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GERTRUDE: This was Elias's suggestion, for reference. I doubt he would be able to do anything about it if I decided not to record this, but perhaps it may help. It's been a while since I... went back.
A sigh. Paper rustles in the background.
GERTRUDE: Ah, but no need to be dramatic. I suppose this would happen eventually, and better to get it over with. Ahem, statement of Gertrude Robinson, regarding her childhood encounter with an Entity, given October 5th, 2007. Statement begins.
She clears her throat.
GERTRUDE: It may be a shock to hear I was a child once. Sometimes that surprises me as well, to think I was once as innocent as a lamb before slaughter, blissfully unaware of what was really happening in the world. Normally I don't see any point in reminiscing about the past, but what I wouldn’t give to have that same curious energy again.
I wasn't a sheltered child- quite the opposite, in fact. My family was... unreliable, so I spent plenty of time outside my crowded home, running through the bustling streets of my hometown and talking my way into places I wouldn't normally be allowed into.
She chuckles, her voice thoughtful.
GERTRUDE: I used to have a lot of friends, back when I was younger. I made plenty, and earned myself a good reputation. There was a boy named George, I think. Another named Jamey. And a girl who called herself Brook.
Her voice lifts, as if she's unsure.
GERTRUDE: You would've thought we were inseparable, following each other around and constantly getting ourselves in trouble. We ended up in tough situations more than once, but stood up for each other no matter what. And yet... it didn't take much to pull us apart.
A pause, then another sigh.
GERTRUDE: It was George's fault, really. I still haven't quite forgiven him. He was never the brightest type, normally requiring our help more than we needed his. Not that we didn't love having him around- he was the face of our little group. Always cracking jokes and giving us things to do on rainy days. It's... not fair that he was the first. But I should count myself lucky, shouldn’t I?
A sharp intake of breath. She clears her throat again.
GERTRUDE: It started off as the four of us. George, Jamey, Brook, and me. My hometown was quite religious and had an abundance of churches scattered about- and a handful of those had been scheduled for demolition or reconstruction. It was our little thing, to sneak our way inside and chase each other through the dusty yet beautiful halls. I was never a religious girl, yet I still found something enchanting about the concept of God. To think there was a man who could make people feel so loved and lost at the same time… it was incredible to me.
On one of our later expeditions, the church was dark enough that it was hard to navigate without a light, and George suggested we play hide and seek. We said yes, obviously, and I was given the role of ‘IT’. We thought it was only us playing.
I counted for 60 seconds. Then, I turned, and ran down the hall. I caused quite a racket, throwing each door open, raising my flashlight across the room, then slamming it shut and continuing forward.
I couldn’t find any of them within the first few minutes. That should’ve warned me that something was wrong, because I had become adept at this sort of thing. You see, the more you get to know someone, the more slight details you learn about them. Jamey enjoyed spaces that were clean and dust-free. Brook liked smaller spaces she could squeeze into and cover it up. George… he needed space. A lot of it. Compact areas terrified him, and more then once I’ve seen him panic and get himself stuck. Looking back… it was obvious. So, so obvious.
A long pause. She sniffs, then clears her throat.
GERTRUDE: Around 5 minutes later, I grew frustrated. Young Gertrude was used to being ahead of everyone, and giving up was never a strong suit of mine. It was nearly midnight. At the 10 minute mark, I was ready to forfeit. Perhaps I should’ve.
I was at the organ on the second floor when I heard the noise. A soft, quiet chanting, almost enthralling with its rhythm. I had brushed it off as a trick of the mind earlier, but up there it was impossible to ignore. But I wasn’t scared, not at all. I was always eager, ready to jump headfirst into danger or adventure. A fatal flaw, nowadays.
So I followed the noise. I followed it to the balcony, where a dim light was filling the room. I hid near the benches, and peeked down. Unfortunately I… I will never forget what I saw.
The pews were filled with people, the source of the noise. They were wearing casual clothes, looking extremely out of place in the church, like they had just been going on a regular day before coming here late at night. They were all facing the front, where a pit was dug where the pedestal would normally be. The hole was pitch black, with the soil crumbling away at the edges and a hissing noise from below it.
A note from the Archivist: This was quite obviously a failed attempt at a ritual of the Buried. Now, I’ve already tried follow-ups and don’t see any point in delving deeper, because I’ve reached my fair share of dead ends. What’s in the past stays in the past. End note.
GERTRUDE: George was standing above it, his head raised and his eyes half-closed. He looked… calm, despite the people watching him with uncanny intensity. He looked around, seemingly unsure of what he should do but content with whatever might happen.
I managed to get his eye contact, trying to gesture for him to leave or fight back. But his eyes seared into my brain, and my chest tightened, unable to pull my gaze away.
I didn’t know what to do, frozen with fear and curiosity at the same time. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity, but then he nodded - thoughtfully, almost. The other… observers turned their heads all at once, looking up at me. They didn’t move, didn’t try to stop me. George nodded at me, his mouth pulled into a bittersweet smile. I… I should’ve stopped him. Because then he jumped.
Her voice cracks, which she quickly tries to cover up with a cough.
GERTRUDE: But there was no chance. I stood up in shock, watching his body fall into the pit like prey being thrown to an animal. I didn’t stick around to hear the thump of his body hitting the ground- perhaps there wasn’t even a bottom in it. I tried to flee, and that’s when the church began to crumble around me.
I hid under the organ bench, trying to stop myself from screaming. I watched as the people in the pews welcomed the debris with open arms, even as it crushed them into a bloody mess. Looking back, whatever ‘ascension’ I’m sure they were planning, it was obvious that they would never find it in the state they were left in.
The ceiling had crumbled around, trapping me and pinning me down. I remember the… well, helplessness I felt, unable to even flex my fingers or twitch a limb. Though I wasn’t severely injured, it was nearly impossible to get out of. It was pitch black, and I knew there was a chance I could run out of oxygen if there was that much debris.
A lesson I’ve learned many times is that panic never helps a situation. Either it goes your way, or it doesn’t. And when it’s the latter, you make it work for you no matter what. Everything must be bent in your favor, so you’re the one who comes out alive. I apologize in advance, Elias.
So that’s what I did. It required a quite painful dislocation of my shoulder to roll back under the organ bench, then painstakingly pulling the debris with my broken nails under the bench until I could see a glimmer of light, then bruising as I pushed myself through the small exit.
I spent too long searching for George. Brook and Jamey were nowhere to be found, and their bodies would not be pulled out of the wreckage for some time.
A stifled cough. She takes a deep breath.
GERTRUDE: As for the cultists, I would assume they were attempting a draft of the ‘Sunken Sky’. Obviously it failed. As for why, I’m not quite sure, but I do not wish to visit that town again. I left for a reason, and there is no chance I will be returning.
She sighs loudly.
GERTRUDE: If it wasn’t obvious, afterwards I managed to get away and move to London a few years later. When I learned of a research center that could possibly explain what had happened when I was younger, I went there immediately. I mean no offense, but we were extremely unorganized and weren’t much help. It was very easy to get hired and sort this place out.
Papers shuffle.
GERTRUDE: Elias, I hope you’re happy. Statement ends.
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