The Vessel of Elseland

By D.A.N.T.E

Dante is a struggling artist. His hopes and dreams are shattered by the world harshly looked down upon. Lost his job and tormented by his own demons. But he has more to fear. Something monstrous. Something much, much more…

Haunted by horrifying nightmares of a world that are beyond the senses of exquisite pleasure and pain imaginable. He slowly spirals down into his personal hell – breaking away any hope and his own sanity.

Plagued by questions of what is real and what is hallucination caused by his madness. In these moments, he would be aided him by the kindness of a mysterious redhead woman. But is she really a friend or a foe?

Dante will soon face the terror of his nightmares and his personal tormentors – triggering a dark path that would change his destiny forever.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Jan 4, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398440289

D.A.N.T.E

D.A.N.T.E began his writing career with the horror/fantasy genre, crafting short stories. One of his short story collections includes The Void Gospels. These horror stories were focused on the conventional horror, fantasy and psychological elements. Setting ordinary people, who finds themselves in terrifying scenarios beyond their control. Most of D.A.N.T.E’s works focused on the mysterious world known as ‘Elseland,’ breaking away the concept of reality between traditional horror and modern dark fantasy. The major influences to his work includes: Clive Barker, Stephen King, Dante Alighieri and H.P. Lovecraft.

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About the Author

D.A.N.T.E began his writing career with the horror/fantasy genre, crafting short stories. One of his short story collections includes The Void Gospels. These horror stories were focused on the conventional horror, fantasy and psychological elements. Setting ordinary people, who finds themselves in terrifying scenarios beyond their control. Most of D.A.N.T.E’s works focused on the mysterious world known as ‘Elseland,’ breaking away the concept of reality between traditional horror and modern dark fantasy. The major influences to his work includes: Clive Barker, Stephen King, Dante Alighieri and H.P. Lovecraft.

Dedication

To all who have believed in me.

Copyright Information ©

D.A.N.T.E 2022

The right of D.A.N.T.E to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with section 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398440265 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398440272 (Hardback)

ISBN 9781398440289 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I am thanking the following people:

To my English tutor in East London, Angela Onelum, for revealing my potential.

My Maths tutor, Kasia Jarczewska, for her encouragement.

Prologue

Before there was time, before there was anything, there was nothing, and before there was nothing…there was Elseland.

Now fall, and know, my brave reader, that you are alone. There is only darkness for you and death for your people, if such a fate may be called death.

Our existence coming into your realm is only just the beginning. It is coming, and it will command the fabric of all reality. It will sail through into every world, every realm, until all that exists or shall ever exist will be extinguished. Sadly, my foolish reader, you are just a speck of flesh and blood compared to what your people would call us: gods and devils.

You already know that the end is coming, it is inevitable, and I am The All-Seeing.

So read on, reader. Read on if you dare – if you are brave enough – to know what is told in the text of the Void Gospels… The vessel of Elseland.

I

The Unknown Artist

There wasn’t a moment or a word to describe when or how this story sprang into motion. No origin for this space of cold, grey, brick walls. Nothing occupied the space but Dante, sitting – since it’s all he could do – on the floor. Such a room, so airtight that nothing, not even the sound of a fly or the gentle breeze, could disturb his isolation. With his knees levelling up to his face, the eyes of this young man fiercely stare ahead of him. How odd, the object of his stare: a calendar, it would appear, hanging up on the wall in front of him. Curiosity building up in his subconsciousness, Dante slowly stands and approaches it.

Dante observes a vintage swimsuit calendar that appears to be from the 1980s. How fortunate for Dante: this month has one of his favourite actors, Linda Blair. Looking more closely at the date, May 2018, Dante knows it can’t be right. When did the actress posed for this shot?

His senses warn him that something isn’t quite right around here. The thoughts of this young man spring into action. His attention is easily broken and quickly moves to something else.

A voice echoes towards him, speaking in a ghostly tone that cannot be described as even close to human:

‘Dante.’

The voice, naturally bubbly, creates the impression of seductive giggling. How eerie that this voice should speak in some unearthly language and yet Dante can understand it quite clearly. The young man turns his head