Chapter 1:
A secret investigation has recently been undertaken by the government at the ruined town of Innsmouth, Massachusetts. Robert Olmstead interest in the antiquarian and architectural. While he waits for the bus that will take him to Innsmouth, he busies himself in the neighboring town of Newburyport by gathering information from local townsfolk.
Chapter 2:
Innsmouth - a crumbling, mostly deserted town full of dilapidated structures and people who look just a bit odd and who tend to walk with a distinct shambling gait. Olmstead describes the people as having the "Innsmouth look", "queer narrow heads with flat noses and bulgy, stary eyes". Only one person in town appears normal, a young clerk at the local First National grocery store who comes from neighbouring Arkham. Olmstead gathers much information from the clerk, including a map of the town and the name of a local who might be a good source of information - a man named Zadok Allen, known to open up about the town when plied with drink.
Chapter 3:
Zadok, who is very old, has seen much in the town and goes on at length, telling a tale of fish-frog men known as Deep Ones who live beneath the sea. It seems they bring prosperity in the form of fish as well as fantastically wrought gold jewelry to those who offer them human sacrifice. These fish-frog men are amphibious and willing to come to land to mate with humans, creating deformed offspring which can live forever. These fish-frog men were first discovered in the Indies by a native island tribe, which was itself found by a resident of Innsmouth named Obed Marsh. When hard times befell Innsmouth, Obed and some followers did what they could to call up the fish-frog men in their New England town. When the story is over, Olmstead is unnerved but thinks it a product of a fertile imagination.
Chapter 4:
Olmstead was forced to spend in town, after being told that the bus in which he came to town is experiencing engine trouble. Olmstead has no choice but to spend the night in a musty hotel. While attempting to sleep, he hears noises at his door like someone trying to enter. Wasting no time, he attempts to escape out a window and through the streets, at times imitating the peculiar walk of the Innsmouth locals. Eventually he makes his way to some train tracks where he hears a great many creatures passing in the road before him. He hides and resolves to close his eyes, having at this point come to accept the idea that Zadok's story is true. He cannot keep them closed however, and upon seeing the fish-frog creatures in full light for the first time, faints in his hiding spot.
Chapter 5:
Olmstead wakes up unharmed and quickly walks to the next town - Rowley, MA. Over the years that pass, he begins doing research into his family tree, discovering some disturbing information along the way. Eventually it becomes clear that he is a descendant of Obed Marsh himself and nightmares accompany Olmstead's realization that he is changing into one of the creatures. As the story ends, Olmstead is horror at the idea to change into acceptance and that he will be quite happy living forever in the city Y'ha-nthlei, deep beneath the sea. He also has a cousin who is even further transformed than he is being held in a mental hospital whom he plans to break free and take with him.
p/s:
An edited version of an information from GNU FDL. Story about "the thing that should not be".
Olmstead was forced to spend in town, after being told that the bus in which he came to town is experiencing engine trouble. Olmstead has no choice but to spend the night in a musty hotel. While attempting to sleep, he hears noises at his door like someone trying to enter. Wasting no time, he attempts to escape out a window and through the streets, at times imitating the peculiar walk of the Innsmouth locals. Eventually he makes his way to some train tracks where he hears a great many creatures passing in the road before him. He hides and resolves to close his eyes, having at this point come to accept the idea that Zadok's story is true. He cannot keep them closed however, and upon seeing the fish-frog creatures in full light for the first time, faints in his hiding spot.
Chapter 5:
Olmstead wakes up unharmed and quickly walks to the next town - Rowley, MA. Over the years that pass, he begins doing research into his family tree, discovering some disturbing information along the way. Eventually it becomes clear that he is a descendant of Obed Marsh himself and nightmares accompany Olmstead's realization that he is changing into one of the creatures. As the story ends, Olmstead is horror at the idea to change into acceptance and that he will be quite happy living forever in the city Y'ha-nthlei, deep beneath the sea. He also has a cousin who is even further transformed than he is being held in a mental hospital whom he plans to break free and take with him.
p/s:
An edited version of an information from GNU FDL. Story about "the thing that should not be".
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