MAG 86: Tucked In

Statement of Benjamin Hatendi regarding a dead friend and an unpleasant encounter.
==Pre-Statement==
Tim starts to read the statement but gets frustrated, saying the tapes are ancient and useless. As he starts to rant, Melanie comes in. Tim says that he is sorry Melanie works for the Institute, although she seems happy to have the position. Tim asks about the two Sashas, and Melanie explains that she always knew there were two different people claiming to be Sasha, although she cannot quite remember what the first one looked like and does not understand why. Tim goes to have a lie down and Melanie takes over the recording.
==Statement==
Benjamin Hatendi was always afraid of the dark, and used to use blankets to help himself get over the fear of the blackness. As he grew older he stopped worrying.
His school friend, Robin Patton's, mother phoned Benjamin to say she had not heard from Robin in a month and asked if Benjamin would check on him. 
Benjamin went over to Robin's house to find all the lights off and a figure in a window. He knocked and went into the house, to find the house in an absolute mess and there was a rancid smell coming from the fridge. A calendar on the wall was pinned to January.
As Benjamin went to look for a phone he saw movement from the corner of his eye. After retrieving a heavy duty torch he went into Robin's bedroom, which was a similar mess, including a calendar marked off the 12th February and the rancid smell from downstairs was stronger up here. He opened the cupboard to find the source of the smell, and a large slimy bundle slid out.
Benjamin realised that this was a dead Robin, wrapped in a blanket and covered in a thick glistening liquid, which touched Benjamin's shoe. When the police arrived they found no evidence of foul play, nor any trace of another person in the house.
The next night, Benjamin awoke at 2:40 with an intense fear of the darkness. He looked up from his bed and saw a formless shadow in the darkness. It started to slowly walk towards him in a slow undulated pulse towards the door and small feelers flicked out towards him excitedly. Benjamin pulled the blanket up over his head. After a few minutes he pulled his head over the blanket and the moment he saw the creature it started to move again. Hours passed, and each time he came out from under the covers it started to move.
When morning came, the creature had gone, leaving only a small patch of dark, foul smelling water. The next night it returned and he spent the night under the covers. For the last week and a half he has hidden under the blanket all night.
However, he started to become complacent. The night before the statement he awoke, but then started to fall back to sleep. The creature was on top of him, feelers flicking, and it said to him, in a crisp, dry voice "the blanket never did anything." It then attacked him across his back and shoulders.
==Post-Statement==
Although Benjamin says that he had given the Institute photos, Melanie is unable to find any in the file, although his photocopied death certificate is there, with a cause of death 'unknown, possible biological agent, all samples incinerated'. It is dated as March 7th 1983, 5 days after the statement.
There are also a few newspaper cuttings about Robin, who had written a book about the best natural pools and lakes for swimming. 
With the statement is a zip-lock bag with a piece of fabric in it from bedding with dark stains on it.
==Supplemental==
Jonathan meets up with Melanie, who says that she does not think John is a killer. John is sorry that Melanie is tied to the Institute now. Melanie explains that she was shot by a ghost, but is not in the mood to talk about it.
John asks Melanie to keep an eye on things at the Institute for him and asks her to help him with research. She agrees, but demands to know everything, starting with Sasha. Jonathan says "Okay" as the tape ends.
==Continuity==
*Related Entity: The Dark
*Martin burns the physical copy of this statement in MAG 118.
*Robin may have been marked by The Dark by making contact with the "Brackish Black Water" during one of his swims in a natural pool or lake, consequently, gaining the attention of the "Lightless Beast" or something similar.
Category:The Magnus Archives Episodes