Well, Halloween is just around the corner. Anyone have a scary tale to share, a trifle bit of ghoulishness to lighten the mood as we obsess over this dreary disease. Here's my contribution:
The Beast in the Shadow
By
What strange creature dwells in shadowed dark,
Spewing a shredded wailing bark,
Reverberating off polished glass walls,
Cold damp pit where spirit crawls.
I shudder and shrink back with frosted breath,
Repelled by odors of decay and death,
A shiver of terror ascending my spine,
Sweating tears of salty brine.
Red eyes glaring in a pool of black,
Seeking prey; desperate lunge, bones crack,
Life extinguished, a glassy stare
As silence fills the creature’s lair.
I awoke with heaving breaths, images of terror slowly fading. It was only a nightmare but the breath of the vile creature still felt warm on my face. Slowly my racing heart ceased pounding and my hands stopped shaking. The day dragged along in a boring haze, nothing happening of any consequence. Yet, I still avoided shadows, a faint uneasiness whispering from the darkness. The sun set, then blackness, no moon to lighten my somber mood. I was restless so I walked through the cool night air to the park. Even in the faint starlight, the trees cast elongated shadows across the path. An agitated rustling emanated from the shadows. My blood froze.
What strange creature dwells in shadowed dark;
Stalking its prey, it leaves its foul mark
On rotting debris, crushed by bloodstained claws,
Primal instincts pursuing evil cause.
I shudder, recoiling from the sight,
Wretched, enmeshed in hopeless plight;
I ran with frozen feet and fell
As padded footsteps drummed an ancient spell.
The beast approached in snarling rage,
Pursuing its prey, bound in a cage
O fear, that strangled my anguished cry;
Huddled in pools of pity, I waited to die.
I awoke with heaving breaths, images of terror slowly fading. It was only a nightmare…
I wrote this story for Halloween last year. Funny...I was reading it again and couldn't help but think of the beast as RA...hiding in the shadows, attacking without warning, then when you think it's under control you wake up and it starts all over again... I need a break from thinking about RA...it's become an obsession. This is only a story...only a story...honest!
Alan