Charles Pendelton

	Charles Pendelton
	© 2008 Marty Langdon

Chapter 35

            From the depths of Hades

Upon arriving home, John immediately noticed the bathroom light was on.
There didn't appear to be anyone up there, but he began to act strange. For
some reason, I could not ascertain, he began to worry about the light being
on in that room. “It's never on,” he said, “and look at what time it is.” He
then sat at the top of the stoop and began to contemplate the situation.

“Wait a minute,” John says before entering the house. A few minutes later,
he comes out with a nice chunk of blonde hash and his new reefer pipe.

“I was looking for this piece of hash before we left tonight.”

“Where was it?”

“It was on the nightstand next to my bed. Thank God my mother didn't go in there.”

“Yeah, I guess that's why they call it dope,”
I said in a spaced-out voice.

John then put the piece of hash into the pipe, and we began smoking.
I was coughing like I had Tuberculosis and loving every minute of it.

"This is awesome," I declared in a nasal tone.
"I really think it's going to intensify the high."

It's not easy talking to someone when you're holding in a lungful of smoke.

After taking roughly eight deep tokes on the metal pipe, John says,
“I don't feel so good.”

“Just take it easy, man,” I reassured him.

“No way, something is wrong.” He then runs to the backyard, and I follow behind.

“Seriously, you gotta calm down.”

He ignored me as he dug his hands into the garden and
proceeded to bury the pot pipe. Standing there emotionless,
I watched as a glorious piece of hash met its demise.

“Maybe he was right,” I thought. While John walked around in circles,
wondering why he was alive, I, on the other hand, decided to play the game.

It was at this moment that I began to examine the driveway. I gazed down
at the mysterious shape with eyes peering and found that a form of serpent
writing had been scrawled inside it. There is indelible evidence that evil most
certainly exists in our plain of time, and now the magic transcript was glowing
with reason. In my heart, I felt as though I were an archaeologist who had
just uncovered a missing artifact from the bowels of Hell itself.

If it were let’s say, a lost document from a timeless ledger, or an actual
inscription from the land below, then by the depths of Hades, why was
I allowed to bear witness unto it? As I looked deeply into an enigma,
the murky veil was removed, and the scroll came to life.

Like a blind man able to see, the vision was totally unobscured.

Within the lucid fabric of their own genes, they all
bore a distinctive trait that controlled them and kept
them together as one, though they were many.

Letters of havoc, written in tide...
Under pressure, I guess.

The encrypted doctrine was becoming sharper in image, and I could feel my
heart shifting into new gears. No mortal on earth would be able to crack the
code on this baby, I thought as my mind ran in circles above me.

This just in:

“A teenager on Staten Island has stumbled upon what appears to be one of Lucifer's
many diabolical manuscripts. Can you tell us something about the baneful image
that appeared to you just hours before dawn on this seemingly quiet street?”

“Certainly, Jim. Me and my friend here had just returned from an outing when I
looked down to find this unusual formation. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make
of it at first, but as it continued to grow stronger from within, I began to study the
nature of its indecisiveness. Odd as that may seem, I felt like a clairvoyant whose
power had just been summoned.”

“Did you observe it in its earliest stage?”

“Yes, I did, Jim. I believe it first started in the form of a helix or a
three-dimensional curve, and from there, it progressed into what
can only be described as a menagerie of anatomical heresy.”

“There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. The men standing behind me are from
the Pentagon, and it seems they've flown a chopper in to pull it out. They're going
to examine it to make sure it's not a hoax before flying it back to the compound in
Washington. From there, it will be moved to an undisclosed location where it will
undergo further observation, and one day in the near future, perhaps they’ll have
an answer they can all share with us. Now, back to you, Roger.”

                                                               Pg 253
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But was there a deeper meaning in Miranda's crystal ball?

Could the chemical formula within the elixir of life
prove to be as acrid as an epitaph of mourning?

Or was the Whip-poor-will weeping,
merely singing a tune for thee?

This I pondered near a red maple.

As I gathered and collected thoughts to be sorted out at a later date,
I made a promise to the wind that I would figure this one out, not
knowing that the answer to all things was merely the beginning of
more problems. Like Sherlock Holmes, I stood there, eagerly intent
on knowing, but what was I trying to know? This, I thought cunningly,
and it made the whole world seem like one big game of detective.

                          The Endd - Come on in to my world

I wish I had the pipe right now, I thought. That Peterson briar
was a smoker’s dream. With a pouch full of Middleton’s cherry
and a matchbook or two, I'd be in heaven. Getting down on
both knees, I could see what was starting to happen here.

So subtle and crafty is the shark that lies in wait.
The martyr in the midst of life.
The feral bloody tooth.

As I watched the insidious strands parlay in the white mirror, I
wondered if they were nothing more than the devil’s own greed.

With two fingers, I gently caressed the top of the hardened mortar
pad, held in place by years of intense struggle. Who could have
thought that on this winsome night, I would become obsessed
with the underworld and things that moved about in dark places?

Basically, I was trying to descend from my trip in the most awesome
way possible, and so I convinced myself to accept it as fact.

How long before they overflowed into the next pad, spreading their
pestilence within dense realms of containment while formulating an
inimitable strategy for escape? Should the virile progeny emerge to
besmirch the evening air, let us then pray they may eschew the rays
of sunlight. Heaven help us, should the uninvited come crawling out
of my altered reality and into the narrow orifice of a penile urethra.
Should they decide to spawn within the comfort of man's awaiting bladder,
(like the vampire fish of the Amazon River basin) then society as we
currently know would be doomed to extinction, forcing us all to live
life from out of the horrifying pages of a crazed H.P. Lovecraft novel.

Hereunto, we have arisen triumphantly.
Tomorrow, we trade our salubrious smiles for impassioned tears.

When the psychical world of shadows attempts to invade the quiet
space that resides within the sanctity of your apperception, they
lead you to believe it is a welcoming party; it is not. In reality, it is
a search and rescue mission that eventually uncovers a multitude
of corpses, and once you let them in, they begin to breed despair.

Effortlessly and without care, they instinctively swarm the enclosure.

Like a million boa constrictors in an enormous vat of quicksand,
they scatter, as would leeches in a stagnant swamp if human bait
had suddenly been lowered. Slow moving with a hint of apprehension,
but it was growing. They were growing. Such as the worm pulled
apart would grow anew; similar in nature was the intrepid creature
who slithered like a virus in its quadrel cage of stone. Procuring
their sanctions were they of their own volition to ensure their
defenses would not be breached.

These herpetoid dwellers, if given a chance, could paralyze the
world of science and bring down with it a host of quantum laws.

                                                               Pg 254
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In a vain attempt to keep righteous order in their own world, they thrust
forward and pulled back. Calculating equations without error and
tenuously excreting themselves to form their own supreme dynasty.

There is no need to fight over territorial demesne.

Still, they manage to incorporate a fluent but graceful air about
themselves. It is one of the things that make them truly unique.

Without further analysis, the scornful image reflected a magnitude of
contempt by continuing to disseminate throughout the entire sector.

Like a hoard of mad dictators, they weaseled their
way in and took over that block, as Hitler would
have taken over America and destroyed us.

With no one to stop them, it was theirs for the taking.

As my awkward shadow touched the perimeter of their communal nest,
they went into a mad frenzy. Eventually, they would go on to become
the earth's bile, but not before I got a chance to take some final notes.

Every man is equal to himself in power. Not to abuse his gift but to uplift even
the penurious man in rags. In the same way, no man wishes to be enslaved by the
ignorance of others; no man desires to live in poverty. All men should wish to fight
for what they believe in, providing it earns them respect. It is a sad truth, but you
will find the color of a man’s skin becomes irrelevant only in the trifles of war.

Thousands upon thousands of venomous designs fashioned in concrete would
create a calligraphic maze. The orange glow of the melting streetlight aided me
in my hunt to locate the ones that were hiding. Jet black and semi-curly with a
moray eel edge, they were alarmed by my presence. Like a lock of Medusa’s hair,
they were everywhere. Spawning and reproducing within the confines of their
own elaborate scheme was their domain in my elusive mind.

Twirling down ev’r, so brilliantly, they contracted and darted like a chain of myosin
coming free from itself to spin madly. Filthy yet beautiful was the stunning inlay
of this hoary tablet that seemed to support a brimming continent of weight.

Elapid patterns conceived in whimsy by the devil's own hand were illustrious portraits
of the centuries lost in decay. Like ashes to ashes or dust to dust, there was no remorse.
A superior being perhaps, but one still vulnerable to the autumnal hymn of motion.

Time is the enemy of man, but who is the enemy of time?

Who should be afraid of the murderer of 1846?
Stand tall, for the enemy is dead!

And how can the man standing accused in 1412 repent?
If he is going to repent, then let him do so quickly, for the next second is now.

What I saw from the design is that there is no time. There is nothing left.

I may very well lift up my glass and toast to your health, while you may
very well see my great-grandchildren walking with canes. Everything that
will come to be has done so, for we are merely remnants of a bygone day.

                                                               Pg 255
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Reviews for chapter 35

Jake Knowles - This has to be the best ending to single chapter ever!

Marina Petrovicova - The words of you make heart of mine beat faster.
So much poet. I amazed

Alfred Dauman - Your writing is like heroin and that is a good thing

Anthony Besa - In all my books, I have never seen anything like this!
Your style cannot be improved upon because it has been so polished
up for us to read. Great - :)

Jimmy Radcliff - Where the fuck do you study?

Toby Goldin - Your words are like poetry that fell to the ground
and landed perfectly! Any chance I could learn to write like that?

Mark Shales - It is fantastic, your stories. I like the way you write.

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                                                              This review was posted on Apr/21/23

                                                     kanchanninawe's review

                     The Embryo Man and Other Tales of Woe: Chapter 35 - From the depths of Hades

Reader's Report by kanchan

I
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This review was posted on May/7/23
Reviewed by aamnaaaa

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This review was posted on May/9/23
Reviewed by yashodha_95

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This review was posted on May/20/23
Hajranoor's review

                             This review was posted on May/21/23

                                      iqrabashir871 's review

The Embryo Man and Other Tales of Woe: Chapter 35 - From the Depths of Hades

                                       Reader's Report by Iqra

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This review was posted on Jul/17/23
Reviewed by tawhida

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This review was posted on Jul/31/23
alits29's review

I
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This review was posted on Sep/17/23
Reviewed by labia_1903

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This review was posted on Sep/23/23
Reviewed by suma303755

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This review was posted on Nov/15/23
Reviewed by pazkou

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This review was posted on Feb/1/24
Reviewed by hinaspatel

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This review was posted on Feb/15/24
Reviewed by sampriktaada813

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This review was posted on May/1/23
LL

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This review was posted on May/8/23
Reviewed by mariya

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                                                            This review was posted on May/26/24
                                                                   Tayyaba17's review
                                            The Embryo Man: Chapter 35 - From the Depths of Hades
                                                                  Reader's Report by Tayyaba

This review was posted on Jul/3/24
Reviewed by sababaloch292

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Saleha Zainab - July 12 - Chapter 35

The chapter presents an intricate and multifaceted narrative that shifts from the
mundanity of everyday life into the realm of hallucinatory and esoteric exploration.
Continuing the adventures, protagonist, alongside his friend John, encounters a
surreal experience triggered by drug use, leading to a profound and disturbing
introspection that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. The writing style
is rich with descriptive language, vivid imagery, and a blend of philosophical and
existential musings.

Hades is a classical reference, in Greek mythology, Hades is the underworld,
a place where souls go after death. It is often associated with darkness, the
unknown, and the afterlife. The mention of Hades immediately sets a tone
of mystery, foreboding, and a descent into darker, hidden realms.

The title suggests a metaphorical journey into the depths of the mind, uncovering
hidden fears, desires, and truths. This is reflected in the narrator’s hallucinatory
experience and existential reflections. By invoking Hades, the title also hints at
themes of life, death, and |the afterlife, as well as the boundaries between reality
and the supernatural. This connects with the narrator's musings on the nature of
existence and time. The chapter explores the thin boundary between reality and
hallucination, particularly through the lens of drug-induced experiences.

There is a strong undercurrent of existential questioning, with the protagonist
grappling with the nature of existence, time, and the human condition. The text
is laden with symbolic imagery and references to mysticism, suggesting a deeper,
possibly supernatural significance to the protagonist’s experiences. The characters'
actions and thoughts are driven by a growing sense of paranoia and fear, both of
their immediate surroundings and the broader implications of their visions.

The author employs rich, sensory language to create an immersive and disorienting
experience for the reader. The narrative often delves into a stream-of-consciousness
mode, reflecting the fragmented and chaotic thought processes of the protagonist.
There is a heavy use of symbolic and allegorical imagery, particularly in the depiction
of the mysterious writings and the ensuing visions.

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This review was posted on Aug/31/24
Reviewed by nusratjahan603

NR
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This review was posted on Oct/8/24
Reviewed by sarah1409

SR

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This review was posted on Oct/30/24
Reviewed by adeeba

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This review was posted on Nov/9/24
Reviewed by poesiha

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PG 253) Telephone by Chris Mars

PG 253) Pride of the province by Rafal Olbinski - http://tinyurl.com/5s6vy6

PG 254) Seer's crystal ball by Aude Laurent - http://tinyurl.com/qeyu9fh

PG 254) Illustration for Sherlock Holmes by Jim Warren - http://www.jimwarren.com/site/

PG 254) The shuttered room by H.P. Lovecraft, 1959 - http://tinyurl.com/aun3n

PG 255) All to Hell by Brian Smith - http://tinyurl.com/keyh85v

PG 255) Medusa by Ilene Meyer - http://www.ilenemeyer.com/

PG 255) The walking lesson by Jacek Yerka - http://www.yerkaland.com/

PG 255) Deadtown guard by Dominik Broniek - http://tinyurl.com/p5ygxxy

PG 255) Rebonjour by Roland Topor - http://tinyurl.com/nzqukz9