Together in Irem

[Delores Brown]

Delores takes the shoulder holster and shrugs it on, getting it right on the second attempt. She cinches the straps tight, wriggling her shoulders to get comfortable. The gun is heavier than expected even though she's been toting the sawn-off around.

She takes the final spare shell for the shotgun and demurely tucks it in her blouse where she can get it in a hurry, fastens her handbag tight and shifts it to her back where it won't get in the way. She picks up the shotgun and swallows hard. "I'm ready," she said, "As I'll ever be..."

[Gaffer]

As Delores maneuvers the shoulder rig, Dex becomes aware that some of the procession members have turned and are staring at them. The first to look, call the attention of others and awareness spreads in a ripple through the crowd. There is no apparent animosity in the crowd, just curiosity. As Delores finishes her adjustments, Dex realizes that she is still wearing Merivana's mask.

The mob begins to shift and shuffle, gradually opening a pathway through their ranks to the entrance of the crypt. All watch Delores and Dex in silence.

[Delores Brown]

"I-I think this might be our chance," murmurs Delores, looking up at Dex. "Let's move before they realise I'm not her!" Delores waits for Dex to lift Hirst, then slowly makes her way towards the crypt.

[Dexter Ford]

Dex picks up Hirt with a grunt of effort, and follows slowly. "If you have to run for it, go. I'll do my best to catch up."

OOC Delores & GM,I reread what I wrote, and Delores taking the shoulder holster is not what I meant lol. Actually I wanted her to grab the pistol from the holster if necessary, but this will do. I actually think Dex wouldn't really care at this point. Though he is going to have a serious talk with Delores when this is done with...over dinner and drinks. :)

[Gaffer]

Delores in the mask and Dex carrying Hirt proceed through the mass of creatures as the passage is opened for them. Behind them, the crowd fills in again. In moments they have passed from the open plaza through the portal into the chill of the crypt itself.

The crypt is huge and mostly empty, the black basaltic blocks rising around a space as big as the main concourse of Grand Central Station. Great groins of stone curve to a huge opening far overhead. As the processions march in, the space begins to fill and Dex and Delores are pressed forward until they are against a low coping surrounding the vacant space beneath the opening. Looking up, they can see the image of the Chrysler Building flickering slowly in time with a slow beat of the many drums carried by the marchers.

It seems impossible, but eventually all of the various processions are packed within the crypt. The air is ripe with a dozen unpleasant odors and humid with the exhalations of those entities that seem to breathe. Hundreds of flutes and pipes begin to twitter and to wail and a muttering chant arises.

An elongated and attenuated creature at least eight feet tall leaps onto the coping. A sheer black shroud cloaks its phosphorescent limbs and torso without really concealing them. Its tittering, voice seems weirdly feminine, as do its willowy movements, though it is devoid of any sexual characteristics. It begins to dance upon the rim of the coping, cavorting lewdly, lasciviously as it makes the circuit. The drums begin to beat faster, louder.

It comes to where Dex and Delores are standing, pressed against the stone by the crush that fills the space. Bending down to loom over their heads it wriggles obscenely with obscene gestures as though to mock their presence. With a cackle, it snatches the mask from Delores's face and gives a hoot of triumph as it slaps the metal visor onto its own sketchy face. The crowd roars its approval and the thing capers off as the music and drums are joined by a chant from a thousand throats.

Overhead, the pale image of the Chrysler Building begins to flicker faster, in time to the frenzied beating of the drums. The moon-tower flickers in time to the pounding music of the drums. The space bounded by the coping also flickers and darkens and somehow seems to drop away.

[Dexter Ford]

Dex whispers to Delores. "Is there anyway up there?" He also turns over his shoulder to Hirt. "If you know anything, now is the time to fill us in."
He looks about at the crowd. "Normally I'd say let that thing have both barrels, whatever it is, but I am not sure if that wouldn't mean our doom." Dex looks about for a way to get up to the portal or if simply closing his eyes and wishing he were home will work. He'll do that as a last resort, suspecting it won't do anything.

[Gaffer]

[sub]"iytahyacthyim"[/sub] mutters Alphonse Hirt from behind Dex's back.

[Dexter Ford]

"What was that?" Dex repeats. "Is that a key or something? Help me out here."

[Delores Brown]

Delores touches Hirt's cheek gently. "What was that?" she asks quietly, trying to ignore the creeping crescendo of noise. "Is that a word to get us outa here?"

[Gaffer]

Hirt twists his head around to look Delores in the eyes. "Can he put me down?" he asks, gasping for breath a bit, "This hurts."

As Dex eases Alphonse to a standing position, still supporting him with an arm around his shoulders, Dex's jacket is a bit bloodstained and Hirt's bandages are leaking a bit.

"I'm Al Hirt... I went home from here before..." deeep breath "...It's almost time." His head droops forward a bit, then lifts again to peer at them, "We have to wait for three sacrifices. Then we leap into the void, saying the words.

"Iyt-a-hy-a Cth-yim." He repeats it three times, so they can imitate it to his satisfaction as the cacophony of sound washes over them.

The worshipers are dancing and leaping in a frenzied manner. Across the open space, they can see the longshoreman hoisted onto the coping, his arms jerking spasmodically. Nearby an Oriental man is steadied on the threshold, his arms and legs held fast, his head whipping his queue from side to side as he screams.

On a different section Merivana's nude form, her lower body and thighs slick and crimson-stained from Delores's shotgun blast is lifted over the head of the crowd. Her head twists this way and that and she is screaming something that the noise drowns out.

The nude figure wearing Merivana's mask dances and capers around the rim. It reaches the longshoreman and pantomimes indecently sexual actions upon him to the rhythm of the pounding drums, as all other sound falls away.

Merivana's eyes find Hirt and Dex and Delores and she fixes them with a hateful glare.

[Delores Brown]

Delores stares back at Merivana defiantly. "They'd better kill her," she says through gritted teeth. "If they don't, I will."

[Dexter Ford]

"Delores, can I have my pistol back? Just the pistol. When we are headed back...if she isn't dead, I'll do my best to kill her before we leave."
He looks at Hirt. "Anything else you can tell us about all this, Mr Hirt? Other than having to say the word and waiting for three people to die so we can get home?"
Dex doesn't look very happy about all this...but on the other hand, the faster he can get out of here the better.

[Gaffer]

Hirt turns bleak eyes to Dex. "Boost me up," he rasps.

At that moment all sound stops in the crypt. Into the void of silence comes a whisper, a whistle, then a roar. A thousand creatures hold their breath (those that breathe). A single drum booms like a heartbeat as the abomination wraps long tapering fingers about the neck of the longshoreman. A low groan issues from his tortured face.

The roar is wind tearing through the space. As they teeter on the rim of the coping, Dex and Delores look up and see a white, pulsating tunnel twisting slightly as it stretches as though to infinity. A mere glimpse of sapphire blue winks at its end.

Looking down, there is no longer any floor below them, just the inky depths of space broken only by a few scattered stars.

The wind rips from the darkness below to the brightness above.

With a quick twist of its torso, the phosphorescent thing whips the longshoreman into the void!

He hangs, suspended for a moment as the wind tears at him. Then with a sickening sound he is torn apart to bloody shreds and then to mere atoms, a red mist that whirls away up the white tunnel.

[Delores Brown]

Delores pulls the pistol from the shoulder holster and squeezes it into Dex's hand.

"They're not doing this for our benefit though, are they?" she says worriedly, "So what are they going to do once the 'tunnel' is there?". She knows 'tunnel' is the wrong word but right now can't think of anything better.

[Dexter Ford]

"Jump into it and hope for the best. I am not sure what else to do. Unless you have any better ideas?"
Dex held the pistol in one hand and did his best to support Hirt with the other. "If this doesn't work, someone is going to suffer a very messy end. All I want is a goddamned steak dinner and a nickle beer at Flannigans. Okay, a whole pitcher of beer at Flannigans."

[Delores Brown]

Delores thinks for a moment. "No," she replies shortly, "No I don't."

She looks at Dex steadily."Is that a table for two at Flannigans?" she asks.

[Dexter Ford]

He looks at her and smiles. "I wouldn't have it any other way. And I'll even buy you your own pitcher."
He moves slightly to look outside at the surging crowd and the mayhem that is taking place. "It won't be long, I think."

[Gaffer]

The tittering creature dances its way around to the Asian man and gathers him into a close embrace, then kisses him. The man’s body begins to writhe then to thrash. The thing’s head wrenches back in a spray of blood as the man screams in pain, blood pouring from his mouth. The thing turns its head and spits a glob of flesh into the void – a tongue torn out at the root.

With one hand, it lifts the man, kicking and waving his arms, into the rushing wind. His body soars a bit and then shreds into tatters and gobbets.

The crowd yells in frenzy as the phosphorescent creature sashays around to Merivana. Merivana’s shouted protests are submerged in the noise of the mob, as the celebrant mocks her with a willowy pantomime, its hands raised to the gold mask.

Suddenly Merivana whips her head around to stare at Delores, Dex, and Alphonse with a look of burning hatred. She launches herself into the space shouting so loudly that the phrase "Iyt-a-hy-a Cth-yim!" is audible despite the din. Her face takes on a triumphant expression and the crowd falls silent as she rises on the wind.

But then she begins to… unravel as her fingers and toes spin away followed by her arms and legs. Her intestines unspool into the void, then her veins and arteries, then her other organs. Her spinal column whipe about and then her brain explodes.

Drums throb as the creature turns its mask to the three travelers and begins a slow, sensual glide toward them.

“Time to go,” says Hirt, toppling headfirst off the coping, "Iyt-a-hy-a Cth-yim."

[Delores Brown]

Delores grabs Dex's hand and cries out, "Iyt-a-hy-a Cth-yim!"

[Dexter Ford]

Dex, not too sure after seeing Merivana's head explode, yet taking hold of Delores' hand he too cries out, "Iyt-a-hy-a Cth-yim!"