DISCLAIMER: This story is based upon the series, Charmed, that was created by Constance M. Burge. All Charmed characters are the property of Spelling Productions. This story owes much of its plot and ideas to the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. This story also has references to the events of my previous Rex and Hannah Chronicles stories, Visit To A Lost World and Revelations.
PROLOGUE: LONG AGO...
Many thousands of years ago, our universe was invaded by a race of beings called the Old Ones. No one knew from whence they came, but wherever the Old Ones went, chaos and destruction always followed. Whole worlds were laid to waste, countless lives destroyed. In time, the Old Ones finally turned their attention to the planet Earth. The White Lighter Elders and the Source quickly realized they had to put aside their own differences and work together to combat this threat to all living things. For years the war raged as both Good and Evil fought to contain the Old Ones. Finally, they succeeded, and the Old Ones were forever sealed up in an empty dimension. With the status quo restored, Good and Evil resumed their own battles against one another.
Although now gone, the Old Ones had left a grim legacy behind. Before they were banished from our universe, the Old Ones had implanted their ideas into many human followers. These cults of followers, although few, had one goal, to free the Old Ones from their imprisonment. For this aim, they wrote a powerful book of spells called the Necronomicon, one copy for each cult. However, before they could use the book, they were discovered. Many of the cults were wiped out, and copies of the Necronomicon were destroyed. Yet, some of the cults managed to escape, taking their copies with them. In the centuries that followed, the cults that remained gradually died out. Copies of the Necronomicon were destroyed whenever they were discovered. By the 21st Century A.D., only two copies were known to still exist. One was in the possession of the former Warlock known as Rex Buckland, the other was kept at Miskatonic University, in Arkham, Massachusetts.
That, however, was about to change...
THE PLACE: ARKHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
THE TIME: JULY 9, 2009
"There it is, Hannah." Rex Buckland said as he and Hannah Webster stood in the library of Miskatonic University. "The only other copy of the Necronomicon known to exist."
"It looks just like your copy, Rex." Hannah Webster replied. The two of them were looking at the only other known surviving copy of the Necronomicon, kept safely in a glass case here in the library.
"Not surprising, since they were both written at the same time." Rex said. "As far as I can determine, this copy, and the one I have, are the only two left on Earth."
"Well there was that other copy, the one we saw in that adventure we had last year in South America. Of course, that one was destroyed." Hannah pointed out.
"As it should have been." Rex replied. "In the wrong hands, the Necronomicon can be very dangerous. That is why I decided to come here and investigate, when I heard about this copy here at Miskatonic University. However, from what the Dean has told me, they've had it for decades without incident."
"So why do you look worried, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"Because I don't like the idea of a book this powerful just lying around. It's too dangerous."
"You just said that the university has had it for years, and nothing has happened. Why get worried about it now, Rex?"
"I don't know, Hannah." Rex said. "I'm just getting bad vibes about this. I think we better stay in town for a few days, just to be sure. Come, let's go find a hotel and check in." The two former Warlocks headed out.
Once they had found a hotel and had checked in, Rex began telling Hannah about what he had uncovered, from reading his own copy of the Necronomicon. "So, where did these Old Ones come from?" Hannah asked, once Rex had finished.
"No one knows." Rex replied. "It is assumed they came from another dimension. However, what is known is that they inflicted chaos on our universe for some unknown purpose. They were only stopped when the forces of Good and Evil joined together to combat them."
"Whoa, that didn't happen very often." Hannah said.
"No, only in extreme situations, and this was one of them." Rex said. "The Old Ones were sealed up in an empty dimension. However, the Necronomicon can be used as a key for their release."
"I wonder if Dymond realized that?" Hannah asked, referring to the Demon that had sought a copy of the Necronomicon on a mystical Plateau in South America, the previous year. It was during that adventure that Rex and Hannah had encountered the Challenger Expedition, from nearly a century earlier (the Plateau existing slightly outside of normal space/time). Together, they had thwarted Dymond and the copy of the Necronomicon in question had been destroyed.
"I'm not sure, Hannah." Rex replied. "Dymond was just after power, and he thought the Necronomicon could give it to him. He was right, of course, that is why we had to stop him. As to whether Dymond knew about the Old Ones, well, he took that secret with him to the Wasteland."
"I can see why you're worried, Rex. This could be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands."
"That is true, Hannah." Rex said. "That is why it must never happen. Well, there is nothing we can do right now. Let's try and get some sleep." The two of them settled down for a hopefully peaceful night.
Later that night, back at the university, a security guard was making his nightly rounds. When he got to the library, he thought he heard a noise. Very slowly, he crept into the room and looked around. A moment in the corner of his eye alerted him to the intruder, but it was too late. The guard felt the blow impact the back of his head, and he fell to the floor, unconscious.
"Now the Necronomicon is mine!" The intruder said with triumph and headed for the glass case.
JULY 10
"You were right, Rex." Hannah said as she held up the morning paper. The theft of the Necronomicon was on the front page.
"Bloody hell! That's why I had those bad feelings, Hannah." Rex replied. "Maybe I somehow sensed this would happen, and now it has."
"So, what now, Rex?"
"First let's pay a visit to the university. I want to take a look at the scene of the crime."
The library was crowed with people when Rex and Hannah arrived and saw the broken case where the Necronomicon had recently been displayed. Hannah stood and watched as Rex talked to several people, before he made his way over to her. "Well, Hannah, from what information I was able to find out, someone disabled the security cameras, knocked out the guard, and made off with the Necronomicon. It seems that was the only thing this person was after, nothing else seems to have been touched."
"So what do we do now, Rex?" Hannah wondered. "What's our next move?"
"I managed to get us an interview with William Travers, the Dean of Miskatonic University. Maybe he can give us some helpful background information."
"Well, Mr. Buckland, I'm curious as to why you're so interested in the Necronomicon." William Travers said as the three of them met in his office.
"I teach Ancient Languages And Cultures at Stanford." Rex replied. "Old and rare books are an interest of mine. If I may ask, where did this university get that copy from the Necronomicon from?"
"We got it from the estate of Dr. Herbert West in the mid 1920's. Where he got it from, I couldn't tell you." Travers said.
"Who's Herbert West?" Hannah asked.
"He was a medical doctor who graduated from Miskatonic University in the early 20th Century." Travers said. "He was reportedly brilliant, but from what I read about the man, I think he was mad as a hatter."
"How so?" Rex asked.
"Well, there was all this controversy surrounding West throughout his career. Rumour has it that he was doing unethical experiments, although nothing was ever proven. Then, there was the mystery that surrounded his final fate."
"What do you mean?" Rex asked.
"I mean that Herbert West vanished without a trace in 1921." Travers replied. "No one knows what happened to him or where he went. The police questioned his assistant, Dan Cain, and they did suspect that Cain knew more than he was telling, but there wasn't enough evidence to make anything stick. Cain himself left town soon after. He died in 1973. From what I have read, he never talked about his assosication with West again for the rest of his life."
"I see." Rex said, nodding his head.
"All of West's books, including the Necronomicon, were seized by the police and held as evidence." Travers went on. "However, when Cain was let free, and no other suspects were found, they quietly closed the case. The Dean at the time then asked if West's books could be turned over to the university. The police said yes, and the rest if history."
"So, you have all of Dr. West's books here?" Rex asked. "Including any journals he may have written?"
"Yeah, we have them in the University Archives. Do you want to see them?" Travers asked.
"Yes, I would." Rex replied. "It might help us."
"Why are you so interested in this case to begin with, Mr. Buckland?"
"Let's just say that I have had some experience at these matters and leave it at that." Rex said.
Some time later, Rex and Hannah were in the Miskatonic University Archives, going though the journals of Herbert West. "Rex, this man was sick." Hannah said as she put down a journal. "He writes about reanimating the dead. It seems it was an obsession with him."
"I know." Rex replied, as he looked through another journal. "According to this, West created a formula which he claimed could resurrect recently dead corpses. He said it actually worked."
"How could anyone create such a formula?" Hannah asked.
"This is how." Rex replied as he held up the journal he was reading. "West writes that in 1908, he came into a possession of a book that would allow him to unlock the secrets of life and death. He says that this book led him to create his formula."
"You think he was talking about the Necronomicon?"
"He doesn't mention the book by name, but it sounds like it." Rex said. "The Necronomicon can get a hold of you, compel you to do things like that. I think that it's quite possible that Herbert West met a nasty end. When you start tampering with the laws of nature, like he supposedly did, sometimes there are consequences."
"You think that happened to him?" Hannah asked.
"Yes, Hannah, I do. Don't forget that the official record says he vanished suddenly. Furthermore, I suspect his assistant, that Cain chap, knew what happened all along, but just kept silent. Maybe he was afraid someone else would meet the same fate as West."
"And now someone else has the Necronomicon." Hannah said slowly.
"I know." Rex said. "That is why we have to find it. That book is far too dangerous to leave in the hands of an amateur."
"So how do we find it?" Hannah asked.
"First things first." Rex replied. "I need to brush up on what's in the Necronomicon, before I can plan our next move. Let's go."
PALO ALTO
JULY 11
One they had returned to their apartment, Rex had immediately dived into his own copy of the Necronomicon, while Hannah wrote down names he had read aloud. "What kind of names are these?" Hannah asked as she scanned what she had written. "Cthulhu? Yog-Sothoth?"
"Those are the names of some of the Old Ones, Hannah." Rex replied. "From what I can gather, Cthulhu was the leader, and the worst of the lot. Here is a picture of him." He held up the Necronomicon and Hannah saw the picture of a giant squid like creature.
"Not something I'd want to meet in a dark alley." Hannah said with a shudder.
"Quite. In fact, it was said that merely seeing the Old Ones could drive you mad." Rex said.
"Then why would anyone want to bring them back?"
"Power, Hannah, the Old Ones were powerful beings. It seems that they could grant powers to anyone who chose to follow them. Of course, those followers were destroyed once they had outlived their usefulness. However, the promise of such powers, even for a short time, could be very tempting. Ah, found it!"
"Found what?" Hannah asked.
"I found the spell that allowed Herbert West to create his reanimation formula. That confirms it, he did use the Necronomicon to achieve his ends. Mind you, that was minor, compared to releasing the Old Ones."
"Rex, we're still not sure if releasing the Old Ones is the goal of whomever took that other copy of the Necronomicon. Perhaps he just wants to use it to advance his own goals, like Herbert West did."
"Yes, Hannah, and look what happened to West. As I said, his sudden vanishing seems to indicate that something terrible happened to him. The Necronomicon is a dangerous book, Hannah. It's not wise for a novice to fool with it."
"Well, what if the person who took it is not a novice. What if they know about magic?"
"Then, Hannah, I think we should really be worried." Rex said. "An amateur using the Necronomicon is bad enough, if someone magic has it, then it's worse. No good will come of it. We could be looking at another Dymond."
"You mean a Demon might have taken it to restore the Underworld?" Hannah asked with alarm.
"I wouldn't rule it out. Demons can do very dangerous things if they get desperate enough."
"So, what's our next move, Rex?"
"I think we should find someone who is tuned into the magical world." Rex replied as he closed his copy of the Necronomicon and replace it on the shelf. "And I think I know just who was can call on."
SAN FRANCISCO
"Rex! Hannah! How can I help you?" Piper Halliwell asked as she answered the door to Halliwell Manor.
"Hello Piper." Rex said as he and Hannah entered the Manor. "We need to speak to Kira. It's very important." Some months prior, the Halliwell sisters had discovered that Rex and Hannah had returned to the San Francisco area. Once they had been truly convinced that Rex and Hannah had left their evil pasts behind, they had then used the Grimoire, that Rex had acquired, to rescue Kira, the Seer, from the Demonic Wasteland. She had been sent there by the Demon, Zankou, four years previously. Phoebe had wanted to fulfil a promise made to Kira, that the Seer could become human. The Angel Of Destiny had stepped in then, and Kira did become human, regaining her soul in the process. Since that time, Kira had been staying at Halliwell Manor while she was learning how to be human again (there was plenty of room at the Manor now, since Phoebe and Paige had moved out, several years earlier, just prior to the Ultimate Battle). Although she was now human, Kira had retained her Seer powers, and that is why Rex needed her services now.
"Okay, I'll go get her. Why don't you two go into the living room and make yourselves comfortable." With that, Piper turned and headed up the stairs.
"Thanks, Piper." Hannah said as she and Rex moved into the living room. They had been seated only for a couple of minutes, when Kira, accompanied by Piper, came down the stairs.
"Hey, it's good to see you two again." Kira said when she caught sight of the two former Warlocks. "I hear that the Angel Of Destiny gave you two your souls back too. Cool."
"Yes, quite." Rex replied. "Kira, we have a situation here. Have you ever heard of the Necronomicon?"
"Yeah, I have." Kira said. "Of course, I've never seen one. I hear that it can be used to do terrible things."
"That's why we're here. A copy has gone missing."
"We think that a Demon might have taken it." Added Hannah. "He could be using it to take over the Underworld."
"This sounds bad." Piper said. "Should I call my sisters?"
"Hold that thought, Piper." Rex said and returned his attention to Kira. "Can you use your powers to spy on the Underworld. Perhaps you can pick up any mention of the Necronomicon, or what Demon might have taken it."
"I can try." Kira said. "Give me a few minutes to get ready."
"Jolly good." Rex said, smiling.
A short time later, Rex, Hannah, and Piper were gathered in the dining room of Halliwell Manor, watching as Kira went into a trance as she scanned the Underworld. After about ten minutes, Kira came out of the trance and looked at Rex and Hannah. "Sorry, I got nothing." she said.
"Are you sure?" Rex asked.
"Yeah, I am." Kira replied. "Believe me, if any Demon had gotten hold of the Necronomicon, the whole Underworld would have known about it by now. Yet, it seems nothing has changed there. The Underworld is still weak and fragmented from the Ultimate Battle and your revolution."
"Well, I guess whomever took the Necronomicon wasn't a Demon." Hannah said.
"Exactly." Rex added. "Thanks anyway, Kira."
"No problem, always glad to help." Kira said.
PALO ALTO
"Well, that was a dead end." Hannah said, after she and Rex had returned to their apartment.
"I know." Rex said. "Well, I guess we're back to square one." He then went into his study and was soon surfing the Internet.
"What are you looking at, Rex?" Hannah asked, after having followed him into the study.
"I'm looking over the Facebook pages of the students of Miskatonic University." Rex replied. "After all, they would have seen the Necronomicon on a regular bases. Perhaps they also heard stories about it."
"Are you thinking that one of them might have gotten some ideas about using it?"
"Yes, Hannah, I am. Perhaps... Hold on, what's this?" Rex suddenly asked as he peered intensely at the screen.
"What is it, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"This student, Mike Johns." Rex said as he showed Hannah a picture of a young blond haired man. "It says here that he has this fixation with Dr. Herbert West. Apparently, according to his friends, he craved information on the man."
"Do you think he might be our suspect, Rex?"
"Well, it's the only solid lead we have now, Hannah. Perhaps, tomorrow, we should head back to Arkham."
ARKHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
JULY, 12
"Thank you for seeing us again, Dean Travers." Rex said as he, Hannah, and Travers were once again in Travers's office as Miskatonic University.
"No problem, Mr. Buckland." Travers replied. "You say that you may have a lead on who might have taken the Necronomicon."
"Yes, does the same Mike Johns mean anything to you?"
"Yeah, now that you mention it, that name does ring a bell." Travers said. "He caused quite a stir in the science lab a few months back. Claimed that Herbert West was an unrecognized genius. Of course, no one would take him serious, and he got into fight with a fellow student. Both of them were almost expelled because of that. Why?"
"Well, if this young man was obsessed with Herbert West, then perhaps he found out about West's connection with the Necronomicon." Rex said.
"Perhaps he wants to finish what Dr. West started a century ago." Hannah added.
"You think so?" Travers asked.
"It seems likely." Rex said. "Do you have an address for Mike Johns?"
"Yeah, just a sec." Travers stated and began looking through his files. "Ah, here we are. He's renting a small cottage on Lovecraft Road, a few miles outside of town."
"Thank you for your time, Mr. Travers." Rex said as he and Hannah got to their feet. "Hopefully, we'll have your copy of the Necronomicon back to you soon."
The cottage seemed deserted when Rex translocated both himself and Hannah there, about twenty minutes later. "Doesn't seem to be anyone around." Hannah said.
"Let's have a look." Rex said and the two of them began to explore the grounds. At the back of the property, the woods began.
"I don't like the look of this." Hannah said as Rex led them into the woods.
"Me neither, Hannah." Rex replied. "Still, we have to find..." he broke off and cocked his head, listening.
"What is it, Rex?"
"Hannah, do you hear that?" Rex said. The two of them fell silent and soon the sound of chanting could be heard in the distance.
"What kind of language is that?" Hannah asked as she tried to make out the words.
"A very old one." Rex replied. "Come on, we have to hurry!" The two of them broke into a run.
In a small clearing, a crude wooden altar had been set up, surrounded by brightly lit candles. Laying on the altar, open to a page, was the Necronomicon. Mike Johns, clad in a black robe, was standing over it, chanting. So far, nothing was happening, but Mike hoped that would soon change.
"STOP!" Rex shouted as he and Hannah arrived on the scene.
"How dare you!" Mike said with anger. "How dare you interrupt the Summoning Spell of the Old Ones!"
"That's just it, you don't know what you're tampering with." Rex said. "Releasing the Old Ones back into our universe is a very bad idea."
"Oh, but I disagree, Warlock." Mike said, noting the astonishment on Rex's face. "Oh yes, I've been reading the Necronomicon, and it has shown me things, including you. I know who and what you are."
"Well, that is no longer true. We stopped being Warlocks a while back." Hannah said.
"Ah, technicalities." Mike said, clearly bored. "Well, your pathetic Source is an insect when compared to the powers of the Old Ones! Great Cthulhu! Mighty Yog-Sothoth! All of them. Soon it will be their time again, and all who oppose them will be swept away!"
"Why are you doing this?" Rex asked, hoping to reason with Mike.
"It started when I heard about Herbert West and the secrets of life and death that he claimed to have unlocked." Mike said. "I knew he was on to something, something that could have changed the world. It didn't take me long to realize that he had used the Necronomicon to help him in his discoveries."
"So you stole it." Hannah said.
"Exactly." Mike replied. "At first I had hoped to re-create West's formula for reanimating the dead. However, I quickly realized that the Necronomicon is a key, a key to great power. Power that shall be mine to wield, once I free the Old Ones."
"You're wrong." Rex said. "No one can control the Old Ones. They are more powerful than any one being can manage. It took the combined forces of Good and Evil to contain them. If you let them loose again, many will suffer as a result."
"Nonsense!" Mike snapped. "The Old Ones only wanted to live in peace with us and share their secrets. For that, they were unfairly cast out!"
"Rubbish! The Old Ones brought destruction and chaos to this universe." Rex countered. "They don't want to live with us, they want to conquer and enslave us!"
"Bah, I have no time for this." Mike said and resumed his chanting.
He's mad! Rex thought. He knew that there would be no reasoning with this man. "Come Hannah, we'll have to take the Necronomicon by force!" The two of them started forward.
"Pain!" Mike said and watched as Rex and Hannah were consumed with waves of agonizing pain. "As I said, I've learned much from the Necronomicon, Warlock fool! Now the two of you will be the witnesses to the return of the Old Ones!"
"Rex, it hurts!" Hannah said. "I can barely move!"
"Hannah, it's an illusion." Rex said, his teeth gritting. "Fight it! Block it out!"
"I'll try." Hannah closed her eyes and began to concentrate. Very slowly, she felt the pain ebbing away. "It's working."
"I know." Rex said, feeling his own pain melting away. "Hannah, can you transform?"
"I think so? Why?"
"Because we have to get the Necronomicon, now!" Rex replied and pointed to an area in front of Mike. A glowing portal had appeared, and it was slowly getting bigger. Through the portal, vast incomprehensible shapes could be seen. "We're running out of time!"
Gotta make this count! Hannah thought as she transformed into a cheetah. Quickly, she ran over to the altar, knocked it over, grabbed the Necronomicon in her mouth, and headed back to Rex.
"Stop! What are you doing!?" Mike said when he saw what was happening.
"Putting a stop to this before it's too late." Rex replied as he flipped to another page in the Necronomicon. Ah , here it is, the spell to close the portal. With that, Rex began reading the spell in the same long dead language that Mike had used to open the portal.
"Wait! You can't do this!" Mike howled and moved to stop Rex. He found his path blocked by Hannah, who had transformed into a Bengal Tiger. He took a few cautious steps back.
It worked. Hannah thought. Of course, I won't harm him, but he doesn't know that!
That should do it. Rex thought as he closed the Necronomicon. Sure enough, the portal stopped growing and began to shrink.
"No, no!" Mike said as he saw his dreams dashed. He turned to the closing portal, and his eyes widened in horror. "NO, CTHULHU! NO! YAGGHHHH!" Just before the portal closed for good, a huge tentacle had come out, grabbed Mike, and pulled him in. There was a loud popping sound and then silence. The portal was gone, the Old Ones once again sealed in their prison. However, Mike was gone too.
"Where is he?" Hannah asked, once she had reverted to her human form.
"With his precious Old Ones." Rex replied grimly. "And there he must stay. Like Herbert West, he tried to tamper with things he didn't understand, like West he paid a terrible price for that tampering. Let's go."
JULY 13
"Mr. Buckland, you can't know how grateful I am." Dean Travers said as he, Rex, and Hannah stood in the library of Miskatonic University, staring at the Necronomicon. The ancient book was once again sealed inside its glass case.
"I can imagine." Rex replied.
"You have to be careful, Dean Travers." Hannah said. "You can't let this book fall into the wrong hands again."
"Oh, don't worry, Miss Webster. I'll make sure." Travers said as he checked his watch. "Well, I have a meeting to get to. We'll talk later." Travers hurried away.
"I've already made sure." Rex said, once Travers was well out of earshot.
"What do you mean, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"I cast a spell on the glass case here." Rex said, indicating the case in question. "The glass is basically shatterproof now. People may look at this copy of the Necronomicon, but that's pretty much it."
"Isn't that a bit risky, Rex?"
"Perhaps, Hannah, but it's far less risky that letting the Old Ones get free again."
"Perhaps." Hannah said. "Rex, I've been wondering. What do you think happened to Herbert West?"
"I don't know, Hannah, and we probably never will." Rex said. "I have a feeling that West's assistant, Dan Cain, knew what happened, and he took that secret with him to the grave. I can only hope that wherever he is now, Herbert West realizes that he was wrong. Some things are just better off left alone."
"So, what's next on our agenda, Rex?" Hannah asked.
"Now we go home, Hannah." Rex said, smiling. "Once there, I suppose we relax until the next crisis pops up. I'm sure we won't have to wait long for that to happen."
STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT ADVENTURE OF REX AND HANNAH!