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Message: <blockquote data-quote="talien" data-source="post: 5007682" data-attributes="member: 3285">Landscrapes: Part 10 – The Forests See AllThe portal emptied into an overgrown clearing.  At the center was an old, creaky log cabin, a collapsed outbuilding, and a well.  Jim-Bean's mask was gone.  He looked around, blinking in the setting sun."I recognize this," said Hammer.  "This was Waban's place."The sound of many flies buzzing through the air caused Hammer to unholster his Glocks.  Jim-Bean held the braincase in one hand and the Elder Sign in the other.  Pointing the braincase towards to Waban's house, it began to pulse. Jim-Bean led the way, climbing the rough steps up to Waban’s house. There were a large number of flies around the screen door, accompanied by a revolting stench. The screen door was black with flies crawling over the torn mesh. Hammer kicked it open.A scene of grisly proportions greeted them.  "Jesus," whispered Hammer. The floor, ceiling, and every wall in the room were covered in blood and viscera.  Jellied internal organs stuck to walls; ropey intestines dangled from the ceiling, suspended from glistening strands of gooey mucous; dried blood lay thick on the floor and had left hand-width paths down the walls.  Everywhere, bits and pieces of human organs could be seen, gummed to walls and furniture.  And over it all buzzed millions of fat flies, their plump white young wriggling out of the rotting organs. Lying in the center of the mess was a lumpy, brownish pile, covered in split, blackened blisters.  Hammer inspected it.  A human face, fingers, an elbow—enough to identify the corpse."It's Waban," he said mournfully. "Oh no." Jim-Bean had promised to keep the old Indian safe.  He struggled to keep from vomiting. Waban had been reduced to a spongy sack of wrinkled flesh, his bones jutting randomly beneath his skin.Hammer dispassionately inspected the corpse. Waban’s jaw was broken in at least two places, and a jagged rupture was on what was once the man’s back.  "From the condition of the scene and the body, Waban's organs were squeezed out, at the same time, and with a tremendous amount of force. But this is odd…"Jim-Bean looked away.  "What?""His brain is missing."Jim-Bean looked at the pulsing braincase.  "Oh God…" He dropped it. It clattered to the ground, pulsing softly, its pace quicker now.An eerie silence blanketed the surrounding forest.  Birds and insects were still.  Even the wind seemed to wait.  Then a moist smell, like freshly turned earth, became noticeable."Waban's brain case…it's not a detector," shouted Jim-Bean, stabbing a finger at the case. "It's a LURE!"</blockquote>

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