The Ben Chatham 2016 Halloween Special: "The Monsters Within

THE MONSTERS WITHIN: Part One

Ben Chatham drifted in and out of sleep as the morning sunlight shot through a narrow gap in the curtains, seeming to flaunt its rude intrusion into the cold comfort of Ben's dreams. He groaned as he buried his handsome head deep into the pillow . He did not want to face another day on the treadmill of work while the space beside him in the bed remained empty and bereft. As Ben tried to drift back into sleep, his mobile phone started ringing, the ringtone being David Bowie's "Sense of Doubt". Ben tried to ignore it, however whoever was ringing was persistent. Eventually he flung the bed sheets back, his smooth skin gleaming in the morning light, and he reached for the phone:
"Hello. Look now is not a good time." The voice on the end of the phone was vaguely familiar:
"Oh hello Ben. It's Professor Garson, Mike Garson. From Cambridge." Ben rubbed his eyes:
"Oh, yes I remember. You taught the science module of my Archaeology degree. I couldn't understand what you were talking about most of the time, you were a terrible lecturer. Unprepared and incapable of holding an audience. Anyway, what do you want?"
"Er, I'm sorry Ben if I've caught you at a bad time. Look I've followed your career as an investigator of the paranormal and so on. Look I've been working on a project that I think will interest you greatly...."

Later, Ben, Katie Ryan and Kyle were driving through the Cambridgeshire countryside towards Professor Garson's house with its inbuilt laboratory.
"So why are we bothering with this Ben? You never liked the guy and it's not as if he explained what this damn project is", Katie snapped, applying a fresh later of lipstick and pouting firmly.
"We've got nothing better to do Katie. Which is my life now isn't it?" Ben tersely replied.
"Ben you really need to pull yourself out of this dark mood you're in. It's affecting everyone in the team. We need you", Katie said sharply.
"Yeah right. Lets just get there and humour the old goat for half an hour and then drive to somewhere nice for lunch."

They arrived at Garson's 17th century house and met the professor, who was dressed in a casual brown suit and resembled the actor Peter Cushing. He showed them into a large sitting room with oak-panelled walls and an extensive library on the occult.
"Hey this is like summat out of Harry Potter", Kyle remarked.
"You'll have to excuse my colleague's lowbrow cultural references Professor Garson. Anyway, what is it you want to show us?"
"Oh come now Ben, wouldn't you like a drink and some lunch first. It's so good to see you again. You were one of my brightest and most attractive students you know. I'll ring Payanda."
The Professor rang a gold bell and a tall Indian woman entered the room with a dinner trolley laden with extensive meat dishes, salads and Indian falafel. She gave Ben and the others a cold look and then strode out of the room.
"Funny woman", Katie remarked.
"Oh don't mind Payanda. It's just her way. Her family have served mine for generations. Now Ben, please help yourself."
Ben and the others started to choose their dishes and Kyle grinned as he tasted the curry:
"Hmm, hey this is a good 'un Ben. What Barry would call a real ringstinger."
"I'd rather you didn't remind me of him right now Kyle. Or any time for that matter...." As Ben spoke, they heard the sound of a woman screaming from upstairs:
"Ere what the hell is that?" Kyle exclaimed.
"Oh don't worry. It was only my mother. She's.... well she's suffering from an acute form of dementia. She won't be here much longer poor soul. Payanda will see to her. Now eat please", the Professor said firmly.
As Ben ate, the Professor stared intensely at him:
"You are such a handsome young man Ben. Most delicious". Ben felt unnerved.

Later, after Ben had sampled the Professor's excellent French brandy, they were showed into the laboratory. In the corner was a piece of extensive, futuristic machinery with a seat in the middle. Nearby was a glass box on a table.
"So hear it is Ben. The culmination of a lifetime of research. This is a greater technological leap than the industrial revolution. Now I need a volunteer. How about young Kyle here", the Professor said smiling. Kyle grimaced:
"Yeah like what exactly are you gonna do to me?"
"Oh really young man there is nothing to be afraid of. Now go and sit in that chair and put the headset on. It's perfectly safe."
Kyle grudgingly went and sat in the seat:
"Look I ain't sure I like this...."
"Oh stop whining Kyle. It's so chavvy", Katie snapped.
Kyle put the headset on and a strange humming sound began. The Professor turned to the others:
"This is the device that will create the greatest revolution in production capacity that mankind has ever seen. *To Kyle* Now young man. I want you to visualise an object. Any object. As expensive as you like."
"Yeah ok. I'm thinkin' of some solid gold bling...." As Kyle spoke his head suddenly shot back and the humming sound became intense. Inside the glass box appeared a solid gold chain. The humming subsided. The Professor opened the glass box, took out the chain and handed it to Kyle:
"It is yours. You see, with this device, anything can be made with the power of the mind. There will be no factories, no inequality and no poverty anymore. This machine can make anything......."


...........to be continued.

"THE MONSTERS WITHIN: Part 2

Ben was intrigued:
"Hmmm. I have heard that scientists are working on this kind of technology and that a new industrial revolution is supposedly about to change everything. If this device does what you are claiming it can do then it will indeed revolutionise society."
"If? You doubt it Ben? But surely you saw with your own eyes how your friend here made this gold chain", Professor Garson replied bemusedly.
"I have learned to treat grandiose claims with a healthy pinch of sceptical salt Professor. However I must admit that your demonstration seemed convincing and......"
Ben's response was cut short by the sound of a woman shrieking from upstairs:
"Ahhh , screeeeeeeem, screeeeeeech..."
"What the hell was that?" Katie exclaimed. The Professor gave them a forlorn glance:
"I apologise. That was my mother. She has dementia and gets completely hysterical when the nurse goes in. She was such a sweet lady, but she is in her 90s so won't have much longer to endure the condition."
"Can't you just shove her into a home or something?" Katie asked. Ben frowned:
"Please excuse Katie's blunt manner Professor."
As Ben spoke, the lights suddenly went out, plunging the room into darkness.
"This must be some kind of power failure. Try and locate the door out of the lab Kyle", Ben wisely instructed. Kyle fumbled for the door, however as he did so, Ben felt something touch the side of his face. A hand. A hairy hand.
"Quick Kyle, I think that there is something in here with us. Something non-human...."

Suddenly the lights came back on but dimly and flickering. The Professor was nowhere to be seen. Ben looked at the others:
"I don't like this. Something definitely stroked by face just then. Something animal. I suggest that we explore the house."
They left the lab and wandered out into the old house with its wood panelled walls and paintings of the Professor's family. Ben led the way upstairs, the wooden stairs creaking under their feet. As they walked along the dark landing a strange yellow glow in front of them slowly transformed into the figure of a young boy glowing with a strange yellow light and dressed in urban street wear with a baseball cap turned the wrong way round. Instead of eyes, he had empty black sockets. He pointed at Ben.
"What the hell is that thing?" Katie shouted.
"I fear that it is what is known as a radiant boy Katie. The spirit of a child murdered by its parents and a harbinger of death. The eminent 19th century politician Viscount Castlereagh saw one before he committed suicide by slitting his own throat", Ben explained. Suddenly the ghostly image vanished and the strange, eerie female shrieking started up again. A door flew open on the landing and an extremely elderly lady dressed in black staggered out , carrying a meat cleaver, and lunged at Ben, trying to hack his skull. However Kyle managed to grab her hand and wrench the cleaver off her. The old woman broke free and ran screeching down the stairs.
"Ere this place is a friggin' loony bin Ben. I say we leg it."
Ben scratched his handsome head and sighed:
"I think you are right Kyle. Come on, let us depart."
However as they walked downstairs to the hall, the Professor appeared from the study with an apologetic demeanour:
"I'm so sorry, please forgive me. It was just a minor power cut. This machinery soaks up a lot of electricity. And don't mind mother, she just gets a little confused."
"A little confused? That old woman is murderously insane," Ben responded.
"Again, I do apologise Ben. Surely a boy of your refinement and taste can understand the need for a family of standing to avoid the scandal of having a relative in the care of a mental health institution. Come now, why don't we all have a drop of brandy."

Later they all sat in the Professor's sitting room as the servant Payanda served them brandy and soul cakes. Ben examined the Professor's extensive book collection and took down a book:
"I see you have a first edition of "Journeys into the Occult" by Montague Hesketh. Wasn't he a believer in an esoteric cult of wolf worshippers?" The Professor smiled:
"He was indeed young Ben. And a believer in the existence of a sacred lineage of werewolves. And who can blame him. I mean who would not want to worship a man who can transform into a powerful wolf at night?"
Katie nudged Ben and whispered:
"I wouldn't mind a man like that between the sheets."
The Professor continued:
"Anyway, Ben I have a proposal. Why don't you have a go with the machine. Try to create something. That way you will know for sure that I wasn't hoaxing you.

Later, back in the lab, Ben was sat in the chair of the machine, with the headset on.
"Ok, I'm not going to reveal in advance what I intend to create. I want no tricks, just to see for sure that this works."
"Fine by me Ben", the Professor said. He activated the machine and Ben started to concentrate. However a strange humming sound began and Ben threw back his head, writhing in obvious agony. Kyle and Katie watched in horror:
"Ere something's wrong here. Stop that thing, It'll kill Ben," Kyle exclaimed. However the Professor pulled out a gun:
"Nether of you move", he coldly stated.......


............. to be continued.

OK people: Here is part three of this dark story:

"THE MONSTERS WITHIN": Part 3

Ben writhed in agony as Professor Mike Garson held a gun at Kyle and Katie:
"Ere stop this you nutter!" Kyle shouted. The Professor remained calm:
"There is no need for hysterics young man. Anyway, as you can see the process is near completion."
They looked down as the humming noise subsided and Ben lapsed into quiet unconsciousness.
"Look you piece of ¤¤¤¤, I want an explanation for what just happened to Ben," Katie demanded, hand on hip, throwing her blonde hair to one side and fixing Professor Garson with an icy glare. Garson lowered the gun and smiled politely:
"Now look Miss Ryan, I'm sorry I had to resort to a course use of firearm threat. However it was essential that we test the machine. I assure you that Ben here will be perfectly fine again after a short sleep. Anyway, shall we look to see what he has created?"
"I'll give you a bleedin' knuckle sandwich in a minute mate if yer don't....." Kyle stopped his angry tirade short as he glanced at the glass box and saw within it an elaborate gold crown, encrusted with sapphires, rubies, pearls and emeralds:
"Ere it's a friggin crown".
"Oh yes, and you will find that it is as real and authentic as any crown in any museum", the Professor stated, lifting the object from the box.

Later, a recovering Ben was resting on the Professor's sofa in the drawing room as Katie and Kyle sat round the large wood fire. Katie sipped her brandy and frowned:
"We need to get out of here as soon as Ben is fit to walk. Probably a case for UNIT I'd say." Ben lifted his head languidly and sighed, his eyes tired and sad:
"No. We have no evidence yet that this is a UNIT related case. Given how bureaucratic they are we'd get no help from them. So Garson has designed some futuristic technology and used a gun on us to ensure I acted as guinea pig. More a matter for the regular police really. We need to stay and find out more. Anyway, on a more important note, where is my crown?"
Kyle lifted the crown out of a plastic bag near his side and handed it to Ben:
"Trust you to think of creatin' a bleedin' crown for yerrself Ben" he said, laughingly throwing the crown to Ben.
"And trust you to put a priceless gold crown in a Tesco plastic bag Kyle", Ben replied. They both laughed. Ben examined the crown carefully:
"I've always wanted to wear a real crown. I need to be surrounded by beautiful, expensive objects. They act as compensation for all of the loss, hurt and loneliness that I have suffered in my life. I deserve this."
"You will always be a true Prince Ben", Katie remarked and they all laughed. Suddenly they heard a frightful howling from outside the house, like a pack of wolves . It was accompanied by a frightful screaming sound. Kyle rushed to the window and they were horrified to see a man being torn apart in the grounds of the house by several huge wolf-like animals. One of them had ripped his throat out and was gorging itself on the exposed flesh.
"Jeez what the hell are those things? If it ain't a case for UNIT now then what is?" Kyle shouted. As he did so, the Professor entered the room with Payanda, the latter carrying a tray of food.
"Oh come and sit back down by the fire. The entertainment will be better enjoyed in the warm."
"Entertainment? You call that sight entertainment?", Ben exclaimed. The Professor smiled:
"There is no need to be frenetic about this. Now come and sit down, shocks are much better absorbed with the knees bent you know".

Ben and the others returned to the sofa and Ben glared angrily at the Professor:
"Look I demand that you explain immediately and fully exactly what the hell is going on here Garson". The Professor poured Ben a brandy:
"You know you are a most attractive young man when you are angry Ben. Here, have some brandy. It's a curative you know. I do apologise for the experiment earlier being a little demanding however I hope that you will see the bigger picture."
Katie fixed him with a cool stare:
"Cut the genial crap Garson and get to the point."
"The point, Miss Ryan, is that those creatures out there, and isn't it delightful to see wild nature in action, those creatures are the product of Ben's subconscious. My machine has the power to create not just objects projected by the conscious mind, such as Kyle's gold chain and Ben's crown, but also manifestations from the inner mind. The monsters within so to speak. Earlier I let Ben thumb through my library and pick up a book on werewolf cults by Montague Hesketh. That planted the seed of an idea in Ben's mind. And my machine watered that seed. Ben here is a natural sensitive, he has a most superior mind, both conscious and unconscious. Kyle here with his courser, more primitively evolved mind could only manage to conjure up a few supernatural manifestations. But Ben created those creatures out there. Don't worry about the dead man, he was only a local farmer who comes here to supply us with logs for the fire."
"Ere, he was a person with a life. And look dude you'd better cut the primitive mind crap or I'll conjure up a manifestation of my fist hitting your teeth", Kyle shouted. The Professor smiled:
"You know some of my friends at Cambridge would find the combination of your aggressive realness and good looks very exciting, in a bit of rough kind of way. However let us focus on the big picture. I want to see exactly how far I can go with this. To test this technology to the limits. I have designed a larger and more powerful version of the machine which you have seen. And I want Ben to test it." Ben swallowed his brandy and glared at Garson:
"I am not your guinea pig. That last session created those creatures out there and has led to a man's death. More importantly, it rendered me unconscious. I am not prepared to risk harm or either death to myself in order to further your monstrous schemes", Ben firmly stated. Professor Garson frowned:
"Oh that is sad, it really is. I was hoping force would not be necessary. You will do as I say Ben or die. Your choice......."


..............to be continued.

Ok people: here is the final part of this challenging tale:

"THE MONSTERS WITHIN" : Part 4

As the Professor issued his warning several of his assistants, wearing lab coats and carrying guns, entered the room. Ben was led out into the hall and down a flight of stairs to the underground laboratory while Kyle and Katie remained in the drawing room with Professor Garson, who held a gun in one hand and a cognac in the other. Ben saw, on entering the lab, a much larger apparatus than the other machine.
"You will sit in that chair and let me strap you down", one of Garson's assistants, who physically resembled the actor Boris Karloff, instructed. Ben frowned:
"I am not in the habit of being strapped down by strange men I'll have you understand", Ben wryly stated. The assistant laughed coldly:
"That will disappoint the Professor I'm sure. However enough of this nonsense, we are here to test this machine. The professor is certain that your unconscious mind will be of great experimental use."
The other assistant pushed Ben violently down into the chair.

Meanwhile, back in the drawing room, Garson sipped his cognac and smiled sinisterly at Kyle and Katie:
"You must surely admit that it will be fascinating to see what monsters Ben's unconscious mind will dredge up this time. I should draw back the curtains so that we have a good view of the action." Katie gave him an icy stare:
"What you mean to repeat that horror we witnessed earlier when those wolf things killed that farmer? You really are a piece of shit."
"Oh no MIss Ryan. That was an accident, this will be a real experiment. My assistants are right now guarding a group of children from the local care home down the road. We bunged the manager ten grand to let us have them and they're unlikely to be missed."
"Ere, you mean your gonna let them things loose on a bunch of bleedin' kids?" Kyle exclaimed. Garson chuckled and went over to the curtains, drawing them back to reveal a group of children being led out into the garden and given rounders bats and a ball to play with.
"There is no need to be emotional about this. There have always been sacrifices in the name of science." As Garson spoke the electric side light dimmed a little then came back on:
"Ah, I see my assistants downstairs have flicked the switch so to speak. Ben is now creating from the depths of his unconscious mind."
Kyle leapt up from the sofa with such rapidity that the Professor had no time to raise his gun before Kyle punched him in the teeth, before grabbing the gun:
"Katie you try an' 'elp Ben, I'm gonna get to those kids."
Katie ran out into the hall, grabbing a large poker from the fireplace first. She saw the staircase leading down to the lab and strode feistily down it. As she entered the lab, one of the assistants went for his gun, however Katie jabbed the poker into his left eye and he fell to the floor, writhing in agony. She grabbed the gun and pointed it at the other assistant:
"Turn off that machine and take that headset off Ben now".
"It is too late, once the process has begun, to halt it early could be fatal", the assistant stammered.

Out in the garden, the children were screaming as a large creature, like a cross between a wold and a bear came out of the bushes. It had already caught a rabbit and it bit the head off before tossing the carcass aside. It growled and went for one of the children. Kyle shot it three times in the head and it collapsed to the ground. He herded the screaming kids into a conservatory and shut the door. More creatures appeared out of the woods and they started sniffing around the carcass of the dead animal. Kyle gestured to the children to crouch down low, however the creatures' attention had been grabbed by the sight of Professor Garson staggering to his feet within the house. The frenzied animals ran towards the house and the first one launched itself at the large window of the drawing room, the glass shattering and shards flying everywhere. The creature grabbed Garson's throat in its jaws and bit into it, blood spurting out in a fountain. The other creatures clawed and ripped the room apart before bounding into the rest of the house. Kyle turned to the terrified kids:
"Right' I've gotta leave you 'ere ok. Them things could be about to kill everyone in the house."

In the lab, Katie heard the sound of banging and animalistic howling from upstairs. She scowled:
"Ok shitface you need to hut down that machine now, whatever ben is conjuring up is in the house. Just do it."
"But he could die". Katie paused for a moment in reflection then held up the gun:
"Ben will not die. Ben is resilient. Do it." The assistant flicked down the switches and pulled the headset off Ben's head. Ben gave a scream of agony and slumped down into the chair, limp and cold. Katie grabbed his arm and tested for a pulse:
"Come on Ben, don't give up on me now. You can make it through this Ben, come on."
"I'd give up if I were you miss", the assistant stated.

Upstairs the creatures faded and vanished. Kyle glanced round at the dismembered pieces of Professor Garson that were strewn around the room then went into the hall and down into the lab. He found a distraught Katie whose usual hard composure had melted in the face of her concern for Ben. She shook his limp body, tears welling up in her eyes:
"Come on Ben, don't give up *to the assistant* f*** do something, don't just stand there."
The assistant gave Ben an adrenalin injection:
"This might help."
Kyle rushed down and lifted Ben's arm:
"Ere I can feel a pulse. Cam on Ben...."
Slowly Ben lifted his eyes open. He looked at Katie and Kyle and sighed listlessly:
"Oh well, this vale of tears called life has dragged me back into it."

Later, Ben, Katie and Kyle were discussing recent events in the Mermaid Wine Bar in Cambridge:
"So how come those creatures like vanished so bleedin' quick?" Kyle asked.
"Clearly because the process wasn't complete unlike the first time. Katie was quite right to stop the experiment even though it risked my life. Thankfully I'm completely fine now and not some dribbling, brain-damaged cabbage. Unfortunately this just gives people yet another excuse to tell me that I should count my blessings or be optimistic about myself or some such nonsense." The others laughed:
"Oh Ben, how could we exist without you. Don't ever change will you", Katie said with a laugh, hugging Ben.

The End.

Thanks for the read!

Is this our Christmas story, or do you have something special in store for us?

konstantin wrote:Thanks for the read!

Is this our Christmas story, or do you have something special in store for us?

There will be a New Year Special.