A Lonely and Curious Country (9 page)

The clues were there all the time in our dreams, and in the history of Innsmouth itself. How did I and my cousin not see the truth? For eighty-thousand years that which had been our great-great-grandmother had dwelled within Y’ha-nthlei. Were we to believe that for all that time that hidden metropolis had lain off the coast of Innsmouth and never before interacted with her neighbor? Why was it that only the men of Innsmouth were forced to take veiled brides? Why weren’t the women forced into unholy matrimony with new and terrifying husbands?

I know why now. I know the secret of cyclopean and many arched Y’ha-nthlei. I know what lascivious purpose those rare, fertile male members of the Deep Ones and their hybrids are enslaved to. Stupendous and unheard of splendors indeed! We shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever, that was the promise. Yet that wonder is the thing called Y’ha-nthlei, an ancient and titanic thing, so huge that monstrous barnacles and corals and her own children have colonized her flesh, dwelling like parasites; like remoras and hagfish, like leeches on their own birth mother. And the glory for her rare sons is to be entombed in her own flesh, chained inside her birth canal to fertilize her eggs as they move through that terrible channel. My destiny is to live forever as a slave to the inhuman needs of an ancient and terrible goddess as she gives birth to thousand upon thousand perhaps millions of hideous spawn. This is the honor, the wonder, the glory promised me by Pth’‘thya-l’yi and her sisters. It is the promise made by Y’ha herself, who was once Y’ha-dra, but is now Y’ha-nthlei, the city-goddess Y’ha and her betrothed the nthlei, insignificant things that do not even warrant names. As I made that casual and cursed glance back toward her and saw from above that great black pool and realized that as I gazed into it, that huge single eye of cyclopean Y’ha-nthlei, so too did it gaze into me. I heard her speak as I she watched me leave, heard her terrible and monstrous words as she called me, her own rebellious child, back to where she said I belonged. I heard her, and her very voice bellowing in my head drove me mad.

They are in the streets. Are those the furtive, cautious steps of men in boots, or Deep Ones with claws? Are those the sounds of guns on shoulders, or scales rubbing against themselves in the cold night Innsmouth air? Does it matter?

In my head they call to me, and tell me of their plans. Innsmouth is finished; it is too dangerous to stay. Y’ha-nthlei must move, she and those who are bound to her in unspeakable betrothal, and all of her children must migrate to deeper waters, where men with bombs cannot find them; a place where they can once more lie and feed and breed in peace. They want me; they need me to come with them. She needs me. There is a place prepared, and it is a sin to leave it unoccupied.

They’re at the door below, smashing through.

I have only moments before I am captured. Whether I have been caught by the Daughters of Y’ha-dra or the soldiers that occupy Innsmouth, I cannot yet tell.

I hope it is the soldiers; they at least might kill me.

Project Handbasket

Rebecca J. Allred

02/28/2017

Name: George W. Denton

Gender: Male

DOB: 12/10/75

Admitted from outside facility, Lincoln County State Prison

Chief Complaint:
Danger to self and others

History of Present Illness:
Mr. Denton is a former family medicine physician with no known personal or family history of mental illness. According to the patient’s daughter, Mr. Denton went on a six month humanitarian mission to South America last year. When he returned, Mr. Denton—a lifelong atheist—began regularly attending church services. When questioned about his sudden change of faith, Mr. Denton was said to reply only that he was “preparing.” Approximately six months ago, there was an acute change in Mr. Denton’s personality. He became paranoid and spoke obsessively about “The Eleventh Plague.” Despite concerns of both family and colleagues, Mr. Denton continued to see patients in his clinic. Indeed, it is noted that in the final weeks leading up to his arrest, the former Dr. Denton was seeing upwards of fifty patients per day, often remaining in the office after hours and holding appointments on weekends. It wasn’t until later that it was discovered the doctor had been soliciting patients to bring themselves and their children in to the office for “urgent treatment.”

Using the panic surrounding the current Simian Flu epidemic to his advantage, the former Dr. Denton administered injections—which he described to patients as a new, more effective vaccine—to nearly two thousand individuals, including hundreds of children. It is still unknown precisely what Mr. Denton injected into his victims, only that after several weeks, a subset of his patients became acutely ill and died.

Among the victims were Mr. Denton’s wife, Cecilia; their son, Nicholas; and his granddaughter, Lily.

Deemed unfit to stand trial by the courts, he was remanded to our care.

Objective
: Patient is a Caucasian male in no acute distress.

Physical Exam: Heart, lung, abdomen, and neuro exams all within normal limits

Labs:               CBC, BMP, Urine - within normal limits

Tox Screen - Negative

Medications: None

Family History: Noncontributory

Assessment
: Patient is a 42-year-old male admitted for homicidal tendencies and delusions.

Plan
: Enroll in Project Handbasket.

***

Informed Consent form for
Subject #314-69-4245

Part I: Information Sheet

INTRODUCTION: My name is Dr. Harper, and I work for Shady Acres Neuropsychiatric Institute. I am doing research on the effects of life after death on the behavior of subsequently revived individuals and its application as a rehabilitation tool. I am going to give you information regarding Project Handbasket as you are now a participant in this research. There may be some words you do not understand. Please feel free to ask questions as we proceed through the information, and I will answer your questions on a need-to-know basis.

PURPOSE OF RESEARCH: Violent crime has been a problem for as long as man has roamed the earth. Various modes of punishment and rehabilitation have been implemented over the centuries; however, few—if any—have resulted in long-term behavioral changes, and recidivism rates remain high. The purpose of this research is to determine if short-term exposure to the afterlife is superior to traditional sentencing penalties in achieving and maintaining reformation in serial offenders.

TYPE OF INTERVENTION: This research will involve a series of sessions during which a single infusion of potassium chloride will be administered intravenously (IV) into your arm, followed by a period of brief observation, resuscitation, and appropriate clinical follow up.

PARTICIPANT SELECTION: All patients remanded to the Shady Acres Neuropsychiatric Institute by the courts are eligible to participate.

VOLUNTARY PARTICIPATION: Your participation in this research is mandatory. You have no choice regarding the duration of enrollment in this study and may not withdraw at any time.

DESCRIPTION OF PROCESS: During the study you will make between one and seven visits to the research theatre.

On the first visit, baseline data will be obtained during a one-hour, pre-treatment interview and administration of psychometric testing. The interview will include questions regarding religious beliefs, past criminal offenses, the presence or absence of remorse, and intent to reoffend.

Following the interview, you will be secured to an operating table, and a single infusion of potassium chloride will be administered to you intravenously, resulting in arrhythmia and subsequent cardiac arrest. You will remain clinically dead for a period of no less than ninety seconds.

During this time, your soul will exit your body and you will experience an eternity of suffering, torment, and despair at the hands of Hell’s minions. Unfortunately we cannot accurately predict the nature of your particular encounter with the afterlife; however, participants from pilot studies have reported the following:

-
                     
A limitless void, “red as death and cold as sin”

-
                     
Repeated consumption by a yellow, eyeless serpent

-
                     
Drowning in a vat of liquid fire

-
                     
Pursuit by “The Devourer in the Mist”

After the ninety-second interval has elapsed, resuscitation techniques will be employed, including but not limited to: manual chest compressions, defibrillation, and the administration of pharmacologic agents, e.g. epinephrine, calcium, insulin,
diuretics, and antiarrhythmics. These agents, when used in combination, will counter the effects of the potassium chloride, allowing for reversal of the death state and the subsequent return of your soul to the confines of its earthly body.

Post-therapeutic evaluation will include a complete medical examination, three (3) one-on-one follow up visits with a study psychiatrist to record your experiences and assess your mental status, and administration of follow up psychometric testing.

SIDE EFFECTS: Potential side effects include: sleep disturbances, insomnia, persistent nightmares, hallucinations (both auditory and visual), seizures, and short-term memory loss.

RISKS: As with any therapy, there are risks to undergoing treatment. Known risks associated with the above-described intervention include:

·
         
Infection at the IV site

·
         
Broken ribs

·
         
Irreversible psychosis

·
         
Increased incidence of developing suicidal tendencies

·
         
Coma

·
         
Permanent death and disability

·
         
 

BENEFITS & REIMBURSEMENT: While you may experience no direct benefits, others will benefit from your participation, in that a successful trial will decrease the recidivism rate of violent offenders, making society safer for everyone in the long term. All medical and living expenses incurred during the interventional and subsequent observational periods will be provided at no cost.

CONFIDENTIALITY: By participating in this research, you are undergoing an intervention unfamiliar and unavailable to other patients within the Shady Acres facility. While many patients are aware that experimental therapies are under investigation, we do not share the identity of any participants with other patients. However, due to the nature of your crimes, law enforcement officials, judges, lawyers, and victims or their surviving families may be made aware of your participation status as one of the conditions of your release.

RIGHT TO REFUSE OR WITHDRAW: As stated above, participation in Project Handbasket is mandatory. At no point will you be permitted to withdraw from the study.

PART II: Certificate of Consent

I have read the above information. I have had the opportunity to ask questions about it and all questions I have asked have been answered to my satisfaction. I consent voluntarily to participate in this research.

Print Name of Participant
      N/A       

Signature of Participant 
       N/A       

I have witnessed the accurate reading of the above information to the participant, and the participant has had the opportunity to ask questions.
I confirm that the participant has given consent.

Print name of witness             
  
Jacqueline Harper, MD  

Signature of witness             
Jacqueline Harper, MD

Date                                         
     
March 4, 2017   

***

03/05/2017

S:              Patient reports he did not sleep last night. Refused meals both last night and this morning. No other overnight events.

O:              Mental Status Exam: Patient is alert and oriented.

Affect: flat.

Mood: “defeated.”

Thought Process/Content: Linear without evidence of delusions, hallucinations, suicidal or homicidal ideation.

Vital signs within normal limits.

No acute distress.