Episode 2 | The Ritual of Thoth -scene 1

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- The prisoner in the basement

In a darkened basement, a man lies on the stone floor slowly regaining consciousness. He has no memory of how he got here, his mind is a complete blank, he tries to recall events but remembers only snatches of information. The metallic taste in his mouth suggests to him that he may have been drugged. His wrists are bound by rope tied behind his back and a black hood is pulled over his face. His panicked breathing causes him to suck the fabric in and out over his mouth. He is clothed only in a pair of dirty, blood-smeared boxers. He scoots backwards until his hands meet the hard surface of a wall. Feeling his way tentatively about his surroundings, he becomes aware of the layout of the room by shuffling along, his back constantly in contact with the walls. He manages to locate a door and his fingers fumble with the knob.

To his surprise it opens easily after the first turn. Elated, but sensing a potential trap he edges cautiously around the corner. Nothing. He manages to follow the direction of the passage by keeping his right shoulder in contact with the wall. He can feel cool air up ahead. His toes come into contact painfully with a set of stone steps and he swears under his breath. The breeze is stronger here and he realises this must lead to the outside. Sliding one foot up at a time with his back to the wall he proceeds up the stairs sideways. At the top he can feel grass underfoot and his racing heart manages to slow down a few beats. Keeping hunched down, his senses alert for any danger, he heads silently in the opposite direction of the building.

After a time of making good headway, he can see something bright through the hood. The source of the light pierces the dark fabric, two circular beams - headlights! He scrambles frantically towards the car pleading for help. The car's engine roars into life and he realises with a sinking feeling that expecting any form of help was a false hope. He veers left and makes a desperate run across the lawn, zigzagging as he was shown to do by his Pappy a lifetime ago as they dodged bullets through a Colombian field. Pain explodes in his leg as the car hits him from the side and he goes down like a sack of grain. He is roughly lifted up under the armpits and dragged along. He can feel blood trickling down his right calf.

He is made to stand up as his hood and bindings are removed. Blinking the sweat from his eyes he finds himself in a stone chamber lit only by candles. Figures in dark-hooded robes surround him in a loose circle. They are chanting words in a language he does not recognise. He tries to push through an opening, but the gap seals up as bodies encroach. Each direction he tries to escape the dark figures cut him off and the circle tightens ever closer. Suddenly, the chanters part like the Red Sea revealing a man in purple robes barring his way. The man's face is concealed by a gold Egyptian-style mask with a long, beak-like nose. The sight of it fills Guido with a terror that turns his legs into jelly and his insides to water.

"Dios mio!" he utters, collapsing at the man's feet. He then becomes conscious of a woman straddling his bare back. He can feel her nakedness beneath her robe. The man hands her an ornate pointed knife. The chanting increases in fervour as Guido becomes completely paralysed with fear. The fingers of the woman's left hand are splayed through his dark curls. She grips a handful of hair and forces his head back to expose his neck. She raises the knife high in her right hand and makes a swift slash across his throat, slaughtering him like a goat. "Cristo salva mi alma!" Christ save my soul  he manages to gurgle as blood spurts from his throat and is collected in a silver goblet held under his chin. He can feel his life wasting away as his blood continues to flow into grooves made by carved sigils in the stone floor. The chanting stops.


Back at the Sinclair mansion, at that precise moment, Debbie Sinclair sits bolt upright in her bed and screams.

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