Entry: Night October 9, 1927

The events to describe the remainder of the day can only be considered horrifying. They only led to more questions than answers…

We walked to the public house for lunch. It seemed to be left over Irish stew from the night before but still tasted good despite Steve’s protest. While waiting, we asked Ken if he knew where Sheriff Ballard was. He informed us that he should be at his office in Town hall. After finishing up, we quickly headed over. Ballard, a large man, was standing behind a desk reviewing some paperwork. But, before I could introduce myself as a representative of Miskatonic, the young and impetuous Dr. O’Riley started to barrage the poor man with questions and recommendations for Mr. Walker. He did not care for it. I finally got Steve to be quiet and introduced myself. The birds were the first subject the sheriff brought up but I managed to turn the conversation towards Prescott Walker. We needed to get into the mansion so I could look for the manuscripts but required a legitimate reason for being there. Offering to help the man and planting the idea of radiation sickness, gave us all the reasoning we needed to be offered an escort to the manor.

The manor was empty when we arrived. Muddy boot and bare footprints went everywhere. The stench of rot floated in the air. Discarded food littered the area. While the others searched the lower level, I went upstairs to the library. It had been ransacked. Books and papers where scattered all over the room. After a few minutes the others joined me. Shortly afterwards is when we discovered the journal.

Walker described wandering into Fulton’s Ridge, an area rich in radium according to Ballard, and finding an amulet. There was an absence of life around him. Walker went into detail describing the stone as an item of power from a time when the Abenaki ruled this land. He went on to draw a picture of the amulet, depicting a totem of a crow over the totems of a snake and frog. This took James by surprise because it was the image he saw in his drug induced dream. Prescott, also, detailed his delusions of controlling crows and other creatures.

Ballard seemed a bit unnerved with it all. This was the perfect opportunity manipulate him into helping. Since we had discussed earlier how the crows slept at night, we convinced him to take us to Fulton’s Ridge after dark. He, also, was easily convinced that the stone was radioactive even though none of us could actually prove it.  

Upon leaving the manor, we were struck by what my comrades perceived to be a very unsettling sight. Millions of frogs surrounded the area. The noise was deafening. However, the only thing that filled my thoughts was the fried frog legs I ate on childhood vacations to the southern Gulf States. After regaining his composure, Ballard remembered some lead tiles in the shed for city hall. Kicking the amphibians out of our way, we made it to the shed and quickly made a lead lined box out of things just lying around. However, when we came out they were gone and the crows had returned. This even bothered me a bit but I had to put it aside.

                     

I then headed to the Library. Dorice had found the manuscripts and an old black leather bound book. The manuscripts provided little in new information. It was a handwritten record of early explorers entering the barren area above Fulton’s Ridge and the area was filled with loud buzzing. The other book, however, turned out to be the true find. Thaumaturgical Prodigies in the New England Canaan was written by Rev. Nathaniel-Ward Phillips from Dunwich. The book itself describes terrible rituals which took place in New England. The young pastor’s quest for knowledge led him to follow a man who knew not the forces that they truly battled. The two men conducted a witch hunt in the streets of Dunwich and Arkham. The end describes a confrontation in Billington’s Woods with a man in tattered yellow robes that almost killed them. Phillips wrote that every night he still dreamed of that monster sitting and waiting for the day he would encounter him again. After publication, Phillips had a change of heart and tried to acquire all copies of the book and burn them.

After studying for a few minutes, I knew I had to have this book. After several attempts to obtain the tome, James and I faked a call to the school and managed to talk Dorice into selling it to us for fifty dollars. It wasn’t my proudest moment, but I walked out with knowledge that will prove to be invaluable in the future. This is the original edition. I believe the school could have a second printing, as I believe it is commonly found.

After storing my new found treasure, we headed for a quick dinner. During this time James managed to finally get an offer from Kenneth to be served in the “private room” later on. Unfortunately for him, Ballard showed up to take us out.

It didn’t take long to reach the outskirts of the area and we headed the rest of the way on foot. As we entered the ridge, we began to hear the buzzing described in the historical manuscripts. Suddenly, Walker burst from the woods screaming for us to leave. The shock was a bit much for poor James. Steve quickly went on the attack trying to subdue the man but he proved to be a bit much for the young doctor. Jack stood at the ready to shoot him but we needed to avoid that as best as possible. I tackled Prescott and thought I had taken the upper hand in the fight. I was wrong. Walker spun around in my grapple and bit into my face. I released him and he ran into the woods so fast we could barely tell the direction he headed.

Steve patched up my face to the point that the scarring would be at a minimum. Then he mixed another one of his special cocktails to give Prescott. Jack had already picked up the trail and we headed off again. The buzzing sound grew louder as we got closer to the Barrens near the ridge. It was here that things got strange. The buzzing grew louder and then we saw it. Something out of our worst nightmares floated above our heads. It resembled a bloated mutated fly with a long metal rod. Poor James lost his mind upon seeing it. The rest of us just started shooting. The beast followed in kind but instead of bullets, lighting bolts stuck the ground around us. Steve had disappeared in the confusion and we all focused on killing the beast. It seems that God was on our side that day because many of our shoots stuck the creature. The fly turned and flew over the ridge out of sight. I ran after it. The mysteries I could unravel from it would grant me unprecedented opportunities at the university.

Topping the ridge, I passed the body of Steve. I had no time to worry about him now. I could hear the others running behind me so I left him to their care. I cannot describe fully what I saw on the other side. More of the creatures were in the center of the valley working with a machine that lit up the night sky. Nothing mattered anymore. I had to get a sample for the school. I am not sure but it looked like Walker was charging down the opposite hill followed by an army of what appeared to be vermin. I started to fire at the fly again and began to close the gap. That was when everything exploded in a flash light. When I regained my sight, they were gone. Ballard and the others came up behind me. I don’t know what they saw and I don’t want to ask. One thing was certain, Steve had lost his mind now, as well. The man ran past me in a fit of rage and shot Prescott in the knee. It severed it in one shot. That was when sanity hit him in the face. At least he saved Walker’s life by halting the bleeding. We, also, removed the stone from around his neck and tossed it in the lead box. As so as we get back to the school, we need to give it to Lucas to hide in the vault. Tetlow will insure that no one will be poisoned by the amulet again.

When we got back to town, dawn was breaking. However, something had changed. The crows were gone. Ballard thanked us as he packed Prescott up and drove him to the city hospital.

Even writing this, I am still in a daze. What were those things? Where did they go so fast? My mind is in a jumble. To add to the confusion, Armitage has summoned us all for a meeting. I am going to read the tome I acquired and get some sleep. I will need to be well rested to deal with tomorrow.