I had entered the old city and I sighed in relief.

Pulling up my map, I decided to go to the last site where the kestrel could’ve nested. I peddled and cursed the mist, it certainly helps not my sight - it’s blinding to even look behind myself. Yet I approached the last possible site, there finally I saw the kestrel nested.

The site - unlike the overgrown parts of this old town - was part pure shelled and part... unnaturally forced in its creation. I then noticed an exposed tunnel, emanating greenish-blue lights with machinery humming. Climbing down into the depths, I equipped myself with an oil lantern and a mauser.

With every step down I took, the steeper it became; I thought of venturing upwards until I saw the faceless kid float above the tunnel entrance. It felt like forever sliding downwards and the lights and humming grew more intense, but I landed at the bottom safely. Seeing a pillar to hide behind, I ran to it and began hearing noises without my vision tunneling, yet it turned intense as doors with air hissed opened. The gurgling and monstrous noises intensified and I peaked out of cover to see metallic coffins with tubes all around, yet my vision tunneled and ‘twas hard to tell how many of them were here with me.

Then I felt my head attacked and my vision reddened as one of them slumped their head towards me. I began to float towards the center of the gathering, there they unmasked themselves to be floating slugs with metallic arm attachments and their eyes being small metal tubes emanating a blue-green light on the side. One began to inch towards me and open their arms while slithering out their wormish tongue. I reared my head away, accepting my fate, but then space-time froze.

In came a human in a blue suit, all government like, with a black suitcase. The kestrel flew down and landed on It. It in an androgynous voice spoke:

“The right man in the wrong place can make all the difference in the World... I saw your dedication for discovery and I’m very pleased with this discovery of the Shu’ualathoi... Normally I don’t take offers, but these are extraordinary times...”

A flash erupted and I unfroze, It gestured me to walk into it. As I walked towards I was flashed into an old train inside a void. My gun still in tact and my lantern gone, I saw a door opened with a glowing light - I guess those offers are really extraordinary...

The End

Cited posts:

@f3nix - ”Finish the Story: Week 19”

Cited Images:

”Shu’ualathoi”