Manuscript Found On The Edge..

The following is a reprint of a mysterious journal found in the middle of the Mohave Desert in 1974. The author and others, although identified within the journal, remain unknown. There are no records of their lives and none of the expedition described herein.
     What does remain is a mystery; where did this journal originate? Is it a hoax? Is it fiction? We may never know...

---------------------------


     August 2nd, 1884

     We have arrived at the starting point of our journey. The cave opening isn't very large at all (much smaller than the Indian had described, perhaps he was speaking in metaphor as the Indian often do). Why we are here is not only for the wonder of exploration of this wild western part of the continent, but to this cave we have been led because of a legend. Our Indian guide had told us of a monster that lives here, a God. And what a wondrous notion we thought to explore not only a hidden crack into the earth, but also a cave in which a monster supposedly lives! Our guide would not come near this place and had left us one day ago, only leaving further directions to our destination, and here we are. The surrounding scenery is very barren. Nothing but dirty sand and desert brush for miles around us. Even though it may sound desolate, it is very pretty. For someone like me who comes from the lush wilderness of the Northeast, this desert here is quite a vision.
     We will set up camp here for the night and begin our exploration of the cave depths in the morning...


     August 2nd, 1884 11:52 pm

     We have all been awoken by a strange sound coming from inside the cave. Thomas was the first to hear it. He awoke the rest of us; his face was pale and drained of blood... His eyes were wide. He awoke me first, saying "Randolph, Randolph... wake up. There is something calling us from inside that cave! Randolph, do you hear it?"
     As I awoke, shaking my head of sleep, I heard Thomas' frantic words... I listened deep, hearing only at first the steady desert wind as it hummed around us... for about a minute I listened and only heard that wind. I then began to say, "Thomas, what am I supposed to be hearing?", I put my hand on his shoulder, "You have had a nightmare, my friend, go back to sleep. In the morning everything will be all right..."
That was when I heard it...
     A ghostly yet familiar sound of a voice... but this voice didn't seem human! It came from the cave, deep within the cave! I heard it as plain as I heard Thomas' voice. It sounded like it was a hundred miles deep in that hole, yet carried on some black wind to our camp just outside. It sounded like words...
     Specifically, the words 'Enter Not. Beware.' And then soft and steady moaning.
     "Wake the others," I told Thomas...


     August 3rd, 1884 2:26 am

     The ghostly voice has subsided from within the cave. After I had told Thomas to awake the rest of our party, we all sat and listened, hearing that dreadful moaning come from the cave. Only once more, after we had all been awakened, did that moan become what sounded like words.
     And again, issued forth was the warning,
     'Enter Not. Beware.'
     We all looked at each other in deadly silence... Only after a minute did James break the silence with a stuttering laugh... "What the hell was that!?" he shakily exclaimed, "The damned wind through that hole is playing us for some fools!" he said and we all laughed nervously, looking from one to the other, then collectively let out a sigh of relief.
     "Hehe," I said, "Ok boys, He's right. The wind is playing tricks on us. Its time to get back to sleep so we can be rested and start our exploration tomorrow morning; I mean this morning. C'mon men, we need to start at sunrise, so get some shuteye."
     And we all looked at the cave, wind blowing across this desert, across that hole, making a sound like ghostly moaning. Then with an unsure smile, we all bid each other a goodnight...