a.allpoetry/poem/11065525-The_Presence-by-chasingtheday The room was waiting, suspended within the sturdy framework of the ancient house. The darkness became blacker in the corners of swirling mist, particles of grey intermingled with black. Encompassing, hypnotising, it waited patiently for the taste of death. “Soon, soon”, the house whispered as the wind flew throughout, “death” echoed the creaking woodwork. The key that was resting in its fading door twisted, slowly unlocking the room to tempt life. A storm battled with the earth outside, having the night to fall back on the earth resigned itself to fate. Sharon and Lisa were just returning from the country, where they had been camping, the storm was slowing all progress. Sharon drove the car with an intenseness bordering on boredom. “God, I’m tired”, Lisa just nodded and proceeded to stare out of the rain-distorted windscreen, watching the drops slide down its smooth surface. It was Lisa who first noticed the old house, “look, let’s stay there! We’re never going to get a hotel at this damn rate and I’m not camping in this storm”. Sharon pulled the car to the side of the road, keeping the lights on so any passing cars would see them. She stared at the looming figure a short distance away. “Do you think we should? I mean it looks deserted, but you never know.” ”Oh come on Sharon, I’m not staying out in this storm all night, let’s go in”. Reluctantly Sharon agreed, just before she set off she thought she heard her name whispered from the back seat of the car. Jerking her head she scanned the back, imagination! “Come on, let’s get going” cried Lisa in mock despair. Parking the car at the side of the house they just sat there looking out into the darkness. “Looks kind of spooky doesn’t it?” “Scared are we?” jibed Lisa. “I’ll go and look if there’s a way in, just stay here if you’re too scared to come”. “No, I’ll come. Wrapping their coats around them they left the car. They tried all of the windows and doors but found them locked and nobody answered them at the front door. “Let’s just break a window!” “We can’t do that” cried Sharon, becoming alarmed, “that’s illegal”. Lisa gave her a look of utter disbelief and disgust, “oh shut up will you!” Picking up a large stone she hurled it through the kitchen window, the shatter of breaking glass echoed through the night air, seeming louder in the desertion. She fumbled with the latch and climbed through the window quickly, “come on” “no, you open the door, then we’ll get out bags from the car. As they stood in the front room they could just make out the shrouded forms of furniture long ago used. “I don’t like it here Lisa. Let’s go back to the car?” “Oh come on, it’s for tonight, you’ve been reading too many stories for your own good, nothing’s going to happen”. Inevitably they moved towards the stairs. The presence which occupied the room shifted minutely, it clung to the walls, the ceiling, the very air around it. Feeling the closeness of life it now waited anxiously, expanding and contracting in silent anticipation. A fly was drawn tot the window, finding a small opening it entered the room. After buzzing about for awhile it went to rest on the ceiling, a rest that would be its last, the presence overwhelmed it, feeling pleasure taking the essence of so small a quantity of life. Footsteps and low murmuring voices were breaking the silence close by. A thought, a dream, the presence remembered a time far away in years when it had once been alive in the world of normality. A time when it walked upright as a man. Before the sickness took over to put a shadow across its growing mind, merging it with all the darkness and atrocity of the night time. Something, which can only be described as a tear, mingled with its grey, black form for a brief second, then was washed away by the sickness of evil, the lust for death. The voices were getting louder. The room waited. They climbed the stairs, whispering to each other along the way. “Why are we whispering?” “I don’t know” laughed Lisa, “come on, this is exciting”. The rooms upstairs were dark and foreboding, dust had settled in every place available. Sharon lifted a sheet from the bed in the first room they entered, at the same time scattering dust throughout the air. Tears rolled from their eyes as they burst into fits of coughing and nervous laughter. Lisa spotted a wardrobe in the darkness, she went over to see what it held, curiosity one of her weak points. As she opened the door she felt wings flutter against her cheek, she stifled a scream as she realised it was only moths. Her heart resumed its normal beat. Old musty smelling clothes hung from rails, clothes that had not been worn for years she thought. Rummaging on the small shelves above her head she felt a box, pulling it down she moved towards the window for a closer look. “Just what we need” she exclaimed delightedly, “candles, Sharon give me your lighter will you?” Sharon passed it over to her, the small flame flickering. Her face took on an eerie pose as she moved closer to Lisa. “Let’s get these lit, here put the box in your bag and we’ll have one each”. As the candles were lit the darkness transformed itself into receding shadows moving constantly with the flickering of the flames. Lisa released a small laugh, moaned and moved about, imitating a ghost. Both began to laugh, the fear of the unknown, the eerie light and the storm outside playing with the apprehension they were feeling. “I still don’t like it here Lisa”. “Well go back to the car then if you want to, I’m staying here, at least until the storm stops” Lisa still laughed lightly. Resigned, Sharon agreed to stay. After a brief look over the room they left in search of others. As they came out they noticed the door of the room opposite was slightly ajar, they moved towards it. The candles were flickering restlessly with each step they took. It was a small room, containing an old smelly looking bed and an ancient cabinet, which was empty save for a few old newspapers, which had faded around the edges. The cold seeped out of the walls, penetrating their clothes through to the spine, Lisa shivered, turned and walked back out again with a disgusted expression painted on her face. Sharon followed glumly. The presence was becoming impatient knowing there was life moving about nearby, needing it to leave its confinement. Spreading its awareness as far as it could from the room it searched for the emotions which were tormenting it unknowingly. Sensing the two lives it probed them carefully, eager for its passion to be fed. The goodness and innocence disgusted it, but it could not allow them to get away. Pulling back into its confinement it relived the feelings of its death and its awakening. A time long ago. Hanging by the neck in this very room, blank empty faces looking and then smiling when the last breath of life evaporated from its body. Such a long time ago. Then darkness. Images forming from its depths, awareness creeping up slowly, revealing the knowledge, the corruption. Then the loneliness of time harbouring the hate for life, and now freedom seemed so near, yet far away, easy to lose. The next room was packed with boxes, empty, half empty and full, boxes were everywhere, they could hardly move. Lisa immediately placed her candle on the edge of one, full with old papers and toys, then started to rummage through them. Sharon watched silently. Suddenly she felt cold and as if eyes were boring into the base of her neck, goose-pimples came up all over her body, someone’s just walked over my grave, she thought. She turned towards the hallway swiftly and as she did the feeling disappeared. Leaving Lisa to herself she moved back towards the first room they had entered. Soon she found herself at the stairs again, she climbed the remainder slowly. Reaching the top she saw two doors, one old and fading with a brown rusted key fixed in it, the other a black painted door with faces carved into the woodwork. She found them fascinating but the pull from the other door was strangely strong, facing it she stared, bemused and frightened, at it for what seemed a lifetime. Her hand touched the handle, turned it slowly and pushed the door open. She could just make out the window, somehow it seemed very far away, yet in reality it was only a few yards away. The room was dark and frightening. As she stepped forward a gust of sudden wind blew out her candle, she dropped it, startled. Darkness, pure darkness was everywhere. Stumbling forward looking for the candle she felt rather than heard the door close. All of a sudden she was cold and very scared, really terrified, she thought she sensed movement in the corners but wasn’t sure. Standing up she towards the wall, placing her back to it defensively, at once she knew she had made a mistake. She could feel an icy chill seeping into her back, trying to move she found she couldn’t. Pain engulfed her, she tried to scream but it died in her throat. Something razor-sharp touched her arms, blood soaked her skin and she was forced to the floor, her clothes and skin shredded as she was pulled down. Low murmurs were released from her mouth, the pain was dragging her mind to unconsciousness, but something was preventing her that release. The presence drained her slowly, relishing the passion. Images were flashing before her eyes, images of a life unknown, a death, revenge. The pain receded to a tingling sensation in her arms and all over her back, bile rose from her throat, entered her mouth and trickled from the corners as the impressions grew more sickly. A man with insane eyes, torturing countless people in a darkened room, the cellar of this house she thought, the knowledge came to her swiftly. Wooden splinters driven into eyes, hot metal resting on inner thighs, salt sprinkled into the gaps where teeth had just been removed, all of this and more washed over her mind in revolting detail. Her tears ran freely, she knew she was going to die and nothing was going to prevent it. Trying to distract her thoughts from the sickening images she thought of Lisa, willing her mind to reach out and warn her to leave, but deep inside she knew that even if she did make contact with her, she wouldn’t go. She knew Lisa would come looking for her, thinking she would be hiding, playing childish games to scare her, she wished she was. Suddenly she felt a cold touch upon her forehead and blood trickled into her eyes to mingle with her tears. Lisa was talking to herself, as she realised when she looked about. “Now where’s she gone” she whispered to herself. Taking the candle from the edge of the box she left the room in search of her. “Sharon” she called then chided herself for still whispering. “Sharon, where are you? I know you’re here. I can hear you, so stop messing around”. She moved further down the hallway, fear rising from the pit of her stomach. She went back to the first room and looked around quickly, caution was losing its battle against panic as she thought about the possibility of an accident, or even worse, suppose there was already someone here when they had arrived and they had took Sharon and were raping her or worse still murdered her. “Oh my god” she said aloud and was startled back to reality by the tension in her voice. “Keep yourself together now Lisa” she said. She tried to smile, thinking of Sharon hiding somewhere, but failed. Checking the opposite room and a quick look in a room she hadn’t been in before revealed nothing. She moved towards the stairs, fear guiding her. “Sharon, Sharon, if you don’t come out now I’m going to the car and driving off”, but she knew she couldn’t, she couldn’t leave her all alone not knowing what had become of her. She climbed the stairs with a mounting apprehension. She noticed deep scratches in the wooden rail, strange how you notice trivialities when you’re scared out of your wits, she thought with a silent attempt at humour. Reaching the top she discovered two doors. First she went to the black door, studying the carvings in the wood, the faces took on frightening expressions as the candle danced. She walked in slowly, the room was empty except for an old mattress in the corner and a broken chair, she left quickly. She stood facing the fading colour of the other door. With a lump in her throat she reached out and pushed it open. At first she could make out nothing through the blackness, the light from the candle seemed to stop at the doorway, then she caught sight of the dirt coloured window, coldness crept up and touched her. Her eyes automatically scanned the room as they became accustomed to the dark. Eventually she saw her, a bloodstained form slumped against the wall. She screamed and as she did so a thin line of cold blackness shot from the room with incredible speed, dragging her in. The candle fell to the floor, snuffing itself out. She had one final glimpse of Sharon before her head was pulled violently from her body, she twitched spasmodically before she finally yielded to death and fell. The presence felt strong, it felt so good that it drained the last drops from Sharon by sending a black probe deep down her mouth. It snaked down inside her and protruded from beneath her legs, as it did so it pulled it speedily back towards itself, slicing her in two, what was left of her blood splattered everywhere and it wet the pleasure of the presence. The following morning a figure left the house, it got into the car, fastened the seatbelt, turned the ignition and drove away, laughing madly. Thoughts of death and revenge lingered in its mind. “Free at last”, it screamed. :o
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 23:46:56 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015