It had been some time since they put up "the wall". The thing wasn't actually a wall per se, it was more like a brown canvas held up around the city by cast iron bars. Like a giant cage incarcerating some unknown terror within.
They told us not to cross the barrier for our own safety. I had no problem with the restrictions, but the people who once lived in the encircled portion of the city were irritated.
About a month ago people began to get curious as to what was beyond the curtain. No matter what the citizens tried they wouldn't be answered. This made people edgy; and they became obsessed with finding out what was hidden within the canvas.
Late at night people would use the darkness as a cover in their attempts to find what the thing was. They would make it past the gaurds with ease but once inside most would never return. The ones that did come back, however, were rendered insane. The asylums are now overflowing with lunatics. I am at a loss as to what caused thier condition. It is obviously some overwhelming horror, but, what could it be?
I am a psychiatrist. It is my duty to find out what has caused half of the population to go mad. I need to know what is behind the curtain.
Yesterday Doctor Markus and I took a walk along the wall's edge. We had a plan. Doctor Markus crawled under the canvas while I stood and watched for gaurds. I waited next to the fortress walls and waited...alone. A half hour passed with me standing opposite the horrible thing with nothing but the wall between us. The more I pondered what lay beyond the barrier the less secure I felt. The wall which once seemed impenetrable now seemed paper thin.
Another half-hour passed before I heard the scream-like a wail of a banshee shrieking in agonized pain. I realized then it eminated from the belly of Doctor Markus. In horror I fled back to the asylum. The was no logical reason for it; I knew I was perfectly safe as long as I did not cross the barrier. I locked the front gate and spent a sleepless night listening for the thing to come get me while I slept.
This morning I was stirred by the sound of knocking at my door. I rose from the corner, which I had taken refuge in, and went to the entry. "Who is it?" I inquired suspiciously.
"It's Markus. Let me in" the voice replied.
I unbolted the door and let the trembling Doctor Markus into the room.
"What was in there? What did you see?" I aked. I recieved no intelligible reply, for Doctor Markus was mad.
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