Hi, I was trying to go for something allusive and subtly creepy for nosleep. Would appreciate any critiques
FROM THE BLACK FILES #1: THE LITTLE LORD
A NOTE TO THE PUBLIC: Following the funeral of the antiquarian, pawnbroker, minor local celebrity ("If you can dream it, we can find it!"), and reputed criminal Walter Henry (1962 - 2019), a thorough catalog of his modest inventory was undertaken. While the majority of his items were rather prosaic, and obtained through the regular, if somewhat dubious means (extortion of local politicians, underpaying addicts, etc), certain items have proven to be more difficult to track down and return to their rightful legal owners. Ever the organized manager, Henry had fled missing items, and their origins, in his secretive Black Files. The [REDACTED] Police Department has decided, after careful deliberation and much puzzlement, to open these files to the public in the hopes of finding these missing items, allowing their safe and just return to their owners. We implore all to stand up to Walter Henry's injustices, and give us any information you may have. The first file:
NAME: "THE LITTLE LORD"DESCRIPTION: Videotape
Here are the contents of Henry's notes
#####################################################################################MEMO 01/04/1995
Sales today - nada. Fat housewives and their loud husbands have all gone to the beach (Easter, natch). Not even a Jesus freak begging for some dog chewed cross. Big Charlie wants his 1 thou THURSDAY!!!!!! Possible lead: Dumbass Dan will sell moms tapes for money. Tapes always good sellers - give him 10 for a batch, sell each for $10 , to "boutique" basement dwellers. Granny Beryl - weirdo spiritualist ideas, tell her some trinkets haunted, take it off her hands for free ($100? maybe). [There are scrawled calculations along the margins]. Not enough. Need more of Dan's tapes. Horse [heroin] inventory: $50 (KILL BOBBY!!!). Give him $5 worth. 9:30, diner?
MEMO 02/04/1995
Beryl's batch - china teapot (worthless), china set (crap, but can move it, $30), crucifix (Jesus freaks return $15). Cookie jar take : $10 (the hag's gotten more paranoid). Dan's stash - 3 porno's : straight, straight, [REDACTED] ($10, straight, can give Pastor Mike [REDACTED] for $25. Yowzah!)- Waterworld (pirate) ($15?)
- Land Before Time set ($10 each, $30 total)- The Little Lord (blank cover, no reviews in Maltin's, will appraise later)
TOTAL: $145 (not enough horse to cover Big Charlie KILL BOBBY x ONE MILLION!!!!!!
MEMO 03/04/1995
No bite on china set, overall haul today: $90, all videos moved. Little Lord a no starter, some kiddie home video crap, clearly amateur. Boy fights Goblin king, no commercial cachet - total bust. Rich brats parents playacting with said brat. tape busted, just ends. Mike interested?
[A PHOTOCOPY FROM THE GUINNESS 1993 RECORD BOOK, WITH THE RELEVANT SECTION HIGHLIGHTED]
Youngest Director: The prodigious Harold Lang, the Dutch baronet of [REDACTED], directed his first movie, the charming adventure fantasy "The Little Lord" (1973) at the tender age of 13, playing the titular character, a young man who battles a troll. Sadly, all copies appear to have vanished, along with the mysterious young baronet himself. The existence is confirmed by a Dutch newspaper review, saying the young Lord was "dynamite in a small package", and mentioned everyone gasped at its "unforgettable ending".
10/04/1995, [REDACTED] HERALD ARTS SECTION
Dear MovieMan
Have I got a find for you! How's about this: Forget London After Midnight, forget Greed, forget The Magnificent Ambersons, I have the find of the century: the long lost wonder movie The Little Lord, which held the record for the world's youngest movie director! I have a copy, and boy will your eyes pop when you see it! I've sent a videotape copy of an excerpt; just spread the word out to any wealthy fools, err, I mean collectors willing to give some moolah to this lost treasure.
From A Humble Film Fan
Dear Humble Film Fan
You have much to be humble about, and April Fools day was a week ago. I was amused by this little prank, as the allure of a youthful prodigy has appeal to many. Alas, the adults who helmed this production clearly overshot their "made by kids" mark quite a bit - it's just so amateurish that I almost believed a kid actually made it! Nice pad Lang's folks have though; though my little girl was crying when the camera accidentally panned over their print of "Saturn Devouring His Children". Shame on you Langs! Trying to scam Guinness and scaring little kids.
Anyway, appreciated the prank. You keep on trying, Humble.
The Movie Man
[Transcript: Lang's answering machine, tape #13. Messager: "D" Dumbass Dan, 15/04/1995
"Walter, what the hell man! How many goddamn suppliers have you have that you can afford to piss off a sure bet? You try getting Mike's special tapes anywhere else without every whitebread Dudley Do Right cop taking turns to go medieval on your ass, and next time your boy Bobby shoots up your stash and gets you in hock with Big Charlie, maaaaybe considering robbing his place! And quit asking about The Little Lord Tape! Paedo Peter gave it to me, saying someone stiffed him with some amateur stage production instead of his usual order, so I don't care if there's nothing you can do about it. Lose Bobby, or by the end of this, Big Charlie is gonna seem like Mother ----ing Theresa!"
END TAPE
Cut out of Obituaries in [REDACTED] Herald
Peter Stathis [Pedo Pete?] 6 June 1959 - 16 September 1994
Beloved husband, father and son, sadly took his life on Wednesday. Neighbors suspect it was the stress of the closing repertory theater, with it's famous "Folks Free Matinee Saturday", where children were exposed to Peter's curated selection of classic films, due to the proliferation of Blockbuster. "These kids didn't know a good thing when they saw it, just moved on to the Blockbuster like those memories meant nothing to him", wailed his widow inconsolably at the funeral . A pillar of the community, Stathis hung himself following a trip to Ibiza, a trip undertaken to relieve the stress. The family have requested privacy in this difficult time
2 LIBRARY BOOKS, NEVER RETURNED (stack of unanswered letters from [REDACTED] Public Library :
"Eyes of the Beholders: The Artistic Migration to Ibiza" , by Grahame King
"Avenge but One of My Two Eyes: A Study of Goya" by Tim Lucas and Glenn Erickson
"Avenge" dog eared, section highlighted:
"The painting of Saturn devouring his son, long regarded as one of the most hideous and horrific artworks in the Western Canon, was displayed by Goya, in an extraordinarily tasteless joke, was displayed in his kitchen. Conceived in the artist's insanity, has long had a history of eccentric ownership, perhaps in line with what Jung termed "a madness imprint", whereby the mood of an artwork's conception could be transferred to the owner by psychic means. Ownership of such a controversial artwork is poorly documented, with the last reliable record indicating a purchase by the reclusive millionaire Lord Lang, Dutch Exile to Ibiza"
1 May 1995
Guinness Offices
PO [REDACTED]
To whom it may concern,
I cannot find any independent verification of your record for the world's youngest film director, and I require primary sources, as I am currently writing a study of world cinema. Please if you have any further information, inform me
Kind Regards,
Walter Henry
15 May 1995
Dear Mr. Henry
Our film research was handled entirely by Patrick Robinson, senior editor. While we have included copyright traps in the past, Robinson refused to include them in his section, and if he claims to have seen it, he has our full trust. We urge you to cease this line of questioning here, as Robinson recently took his own life, and we, as the Guinness Records extended family, are in deep shock.
Kind Regards,
[REDACTED]
Opened unmarked, undated envelope. Scrawl matches Henry's in memos
"Charlie, I don't wanna do this, but you've put me in a corner. Bobby's made his own bed, what you do to him is entirely justified in every way, but you and I have been through way too much for you to put all this heat on me. I understand I didn't watch Bobby closely enough, so I owe you that thou; but it ain't right to stick the thumbscrews in me. I'm ditching the country for a week; rest assured, it is to give you what is rightfully yours, should all go well. But should all not go well, and you ain't feeling in such a Christian mood, I have enough pictures to fill a Vogue September Issue of Mike and Charlie's favourite past-times ready for dispatch should bad fortune happen to befall me. I have no doubt you're wishing me bon voyage - Walt"
Assorted airline tickets to Ibiza, prescriptions for painkillers, dirty, worn out monster costume - Halloween Goblin with Crown. A leather bound diary, written in Dutch. Translators have deciphered earmarked sections
May, 21, 1972
God grant me the strength to kill this beast of a husband you gave! if you struck Nabal down to free Abigail, or allowed the worms to devour Herod, then use your might to smite this anti - Christ! He refuses to take that vile painting out of poor Harry's room, saying he must be a man of steel if he is to be a true Lang. A true Lang! I spat out that then Harry should go and yank the toys out of the Jew - maid's sons hand, just like the Langs did 30 years ago when the winds changed. The fool pulled my hair. I merely laughed - he'll never yank it so hard, he needs me to loo good to parade me - but I did scratch him with my beautiful painted nail. He had a blue scar - oh the jollity! I said now when he claimed to be a resistance fighter, he'd have evidence. God smite that man
June 2, 1972
God watch over the little children. Harry has wet the bed again. I sometimes think his madness was not a curse on us, but a blessing for him. Yes, he makes a fool of himself when he tries to talk to the adults, or announces his weird "achievements" to all who can hear. They humour him at first, but I know real mockery will follow. God thank you for giving me a child who will never understand his own pain
October 31, 1972
If my brute husband should ever kick me out like one of his whores when he's finished, I shall never go hungry, for I am a sorceress of the needle. Little Harry's costume seems to have temporarily quelled the flames of the other boys' teasing. i must admit for the first time Harry's grin of satisfaction now seems completely appropriate, instead of a beacon of his Holy foolishness. he even commanded them in a game, called The Goblin King and the Robbers. The boys even let him catch them and eat him! if today is the day evil spirits walk, and every other day has saints, then let them walk always! Maybe it's just Stephens' wine for Herr Lang that made him woozy, or maybe I should thnak them for that too.
November 2, 1972
Darling husband had a visit from his friend Calgary (or as I nickname him, Caligula) today in church. How lightning did not strike him there and then is a complete mystery to him. He came for afternoon wine at the villa today, after which the light of my life and he went off to the screening room for one of his famous "South American movies" (I still remember the poor girl from last year). They are severely out of control - Cal even suggested Harry, at 13, is old enough for such men's entertainment. There but for the grace of God came Stephens, with his patented home distilled spirits to dull the brutes' senses. It must be mere sainthood that stops him from poisoning them. I must remember to ask him to tell me fairy tale that always calms Harry down - The Finder of Lost Souls I believe.
November 3, 1972
Fuhrer Lang's and Cal's unexplained absence is a gift from God for me, at least - who knows what girl cried "Why has thou forsaken me" this night. Cal heads off to Singapore for his business tonight. Apparently marauders are attacking whites, so my gifts might not end anytime soon. The fool left his camera behind, but Harry seems absolutely enchanted. Stephens suggested we leave it for the boy, as we do not know when his happy days will end.
April 1, 1973
Whatever blasphemy's I have committed in the past, I beg repentance! Once I prayed til my knees bled for Harry's happiness; but the cost of such a prayer has been too great. Lord Lang is on edge ever since Harry's project commenced; and with his beloved Ouma [Granny] Stella staving off the days til she dies in the villa, their mutual madness has kept each other sated. I cannot confide with Stephens anymore either; I suspect he knows how my feelings of Harry have changed. The villa has taken on a new colour, as if the air itself has detected the changes and made haste to adapt; all colours scream with the intensity of a drawing by a child who has consciously rebelled against the standards of nature, each detail crying out for its own attention. I must leave Ibiza if only for a brief respite from this stranglehold; my dreams are invaded by Saturn and the Goblin King. God give me the strength to endure; I believe tonight is the final night of Harry's filming...
Remaining pages blank; nothing germane to our investigation was found in the preceding pages
A scattering of pages, many sections missing. Scrawl clearly a child, some adult input
THE LITTEL LORD: A FAIRY TALE
Harry Lang as Director, producer and star ("The Goblin King and The Littel Lord")
Sylvia Lang "Mother Mary"
Adolph Lang "King Kronos"
Stella Lang "The Witch Actress"
And Mr. Stephens in the most importent roll of The Finder of Lost Souls
Begin in a castle....
The only remaining legible page reads as follows
KING KRONOS
But hark! When thou wast but a babe, did I not feed and clothe you? Nor make jollity of the silly games that make youth a treasure?
THE LITTEL LORD
Yes father, but now I must becomst as a Goblin, just as thou once were; and what greater love exists, than for a son to take his father's mantel, and admit the life which gaveth him life now lives through him? When I was a babe, you made jest to eat me, now as a Goblin, I will eat you, not with jest, but with as much love. The Witch Actress, make merry for this is a joyous occasion!
THE WITCH ACTRESS
Yes, my littel lord Goblin King! I sing the song of the happy gods!
"Oh, but the Lion is the king of all Gods beasts;
The beasts all love to be the Lions feasts
Fret not for the littel lambs, for God but loves those whom he damns;
The lion king loves all whom he eats!"
Reference Copy of an Afidavit, translated from the Dutch
NAME: Henry, Walter
DATE: 31 May, 1995
LOCATION: [REDACTED], Ibiza
TIME OF INCIDENT: 11; 30 Aprox
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ALLEGED INCIDENT: On a business trip to appraise antiques for a business associate of mine, I entered into the Villa Saturnalia, the point at which I was to do business, at which point a tramp accosted me. Speaking broken English with the utmost confidence, he proceeded to play a ghastly combination of flamenco and Flemish Jordaan music. Feeling deeply uncomfortable, I made my feelings known verbally, at which point all went silent, and a look of confusion spread across him. Seeing as my business associates could not be found in the villa, I proceeded to make the return journey home, at which point the tramp proceeded to bite into my arm. Admitting a few youthful indiscretions gave me some ability in manual combat, I was able to fend him off, but not without some loss flesh, which I wrapped in my evening jacket. The tramp then broke into the villa, but fearing a reprisal, i instead came to report this incident to the local police, as is my civil duty.
DETAILS FOR ASSISTANCE: I heard the feint laugh of an elderly woman in the background, possibly singing. My item to appraise was Saturn Devouring His Son
UNDATED UNMARKED LETTER
Walt,
What's the matter, no mob doctors in Ibiza? Got the results back; nothing like rabies, slight infection. You were lucky. The human mouth is the most disgusting thing in all God's creation. Of course, if God existed, your whole arm would be off right now.
Pity the painting was destroyed when "the tramp" robbed the place. Funny, Charlie has some dealings with the Langs - apparently they ran a "supermarket" (don't wanna know) together. I heard it was a beaut.
You bastard, I've gotta thank you for one thing: you may have have given me a shred of evidence of medical mystery. Have you heard of Stendahl syndrome? The intense physical reaction to artworks, such as fainting or violence? Well everything you've told me matches one of its more extreme variants, whereby art with a strongly visceral or angry origin appears to have a grasp on the observers.
The only previously recorded variance was the story of the Maine Arboreal slaves. Men who were kept in cages with nothing but paintings of trees around them during their trip to the Americas. When exposed to Maine's forests for labour, they were so suggestible due to the trauma that when a scamp yelled "jump" as a lark, the whole mass of them through themselves off a cliff. This new case study would be of intense value to us, if only it's criminal origin didn't bar me from publishing (thanks).
Don't know the tape, don't care; here's the psych medication. My first instinct is to let you off yourself (Pastor Mike's GIGO law of what you watch - garbage in, garbage out, as he would say), but the hippocratic oath means I have to give you the strongest anti - depressant imaginable, instead of cyanide.
Don't call again Walt,
The mysterious Dr. X
- Also found: fragments of a magnetic tape. Forensics suggest burning. Data irretrievable.
###################################################################################
We once again implore you, if you have any information regarding the contents described above, come forward.
Submitted September 05, 2019 at 02:39PM by OmnivorousWelles https://ift.tt/2ZRteIA
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