Nameless Horrors/And Some Fell on Stony Ground

It's 28 February, 1928 in your friendly small-town America (Stowell, Massachusetts). You are classmates gathering at Elois’ house to plan the coming 10 year high-school class-reunion events this approaching weekend.

Classmates-age 27	Description
Elois Bircher (NPC) school teacher	Short/plump but smartly dressed. Church going, impressed with Rev Fitzgerald. Until his last shocking sermon, supporting slavery.
Fred Schenck (Tony) barber	Big and strong. Ambitious, sports hat and cigar. Mr. Bingham at bank called in your house loan. You will be evicted.
Wesley Frost (Criv) bank clerk	Dreamer, pale-face and acne. Known to lie in grass gazing up at stars. Unlike your sister Glenda to decline dinner invitation. Now no-one answers the phone.
Annabelle Hearn (NPC) kitchen hand	Good-looking and hard working. Women’s rights. Interest in Bert. Arrived for work but turned away by headwaiter Feliks, “Services no longer needed.” Slammed door in your face.
Bert Lowry (Bert) car salesman	Dashing in suit and slicked hair. Able to “sell ashes to the devil.” Fondness for Annabelle Hearn. Mother called upset about husband Raymond (bank clerk); spends all day at home playing music on anything he can.
Betty Considine (Keith) waitress	Nosy gossip monger, bottle-blonde, supports prohibition. Works at Mother Baker’s these last 10 yrs. Having affair with Arnold McDermott, but haven’t seen him for week. Not at work as lumber-mill clerk. Car not in his driveway.

Fred hustled along the sidewalk to catch-up with Betty in front, “Hello beautiful. Here, let me help you carry those.” As he took the box of pastries from her hands, Betty bristled, “Fred, I see you haven’t stopped hitting on every girl in sight. Is your interest in me or my goodies?” Fred coyly smiled as they were now at their destination, ringing the doorbell, “Is there a difference?” And that’s when Elois opened the door, “Welcome, welcome. Come on in; I’ve got cookies and coffee on the table. My, I haven’t seen you in months. Isn’t it exciting to be planning our 10 year high school reunion.”

“Wait for me.” Bert climbed the steps two at a time, “Hope I’m not too late.” Elois welcoming her classmate, “Bert, I didn’t think you’d leave the dealership. I hear how you’re such a good car salesman, you could sell one of those rattle-traps to a bed-ridden man.” Annabelle was already sitting on the living room couch. Her somber mood brightening as Bert stepped in. But then dejection when Bert didn’t say hello or even sit next to her. Was he dumping her just like her boss firing her this morning?! Boss…Felik was just another worker yesterday…who promoted him?! What happened to the owner Elmer? No warning or words to say she’s even done something wrong. Just, “You services are no longer needed.” Not even given her last paycheck. She’d only come to this meeting knowing Bert would be here. Now…she began to silently weep.

Wesley was the only member to really get involved in the planning, “So, where do you think we should hold the event? Is the school gym available?” As a current teacher, Elois responded, “That’s an excellent idea. I’ll talk to the principal and janitor today. Betty, what do you think? Betty? Hello?” Betty blushed, “I’m sorry, I thought I saw someone outside. Wasn’t Arnold…the McDermotts supposed to attend?” Wesley continued the planning, “So should we start with a group dinner at Elmer’s Steakhouse?” Crying erupted from the couch, “NO! I can’t go back there. Not since they fired me today.” More tearful sobbing. Elois jumping to her rescue, “You poor girl, is everything OK? Let me get you some napkins.” As Elois stepped toward the kitchen, Betty rose walking to the front bay window to peer outside. Where was Arnold? She hadn’t seen him for days, no car in his driveway as she walked by his house. No reply to her last love letter. Did his wife Gladys find out? Then movement, “What is the deputy doing around here? He just turned the corner as if he’s searching for something.”

Wesley joined in her curiosity as the two stepped outside. Leaving Fred, Bert and Annabelle in awkward silence, except for her sniffling whimpers. “Did you hear something?” A LOUD crashing sound coming from the kitchen had the men jumping up to investigate. Finding the backdoor partially open and Elois in a stranglehold by a man dressed in tattered clothing! Rush to her aid, breaking the man’s hold, then notice his crazed look of madness, then recognition he’s the local general store worker, Ken McCurdy. As Fred pulled Elois safely away, three quick shots rang out from his left. Horror as Ken collapsed dead as 3 expanding circles of blood stained his tattered shirt. And deputy Stanley Alexander standing inside the back door holding a smoking pistol, “I hope everyone is OK; this crazed man didn’t hurt anyone? Stay away from the body as I don’t know if rabies is contagious.” And that’s when Wesley and Betty entered the kitchen.

Wesley quickly scanned the scene, “What the hell happened? You shot an unarmed man?!” As Wesley knelt next to the body, the deputy warned, “I said keep away from the body else you catch rabies and I have to put you down too.” But Wesley pressed, “Rabies? Where’s the foaming mouth? What evidence?” Stanley remained calm and in control, “You’re welcomed for me saving your lives. I’ll send someone shortly to collect the body.” Deputy Stanley turned and exited the house ignoring any and all attempts to further question events. Awkward. Fred tried to console the women but Elois (in shock) began cleaning around the body. Wesley tried to console, “I guess this means reunion planning is on hold?”

30 minutes later came a knock at the door. Before anyone could respond, the door swung open as a man in stained overalls carrying a bundled sheet entered, “Sherriff says there’s a body for pickup?” Again Fred tried to express consideration for the women, “You don’t just walk in uninvited. Have the decency to be let in.” Jensen only shrugged his shoulders, “Whatever.” Recognizing farmer Jensen who delivers eggs to her work at Mother’s Bakery, Betty silently pondered when this pig-farmer became undertaker too. Meanwhile Wesley led Jensen into the kitchen to point out the body. A flip and flop, tuck and roll, Jensen soon had the body wrapped in cloth and slung over his shoulder and began walking back thru the living-room to the front door. Trailing a line of fresh blood. “Out the back door you fool, you’re staining the whole house.” The chastisement stopping Jensen in his tracks. Where a pool of blood grew round his shoes (and a grin crinkled his checks as he knew what he was doing. His response to the “fool” comment.). “Go, go. Just go out the front. Hurry.”

All stood at the bay window as they watched the farmer dump the body into the bed of his truck like a sack of beans. No respect for the departed. As they watched him drive away, “That’s not the direction to the morgue.” Wesley wanting to follow per so much suspicion. But Fred more interested in consoling the women, “Let’s get away from this crime scene.” But Elois too occupied with cleaning blood stains from the kitchen floor and living room carpet. Annabelle lost in her own plight of unemployment. Wesley grudgingly helping, “We’re letting them get away with murder. We should at least check McCurdy’s home to inform his wife.” Borrowing Elois’ car, the men and Betty soon headed out.

Once at Ken’s home, “Hello Martha, we hope we’re not disturbing you.” Martha apologetic, “Ken’s not home right now. In fact he’s been unexpectedly gone for days.” Wesley trying to be gentle as he works his way to the topic of her husband’s death. Martha jumping to conclusions, “Don’t tell me he ran off with another women. I bet it was the trollop waitress! That hussy! Bitch!” Betty backing away in case Martha thought her. Fred to the point, “You’re husband has been killed.” Grieving. Sadness. Remorse thinking infidelity. “All was fine at church. He even stopped to chat with Reverend Fitzpatrick as I got in the car to get out of the cold. Normal lunch then dinner till he departed with a, “I’ll be right back.” Then nothing. Haven’t seen him since Sunday. Deputy Stanley suggesting he’s run off with another woman. Didn’t even lift a finger to at least search other options.”

Back at the car to return to Elois when Betty suggests, “Please drive over to Arnold’s house. I need to speak to…Gladys.” She provides directions. The house dark and deserted. Knocks go unanswered. Betty peers into the porch window spying the dining room table still setup with plates of food. “Something’s not right.” Fred reacting to Betty walking into the house, “Great. One murder scene. Now breaking and entering. And I’m the bad guy cause I carry this flask of ‘devil’ water.” A quick search…the food days old and starting to rot. “Maybe they packed for vacation. A call from their ailing mother.” Betty rushing up the stairs to the bedroom. A frantic search. Confirmation her love letters remain hidden in Arnold’s dresser. Discovery of suitcases under the bed. She storms downstairs, “Vacation? Without their suitcases?!” Fred trying to distract her, “OK, OK. We’re all jumpy. I’m hungry. Let’s just go to Elmer’s for dinner. Relax and talk through today’s events.”

But at the restaurant the hostess is standoffish, “I’ll see if we have any seats available.” Wesley scans the half-full room. Long wait till they are seated…in the corner near the kitchen. Noisiest table in the house. Kitchen doors constantly swinging into their chairs as busboys rush to and fro cleaning tables. Waitresses deliver orders. Yet no waitress to take theirs. “Miss. Miss. We’re ready to order.” Eventually. Rose finally stopping with pad in hand. “I’d like to order the house specialty steak with a Caesar salad.” “Sorry, we’re all out.” ”Hamburgers and fries then.”

Fred stopping Rose, “Say, is Annabelle here?” Rose suddenly acting nervous as she lowers her voice, “Look, I don’t want any trouble. I don’t want to lose my job too. I do what the new boss orders. And he says to only cater to the important customers he points out.” She hushes as the busboy stops to slosh water in their glasses. Observation other tables just being seated ARE ordering steaks. “What the hell?!”

Betty leans over to whisper to Fred then stands, “I need to powder my nose.” As she rounds the table she conveniently trips over Fred’s foot causing her to stumble thru the swinging kitchen doors. Shock as she looks up from the feet of one of the busboys, “Arnold?! What are YOU doing here? Is this a second job?” Arnold McDermott reaches down to lift her, allowing Betty to give a quick hug. With furtive glances around the kitchen, sweat on his brow, Arnold pauses then awkwardly offers, “Yeah. I’m just trying to make money for us. After the divorce. Now please leave before the boss sees us.”

Betty can tell he’s hiding something but rejoins the table. The men easily overheard the kitchen conversation; realization she chases a married man. Awkward conversations till, “CRASH!!” Screams erupt from the kitchen. Heads turn as the men get up to investigate when the swinging doors open. Gasps as the original owner Elmer, dressed in a blood-stained apron, exits the kitchen with a butcher knife in one hand and Felix’s severed head in the other! Relief and justice in his eyes as patrons boil out of the restaurant. Betty rushes into the kitchen to seek out Arnold. Fred and Wesley enter because this is the safest exit away from the murderer in the other room. “Let’s get out of here.” They exit the back door into the alley then round the building to their car out front.

Just in time to see the police car arrive and Sgt Stanley getting out with revolver drawn. Wesley happens to notice another familiar vehicle, “Jensen’s Farm” parked in the shadows across the street. Wesley approaches Jensen behind the wheel where 3 others stand in the bed of the truck, “Here to collect another body?” As if premonition…shots ring out inside the restaurant. As all turn toward the restaurant, the truck drives off. “I don’t know about you, but I’ve had a busy day. I’ll just walk home.” With Wesley departing, Betty too offers excuses while holding Arnold’s hand, “Maybe see you tomorrow. I need to speak with Arnold.” Left with the car, Fred and Bert return to Elois’ house.

As Wesley walks blocks to his house, he’s soon out of the city street lights. Only porch lights line his path. Then notice faint car lights behind him. A furtive glance…it’s Jensen’s truck slowly tailing him. Wesley acts calm as if he didn’t notice, and continues walking…past his house, then around a corner, another corner, then dash across yards when he realizes the truck still follows. He shakes his tail as he then works his way to Elois’ house to warn the others.

Back to Betty and Arnold, “Let’s just run away now and get married in another town.” Arnold reasons, “I can’t. I owe it to Gladys to get a divorce. I owe it to you so our marriage will be true. My memory is fuzzy. I vaguely remember going to church and chatting with the Reverend. He took us somewhere to….I don’t remember why. I just remember Gladys gone and me pressed into service at the restaurant. No will of my own. As if a slave. Maybe the pastor can fill in the blanks.” So off to church they go, the 7pm service just getting out. They wait in line to see Reverend Fitzgerald, “Please help father. I can’t find Gladys after I last saw you.” The pastor offering, “Wait till the other parishioners leave and I’ll see what I can do to help.”

20 minutes later, “Don’t you remember? Professor Hart offered both of you counseling and a chance to connect with the ‘Great Mind’. Maybe he has the answers.” Betty and Arnold climb into the pastors’ car as he drives them west of town. Then through guarded gates, up a tree lined gravel driveway that ends at an estate. “Come follow me.” Inside, up the stairs where they find the professor. Arnold slowly turning into a shell, confused, broken and withdrawn. Betty not understanding. Willingly following the professor’s directions in hope it will give peace to Arnold. A telescope centerstage inside an observatory, “Come, come my child. Gaze into the heavens for your answer. Yes, yes, focus on the stars.” Betty only seeing stars, and clusters, and…then it hits her like a freight train. A ‘Great Mind’ conversing with her inner thoughts. Overwhelming. Too bright as if burning her mind. She is ‘Broken’ (like Arnold). She shrieks as she stumbles from the telescope. Reverend Fitz reacting, “Such a ‘Blessing’ offered to connect with an ‘Old One’, but like seed cast upon a field, some fall on stony ground and fail to take root. She’s now one of the slaves.”

Meanwhile, Wesley shows up at Elois’s house to warn about his tail. Elois asks the others to stay, “I don’t feel safe.” Fred willingly taking the couch as he’s about to be evicted anyway. Bert on the loveseat. Wesley offered a sleeping bag. Annabelle in another bedroom. Uneventful night and a hearty breakfast. Then Bert suggests, “I need to check in with my mother. She was complaining about dad and his sudden musical talent. He hasn’t gone to work in days.” Once again borrowing Elois’ car, they drive to the Lowry house. Sure enough music flowing from within. As Bert leads the others in, “Mom, what’s the problem?” Lucile sits crying at the kitchen table weakly pointing into another room, “Ever since Sunday church and his trek with Reverend Fitz.” Raymond sits in his lounge with a strange variety of instruments surrounding his chair (washing board, cheese grater, hubcap, cans, etc.). The sound strange and chaotic. Till the more you listen…recognition of complex rhythm and tonality. Listen longer and the sounds become mental colors. Wonderful. Bert and the others awkwardly exit as they realize there’s nothing they can do.

Now Wesley is concerned, “Let’s head to my sister Glenda. I called earlier in the week, but one of the twins passed along her decline of my dinner invitation. Unlike her; our monthly dinner is a ritual. Now no-one answers the phone.” When they arrive, and knock loudly, Glenda answers the door slaving away with a mixing bowl in hand, “Sorry I can’t chat now, the girls demand another cake.” Except she says all in a mindless trance. The twins, Shirley and Maxine, enter from the kitchen each carrying a small tray with frogs splayed out. Scalpels in their hands as they dissect, “Do any of you know about anatomy? I wonder what the inside of a human arm is like.” Then slight giggles from both. Wesley notices the absence of pets, “Where’s Fido and Fluffy?”

The girls now bored, “Go away. We don’t like you anymore.” Their mother Glenda silent. Wesley presses into the kitchen, “Where’s you’re father?”  Noise sneaks up from the cellar, drawing Wesley closer around the girls toward the cellar door. They lash out with scalpels, “Ouch! What the…” Wesley backhands Maxine who crashes against the wall then slumps to the ground. Fred manages to grab Shirley and disarm her, the fallen scalpel stuck vertical in the floor. As Wesley grabs a kitchen towel to stop his bleeding, Bert investigates the cellar. “Oh, crap!”

Gagged, and obviously drugged, Donald Ferguson is tied to a chair. A subject of dissection. Tongue cut out, 3 fingers missing, his arm splayed open. Fido and Fluffy each on cookie sheet completely dissected. Glenda finally getting a look, “Oh god. Girls, what have you done?! This sudden interest in anatomy after their Sunday school class by the Reverend.” After Wesley calls the operator to send an ambulance…and police, they turn to leave, “I want a word with the Reverend.” Fred last to leave, having set Shirley in a kitchen chair and told to “Behave”, hears a scalpel sing past his shoulder and stick in the wall. Taking the scalpel, he turns to face Shirley standing in the kitchen door frame, “Thanks. I might need this…ya little bitch!”

They arrive at the church too late, “The pastor left minutes ago taking another group on his lecture tour. Yeah, they went to Professor Hart’s estate (Prospect House).” Gravel rattles against the fence rails as Wesley stomps the accelerator. They arrive at the gate, offering an excuse to the guards, “Coffee. Bathroom call. Sorry we’re late for the lecture.” They’re directed inside. Parking behind the pastor’s car, they climb the steps offering the same excuse to these guards. Inside, they see the tail-end of a small group climbing the stairs and fall inline. As Professor Hart begins his spiel about the stars and ‘Great Mind’, they nudge their way closer, past the pastor. The Reverend clearly not expecting the group, signals guards.

Wesley presses to the head-of-the-line as the others stay back. Fred and Bert trying to block any guard interference. One guard trying to shoulder past Fred is grasp by his collar and belt and slung to the ground. Another guard moving past Bert is also restrained. Wesley continues, “Professor, I’d like to be the first. Show me what you revealed to the twins.” A momentary puzzled look on his face before the professor leads him into the observatory. Star charts on the walls, pedestals supporting metal busts of Galileo and other astronomers ring the room, with a telescope centerstage, “Observe the stars and rejoice in new wonder what the heavens have to offer.” Without hesitation, Wesley steps forward then suddenly steps right to grab Galileo and bashes the telescope! Again, and again. “You sick bastard. Poisoning young minds. And other townfolk.”

Screams of shock and loss from the professor, “Do you realize what you’ve done?! Denied all contact with the ‘Old Ones’. They offer ‘Blessing’ to enhance your most cherished desires. So what if a few who do not understand are ‘Broken’.” More guard rush up the stairs threatening to trap the group. So Wesley grabs the professor from behind, his arm around his throat, “Move aside unless you want your ‘leader’ to die.” They comply. The group exiting down the stairs and out the door. At the car, once started, the professor cast aside, they speed off. “Now what? Is there any chance to reverse the effects? The police obviously involved. Are we on the run?”

EPILOGE: After 24 hours of no contact with the ‘Old Ones’, those exposed go crazy. The ‘Broken’ collapse in a coma lasting hours (most in their beds). The ‘Blessed’ become terrified at their loss of contact, their heightened skills shorted out. Trauma, stripped of all humanity, they go on a rampage. Encounter of any unconscious ‘Broken’ is an easy kill. The hunt on for any non-Blessed. A dawn of chaos and survival, till 24 hours after their frenzy, the out of control ‘Blessed’ explode in a red-hot-gore. Sgt Stanley, the Reverend, the professor, the twins. Did our classmates survive?