Death’s Dark Embrace
By Tevini Dias
It wasn’t supposed to end like this. It was near complete darkness; the twilight stars could not be seen. The rain drizzled dismally in the sky as a grey cloud passed along. Thoughts tracked my mind, the vivid memories flashing, then abruptly they disappear. All I remembered were the dead corpses I had seen, the crimson blood trickling down each and everyone one of them but somehow, I was still alive. Since I heard the shrill cry in the mist, I kept running faster and faster pursuing the faraway light, gazing outwards over the skyline. The plain was bare, with no leaves on the naked trees. The trees had gnarled roots which were shaped like skeleton claws. I was now so close to the light, just a few hundred yards away. Then the immense monster-like shadow stood beyond me. A black mansion came into shape, but it was a peculiar one — it looked like it was alone, deserted, standing astride the plain, it seemed abandoned. The trees had smothered the mansion with its roots tangled against the walls.
The shrill howls became louder and louder … I could hear the howl of one wolf, then another, then another. Their howls echoed, penetrating through the night on all sides. The wind screeched, blowing wildly and intensifying the power which it carried, swiping against my face. The dust and leaves whipped in a spiral around me, blocking my path and blinding my sight. I tripped and fell, as the wind overpowered me. I grasped the gnarled roots clutching them with desperation as I inched forwards. The stone wall felt cold and coarse. I gripped the edges of the stones and hauled myself up mightily — a small sense of relief came upon me. Silence…silence — where are the wolves? I turned my back against the stone wall…I was shaking like a leaf as I slowly turned around testing the wall, when suddenly I felt nothing, my hand disappeared into the midst of the darkness… I found the entrance.
The door was open, feelings ran amok within me, these feelings of terror were mixed with perplexity at what I had seen earlier this night, it was only this haunting vision that forced me over the threshold. The floorboards cracked, squeaked and screamed under my weight. The wavering light of the moon created long shadows and the house seemed like a labyrinth with endless, inextricable pathways. My heart was thumping louder and louder as I went further into the house. The memories flashed at me again. I knew that it would never leave me but that I should lie awake in a chill of sweat, going over that time, those events, those places, the dead bodies I had seen…
I heard an indistinguishable noise — was it just my footsteps or was there someone else here? The shadow on the wall was moving, the chair was rocking — were my eyes deceiving me? No….I could feel it, I was not wanted here. Abruptly a gust of wind blew, the door slammed shut, the light was gone, the darkness blinded me…
