The haunting darkness
Numbs my limbs
My blood is cold
So frozen I’ve been.
Frightening thoughts
Oh! Clustered my head
I can’t think, I can’t think.
My pen froze in my hand
I paused, I was writting somewhere
Evilness was haunting my mind
I closed my eyes
To pretend am elsewhere.
Oh! I came with a stranger
To an unknown land
May be the evil is at its high spirit here
May be am the next one of ‘em to be sneered.
The doors of heaven would be closed for me now.
No sign of hope
I can’t cry or howl.
For if my intuition is predicted
My soul would have no chance
To purge and regenerate
Oh! Lord what I have put myself into
I must stay calm
And play along this floating song.
But while I was buried
In deep thoughts of mine.
Mr. Ray shook me with his deep voice
“Come my companion, we’ve arrived.”
I looked outside,
Where the darkness was darker than inside.
I grabbed my coat,
And carried my bag
My suitcase was heavy
‘Coz I planned to stay a while.
But I ain’t know now,
What’s ahead in my life line?
I alighted from the train
One step at a time,
As soon as I touched the base
The 3:15 train started pacing,
Silently chugging into the dark night.
I glanced up and down the platform
Not another sole I could sight
I wondered
If I am the prey of this whole set up
Every evil thing was hunting that night.
Placing his hand on my shoulder
Mr. Ray politely motioned me to move on
I followed him with no choice
Walking into the evil traps.
A carriage was waiting in the darkness of night
It was glowing red,
With the light burning inside.
The driver was wearing a black cloak,
His face was invisible
under the mysterious hood.
“Why all the secrecy
Why all the mystery”
My heart was crying
With the evil tendencies.
All vibrations talking to me
Speaking in their own languages
Warning me on each step
I stepped back but Ray push me ahead
Politely he smiled
Gestured to move ahead
I grew pale
I grew white
When the lamp light fell on the drive’s smile
“Give me the Herr’s Luggage”
Said the drive looking up with a gleaming smile
With extreme alacrity my bags were handed
With courtesy he directed me to get inside his ride
Helping me by gripping my hands
He must have prodigious strength
With grip of steel he caught my arm.
Mr. Ray sat beside me
As quite as he didn’t exist.
Without a word
the driver shook his reins
The horses turned
And we swept into the dark night.
I looked behind
At the station’s lamp light
Loosing into the darkness
No turning back
From now and here.
I was staring at Mr. Ray
With my questioning eyes
Not sure where am heading
In the night of Devil’s time.
He consoled by patting to be patient.
Saying in calm voice
“Denn die Todten reiten schnell”
It raised more confusion in my mind.
I anxiously questioned,
“What you even mean?
I don’t understand a single word.”
He smiled and said,
“You’re Dracula’s guest
No harm can come your way
My companion.”
He consoled me again,
“Don’t worry,
We will reach nearest motel very soon
To rest for a while.”
I waited for the carriage to stop
I waited to breathe some air
Finally the motion paused,
I looked through the windows
Saw the driver talking to the inn lady
The owner beside her
was frightened as seeing a ghost
Pale with fear
They were constantly looking at me
Even in that little lamp light
Their horror was clear.
He politely greeted me in
The Inn lady asked
if she can be of any service
their over politeness
was intending to please me.
“Oh! Herr, please come in,
Make yourself comfortable
Let us know
If we can be of any service.”
Mr. Raymond was left behind
I turned back to call him inside
But he had left somewhere
Lost in the darkness
In that chilling season
Left me in confusion and
with lot of questions
I kept staring in the darkness
With no answer
And no solution.
The inn lady patted my back
She said the driver will be back
In her broken English
With her motherly touch
She uttered these particular words
“Must you go? Oh young Herr,
Must you go?”
She was in such an anxious state
She lost her grip of English
She mixed her words
But still managed to say
“Do you know,
What day it is?”
I shook my head
And she continued
“It is the eve of St. George’s Day,
When all the evil things
Will be in full sway.
When the midnight will strike today.”
She crossed herself
And said again
“Morning the drive will come again
Don’t leave this Inn
Until next day.
Believe me young Herr
You will be safe.”
I smiled at her
And comforted with respect
She lead the way
Motioning me to follow
directing me
To my room ahead
The rickety elevator
Swung open the grates
She stepped out
Onto the sixth floor
And went straight ahead
The dark corridor
Ended in a drab door
Where she stopped
crossing herself again
I glanced at the door
It had a number on it.
Handing over the key
She hastily retreated
Soon I was all alone
Standing and staring
At the door
Seeing and wondering
What lay ahead.
I undid the latch
And twisted the knob
The door creaked open
Slowly, ominously,
I stared inside
To what lay beyond
The door,
The door to the room number 66
The room on the sixth floor’s
In this lone Devil’s Home.
-- To Be Continued...
