Suckers

By YD La Mar

In the depths of our shared past, Derrick and I fought our way out of the shadows. The beach became our refuge, our escape from the pain that haunted us. But my own demons led me astray, seeking solace in a sinister cult desperate for belonging.

 

That fateful night, when I convinced Derrick to join me, I was unaware of the horrors awaiting us. Together, we were driven to the brink of horror as we stumbled upon the cult's sinister intentions. Delizah, a pregnant woman, on the brink of sacrifice.

 

Igniting a daring rescue mission, Derrick and I set out to defy the darkness. Yet, our actions unknowingly summoned an ancient and malevolent force. It consumed him, leaving me desperate.

 

Now, the world teeters on the edge of oblivion. Delizah and I must uncover the cult's secrets, battling a monstrous deity hungry for dominion.

In a race against time, we must rescue Derrick and protect the world from impending doom. Can we overcome the encroaching darkness, or will we be consumed by the very evil we face?

 

Prepare for a dance with the occult, where loyalty and sacrifice collide, and the line between savior and monster becomes blurred.

• Language: English
• Publisher: YD La Mar
• Release date: Jan 25, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224284177

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

DERRICK

C ome on, just trust me, he begs.

He’s been at this for a while and I’m losing my patience. Why should I? It sounds like a bunch of cult shit.

It’s not, he protests in earnest. Trust me! Just go and see what they have to say.

I don’t believe you. What are you doing with these psychos, anyway? I’m not going to be worshiping some stupid octoface god. You’re nuts.

James has been trying to get me to attend this strange priest robed cult gathering that worships a squid god from the tales of old. Nothing he says makes any damn sense, but he’s my best friend and I feel kind of bad for not believing in him—but who would? This is all crazy.

Derrick. Do this for me, he pleads. Just go and you don’t even have to participate in anything.

Doesn’t going constitute as participation? This fool is out of his mind. But damned if my guilt doesn’t eat at me when I reminisce about the time my dad beat me up and he was the only friend that would take me in when I needed help.

Fuck! I exclaim, throwing my hands up in defeat. Fine. Any fishy shit, and I’m out.

James laughs at the pun, but I’m too weirded out to join him. Fuck yeah! I gotchu bruh. Just go with me. I swear they’re talking some sense. You just gotta give it a chance.

James has always been into folklore and weird legends. His mind is always in the clouds and different worlds as he tries to escape his own reality with his mom strung out on who knows what. Mrs. Johnson means well and tries her best as a mother when she’s sober… but when she’s high as a fucking kite, nothing can help her.

She started getting worse when her husband left her for another woman, subsequently leaving her and James to fend for themselves when we were in high school. Sixteen is a horrible time for major life changes to happen because you’ve already become accustomed to routine and invested in the life you’ve built. James and his mother had to move into a trailer home shortly after when the bills started racking up, but they made that place as welcoming as they could—at least that’s what my memories told me.

James and I continue on to lunch on foot. The local sandwich shop, being so popular, has a line out the damn door all the way to the street. Good thing they’re known to be pretty quick with fulfilling orders. When it’s finally our turn at the register, the cashier smiles and asks, The usual?

Yeah, I tell her. Thanks Jacqueline.

The young college aged girl at the register puts our order in and the boys in the back are already starting the sandwich assembly line. We pay her and by the time we walk to the end, our lunch is already done and packaged. This is why I love this place.

Choosing one of the metal tables outside, James and I plop our asses down and rustle the wrapping open.

Okay, so here’s the thing, he starts before I can take my first bite. They meet once every quarter.

"This is already starting to sound like the meetings at work. I barely want to attend those," I groan, trying to eat in peace without these revolving conversations.

Nah, just hear me out! he says, leaning in conspiratorially. It’s hard to get in. You have to be personally invited by someone who has been with them for at least three years and vetted.

Taking another bite out of my sandwich, I soak in everything he’s telling me and everything unsaid between the lines. This fucker has been in a damn cult for three years of our friendship and never breathed a word about it. I’m amazed and am now much more skeptical. What’s happening in these meetings? What was the reason for him to keep it to himself when we’ve always told each other everything—from when we take a shit to who we’ve finger fucked in the janitor’s closet at work?

I guess there’s only one way to find out.

Is there a dress code I need to be aware of? I prod.

James scoffs as he swallows the food in his mouth. Come on man, be real.

What the hell? And how am I supposed to do that with the squidface-worshiping cult? I still think all this crap is a hoax and James is a fool, but I keep it to myself for the time being. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt. Finishing off my sandwich in silence, we end all conversation about his little dark club and head back to work.

Getting into the car, I drive us back onto the main road of the city, hoping to put this nonsense behind us, but of course, I wouldn’t be so lucky. Seems the floodgates are now opened and James is rambling on and on about how he ended up in the cult and the crazy alters they worship.

I find myself running my hand down my face with some of the shit he’s telling me. I thought this stuff only happened on television. This can’t be real life.

Dude. You’re going to have to cut back on the crazy talk when we get back to the office, I mumble. James is already seen as one of the weird guys in the department. This wouldn’t help his reputation at all.

Oh, right. Right, he replies, nodding with seriousness. "It’s supposed