The destruction of that first creature had been unexpected and unintended, and Canergak had found it disappointing and uncomfortably familiar. He and Dr. Grendel had returned to the asylum to rework their plan and their equipment when they heard the piercing shriek from the upper floor. They both made haste and found the staff gathered outside of Moundshrouds cell. Mr. Fade, Prof. Vartanian, Lisa, and many others gathered as the professor examined the subject’s condition.
Blood and salt water had continued to run down the pale mans bandages where his eyes had been. The mans very being seemed to be fluctuating as tentacles seemed to move beneath the mans colorless guant form.
“IT’S COMING!” Moundshroud shouted in a mixture of ecstacy and horror. He couldn’t even see the men who were watching him. “The embrace of the one who feeds my dark soul upon the abyss of night! HE COMES, HE COMES FROM THE DARK WOMB OF THE MASTER!!” His laughter was unstable, and utterly devoid of rational thought.
“He shall come soon from the waters to the south, and bring vengeance and chaos in his wake!!” What happened next was terrible, and those gathered shrieked and backed away as the man began to expand, his thin features now starting to swell as more tentacles filled his body. The man began to choke as they filled his neck and squeezed from within the man’s own skin.
There was nothing left but blood and several squid within a matter of moments. The silence of the now hot and uncomfortable hallway was broken only by the bouncing about of the struggling marine life.
Canergak eventually turned away and tried to think rationally. They would require another subject captured quickly to properly calibrate a device that could combat whatever was brought forth from the south. They could also try something that could hold them back long enough that their window of opportunity was closed or even disrupt whatever portal was formed. They had maybe minutes, though he hoped at least hours, to think of someway to combat or turn back whatever was coming or the city could end up like the puddle that had been Moundshroud which now stained the asylums floors.
Lisa and Jane had been drawn to the top floor by all the commotion, and watched Moundshroud’s transformation with horror. When the poor man finally expired in an explosion of gore and tentacles, the two of them bolted for a supply closet. They made it just in time to grab a couple of buckets, before they were both thoroughly sick.
Lisa recovered first, and made her way, staggering a little, to a nearby washroom, where she splashed her face, and rinsed the bile from her mouth. She brought a cup of water back to Jane, and wiped the girl’s face with a wet towel until her shuddering spasms eased.
As Jane carefully sipped from the cup, Lisa walked several steps away to peer down the hallway. The other staff had gone by now, leaving the mess behind. Lisa sighed. “I suppose I should…” She let the sentence trail away, not want to articulate further what needed to be dealt with, but Jane understood, and began struggling to her feet. “I’ll help,” she said, her voice still thick with sickness and tears.
Lisa hurried back to her side and laid a forestalling hand on her arm. “I can do it. You should go and rest.” She quickly gathered together some supplies, but as she was about to scramble away, Jane grabbed her hand. Lisa looked down at her solemn, red-rimmed eyes.
Jane shook her head. “I… I can’t do this, Lisa. The other inmates are bad enough, but at least I could sort of understand how they got that way. But that…” Her head jerked toward the hallway. “That were pure against nature, that were.”
Lisa couldn’t deny that. “It isn’t always like that here,” she said, which was the truth–more or less. Seeing Jane’s gaze on her, she reluctantly continued, “But–“
“But,” Jane broke in, more agitated than Lisa had ever seen her, her accent broadening, “that man Canergak attracts trouble. Even if this some’ow ends well, there’ll be somethin’ else. You know that.”
“I do.”
“I’m a good girl, I am. How can I go back to me mum on me ‘alf days and tell ‘er about what goes on here?”
“I understand–truly.”
Jane took a few deep breaths, obviously trying to calm herself. “I will stay until someone else is hired,” she said carefully. “But… do you think it’ll be possible for me to get a reference?”
“Reference?” Lisa asked. Jane looked surprised, but explained what she was looking for. When she understood, Lisa nodded. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“Thank you.” Jane stood up slowly, hugged Lisa, and made her way to the sleeping room they shared. Lisa watched her go, then, with a sigh and a gulp, took her cleaning supplies to the very unpleasant task that awaited her.
It is fortunate that we have several applicants for the position.
It is fortunate that I am several planets away from that nut house at the moment.
Eva walks around the corner just in time to see Moundshroud pop like a
balloon, filled with blood and squid.. She looks down as blood splashes
onto her freshly cleaned apron. She lets out a sleepu sigh and reaches
into her untaimed hair to retrieve a bottle of laudanum and takes a
swig. “I am not sober enough for this.. I’m going home..”
The professor glanced to Ms. Quinn before removing a squid from his spectacles and turned to walk down the hall to his office and drop it into a jar of seawater he had had waiting in order to maintain one for study, though he felt now it might be a bit moot of an objective with the patient dead. He cleaned his spectacles on his waistcoat before returning to the hallway in silence to have a second look at the mess. “Well… thank goodness this is an irregular occurance. I think we’d be hard pressed to keep any staff if this were commonplace.”
If I’d known that we could have squid pets I’d have made room for aquariums. And maybe some floor drains.