That Night

That Night 

In the darkness of the night, a scene was being shaped, with it, the same elements that would set this night apart  from the nights that had already come.

 Jack, what happened that night?

What happened, child?

 A dance; a piano played the first notes of a waltz; it vibrated the walls around us. Scattered shards of glass crunched beneath our feet. That night, she truly was beautiful. What would you do? The music carried us slowly across the floor, with every step we took, she smiled; a smile that mirrored even in the moon. Her gaze lowered. Her fair skin flushed crimson, so dark it seemed to blend into our shadows. 

A coldness swept over me as I took her hand again. The night air brushed coolly against her shawl, swaying her hair to the music,I gazed at her, hypnotized.

You wanted to kiss those perfect lips. Her eyes, however, were two burning orbs yearning to devour your bloody heart and your transparent soul. This night would never see the light of dawn, I was swallowed by shadows, and so destined never to be remembered….

This scene took place in the middle of October. One hour before the scene, I wanted the shadows to swallow me into the shadows' empty embrace. I felt a cold wind blow over me and drive the darkness to caress my cheeks. I closed my eyes in delight and allowed the wind to cradle my face, a sense of solitude washed over me. It was the first time for hours I found peace. I could feel my head stopping aching with thoughts and worries. 

 I had managed to escape from Graham’s manor.  A house were the joy and chatter was far in the distance, I rejected the glitter of lights far in the distance . I couldn't see them anymore. I  took my first step into the forest and felt the coldness of the shadows swallow me. I stumbled in a sea of shadows. It felt like I took my first step from the bridge and fell far into the sea.  

I stood still in the wind, feeling it embrace my clothes, my hair and brushing my skin like ghostly fingers. But you couldn't keep the wind, the wind always slips away, leaving me alone in my worries.  As it went the aching worries rushed back with renewed  strength, I decided to go further. My breath became heavier and was the only sound; no birds, owls, or crickets made any sound, the forest was unnaturally quiet as if the forest held its breath, waiting. Holding me captivated in a timeless shadow, what it had in store for me I did not know, but the aching head of mine soon took it’s right. 

-Damn it all! I cursed at the black sky tearing like an arrow through the silence,  Why linger in this thoughtfulness if one’s mind is as muddy and unclear as mine; curse you creator who gave to me this limited mind, so filled with doubt, give me clarity, oh what I wouldn’t give for it, I would give my soul, my heart to anyone that would give clarity to me! My voice trembled at the last words as the silence mocked me, the forest had held its breath and in a phenomenon, I directly felt like it came from more than just the forest; sound of noises finally broke through the emptiness and it began with a heavy eastern wind throwing leaves into a rustling dance , the creaking of the trees, the branches howled threatening as a reply to me. 

The sky darkened and not for long before the light of the moon was covered by dark hostile clouds. I crouched down and covered my head with my hands when I saw the first electric light coming rapidly down splitting the sky and into the forest. A thunderous sound soon followed as an enraged beast finally took out its vengeance,  this repeated three times. Rain followed as a deluge of warm drops hailed down, I wiped my eyes and saw that the clouds shifted, they were pulled away and the moon emerged. But it wasn't the same moon pale, serene light as before; no, it was darker and larger. It looked at me, with a gruesome gaze. I trembled beneath its gaze, my body begging to flee, yet my mind, my cursed restless mind, felt a terrifying joy, twisted in my chest, I had been heard. I was no longer alone. Something had answered me back, I laughed nervously as the forest began to breathe again. It was calmer now it breathed in quiet small breezes towards me. 

And then I noticed out of the corner of my eye, a flicker of movement. A pale figure, gliding between the trees dressed in a flowing white gown. I was shocked and curiously I took one by one step in her direction.

I followed the sounds of footsteps, the cracking of a branch or the rustling of leaves was my guide, I followed it deeper into the forest, I ran past the shadows of the trees, bushes and stones and as I went deeper it became harder for me to locate myself or find a good footing. The trees became older and more imaginative in their gesticulation branches. I soon realized that I would never be able to come through a thick mixture of old trees mushed and untrimmed branches, when I heard the sound of footsteps again but closer this time. I decided to run through the thickness and again a similar feeling of jumping into a sea came over me as I ran through the forest, my hair blew and swayed as I ran forward, a branch made a tear in my jacket and ripped my skin, but I came to the other side, alive and puzzled by what I witnessed next. 

The smell hit me first , an earthy stench rot, thick and cloying. One might think that after it rains it would make the air feel fresher or cleaner, but not here…..The ground was overgrown by weeds and grass darker than anything I had seen, I could feel my feet fall deeper into the ground. Everywhere I looked,  the knee-long vegetation had conquered . I walked a small step forward and looked around me; I saw an opening in the forest, forming a circle around an old church, the thickness of bushes and trees was the same as if someone had planted it that way. I saw to my dismay a road leading towards this place. 

A thick fog was formed from the rain before, and the smell advancing fast to my nostrils made me determined to move faster. As I walked and noticed the rotting smell coming closely, I looked around and saw a small bewildered graveyard. The gravestones were covered in thick, curling ivy, and moss. It was the smell of old death that first struck my mind, I froze as my eyes fell upon one cracked headstones and a chill crept up on my spine as “Beloved mother” it did say, I could see the grave opened and the coffin lying closed, who would dare to disturb the dead I wondered as my attention was drawn to the finger marks it was no shovel that dug it up, I quickly looked away and saw a church it was not one of the modern churches; it was made of wood. I could see by the cracked windows and the darkened planks, it was a big hole on the roof. My gaze froze again when two old gargoyles statues suddenly appeared and watched. I had not noticed them before. I felt as many times this night a sense of something was going to happen…..  

I looked suspiciously at everything, and my heart raced at every movement of the wind and the old church bell. I had tightened the grip of my hand and thought I was ready for anything. 

 I was quickly distracted from the view of the gargoyles, and the readiness I thought I had was as quickly reduced as the gate to the church creaked open and the pale white dress quickly ran into the church. With hesitant steps I followed her, I tried to prevent the smell coming to my nostrils, as I walked weakened in my steps I came closer to the gate, a big gate of oak with two iron handles, when I was just a few meters from the gate I took one of the handles and the coldness of the iron.  I still was hesitant and afraid but I could hear someone singing beautifully inside, which gave me new courage to open the gate.

 Inside, the air was fresher and the hole from the roof made that the moon could shine in and reveal how beautiful she was, almost inhumanly pretty . Ask her! suddenly a thought rushed through my mind…

  -Did you hear the wind, the thunder lightning? Are you sent by him? I asked desperately for answers. I walked towards her and looked pleadingly into her burning eyes. Her lips were small and blood red and you just wanted to kiss them,  she opened her mouth to answer, she raised her eyebrow and looked almost amused.  

-Is that all that you wanted from him?.......Ask me to dance, she said looking at me with the same burning eyes. Something soothing came over me as the old church piano started to play the first tunes of a waltz. I felt myself being drawn into the music and her perfect lips, I felt her eyes almost hypnotizing me and soon we were dancing. That night, she truly was beautiful. What would you do? The music carried us slowly across the floor, with every step we took, she smiled; a smile that reflected even in the moon. Her gaze fell. Her fair skin flushed crimson, so dark it seemed to blend into our shadows. 

A coldness swept over me as I took her hand again. The night air brushed coolly against her shawl, swaying her hair to the music, hypnotizing me into gazing at her. I fell deeper and deeper down in a spiral, all going around her, I didn't want clearance anymore, I wanted to go deeper down, didn't I escape Graham’s manor for solitude, have I not found it, Here with her.  

The room was bathed in pale moonlight and her long raven black hair danced with the moon beams, her dress. As we held each other, she suddenly came closer and looked deep in my eyes. A bliss rushed through my body and I felt like I was falling deeper into her gaze, I was hooked.  She smiled as she saw the effect on me, and pierced through the silence as she spoke. 

What do you seek? Her voice was like silk, I couldn’t  think, I couldn't breathe just a single thought in my mind, I only had the one word that was embedded in my mind…..

-You, I said with an idle smile playing on my face, you is the only thing I seek……Her face shined approvingly and continued with a little uncertainty. She looked from side to side as she finally smiled superiorly and scoffed as she asked me….  

-And him…..Do you still want him? She looked inquiring at me as I closed my eyes and remembered the scene from before, A chilly wind below through me and I shuddered as I remember the moon gazing at me with its gruesome gaze , I felt  like a blanket had fallen from my head as a managed to gather some thoughts, I looked around me and for the first time I saw the piano playing filled with cobweb and broken keys, but my eyes widened as I saw the keys move without anyone playing them, I looked back at her and deep into the hungry eyes burning eyes I stepped back and she laughed with a forged as her animalistic eyes silently devoured me. 

-You don’t need him;  she said sharply, her smile gone and replaced with disgust. You choose to delve in the depth of the shadows. When you were in your solitude, did you think it was the shadows that kept you prisoner? she stopped and scoffed, when the shadows soothed you I was too, when the wind caressed your skin or embraced your clothes, that was me, I am darkness. I let out a whimpering sound as I backed towards the door, I never left her with my eyes and when she laughed hysterical my courage broke and I ran out a from the church and the stench came back I stumbled away from the church,

 I looked at the graveyard, now every grave was open and I could see shadows of figures smiling as they dug with  a frenzy with their hands, and helped another up from the grave and continued. I ran across the grass and towards the road, it wasn't far but I was already exhausted. I breathed heavily and heard the same hysterical laughter echo in my mind mocking me, I clenched my fist and increased the pace. I reached the road and heard a owl hooting my heart pounded, and I could feel my legs giving up, I needed to get away from here, I  continued to run as I looked frightened at the shadows that blew with the wind against me towards the old church, I fell over a root and stayed down, I could feel my heart pumping blown like a locomotive every vein felt like a railroad, I stayed down I looked up and saw the shadow gather around me, the soothing feeling I felt before had left me I was cold, my body started to shiver and I slowly felt the locomotive of blood starting to roll slowly.    

I strained to move my arm towards my pulse, I felt nothing, I desperately tried to feel it again and again, but nothing. I tried to move my hand to my heart but I couldn’t feel any blood moving through my veins, was I dead I thought terrified, as I looked up, hoping to see the moon looking with pity at me, but as the moon shined upon me I felt its transparent light tear my skin away to the same transparent shine. I gazed at a silhouette forming in the shadows before me, as she suddenly stood before me. She looked with the same disgust at me and tilted her head, as her hair flew as if it was floating surrounded by shadows. She spoke to me one last time. 

-You cannot run from me, I can see that your body and soul slowly is turning away from you. But remember this, I will always be there, wherever there is a shadow, I will haunt you, just look at your own…..She smiled maliciously as I looked at my shadow and saw to my horror that the same that was under her was under me, I tried to scream but no more sound came from me, as I now rapidly deteriorated into nothing, soon the only thing left was my head and one single thought.  This night will never see the light of dawn, I was swallowed by shadows, and erased from remembrance……