The Cult of Yusuf

(Commission for @trialsoflust​, Marilyn Yusuf’s biggest fan)

Deep in the Bulgarian mountains, there is legend of a secret temple that houses ancient dark powers beyond mortal comprehension. There the acolytes of the cult of Yusuf worship and protect the dark powers. It is said that if one seeks and find this hidden temple, they would be granted an opportunity to commune with the darkness and gain dark powers of their own. Powers that would allow them to achieve great wealth and strength, to remake the world to their desires and subjugate those that dare defy them. Daniel Richards, an English artist, aimed to seek out this legend for himself. Not to gain any such powers, but to find inspiration for his artwork.

Scouring the Bulgarian archives, he seemed to have found only dead ends, but then he met a very helpful elderly archivist named Rebecca. She was surprisingly well informed about the legend and told him she had heard from travellers a likely location of the temple. Daniel found this very exciting and convinced her to come and find the temple with him.

So, on a grizzly overcast morning, Daniel and Rebecca headed for the mountain forest. Rebecca led Daniel to a heavily forested area, where there had been sightings of a mysterious stone building. There the trees loomed large over them, shrouding much of the forest in darkness. It was hard going for the two of them, having to navigate the rough bush area, but after many hours Rebecca finally caught sight of something.

There in a clearing, a dark green stone was poking out from the ground. Rebecca, surprisingly despite her old and weary frame, quickly rushed over, shouting “I’ve found it, I’ve found it.” Daniel followed Rebecca, felling very concerned that the aged archivist would fall over and hurt herself.

Rebecca reached the stone and knelt down to examine it. “Look at this carving here. These are the runes of the Yusuf cult.” She eagerly began moving her hands over the stone, till she found a small cranny that she reached in. “Yes this is it, this is the one.”

“The one what?” Daniel asked.

“The true entrance stone.” Rebecca answered, leaving Daniel only more confused.

Rebecca pushed her hand deeper in the nook until she heard a distinct Clanking sound. All of a sudden, the earth beneath them began to shake. The Stone started to slowly sink into the ground.

“Yes! Yes!” Rebecca shouted. “At last I can return!”

“What are you talking about?” Daniel demanded, desperate for some kind of reason to explain his elderly friend’s odd behaviour.

The stone sunk deep into the ground, revealing below some stairs that led underground to a massive stone door bearing the mark of the cult of Yusuf.

“Is this it?” Daniel cried, almost jumping up and down. “Is this really it? Have we found the temple?”

Rebecca didn’t answer as she walked down the steps to the door. She pinned herself against the stone, like she was embracing it. Daniel heard faint whispers coming from her. He couldn’t quite hear but it sounded like she was speaking a form of old Bulgarian speech.

The stone door trembled, and began to open inward, causing Rebecca to almost fall down she was embracing the stone so tight. Inside Daniel and Rebecca only darkness, but then came a soft light. A strange figure, dressed in a dusty grey robe, came forward bearing a torch aflame. The robe’s hood was pulled over their head, hiding their face. They raised a wrinkly hand, and beckoned Rebecca and Daniel to follow them into the dark underground.

Rebecca and Daniel did indeed go down into the earth, him with a lot more trepidation than her, and the figure led them down the stone hallway.

“This is just like I remembered.” Rebecca spoke. “We are now in the entrance hall.”

“Rebecca, you got to explain this to me.” Daniel pleaded.

“You haven’t told him, Rebecca?” Came the voice from the robed figure, their voice low and crackling with menace.

“I di di din’t think he would come?” Rebecca sputtered out nervously.

“What haven’t you told me?” Daniel asked, stopping for a moment.

“It does not matter now.” Said the mysterious figure. “You will find what you seek in the Chamber.”

And so Daniel continued to follow Rebecca and the mysterious strange. He knew he should belt it and run, flee this dark passage and return to ground above. But he still continued to walk down the stone  hallway, going deeper and deeper into the earth.

Eventually they reached the end of the hallway, leading into a cavern area lit by torches. In the middle of this cavern was a giant lake, though Daniel could not tell whether the liquid was actually water or not. It seemed more like oil, thicker and deadlier looking, almost like slime. Surrounding the lake, there were several robe figures. Upon Daniel and Rebecca entering the cavern, they all removed their hoods, revealing themselves to be all old men and women. Daniel and Rebecca’s guide did same, revealing a wrinkly face, decaying teeth and thin grey hair.

“Welcome to the Chamber of Yusuf.” The guide declared. “We are the Acolytes of Yusuf, and we welcome you to seek converse with the ancient one. Our sister Rebecca has returned to us, completing her trial of penance. Now we have another supplicant of our dark lord.”

“You’re an Acolyte!” Daniel shouted.

“I was once.” Rebecca said forlornly. “I was cast out. I could only re-join if I brought someone back to speak with Yusuf.”

“And so you have.” The main Acolyte said. A couple of other Acolyte’s brought Rebecca another dusty grey robe. The ragged thing was coarse and ugly, yet she cherished it like it was fine silk.

“Now you boy.” The Acolyte said, turning to Daniel. “She did not tell you what you must do here I suppose.”

“All I know are the legends.” He answered. “That if I seek the Ancient One I will receive great power.”

“You will receive great power. But only if you allow yourself to be consumed by Yusuf. Only then will you and the Ancient be able to speak to each other. And if it deems your worthy, then you will be blessed with the gift of Yusuf.”

“And what if I’m not worthy?”

The acolyte gave a cruel smile. “Why worry about something that might not happen.”

“So where is Yusuf. Where do I get consumed?”

“Why Yusuf is right here.” The old crone then pointed to the bubbling lake of slime. “The ancient one is beyond simple physical forms and exists in a liquid state. Remove your garments, and let yourself be enveloped by the ancient one.”

Turns out that getting naked in front of a bunch of old creepy ladies and walking into oozing slime was Daniels limit. “You know what. I don’t need any dark powers. It cool if I just head out back? Press a button, seal you guys in with your oozing god?”

Before he could run away, the acolytes grabbed him and rip off his clothes. They were surprisingly strong despite their advanced age and Daniel’s attempts to escape from their grasp were completely pointless. Now completely naked, they dragged the protesting artist to the lake and chucked him in.

The lake was cold and slimy. It pulled Daniel in deeper and he could not escape. It filled mouth and nostrils, he struggled to breath. It went into his eyes, and all he could see was the slime.

Darkness, only darkness. That was all that Daniel could see. Was this the end? Was this him dying?

NO!

Huh, what was that? Daniel thought.

THIS IS NOT YOUR END, BUT YOUR BEGINNING!

The voice was coming from inside his head. It was extremely loud that it drowned out all his other thoughts. The voice was unworldly and sinister, yet also commanding. Even a little bit seductive and playful.

WHY HAVE YOU COME TO MEET WITH YUSUF? WHAT DO YOU SEEK?

Daniel tried to speak, but found he could not. He thought I’ve come seeking the great power of Yusuf.

THAT IS OBVIOUS YOU SILLY BOY. ALL WHO COME TO MEET WITH ME SEEK MY POWER. TELL MY WHY YOU WANT MY POWER. TELL ME WHAT COMPELS YOU TO ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DEVOURED BY ME.

Beauty.

BEAUTY? I OFFER YOU POWER BEYOND MORTAL IMAGINATION AND ALL YOU SEEK IS BEAUTY. COUNTLESS FEEBLE MEN HAVE COME TO ME SEEKING RICHES AND GLORY, BUT ALL YOU WANT IS BEAUTY!

It’s not for me, but for the world. I want to be able to create beauty for everyone. I believe that it is through beauty that humanity can find peace and happiness.

MY OH MY. HOW PHILANTHROPIC OF YOU. BEAUTY. NEVER HAS ANYONE COME TO ASKING FOR BEAUTY. EXPLAIN TO ME HOW BEAUTY COULD BRING SUCH PEACE TO THIS WRETCHED EARTH.

And so Daniel did. He told the ancient god all about his theory of how beauty demonstrated an aesthetic purity, one that could unite the world. The only problem was what that beauty was. Yusuf listened intently to the passionate artist, and the ancient being, with powers beyond all human comprehension, decided that the pesky little insect had a point. Not any of that bullshit about beauty bringing peace and harmony, that was simply the boy’s narcissism masquerading as noble altruism. But the power and glory of beauty, the purity, that was something that Yusuf had never really considered before.  Spending millennia as a soupy puddle had left Yusuf isolated, and now, hearing Daniel pontificate on the power of beauty, Yusuf decided it needed to take a new course of action. The world will indeed have the beauty it needed, but it will be the beauty of Yusuf.

SILENCE! I HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR WORDS AND HAVE DECIDED THAT YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED AND YOU WILL BE BLESSED WITH THE POWERS OF THE ALMIGHTY YUSUF. YOU WILL BRING BEAUTY TO THIS ACCURSED WORLD

I have? Thank you oh glorious Yusuf. I will make such beautiful art; I will bring peace and joy to the world.

YES. YOU WILL DO GREAT THINGS. BUT FIRST YOU MUST ALLOW ME TO MERGE WITH YOU. ONLY THEN WILL YOU HAVE THE POWER TO BRING BEAUTY TO THE WORLD.

But what will happen to me?

YOU WILL BECOME ONE WITH ME? IS THAT NOT WHAT YOU WANT?

Is there any other way?

NO! THIS IS THE ONLY WAY.

Then I accept

And so Daniel’s fate, and soon the world’s, was sealed. The goo that was Yusuf began to seep into Daniel’s body. It spread deep inside him, infecting each and every part of his body. He would have screamed if the viscous liquid was filling his mouth, choking him.

YOU HAVE ACCEPTED MY BARGAIN, NOW YOU MUST BECOME MY HOST

In the cavern, the Acolytes stared in horror as the pool that they had watched over for centuries was starting to sink. The old women saw the liquid in the pool get smaller and smaller as it became absorbed into Daniel. Soon there was only Daniel left in the pool, the liquid now entirely inside him.

Daniel began to writhe and convulse in agony. He could feel his body changing against his will as Yusuf took hold. Bones shifted and fat melted as his body reformed. Following the conception of beauty that it had gained through all the men it had conversed with, Yusuf melded Daniel’s body into the pure aesthetic form. His legs become long and slender, his arms and hands dainty and soft. His waist pulled in as his hips expanded, giving him a perfect hourglass figure. His skin became soft, hairless and pale as milk. Short light brown hair turned dark as night and grew into long curly tresses. Two round firm breasts formed on his chest, as down below the man’s penis retracted into his body, reforming into a neat slit.

Down there, in the crater that was once the pool of Yusuf, there now lay the most beautiful woman the Acolytes had ever seen.

“Praise Yusuf.” One cried out. “Our lord has turned the man into a great beauty!”

“But where is Yusuf?” Rebecca yelled. “What has happened to our great and unholy god.”

“I am right here!” The woman, standing up, spoke. Her voice was as sweet as honey, and dripped with power.

The head Acolyte immediately dropped to her knees. “Yusuf! Praise be almightly god.”

Yusuf chuckled.  “I believe goddess is more appropriate now. And call me Marilyn.”

Marilyn Yusuf walked out of the empty pool and shiny rubber clothes appeared around her, clinging tightly to her svelte frame. 

She went to the head Acolyte and took her head in her hands, lifting the old crones face to look at her.

“My loyal priestess. How long have you served me?” Marilyn said, softly stroking the woman’s head

“Eighty-seven years my goddess. I have devoted my entire life to you.”

“And you shall be rewarded for your devotion.”

From Marilyn’s dainty fingertips, black sludge flowed up and seeped into the Acolyte. Their old body started to shudder as Marilyn softly moaned. The elderly woman’s body gained years of youth as wrinkles vanished and her fraying grey hair became full and deep black, just like Marilyn’s. Her face smoothed out and her teeth whitened, leaving her with a nice toothy smile, just like Marilyn’s. All the other acolytes saw their leader become the exact copy of their unholy goddess.

Marilyn let go and the head acolyte stood up.

“I’m… I’m…” She stammered.

“You are me. You are Yusuf.” Marilyn said.

“I am Yusuf.”

“We are Yusuf.” They said together.

“I of course am the main Yusuf. But I have gifted you enough of me that you share my beautiful visage. I am Marilyn Yusuf. And you are now Genevieve Yusuf.”

“I am Yusuf.” Genevieve repeated.

“Now! Come my darlings. Come and let me gift you with my beauty. Become one with me and serve me in the only true way. Become Yusuf.”

All the other Acolytes quickly went to their goddess to receive their gift. One by one Marilyn transformed each member of her cult into perfect copies of herself. Men and women alike were changed, leaving no trace or sign that they were anything but a Yusuf. Now all the identical women bowed down to their leader, praising her for the gift, their voices in perfect harmony. Each of them found themselves forgetting their old personalities, replaced with that of Yusuf. They were grateful for such changes, happy to lose themselves in becoming their goddess.

Marilyn Yusuf, having spread her essence throughout her cult, now found herself tired of her damp subterranean temple. Using her dark powers, she raised her arms and the temple began to shake and tremble. The earth began to move and rose out of the ground. The stone walls pushed through the earth and out into the sun. Yusuf had hidden itself for too long, and now as Marilyn Yusuf, she would be out in the open, ready to seek and consume this world, till there was nothing but Yusuf.

Marilyn Yusuf commanded the other Yusuf’s to remove their dreary robes. She then created new outfits for each of them. These were clothes of tight shiny rubber, that glistened in the sun. 

She told each Yusuf to go out into the world and preach the word of Yusuf and beauty. Soon her flock will grow, and with it her hold on this pitiable world. Daniel’s dream of creating beauty for the world would indeed come true. A pure beauty of compliance and order. The beauty of Yusuf.