Rating: M

Disclaimer: As all other chapters.

A/N: This chapter is not from Sousuke's view, his first steps on blazing ground.

Mysterious town

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4/8/2006

Afternoon

Road to Innsmouth

I'm alone, with this strange driver, in this old bus from last century. The driver have big hands and legs, with blue veins ending it.
His skin seems to have terrible sickness, peeling it all over his body. Strange.
I see the ocean from my side of the bus, beautiful view, reminds me times of peace.
There are sings and writings over the bus, such as 'git out of here' or 'jump from the bus'. Three locals from Innsmouth rode to Arkham with this line, but no one from Arkham expect me boarded it. They all had specific 'Innsmouth look', as one who came back from there wrote. The stench of fish filled the bus, that driver surely wanders in harbor a lot. I don't see the town yet...

The wheels of bus could broke and jump away at anytime, but it wasn't that bad, fear of what was waiting for him in that town, overpassed age of this vehicle. His head fell down a few times and maybe even a microsleep comforted him. I must not sleep. Suddenly the jumping of bus made his thought real. He looked from window and saw that asphalt on the route ended and jumping, shaking magnified. In his mind he wanted to ask a driver about it. But stench made him to gave up. Bus rode upwards now, crawling up onto some hill, he felt it, things he read about this town, could overpass themselves. First thing, what hill uncovered, was island, on left side black and on right side overgrown with jungle. Devil's Reef. He asked himself, why he was not able to see Innsmouth, when he stood at that black side of it. This was only thing he remembered, than fireplace and just black hole of amnesia. Then he understood why. In something as a little valley some peaks of towers marked the aroma, however everything else was covered in thick fog, almost as a cloud. One of peaks was break in the middle. Sing flew in reverse as bus rode. Entering Innsmouth. Under it with white color was written. FBI, marines, military no one won here...

"What is happening here..." Sousuke considered the idea of one writings in the bus.

"Just graffiti." Driver said. Strange articulation.

Nor him or driver spoke again on the road. No escape. Sousuke said to himself, as the bus dived into the laying cloud which presented the fog.

The buildings in surroundings seemed to be really old, only few had sings of inhabitation. Other had boarded windows, broken doors, peeled walls, dark alleys and all other not that much ordinary things. Sousuke saw only few people, it was nearly deserted. Down here, fog wasn't so thick, but in occupied buildings, folks had to light with oil lamps. The bus threaded in the town for a long time, Sousuke thought that this was fail of the speed in this bus from 1900s. At last it seemed that it came in something as a square. Vehicle stopped before building with sing 'Gilman house' on it. Driver opened the door and came out too, shift ended probably. Sousuke memorized the time of another ride to Arkham - 5:30 pm. He matched it with the time he had on his watch. Only four hours. I don't want to search for place on night in here. Sousuke walked in the middle of the square, beside the Gilman house was fire station, with a two firemen staring at him, to the left was variety store with 'outsider' shop, First National Grocery store beside it. Sousuke turned around, on the other side drug store and Restaurant laid. Hunger attacked his brain. But idea of local restaurant only haunted him, he chose shop from out of town and walked into the Grocery.
In there an old man counted his profit.

"Good afternoon." Sousuke tried slight approach.

"Good day there!" The man suddenly jumped, as if someone pumped new energy in him and immediately turned to Sousuke.

Sousuke in the good thought of goings in towns like this, chose crackers and pointed at them behind the man. When he turned around Sousuke examined him.

This is not native of Innsmouth apparently. That polite approach. Man took the package and laid it on the counter. Sousukes eyes laid on the package. Counter changed into the metal table with plate on it, doctor ate from plate full of food and with injection waved on Sousuke, something for something. His eyes gave up and doctor stabbed him with it, shadows covered the mind. Sedatives.
When he opened his eyes again only crackers were on ground. Bohnm food deals.

"Hey are you alright, fella? You are suddenly white as chalk." Polite man out of town said.

"Its... nothing, just this ocean air." Sousuke lied.

"Are there any maps of this town? I need it for one of my essays about this town." He lied again.

"Well i drew one for stranger like you long time ago, maybe I've got a copy here..." Man said with his hand on the counter.

Sousuke understood the gesture he made. No deals lately, probably. His hand placed a money on counter and old man took it.
And like some magic his other hand took paper with whiskey from under the table.

"Here it is, pleasure to meet you..." Old man opened the bottle and tried to say.

"Wait a minute, now we're friends, so tell me where can i find something about Marsh family and old refinery." Sousuke left his friendly tone.

"Essay, huh?" Old man laughed and filled the glass on counter with whiskey.

"And i thought, that FBI abandoned it here a long time ago."

"I am not from FBI and I'm not a student." Sousuke placed his gun on the counter, beside the glass. I changed a lot.

"Okay, okay, you already proved your concern, young fella." Man took the map and circled some important places.

Sousuke looked at the map. Circled places were, Marsh refinery near the old square, old Marshes house in Washington street, registry office on Federal street and hall of Order of Dagon. He looked from the map at the old man, but no one was there. Only half full bottle of whiskey and his gun laid on counter.

"Thanks..." He said into the empty room and took his pistol back.

Sousuke planned his action. First he attempted the registry office, but it was locked and seemed to be deserted. His steps led him into the Marsh refinery, Sousuke walked on bridge above the Manuxet and saw only debris and shipwrecks there. Then he stopped, someone followed him. But the noise seemed to come from upwards. Rooftops? Did someone jumped the way here, over the river? Then he saw some locals, he let them pass him. Two men, one woman. They all had 'Innsmouth look' and were terribly ugly. Does everyone have a skin sickness in this town, or what? Again their skin peeled all over their body, but now Sousuke saw another disturbing fact. None of them blinked all the time. He knew it, but in order to get more informations on this 'people' he asked them.

"Do you know where Washington stree...?"

"Leave us alone outsider!" One of them said with strange articulation, low pitched, almost 'weep', voice.

He let them walk along.

"What the?" Sousuke said to himself when they left.

When he shook the encounter, his steps led him to old house of Marshes. This house seemed to be much cleaner and maintained well. House of the richest family in the town. No wonder. Sousuke knocked on the door, bell wasn't there. No one opened the door, but he heard footsteps behind it, maybe some talking, but more like blabbing. He knocked again, this time some girl opened the door. Maybe ten years old.

"Good afternoon, young miss, is your father at home?" Sousuke politely said and nearly crouched to get a view in her shy face.

"No, he is not home, he went out just a few minutes ago." She said and looked on her legs in respect from stranger.

"Whats your name?" Sousuke asked.

"I am Maria sir." Maria said and Sousukes mind came with idea.

"And mom is not home? Can i talk with her for a second." He stood up and examined surroundings behind Maria.

"No, i don't like my mother, shes locked up in the attic, because she bit me."

"Shes what?" He didn't believe his ears, there was something happening there.

"You can wait inside if you want." She said and left the door opened.

I need to search it here. Maria sat on couch and continued in her games, Sousuke walked up, on the stairs. Noises came from attic, he heard them, again his breath amplified and heart started to pound. He came into the second floor, on his way photo with two persons laid, piece was scratched from it. By instinct, his moves tried to leave the noise down, he almost sneaked there. Doors to the attic were before him, locked with key in the keyhole. Again some strange sounds from upside, like growling and steps of some... animal. Sousuke grabbed the key with his thumb and index finger and turned with it. Sound of the click echoed in his mind, sounds from attic stopped with it.

What am i doing? In the corridor stairs led into the floor. As he walked up there, he saw scratch of something on one wallpaper. Sousuke heard all sounds he made, breathing, steps, heart pounding, his brain searched for logic explanations of situation he got himself into. His hand reached talisman in the pocket. Now steel door with grates, covered by small sight-hole, locked by big padlock, appeared. Maybe his imbecility, maybe his impatience, but he had to open the sight-hole. Sousuke felt shaking in his left hand, maybe the memory, maybe scenery he got himself in, but veins were swollen on it. He grabbed the sight-hole and with one move opened it. He saw in there plank bed without any bed-clothes, few pieces of furniture and half eaten fish on floor. Then something growled, almost barked, in his face. Sousuke stepped back and prepared his gun, eyes laid on the shaking padlock.

Suddenly the doors flew open and it casted him down. He laid on the white floor, plank-bed beside him. His own door with grates. His own sanatorium cell. Arkham again. Sousuke crawled towards the door, but his sight started to spin around, door opened. After a moment he saw himself with the gun, alongside with someone. Scenery vanished, Sousuke laid on ground, focusing on the ceiling. After his fragments of mind pieced together again, he heard subdued cry downstairs. He stood up, walked down and on way supported his body from fall. His hand grabbed the banister of stairs, which led down to the first floor, Sousuke saw middle aged man cradling something in his hands. When he came closer, guilt, dizziness and disgusting taste of blood and aluminum filled his brain. Man cradled dead body of young Maria.

Its my fault... He tried to close his eyes and made the nightmare end.
But this wasn't a dream, this was reality.

"I'm sorry... its all my fault... i let it out... i-i killed her..." Sousuke almost whispered and hung by hand on banister.

"Don't be, it would consume her sooner or later." Man said.

Something in Sousukes mind told him, that this wasn't Marsh, but someone else from neighborhood. Waite, Gilman or Eliot. Using better house.

"Just get out of this goddamned town!" Man shouted and Sousuke just watched deep, still fresh scratches on dead face of that young girl.

Suddenly man had Sousukes gun in his hand, Sousukes strength disappeared. He only watched another wasting of life. Suicide, he thought about it in Bohnm. When man released his grip and fell down in another pool of blood, Sousuke saw something in Maria's hand, note with disgusting monsters, drew horrors. How could someone that young imagine so cruel things? Under one image sing caught Sousuke off guard. Strange horrible monster, with 'mother' written under it.

He ran out of building and wandered in darkening streets of Innsmouth again.