r/WritersOfHorror

Richard Briggs drove down the secluded dirt road. The night was as dark as could be and the snow fell in a manner that could only be described as a blizzard. The snow blanketed the ground in a sheet of at least five inches. He could barely see anything. The bright lights on his car didn't help much and everytime the windshield wipers brushed away the falling snow it would automatically be covered once again.

“Should've stayed at that motel. Still another two hours before I finally get home,” he said, as he yawned loudly, tired from the weekend business meeting. His eyes began to feel heavier, as they started to slowly be pulled shut by the weight of exhaustion. He screamed loudly, jerking the steering wheel to the right just in time to avoid a figure that resembled a human shape standing directly in the middle of the road. The car skidded on the snow for a moment before flipping completely. The car flipped twice midair then slammed to the ground. All of the car's windows shattered upon impact. Richard's head slammed into the steering wheel forcing him to be flung into unconsciousness groaning in pain as his world was plunged into darkness.

Richard looked around himself slowly and saw nothing but a black void. He looked down at his feet instantly noticing that the ground was seemingly vibrating with a constant energy. The vibrations seemed to be coming from directly in front of him but he saw no ground, nothing but the empty black void which surrounded him.

“I'm dreaming,” he said quietly.

“Yes. you are dreaming, my child, my one doorway,” the creature that spoke to him stood there just a few feet from Richard. It was a cloud of bright almost glowing white fog that slightly resembled a tall man with freakishly long arms. It floated there, at least eight feet above what was supposed to be the ground shifting like smoke in the wind.

“Uh… what are you?” Richard asked, startled by the apparition.

“Tell them Awesque Lahll,” it said in a breathy almost strained voice.

Richard looked at the creature amazed before mindlessly asking, “Tell who?”

The creature dissipated in an explosion of smoke which made a sound similar to a cannon going off. Richard jumped back covering his ears quickly, startled by the explosion before waking. He awoke to himself screaming on a couch. He looked around and saw that he was in what looked to be a large cabin.

“Uhhh…” he groaned, putting his hand on his forehead. The cut had been stitched almost perfectly.

“What a weird dream,” he mumbled to himself.

“What was that?” asked a man who stood in the corner of the room.

Richard had not noticed the man until now. Richard sat up on the couch quickly, startled by the suddenness of the voice. Richard's left leg had wooden poles on both sides wrapped with bandages as a homemade splint. He winced in pain as he attempted to stand up.

“Just a strange dream,” Richard said before pausing to get his leg on the floor as painlessly as possible, “Who are you? And, um… where am I?”

“My name is Jared Laslik. This is my cabin. What was it about?” Jarred said. He sounded nice enough to Richard, definitely not any danger to him as of that moment.

“What was what about?” Richard asked, confused by the question.

Jared looked at him and smiled before saying, “The dream. What was so strange about it?”

Jared was a tall broad man, well built with a chiseled handsome face and graying hair. He looked to be in his late forties but was most likely in his early sixties. Jared wore a long sleeve shirt, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of slightly dirty socks.

Richard thought of what the fog had said.

“Tell them Awesque Lahll."

That's all he remembered from the dream.

Richard slowly spoke aloud as he thought of the dream, “Awesque Lahll. Whatever that is. Could I get a glass of water? My throat is killing me,”

“Of course,” Jared said, walking to another room as he spoke.

Richard looked through the one window located in the room. Snow was still falling from the sky; the ground now had at least eleven inches of snow on it. He looked at the fireplace and the fire that blazed within it which gave off the only bit of heat in the room. Richard heard Jared whispering to someone in the other room as he ran the water from the sink to fill a glass.

He couldn't make out what was being said except for one phrase, “Doorway to the...”

Richard reached down and put on his shoes which were laid on the floor in front of him just in case he needed to make a quick getaway, he winced in pain as he put the shoe on his broken leg. Jared walked into the room and handed Richard the glass of water. Richard took it and drank from it quickly, thankful for the water that drenched his dry and cracked throat.

“Thank you,” Richard said, gratefully before asking, “Do you live alone?”

Jared smiled before saying, “Oh, no. In fact there are many of us here. John, come in here.”

A man that was in his early thirties with a dark black beard and long black hair who must have been John walked into the room.

“Say hello,” Jared said, staring at John as he spoke.

“Uh, hi." John said awkwardly.

“We,” Jared said pointing at himself then John, “now understand why you are here. John, help him stand and walk him to the door.”

“Yes sir.” John said as he stood Richard up, put his arm over his shoulder and walked him through the room.

“Wait. What are you doing? Where are you taking me?” Richard asked, attempting to hide the panic that was building up in him.

He was quickly led through the kitchen before being taken directly to the basement door. Jared opened the door so that John wouldn't have to let go of Richard.

“Take him to cell number one,” Jared said in a cold, almost emotionless tone.

“Wait, what? No!” Richard screamed out in pure disbelief as he pushed John away as hard as he possibly could and started to run.

Richard took three steps before he collapsed onto the floor screaming and crying because of the pain caused by his broken leg. The force of Richard's shove forced John down the stairs, stumbling through the air before slamming onto the concrete floor below.

Jared looked down the basement steps then said, “Oh no… poor john. You will be missed. Hey Sarah! get in here and help… uh, what's your name?”

“Richard,” He answered begrudgingly.

“Yes. Help Richard here to cell number one,” Jared said happily.

The woman who must have been Sarah walked into the room. She looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties, had long light brown hair, wore a long sleeve shirt, a gray jacket, a pair of blue jeans and a pair of red house slippers.

“Yes sir,” Sarah said, as she put her arm around Richard and took him down into the basement. Richard and Sarah stepped over John's dead body, his neck snapped, blood pooling around his limp body.

“Oh… oh god.” Richard said, gagging at the sight of the dead body, the blood, and the smell of the basement. Sarah led him to the cell quickly before throwing him into it.

“Get some rest now!” Jared yelled down to the basement, “We will explain your reason for being here tomorrow!”

Sarah closed and locked the cell door, turned, and walked upstairs before locking the basement door.

“Oh no. Oh no. Oh god, I'm so fucked.” Richard said, trying to catch his breath but he quickly found that it was a useless endeavor, he was hyperventilating and after a few minutes he passed out. He looked around and all around him was nothing but a black void.

“Where are you? Huh? Why are these freaks holding me captive?” Richard asked these questions fully aware he was speaking to nothing more than a dream.

There was no answer.

Richard looked around slowly, scanning the area before screaming out in anger and confusion, “What the hell are you?!”

“Awesque Lahll.” said a voice, something inside of the void that was currently hidden.

“Why do they want me?” Richard asked, almost sounding desperate for the knowledge.

A thick coat of fog enveloped the void giving a dull humming light to the darkness. Before Richard stood the creature, no longer made of shifting smoke, now taking a truly tangible form made of flesh and bone. It was seven and a half feet tall, skinny enough to be able to see its ribs right up against its tight skin. Where a normal creature would have ears it had two six inch wide holes, its eyes were just as black as the void around Richard, its lips were a light blue. Its skin was so pale that its veins that bulged right against it seemed to glow in comparison. Its arms went so low that they touched the ground. It had four fingers, its hand was like a human's with no thumbs. Each finger looked to be roughly eight inches long and each had a four inch serrated claw.

It stared at him blankly before mater of factly, almost as though it thought that Richard was stupid for even asking, saying, “You are the door and they have the key.”

“What the fuck dose that even meen?!” Richard screamed, as he woke up in the cell.

Jared was sitting in a chair directly in front of the cell.

“You were speaking to him. To Awesque Lahll.” he said grimly.

Richard looked at him then down at the ground as he mumbled, “None of your business.”

“Wasn't a question,” Jared said, smiling at Richard. Richard and Jared sat there for hours. Richard stared at the ground and said nothing as Jared stared at Richard.

Then after three hours of silence Jared looked up the basement stairs and yelled out, “Hey! Sarah, bring down the food!”

Richard couldn't help but jump as Jared screamed, startled by the sudden loud noise. Sarah walked down the steps holding a plate with a large piece of grilled meat.

“Here you go, sir,” Sarah said quietly.

“Please, in the cell,” Jared said, pointing to the small cage. Sarah walked to the cell and slid the plate in then turned and walked back upstairs.

“Eat,” Jared said, suddenly sounding jovial.

“Why am I here?” Richard asked, afraid of what the answer would be.

“Awesque Lahll. He warned me of your arrival. I was the one on the road. I was the reason you lost control of the vehicle. He knew you were the doorway. He just needs the key.” Jared said with a smile on his face.

“What is the key?” Richard asked curiously.

“Eat the food.” Jared commanded as his smile slowly began to waver.

“What is it?” Richard asked suspiciously, obviously thinking it was poisoned in some way.

“John. My friend, the one you killed,” Jared said, like it was the most unimportant thing that had ever been said.

“This food is him? What the hell! What is wrong with you? You fucking freak! I'm not going to eat a human!” Richard screamed as he threw the plate across the cell.

Jared stood, turned, and without looking back said, “You will.” Then he walked up the basement steps and locked the door.

Richard sat there silently for an hour. The silence was maddening; he began to think of what it all meant and what being “the doorway” even entailed. By the third hour of sitting there he heard a voice that spoke in a deep breathy tone.

The voice had one simple question to ask, “Richard…you hunger, do you not?”

Richard looked around for the voice, but all around him was nothing but the empty black void.

“Oh shit,” Richard said annoyed, “I must've fallen asleep.”

“Do you hunger?” The voice which Richard now knew for a fact was that of the creature who answered to the name of Awesque Lahll asked yet again.

“Yes. I am hungry.” Richard answered, realizing just how hungry he was as his stomach growled loudly.

“Then eat John. Willingly eat the flesh of another human. They taste quite good.” the creature said, smiling a wide toothy grin as it did. The creature's teeth looked like a human's teeth only sharpened to a point and stained a dark yellow.

Richard glared at the creature then defiantly said, “I'll never do that. I'm not a monster.”

The creature glared at him for a moment before simply saying, “You will be.”

Richard opened his eyes and saw the cell. He knew he was awake now. No one was waiting for him to awaken and there was no new food for him to eat.

“Hello! Anyone there? Hello?” Richard couldn't understand why but any company, even that of the man that had kidnapped him, was better than the crippling loneliness and deafening silence of the cell. Jared walked down the basement steps and sat in the chair.

Richard automatically began asking questions upon seeing him enter the basement, “Why does this thing want me? why do you even care what it wants?”

Jared smiled then slowly and calmly explained, “It is the devourer, the great hunger, the wendigo, the feasting spirit. It is our God. Its reason for wanting you can not be disclosed at this time… It would ruin the surprise.”

“But I have to eat the meat willingly. Meaning if I don’t I win against you, your crazy ass cult, and your god.” Richard said confidently.

“You'll have to eat sometime within the week or you'll starve to death. We win no matter what. You die, good. We get what we want, also good.” Jared said, standing as he spoke.

He slowly walked up the stairs but stopped right before leaving to simply say, “Eat the meat willingly. Don't disappoint. Otherwise we'll have to put your body with all the others who've failed us.”

Richard sat there feeling the hunger eat at him, unable to sleep. A whole night passed without sleep. Jared entered the basement and sat in the chair yet again.

“Why don't you eat the meat?” Jared asked quietly, genuinely confused.

“I'm not some freak that worships a fake spirit.” Richard said defiantly.

“Perhaps you will think differently when you hear the truth?” Jared asked with a seemingly kind smile.

“Probably not.” Richard answered, too hungry for his voice to show any emotion.

“Well,” Jared began, “It first spoke to me twenty eight years ago. It told me it needed a doorway. I was full of doubt but then the dreams began and I was shown its true form. It told me of the truest, most sacred of doctrines; it showed me nothing matters except satiating your own hunger. hunger for food, drink, blood, sex, and even the flesh of others. Freedom is his doctrine, freedom to feed your hunger, to take what you want."

Jared paused and stared at Richard for a few minutes then in an obviously fake caring tone said, “You want to stay alive, I want you to stay alive. The great spirit has chosen you to be great. don't you want to stand for something that's bigger than all of us, that will change the world?”

“I… I want to… live.” Richard said quietly.

“You hunger for life? Then take it and eat it.” Jared said, smiling knowing he had won. Richard crawled to the spilled food sitting on the cell floor so hungry that he didn't even notice the pain in his leg. He sat there and tore a piece of meat from what was obviously John's arm. The maggots had already begun to crawl within it. Richard put the meat in his mouth, he gagged once, then began quickly tearing off more of the flesh, shoveling more meat into his mouth. He chewed each bite only once or twice before swallowing. Richard began laughing crazily, thanking whatever higher power he could think of at the time.

Jared stood up and said, “Make your piece with the world how you see fit. You have one more night. Then the doorway will be opened and the great and beautiful visage of our great lord, the devourer of all, will be on our world in physical form.”

Richard did nothing but continue to shovel the meat into his mouth. Jared slowly walked up the basement stairs and back to the main cabin laughing happily as he did so. Richard sat there after reducing the arm to nothing more than bone; it had taken him two hours to do so. He sat there silently.

“How could I do that? I'm a monster. Oh god, I'm a fucking monster!” Richard screamed, crying and wailing.

“You are no monster, human. You are what I am, a creature that takes what they hunger for, the only difference is my hunger is never satiated. It's a living hell. It's what I will cure all of the other humans of, the damned hunger.”

Richard looked towards the deep breathy voice where the spirit stood. The cell was still there, no void of darkness.

“How are you here? I'm not dreaming.” Richard asked with very little ability to care, still thinking of the horrid act he had committed.

The creature looked at Richard, quietly laughing as it spoke, “You satiated your hunger with the flesh of one of your own. I no longer need the dreamscape I am in your mind, deep within your mind. Once you wake up you will be gone, replaced by me, your bones, flesh, eyes, mind… all replaced with me, your new lord. But do not fear I will satiate the hunger of my followers then move on to all of the others. Your sacrifice will be for the greater good.”

Richard knew this was the end, he could somehow feel it. He looked at the spirit and slowly stood wincing at the pain of his leg then embraced the spirit in a tight hug.

tears flowed down Richard's face as he spoke sadly, “My death will mean something. But I still don't want to die. Please… don't kill me.”

“You are already gone. I have allowed you to live in my dreamscape. Your body dead, your mind alive.”

“How long have I been dead?” Richard asked in disbelief.

“Two hours in time as you see it. You will continue life here in the dreamscape, as I continue my work.” The spirit faded from existence, its words lingering in the atmosphere. Richard was left in the void that had suddenly appeared to envelop him, all alone.

Jared walked down into the basement and unlocked the cell door.

“Welcome to our world, my lord. We await your orders,” Jared said with a large grin on his face.

out of the cell walked the devourer, the great hunger, the wendigo, the feasting spirit. It was so tall that it had to crouch down to exit the cell door. It looked intently at Jared with its black soulless eyes and said in its deep breathy voice “Our work begins now.”

The spirit smiled as it thought of all the hunger that needed to be satiated within this new world.