The moist autumn air wisped about us as we boarded the sky bound vessel that lay so majestically at our mortal feet. An enormous Zeppelin rested on the crisp stone floor accompanied by its owner, a man of which I knew mere whispers about but enough to keep a stiff upper lip. In quick glance you would think not that the man before would have the rubies to purchase a sky orca such as this but low and behold there stood he next to an aircraft of such vastness that it seemed to shadow the very sun with its presence. As I walked towards the man I reminisced on how I had been coaxed to a secluded runway in the middle of France, one amongst many other patrons to partake
in the christening flight of a new prototype zeppelin destined for London. Apparently my prestigious title had proceeded to gain access to things of which I know nothing about. Why such a mighty lord as he would invite a lowly psychologist such as myself not forgetting the 4 others he had roped in is beyond me.

What use a psychologist, a theorist, a trophy wife, a Colonel and a geologist could be to him or to the testing of his esteemed aircraft continued to perplex me but regardless I felt it best to let it be and not dwell. I had accepted this and must go through with it.

I shook his hand and he smiled. "Lord Barrington" he pronounced " Glad you could make it Doctor Wescott"

Before I had chance to rebut I was nudged aside by the wench women.

" Lord Barrington" she curtsied " I am Lady Penelope "

" Wife of Lord Raffman?"

"Well Yes my Lord" She chirped

" Mmm Yes. Lets keep it like that shall we... "

A few of us exchange chortles while she remained loyal to her trumped up ego as Lord Barrington brushed by her and greeted the other guests.

"Hello Miss Wise" "How are you Colonel?" "Good morrow Sir David"

A semi portly gentlemen to my left stood teaming with joy and a personal euphoria. I chatted to him briefly on the way over to the runway as we had caught the same carriage. His name was Tom Hastings, a theorist by trade with a said knack of getting into trouble. I told him of my hope that his knack would not come forth during our flight. He laughed and offered me a pipe in which I declined. A reasonably nice man, almost to a fault.

Hastings grabbed Barrington's hand like a sailor lost at sea grabs a rescuers offered rope. I saw his lordship wince as Hasting rearranged his knuckles.

"Lord Barrington bloody good to see you sir"

"As I to you dear Sir"

" Tom will do. Now then..." Tom snapped " Shall we board the craft?"

" Ahh yes of course, let my men just take some cargo aboard " Lord Barrington replied as various peons scurried about, carting crate after crate of unknown contents. One crate having to be pulled into the crafts inner float for its sheer size.

Lord Barrington signaled us to follow as he walked toward the sky behemoth. We singled into a line and slowly stepped up the iron stairs into the zeppelin. The inside was, I must say breathtaking. Beautiful gold layered the corners and lower walls while a stunning crimson pattern was painted across the rest of the cabins interior. Victorian chairs stood in magnificence as a large wine bar glowed further down the main cabins hall. Lord Barrington walked us about the airship pointing out the kitchen, our sleeping quarters of which I was informed I would be attending with Lady Penelope and finally the main pilots cabin where we met the man himself who would be taking us on our 'amazing' journey, one Victor Kreed. After said formalities of locational ignorance was dealt with we were told we could do what we wish while his lordship checked all was sound and proper.

I headed to the wine bar where I found Miss Wise and Penelope discussing the more exciting sides to being a lady. Being proper and pretty. So when Hastings called me away to see something, as exciting as the current topic of converse was I accepted. While I walked with Hastings who had pushed forward at an almost sprinters pace my eyes met with Barrington talking with more of his staff. His mood had seem to of switched from its predecessor of kindness to an evolved manner of haste. Eventually Hastings and I arrived at the back end of the craft where a steel forged deck hanged off the ship. Outside leaning against the hip high metal walls about the deck stood Colonel Gorden looking much to his title over the edge, his bushy white mutton chops rustling. A mans man no doubt to that.

" Colonel!" Hastings shouted. The Colonel glanced back with a sense of grimace.

"Hello Sir" I softly spoke. The Colonel glared at me before speaking.

" Your that psychologist aren't you? "

I froze for a millisecond, off put by his grunting voice. "Yes sir"

"Well don't try any of your mind tricks with me lad understood"

" Not much to gain even if you did?" Hastings barked.

"How dare you sir!!! I am most offended"

"Well then my theory of you being in-human has been proven wrong hasn't it dear Colonel"

"Hmmph!!!" The Colonel chuffed as he left the deck, steaming. We both smirked and looked over the edge. I'd noticed that we had begun to rise. Not to the point in which our current position would be unsafe but enough to bar ones self from turning back anytime soon. I chatted with Hastings for a good few minutes or so before we were all called in by the Lords voice via some gramophone voice box. We all met in the main cabin, Lord Barrington standing proudly in its center wearing what appeared to be a crude silver helmet. I inquired as to why he had come across such strange headgear and why now he would be wearing it. He merely replied " It is a staff members safety precaution. Of course you the passengers will be safe but as for we the staff and crew who will be moving in and out about the more dangerous and turbulent affected areas of the craft, we do require that extra something"

"Now!" He boomed " I have called you all here to announce of our immediate departure from dearest France. We are now up in the air and will be arriving in London sometime this night."

" Pish posh" Miss Wise cawed "A balloon such as this.....with speeds of that to make it to England in such short time"

"May I reassure dearest lady that this blimp is powered by 4 giant alloy fans churning the wind about them at such velocity thus fore mentioned arrival can be undoubtedly made."

"Now then. All may make their way to the dinning room for luncheon. I will not be joining you as I wish to see the captain. Goodbye" And with that strode off.

We all turned to one another and proceeded down the east side of the cabin to the dinning room. Outside the thick glass windows we saw the clouds shift like a white ocean of heavenly smog. Once inside the dinning room we each chose our seating positions and settled in for a feast.

"What do you suppose they'll serve?" Asked Lady Penelope

" Heres hoping for some juicy duck" Licked Hastings.

" MMmm I have to agree with you there Hastings " The Colonel acknowledged " Duck this time of year is a pure delight"

" I'm more partial to the common lobster myself" Miss Wise spoke aloud. A few hungry murmurs agreed. "What's your meal muse Doctor?" Miss Wise asked.

" Chips and a nice pie"

I could tell that my inability to list an assortment of bizarre seasonings and endangered wildlife had sullied my already questionable name among the acolytes of royalty. Thankfully Hastings agreed with me so I felt somewhat less of an outcast. Of course truth be told I didn't really give a rats arse what these bunch of sewer sinkers thought of me but their acceptance would help this trip move along. Eventually the meal came and we were all served a individual lunch. Miss Wise got her lobster, The Colonel and Hastings got their duck. I got a prime cut salad with a side of pork but cared not. Damn fine pork regardless. But what made the food taste that much sweeter was when the Colonel remarked on the meal Lady Penelope was so elegantly gorging herself on. I swear I would of blown parts of my meal out my nose had I not the will power to restrain my chuckles when The Colonel lightly tapped Lady Penelope on the shoulder as she finished her 8th slice of spotted d**k.

"You do like your d**k don't you?"

Hastings basically lost the plot, tears streaming about his face as the Colonel blushed and stumbled about his words. "I didn't mean...what I was referring too was.....I'll be in my..my quarters"

We all laughed excluding of course her ladyship Penelope who had rushed off to her quarters as well. Once the lunch had been subdued and the laughter had settled we all went back to our exploring. With Hastings taking a nap I felt it best to catch some personal time and went about my own path around the zeppelin. As I walked along the port side of the craft I began to fill a ill mannered tug at the back of my brain, as if a sudden headache. I held my lower cranium with my right hand and pressed on, each 5 or 6 minutes the tug getting stronger. Soon I found myself out the back of the craft on the deck once more, head pounding. I held tightly to my head and the rails, looking out into the sky's eternal figure. As I glanced I saw what appeared to be the crude outlines of a bird. I peered hoping the image would grow clearer. The bird swooped about the sky going left then right, indecisive flight patterns all until it suddenly swerved course and flew in my direction. I felt it silly to be deterred by a simple beast and stood my ground. As I continued to keep my sights on the bird I began to notice certain details. One that stood out most was the blurred makings of a human face, contorted into the shape of a birds bill. This can't be? No no surely not, just a silly mirage of the sky. I could tell my heart was beating faster and in self analyzing discovered I was panicking as the face bird drew closer.

I began to edge back but forced myself to keep my stance. In order to see horror one must be able to think it and the creation of thought entails the power of its passing. If I concentrate the bird will disappear. I emptied what thoughts I could and focused on anything but a bird. Then I glanced back up. The face bird was frozen, suspended before me in a pose one could see most birds of prey take when about to kill. Its yellow talons glistened and its feathers a oily indigo haze. It seemed a sickened type of vulture and indeed did possess a human face for a bill. I felt ill as I stared closer at it. I was frozen just as the bird was. Suddenly the feathers about the birds chest protruded out, as did its skin. I used all the willpower I could to take one step back before a twisted hand of bone and flesh shot out of the birds chest grabbing my collar.

"GET OFF GET OFF!!!!! HELP!!!!!"

Miss Wise hurried to my aid and pulled me from the railing as I thrashed about.

"DOCTO....DOCTOR!!!!! SNAP OUT OF ********!!!! ******** ******** OFF YOU FUUUUUUCKER!!!!!"

"Doctor Wescott!!!!"

"c**k OFF YOU ******** BIRD MAN-FACED DEMON!!!!!"

I closed my eyes and blacked out. I awoke in bed with curious faces all about my place of rest.

"He's coming round......Wescott! Doctor Wescott wake up"

"By christ.....where am I?"

"In bed you cuss tongue" Miss Wise hissed. It came to my attention I had indeed for what seemed a few minutes gone insane. The bird I had seen a mere figment of an imagination gone unchecked. I rubbed my head as I lifted myself from the bed. Everyone stepped back in what seemed fear.

" I'm sorry for my outburst Misses Wise....I...I can't explain it"

" Spare me 'doctor' " She snarled and waltzed off. The Colonel grabbed my shoulder.

"What the hell were you doing Doctor? A screw loose or something?"

"I thought...I thought I saw a bird..."

"Well of course a bird would be seen in the sky doctor!" Lady Penelope chortled.

"This was no ordinary bird Lady Penelope. This was something of darkest sin incarnate"

"Surely you were hallucinating Doctor" The Colonel spoke gruffly. I sat back on my pillow. " Yes. I would say I was Colonel which is why I request you all keep distance from me from here on in lest I cause any of you harm..."

Everyone nodded and began to walk slowly out, Penelope scurrying off to inquire whether she can bunk with Lord Barrington. The door closed and I slid back into the comfort of my sheets. Had what I seen on the deck been a mental conjuration? Come on Wescott your a psychologist for gods sake you should know. And thats what scared me because...I didn't know.

Soon I fell asleep once more only to wake up to the shrill cries of another. I quickly propped up and began to make my way to the door when I stopped. Was this another trick....or the real thing? Could I trust myself?? I stood still a while longer. Another scream chilled the air cold. "Damn it! " I shouted aloud. Leave me be you accursed mind of mine. Silence grew. I leaned closer to the door and heard nothing. I breathed in heavily and sighed in relief. Still I felt somewhat uneasy. I had to provide myself some mental closure so I went outside to investigate, whether the screams were false or not. I slowly opened the door and peered through the slit between it and the wall. The sky beyond the window was dark. It was most likely night now. I pushed the door further and stepped outside. I stood my right foot onto the floor and felt beneath my shoe a slime like substance. On looking down I saw that the red walls of the ships cabin had seeped down onto the floor, as if melted into a blood like sludge. I continued, determined to prove my eyes wrong and began to walk for the pilots cabin. The floor cause me to slip and slide but I held onto the walls and nearby wood rails for support. I gradually edged closer and closer to the pilots cabin, now wondering where Lord Barrington and his staff had disappeared too. As well as everyone else. However soon I would find Hastings backed up against one of the airships corners brandishing a broken mop like a spear. I carefully approached him deciding to make my presence known from a distance.

"Hastings!" I whispered as loud as possible.

" Doctor!! Doctor is that you!!!" He turned to face me, eyes glazed with angst. I gave him a makeshift smile.

"Yes Ol' boy its me. Whats happened?"

"Oh God Wescott!! Its horrible. I was minding my own buisness when...*gulp* when a huge great horse began running at me from down the hall."

"A horse!"

"Yes! A great big one but...but its jaw was...was ajar...like it was broken, flopping about with red drool clapping against its upper chompers, its hooves galloping about as if it was wrong in the head!!"

"Dear god Hastings! Are you alright!?"

"Yeah....I grabbed a mop nearby and made this....stabbed the stupid galloping b*****d right in the eye, floored it!"

"Okay...Hastings now just be truthful now...alright? What do you see? near the deck"

Hastings looked forward down the east side then turned back.

"Nothing Wescott..."

"s**t"

"What is it?"

"I can see my wife....just there....on the deck....about to jump..."

Hastings looked at me. Then stared down at the floor.

"Were insane aren't we?" I could say no. But not while his face melted before my eyes.

" Yes friend. But we know that and that is good"

"Could of fooled me..."

I smiled. "We know what we both see is not real so if we can get past that initial shock we can make it!"

"To where damn you Wescott!?"

"To Barrington, Hastings."

I turned on my wife who had just leapt from the railing and began to run to the pilots cabin with Hastings by my side. We sped past all manner of horrors. Hastings explained as we ran he had just stepped in a large bloated eye that swelled from the boards bellow. I laughed and explained it was actually three skulls breathing green fire that had come from the floor. We kept our sanity via each others madness. It was strange and almost incomprehensible but what worked worked and it got us to the pilots cabin. Hastings kicked the door open and I jumped in from behind. We saw the pilot casually driving the craft as if all were fine.

"Captain!!!" I shouted. He turned, his eyes popped with rays of light. He slowly stood up and began to reach for us, his arms stretching towards me. Hastings nudged me aside and pushed the mop through the pilots head, the back of his skull shattering like glass, hitting the floor and turning to laughing ******** MONKEYS!!!!" Hasting cried, his visions alternate to mine but equally as terrifying. I stumbled about the cabin as Hastings wildly flapped his arms about his head screeching. I misplaced a foothold and slipped into the floor. I turned and felt myself sinking into it as if it were quicksand. I tried to grab Hastings but he was to busy combating spectral simians so I grabbed whatever I could find. I yanked the pilots helmet off his head and tried to bucket the floor about me which had now taken the consistency of the ocean. Feeling a loss of hope I tried wearing the helmet. A huge audible crack echoed in the center of my head and my vision flashed white. I blinked and saw that everything was...normal....the cabin was all correctly proportioned, their were no bats, green flames, oozing floor just normal. Hastings was still running about madly. The helmet. Of course the helmet! The helmet must be blocking out something...something thats causing the madness, which meant that everyone is suffering from this delirium purgatory. But no time, I quickly looked around for another helmet but found nothing. I grabbed Hastings and shoved him up the pilots cabin stairs into the aircrafts balloon.

" Wescott where are we going? No no THE LAVA WESCOTT THE LAVA!!! ARGGH!!!"

"Shut up for damn fool!"

I began to run up the stairs. I had to find Barrington. He had to be behind this. He organized it, he was the first to disappear, he was the only person other than staff wearing a helmet. I slowly reach the top with hands gripped about Hastings waist as he asked me to give him his ears back. At the top of the stairs stood his lordship, who stroked a huge clock face cube made of blueish glass. It bared a striking resemblance to that of Big Ben but more twisted. I guided Hastings to a rail corner and told him to close his eyes.

" What do I do now Doctor?"

"Think of something man! Anything!! ******** cleavage!!! something..."

Hasting sat silently and calmed down with a ill gotten smirk appearing.

"mmmmm ARGGHHH ARGH!!!!! SNAKES!!!!!" *KONK*

I put my helmet back on after knocking out Hastings. I turned my attention back to Barrington who was still tuning the clock and stroking its chilly surface. I slowly walked over to him shouting " BARRINGTON!!!!"

He stopped, his head dropping down to face the floor.

" ********!!!! YOU DOCTOR!!!!" He boomed "******** YOU AND YOUR UNWILLINGNESS TO DIE"

"Forgot me your ********" Hasting shouted. "SHUT UP YOU WORHTLESS HUSK OF A HUMAN BEING!!!" Barrington retorted equally as loud.

"It was going fine. I had my piece, I had my sacrifices, my souls to kill and collect. But only 3 died. Only 3 killed themselves. 3 souls is not enough gentlemen and to make matters worse I'm assuming you got that helmet from the pilot didn't you!?"

I nodded. "Brilliant Wescott, another feather in you cap of failures!!!" Barrington clapped sarcastically.

" Come here Barrington" "Come here"
"Very well...." He calmly replied.

We both sized each other up, fists raised. I felt confident even without any experience of being in a fight before. I swung my left fist at him which he dodged and countered with his right, striking my left cheek. I quickly jabbed his gut and grabbed his hair with the other hand using it to steer his head into my rising knee. His nose sprayed with little spurts of blood but didn't slow him down. He kicked me in the head sending me spinning to the ground. I held my head, feeling my brain throbbing.

"Get u.." Before he could finish his tough guy command I jumped up and yanked off his helmet.

"ARRGRH!!!!!" He screeched. I grabbed his face and pulled him closer.

"LOOK AT ME BARRINGTON!!!! LOOK!!!!!!"

"ARG ARGRGRGHARGRGHAGHRHAARHHRHHHHHHHH!!!!!" He screamed with a shower of painful breaths.

"DIE YOU CRAZY b*****d!!!!!" I shouted. I began to shake his head and could only try to imagine what he was seeing at that moment. I threw him down to the ground and laid into his stomach with my boot, all while he screeched and screeched. Suddenly the blimp dived down and began to fall. I flew up while Hastings and Barrington stayed on the floor, gripping to the rails. I bashed my head into one of the crafts girders cracking the helmet apart. Everything was flying about as I fell down diagonally with the zeppelin. I blacked out once more.

I saw snippets of water, a rocky shore and a bruised ,crispy Barrington being pulled away by strange men in black coats as he laughed manically.

"HAHAHAHHHHA AHHHAHAHA I GOT IT I GOT IT. ONLY A FEW MORE NOW!!!!!HAHAHAHHAAHHAHAHHA!!!"

I crawled a bit further up the shore out of the waters reach and blacked out again. But this time hoping I didn't wake again.