S5: An Out-Of-Body Situation

Angela (Barker) and Denny (Valentine) had to stop playing. Work conflicts.

Dr. Will Woollon’s Diary

Monday, 13 May: I knew this book was more than an interesting spine for display in a bookcase. Years of fruitless study trying to decipher the language (not Latin). Now, in less than 72 hours, I’ve learned the book is a rare copy of the Book of Eibon. A book of spells penned by the last survivors of the fabled Atlantis. Rune symbols within the book matching runes upon the ghostly Indian robe. And again, upon the robe of a spiritual woman named Ashe, who told me the book is written in her K’n Yan language. All my Occult study allowing me to recognize the name of her city,”Yian-ho”, as a fabled city at the center of Earth. I was so excited for her to teach me, till Peter warned how she looks down on me for my non-psychic skills. Me no more than a slave to her kind.

At least my Latin came in handy to translate the scroll I found at Leopold’s estate. Instructions to create Crystals of Naphkon that allow one to look thru time and actually talk with people in that time. The same crystal Klaus planned to use to collect the souls of those humans trapped in time in the Lomarian tower. For that effort, at least my prior dream travel to Lomar was used to find a tutor to teach me their language. So that this time, I could understand the Lomarian guards within the tower. Their orders, by Tetronis himself, to keep the humans imprisoned.

Undeterred, Klaus vaulted (Telekinetically) over the guards to charge up the stairs, “Brendon Sterling, are you there?! Ivy? Adelaide? Anyone?” Leaving us to face the guards. Me, scrambling for my pistol in my medical bag while Father held the leader in a hypnotic trance. Meanwhile, Peter disintegrated one guard with his proton-pack weapon to then turn his pistol on another. Bullets versus their glistening sword edges. All the while, the city outside in flames. The sound of mastodons thundering thru the streets, driven by the Voormis trolls. One threat at a time please. Against my Hippocratic Oath (“primum non nocere” i.e. “first, do no harm”), I wielded my gun, taking down a guard. 

Outgunned, the Lomarians still held their ground in a fierce battle. Especially when Father failed to dodge a blade, causing wound and loss of focus that freed the leader from his trance. Father fully exposed to another guard till my shot slayed his assailant. Allowing Father to spray his mace, temporarily blinding the leader. Giving him chance to spot the Lomarian raising his blade in a death blow against Peter. I was close enough to hear Father “suggest” the Lomarian flee the battle. My guess Father faulted (failed Hypnosis/failed Push] considering it was Peter turning on his heels to flee. Timely movement to avoid the guard’s death-swing as Peter shook cobwebs from his thoughts and re-engaged. His shot felling the last guard.

That gave us chance to spy Klaus descending the stairs holding his crystal high, “I found Brendon and the others beyond a locked door. I ‘convinced’ them each to enter the crystal. Look closely and you’ll see their floating images. See, there’s a hand.” I was already opening my medical kit to treat the wounded when Peter ordered, “No time for that now. I can see the Voormis getting closer.” And so it was, we drank Klaus’ astral Dream Mead to exit the tower and blink aboard our pirate ship once more. 

Thankfully, no more doppelganger pursuers followed us thru the tunnel to then beach upon the dreamland for our walk back to Zerathos’ Lomar. Giddy at our success till large ripples raced across the sand at us. A HUGE beast rose before us, rising to towering heights, to then plunge with its maw wide and consume the spit of land we tread upon. Commotion all at once. Peter screaming the announcement it a ‘Dhole’. 

I, maw wide in disbelief and fright. Klaus nonchalantly announcing, “Well, that’s something you don’t see everyday.” And Father looking heavenward in prayer, “Bless me Father for I have sinned.” And just like that, the Lomarian night sky blinked out of existence as we now resided inside the belly-of-the-beast. Excuse me Father, but this reminds me of your bible scripture about Jonah swallowed by the whale. How did he get out? 

The next thing I knew, my vision became a fish-eyed wide lens. The effect of us trapped inside a bubble looking at Father on the outside. Him desperately [used 51 Luck for success] wielding his crucifix trying to cut us out. For he and I both realized this bubble was full of Dhole stomach acid; meaning, we were about to be digested! As we spilled out of the burst bubble, my ears rung with buzzing sounds. My eyes adjusting to the darkness. Blinking in disbelief at the 5’4” bug-like creature standing before us. Klaus making his own buzzing noises trying to communicate. Father speaking Latin.

The thing answering Father to then shift into English, “I am Thelmassiama. I’ve been studying this creature for years. Fascinating how it bobs thru the universe warping reality rather than consuming it. And where are you from? Earth? Sorry to hear that; your world ends in months. It was to last eons but things are changing. I’ve learned that is called ‘The Butterfly Effect’. Why? Someone will disturb Great-Mother’s children Nug and Yeb who reside inside your Earth. How do you stop the end of your world?” I listened intently but was unable to follow Thelma’s instructions. Thankfully, Klaus and Father were able to learn the Black Supplications spell (calming the Great Old Ones). 

And as a parting gift, Thelma showed us how to exit the astral dream, guiding us to the Dhole’s sphincter where we were ‘shit’ back out into Zerathos’ Lomar where we used the yellow flowers to wake up from our dream. Healed of all wounds! Were the wounds real? Had we died in the dream, would we ever wake? Thankfully I’m alive and richer in knowledge. And ready for a long night sleep back at the Exchange Hotel in Saugerties. 

Tuesday, 14 May: A long discussion of our next step. “Zelrathos said we needed to join the souls you have trapped in the crystal with their bodies he says are somewhere here in time.” Father thinks they are lifeless bodies maybe carried in caskets along with Argus’ spelunking team. “We could ask the Weblin boys if they loaded such.” And so, we drove out to their backwoods home with bottles of whiskey gifts. “Caskets? Now why would them fellas be lugging bodies around?! Ain’t seen none. But yeah, I remember one of dem fellas answering to the name Brendon. Girlies too; one called herself Adelaide…Ida laid her if the boss let me.” Which makes sense: the Lomarians traded bodies, trapping the humans in their Lomarian bodies held in the tower. So now the Lomarians accompany Argus deep into the center of the Earth for God knows why.

Wednesday, 15 May: Shopping since we decided to follow Argus into the Catskills, using the shopping list they left behind. Portioned for just the 4 of us. But considering all of us weaklings, “Only what we can reasonably carry. Unlike them, we don’t plan to live down there. And we can always steal what we need.” Noon when the Weblin boys picked us up and drove out toward Devil’s Pass along the Old Overlook Road. None of us campers or hikers which made tracking difficult. Forever backtracking to find real paths. Exhausting steep climbs. Peter scaring the crap out of me when he warned about the brush I grabbed for support. Easily uprooting and causing a rock avalanche that would have swept me along to my death. Had I not grabbed his hand instead.

 My leg muscles burned from activity alien to them. Another steep climb. Thankfully, Father went first to anchor a rope. Now I may not be a camper, but I have enough hunting magazines in my office. I’ve read an article or two. Enough to recognize bear scat and signs of a mother bear and cub. Warning to Klaus who strode forward, “So cute.” Peter the one scolding him, ”You trying to get us killed?!” 

At the summit, we looked down into what must be ‘Mink Hollow’. Beautiful orange western skyline foretelling nightfall. So, we set camp. Fools trying to drive tent stakes into solid rock. So, we tied the canvas to overhanging rock. And spend a weary night upon rock-hard ground with the tent canvas flapping in the wind. Burning muscles, bleary eyes, and growling stomachs. So this is camping. 

Thursday, 16 May: More misery. It snowed last night. As if the 1600 ft vertical descent into the hollow wasn’t dangerous enough. As we explored the edge looking for a way down, we followed what looked to be an animal trail. Rustling noises. Something big. Another bear? We hid, except for Klaus stupid enough to want to confront the threat. I had to put my hand over my mouth to muffle my surprise at the 2 beasts that emerged from the woods. They looked like Maine lobsters that stood upon human legs. Carapace shell on forearms and body with huge claws. Did we just step back into the dreamland? Klaus, are you brewing more Dream Mead?! 

I think Klaus was actually trying to lead them away from us. And Father stood to throw a rock down the slope to draw them off too. Except the rock ricocheted off a branch back at our own feet. I locked eyes with one of the beasts. And raised my gun. I’m not sure exactly what happened. One-minute Peter was fighting one of the beasts, then suddenly blinked out of existence. I too fighting when the other beast grabbed me…I now stood in front of a cabin, along with Peter, being ushered inside at gunpoint by smelly mountain men. “Put em with the others.” Four other blindfolded captives who called themselves “Isaac, Oded, Mira, and Paulo.” Nothing better to do than wait. And tell stories. Compare adventures. Oded explained, “We were lost in another dimension, called Mu. 1935 now? Hey guys, it’s only been 2 years. Told you I’d find a way out. So, what brought you guys here?” Peter being honest, “Cockroaches. BIG ones!” 

Meanwhile, the way Father tells it, the creatures were “Dimensional Shamblers” that abducted us and transported us a few miles away. That’s one way to avoid the threat of a 1600 ft descent as we could tell we were in the valley called ‘Mink Hollow’. It was hours before we saw our friends. I heard Klaus calling our names but couldn’t answer with the musket in my face. But it wasn’t long before both Klaus and Father were shoved into our cabin. “I guess they’re not friends of Argus either. I showed a picture of him and here we are.” 

Now I gotta say, while I was being guarded, I couldn’t help but notice the tears within the mountain man’s eyes. Didn’t make sense at first. Hours waiting as we could hear other captives being led out of their cabins and never to return. Finally, our door opened and moonlight streamed in. Us too being led to slaughter. Except we were led to a blue throne instead to meet their leader Zeek. “What reason you come to my village?” Once again I could see tears in the eyes of the villagers. Realization they were being forced to act against their will. Father explained how we are pursuing Argus and the others. Zeek agreed, “Bad men. They…compel us to guard the entrance. Kill them and the balance will be restored. My people will be freed. Come, let us celebrate… to your success.”   

BIO of Dr. Will Woollon, age 31

“Good morning DOCTOR Woollon. My, your son is the spitting image. What a cute toy stethoscope he has around his neck. I can tell what he wants to be when he grows up.” Why won’t anyone listen to me; ask what I want to be? “Nonsense son, I already have it arranged. There’s a hospital named after me; I’ve made BIG contributions to the university. It’s all settled. And when it’s time, you will take over my clinic and patients.”

Years of being molded into a round-ball to then be forced into a square-hole. Tutors and studies while the other kids played games outside late into the night. Oh, how I wanted to join them and their carefree lives. But not to be, and thus, my awkward, non-physical build. “Father knows best”, for his only child. How many times did I hear that mantra? So, I learned to submit and get it over with. Hard study and Medical school to placate dad.  Advanced Biology (66) and Pharmacology (61) classes so I could pass the Bar. Graduation with honors to make dad proud.

My surprise when I suggested I setup my own clinic in another city and he actually approved. Finally, on my own to pursue my own interests. That nagging curiosity of life…and death. Ever since mother died when I was only 10 years old, I have been trying to understand “the greater purpose at play”. The cosmic truth. Then an inkling of exposure when I joined the secret society in college that held studies and rituals related to the occult. Hints about an underlying force in the world.

I’ve stayed connected to the society all these years after college. Has it already been 6 years now after spending 7 years to get my bachelor and then medical degree? Enough Occult (77) study to recognize the mysticism of this book’s title. And income to afford buying it from that strange store. Years of dead-end efforts to translate it. Until now. The ghostly apparition ‘Ashe’ naming it a copy of the Book of Eibon. A book of spells penned by the last survivors of the fabled Atlantis. I would not have believed, until her image become visible. And I saw runes upon her robe that matched images within the book. Oh how my heart races at the thought of finally being able to translate the book!

Maybe it was my money that allowed me to join the Open Mind Society. I mean, I don’t have psychic powers like them. But I knew there would be physical threats in their efforts to explore the unknown. I joined this smaller group to offer my medical skills. The fact they choose to heal themselves…frees me to join in the dream and astral travels we have recently experienced. We can all learn together the wonders of the universe. The cosmic truth.

NEXT SESSION: https://rigglecoldfire.blogspot.com/2020/09/s6-do-you-not-mutilate-animals-how-is.html