Part Twenty Eight

*A quiet end, a familiar place, a warm familiarity...*

### Content Warnings

Bleeding out, chewing noises, field surgery (sewing up a wound, cutting tendrils from heads), blood, body horror (tendrils attached to heads), monster horror (goo-filled sacs, many limbs, many mouths), chase sequences, gore (monster explosion)

## Summary

John attempts to revive an unconscious Arthur when Kayne arrives, revealing an offscreen deal to get Arthur to New York. Arthur awakes, and they face the invisible creature that has imprisoned the people in the mines. Arthur frees some captives and gives them the obsidian shard, allowing them to free the others. The creature attaches to Arthur; after a brief conversation, Arthur kills it with the flute. He returns back to the estate, eats some bread, and the two decide to go to New York. Meanwhile, Larson finds Uncle’s dead body and Yellow, revealed to be with Larson, vows to make Arthur suffer.

## Synopsis

Arthur is near death. John sews his wounds, heating the hooks with the lighter and using the thread from Arthur’s shirt. Kayne appears, taunting John and alluding to an offscreen deal made between them. John asks how he’ll get Arthur to New York, as per their deal, if Kayne doesn’t help. Kayne still refuses, mockingly calling John undefeated and a turncoat. Kayne leaves as Arthur awake, dazedly calling Yellow’s name before realizing what has happened. The two decide to search for another exit, rather than risk Arthur’s stitches with the vertical tunnel.

Arthur remembers his time being bound to the creature, able to hear the voices of the other trapped people. One called him by name and told him that to kill it, he must see it. Arthur says the creature is smart, but frail, like him. John refutes the latter, citing how much Arthur has overcome. Arthur thanks him for saving his life, multiple times.

Arthur realizes the pallid mask might allow him to see the creature. He puts it on and sees the creature’s severed tendrils. Arthur puts one of the tendrils in his bag. As they exit the cave, Arthur wonders aloud if they would end up in the Dark World, if Arthur had died, and suggests a plan to meet up there. John quickly insists that that won’t happen.

The two find more obsidian and start to plan. John suggests severing the tendrils, to draw the creature to them. Arthur refutes this, saying that that may endanger the prisoners, and they ought to instead follow the tendrils to the creature. The pair ultimately decide to follow the tendrils and free the prisoners before killing the creature. Arthur recalls being connected to the creature, and informs John that he’ll have to stay silent during the plan, so the creature doesn’t become aware through its connection to the prisoners. They realize the flute actually harms the creature, rather than an order to leave, but they would have to be very close to use it.

John is confident that the plan will work, with the mask and the flute. Arthur reiterates that John saved his life, and calls John “unstoppable”. Ultimately, he bequeaths a title to John: “John the Undefeated”.

As they approach the fireside, John tells Arthur to use the flute if the plan to free the prisoners doesn’t work, as well as ask the prisoners to help free the others.

Arthur begins to free the prisoners, explaining the plan to them. The creature appears and John urges Arthur to blow the flute. Arthur hands over the obsidian to allow the prisoners to free themselves. He runs for the wooden walkway. Beginning to climb, Arthur continually asks if everyone is free, even as the creature begins to tear down the walkway underneath them, destroying their means of exit. When everyone has been freed, Arthur asks if John trusts him. John agrees, and the creature attaches to Arthur.

Arthur and the creature begin to talk, with the creature asking what Arthur is (“just a man”). The creature explains that it was alone, and that Arthur took its people away, and that it will find more. Arthur refuses to let it happen. Amidst John’s muffled cries, Arthur blows the flute, and the creature dies.

Arthur reveals that this was his plan all along: allowing the creature to attach when everyone else was freed, so that he might blow the flute inside its own head. The freed prisoners cheer and leave the mines. Arthur and John retreat to the Larson estate, and Arthur eats some bread in the kitchen.

They muse over their time in Addison. Arthur asks why John came back, and John suggests that he was dormant in Arthur’s head, ready to be awakened by Faroe’s Song. Arthur floats the possibility that Yellow is in his head, still. As they plan to leave, Arthur recalls Uncle’s body and asks if John thinks he’s a good person. John replies in the affirmative, and Arthur explains that he feels a reckoning is imminent.

They still Larson’s car and begin to drive. Though Arthur initially wants to return to Arkham, John insists that they stop the Cult of the Fallen Star in New York. When Arthur is hesitant, John asks if he trusts him, and Arthur says that he does. They set out for New York.

Back at the Larson Estate, Larson finds Uncle’s body. He recites a poem. Revealed to be present, Yellow asks about the poem. Larson explains that the poem is about revenge, and Yellow vows to make Arthur suffer.

## "A Poison Tree" by William Blake

*I was angry with my friend;*

*I told my wrath, my wrath did end.*

*I was angry with my foe:*

*I told it not, my wrath did grow.*

*And I waterd it in fears,*

*Night & morning with my tears:*

*And I sunned it with smiles,*

*And with soft deceitful wiles.*

*And it grew both day and night.*

*Till it bore an apple bright.*

*And my foe beheld it shine,*

*And he knew that it was mine.*

*And into my garden stole,*

*When the night had veild the pole;*

*In the morning glad I see;*

*My foe outstretched beneath the tree.*

## Votes

* Chapter 136: Try To Head Back The Way You Came [23] / **Try Looking For Another Exit [128]**
* Chapter 137: Follow the Tendrils To The Creature [68] / **Sever The Tendrils First [90]**
* Chapter 138: **Ask Them For Help [103]** / Focus On Speed [38]
* Chapter 139: **Bread [99]** / Cheese [57]
* Chapter 140: No vote.

## Additional Notes

* The poem Larson recites is 'A Poison Tree' by William Blake.
* Larson is the first instance of a non-John or Arthur PoV.
* This is the first reveal of John's deal with Kayne. Kayne and John allude to several aspects of the deal: that John needs to get Arthur to New York (and somewhere more specific, 'much less where you want him') and that John chose 'the devil' between 'the devil and the deep blue sea', and that Kayne 'helped' him.
* Nicknames Kayne gives John: goldenboy, canary in a coal mind and lemonhead.
* During their conversation, Kayne says to John: "You had your choice between the devil and the deep blue sea, and you chose the devil." "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea" is an idiom, as well as the name of a popular song released in 1931.