The Death of Rupert Grey pt. 1

As I reached my horse my hand stung. I looked it, the same one that I had handed to the blind man just moments ago. There was a scar on it now. That wasn't there before... That's right! He had claws and I bled on the table! This scar must be evidence of that!

I race back the the door and before I knock I hear, "enter." I hesitate, but I must see if there's blood on the table!

I open the door. He's sitting there just as I left him. I walk over to the table and look at it. It's pristine white cloth is unmarked.

"Is something wrong?"

"No... Nothing, thought I might have left something behind is all. How'd you know I was at the door again?"

"You know how." A simple answer. He was toying with me. "You have somewhere you need to be don't you?"

"Yes, sorry for intruding again. I'll be going this time."

... *** ... *** ...

12 Days

Home at last. My cottage on Fairway Lake's North side has been my only safe place. I bought it when I was younger. Upon my entering the main foyer I can see that the maid I hired before leaving has been keeping it clean as instructed. She should be around here somewhere.

"Martha! I've returned!" I set my luggage on the bench.

"Mr. Grey! I wish you'd've sent a letter! I would've made sure to have tea on for ya!" She bustled out of the kitchen.

"Martha, the letter would have arrived about the same time I did just now. Would have been a waste of paper."

"Well can I at least help you with something before you send me off?"

"No dear, can't have you do that. From what I can tell just standing here I can see you've done a marvelous job as always. Let me pay the rest of what you've earned. I have business matters to take care of." I pull out the wallet from my pocket and pull out 500 quid. "Here you are madam. And here," I hand her another, "for the carriage fare back into town."

She stares at the money in her hands. "Mr. Grey, this is too much!"

"Nonsense dear! You've earned it!"

"But the carriage fare is only twenty at most!"

"Then use the leftover for lunch! Go and have fun. Life is short ya know!" I pat her shoulder. "I've lived a long and full life, but it seems like yesterday I was just a kid playing in the woods! Oh how I long for those days... You should go and enjoy yourself now Martha."

"Oh, very well Mr. Grey, there's no arguing with you is there?" She sighs. "Let me get my things and I'll be on my way back home."

... *** ... *** ...

9 Days

I open my door to find a stranger standing there.

"Are you Mr. Grey?"

"Yes, how can I help you today?"

"My name is Charles Young. Doctor Charles Young. I'm a Cryptozoologist. Are you familiar with the term?"

Cryptozoologist? One who studies hidden animals? "What does this have to do with me?"

"You know about the The Beast of Overcasture? How about the blind man?"

"Why don't you come in?" I open the door and allow him through. "Let's talk in the conservatory shall we?" I lead him down the hall and into the small sunlight plant infested room. "Have a seat, I'll get us some tea and cakes." I leave him be at the small wooden table and head back to the kitchen. Mint tea is what I grab and put into the kettle. The cakes were done yesterday by Martha. She really needs to find someone else to place her affections on. I return to the conservatory.

"Mint tea, and lemon tea cakes. I don't really have anything else."

"That's alright Mr. Grey."

I look at the now covered table and carefully place the tea and plate of cakes. He's amassed a lot of official documents on the surface.

"Mr. Grey, I have so many questions to ask you. Please, answer them as best you can."

"Dr. Young, if I may, you still have not yet answered my question to you."

"Mr. Grey, The Beast of Overcasture is what we call a cryptid. A hidden animal that may or may not even be real. My job is to study such things and bring the evidence we have, or lack of, to light. That way we may learn more about them."

"I see. And what does this have to do with the blind man?"

"After I spoke with him, he told me to see you. That you know of The Beast as well."

"That is true, I know of it. Tell me what you know of it."

"I only know that it wanders the wood and the only glimpses people have of it are its spindly legs and leftovers." He rummages through the papers. "Half-eaten animals found in the morning. Here," he hands me a photograph, "this is the back end of a deer that was found." The image was in the wood. The back end of a deer lay there, viscera spilling out from where it was bit in half. He handed me another. This one was a closeup of the wound. It showed obvious teethmarks. In another the bone even had clear definition of the monstrous teeth of The Beast. "I've also come upon strangely marked trees in the wood as well." He places papers with the cryptic lettering in front of me. "I don't know what this means, but I think that there might be people out there that worship The Beast."

"Is that all?" I set the papers down and look at him.

He looks a little flabbergasted, "well yes, so far. I've been working with another professor about the letters and symbols, but he has yet to find anything."

"So that's why the blind man sent you to me..."

"Pardon?"

I pull the small notebook from my chest pocket. "Here, add these to your collection. I don't have much time left. This is all I can do for you."

He looks from me to it before opening it. I drink my tea as I watch his facial expressions change. Confusion, surprise, horror. "What is this?" He showed me the page of the sketch I made from that vision.

"Oh that... That is Niggath. I had a vision of it. If you stick around for another nine days you might see it."

"What is that supposed to mean? I don't understand."

I grin. "You will."