Journal of Etienne Delplace

You found the journal of Etienne Delplace in a crate in the Charenton asylum, in the office of Dr.Leroux's secretary.

The last entries in the journal are dated early 1923:

"Entry – A dismaying event last night. A male nurse, one Guimart of 4th ward, entered the cellars without authorization, and there, after suffering a painful wound to his right arm, collapsed. Another nurse, P. Mandrin, investigated Guimart's absence and, after some time, discovered Guimart on the floor, in severe shock. Treatment was prompt and efficacious, but upon regaining consciousness this morning, Guimart began raving to me like a madman.

For the moment, I have placed him in room 13, and notified his landlady of his indisposition.

Alas, with Guimart was another man, one unknown to this institution, and in tragic physical condition. Many grave questions must be answered.

Entry – I began to question Guimart about the stranger. Is he a patient? What is his name? How long had Guimart kept him down there? Had Guimart kept the stranger there for a long time? Long enough that the mortar sealing the room had cured to such condition? Had he given him nourishment? How had he survived?

I am moving the stranger to my private wing, for the moment treating the man as an inconsequential derelict until more evidence is found.

Entry – Even in a fresh bed the stranger’s appearance is horrifying. Given small amounts of broth, he merely regurgitates it. He takes no nourishment, yet lives in a catatonic state. Would electroshock revive him?

Entry – After several applications, the stranger woke but so weakened that he could not move. He whined and begged in different, and very old forms of Greek and Latin… tales of cities crumbling, and of other, darker things. He also spoke gibberish of a sort which seems vaguely Slavic, repeating the names Marosh, Gorgynia, and Sofia. What a mystery man! It is almost easier to think we have tapped some form of group mind or racial memory."

After a few inconsequential notations, the journal ends.

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