Post by thestoryteller20 on Jan 24, 2006 17:00:45 GMT -5
As I stood before the ancient stone wall, I could feel myself tremble. A thousand
questions raced through my mind, and I had no answers. The old woman had vanished, and
I didn’t think she was coming back. In fact, I felt she had died! And me? I was a
stranger who stumbled onto a war…a war of good against evil; and it appeared the final
card was about to be played, but to what end? I was no hero, nor was I brave, and I
knew what was about to take place would take all the courage within me. I knew I was
unprepared to face the unimaginable on the other side of this wall. What was so
terrifying was I didn’t know what was on the other side, and worse; I wasn’t sure I
would know how to come back. That was of course, if I lived!
I sensed the urgency to begin my journey and reached up and rubbed by fingers against
the amulet the old woman had given me. Then I gripped the staff in my right had and
begin to walk through the stone wall. I wish I could describe what it felt like to walk
through stone, but I can find no words. When I came out on the other side, I found
myself in a swampy forest. Up ahead was the stone ruins of an very old church. Very
little of it remained though. It looked like it had been blown up, yet the explosion
had to have been inside the church. Judging from the immense weight of the stone
blocks, I couldn’t imagine what would cause such a tremendous explosion.
The front wall of the church remained, with a cross resting on top. The stone steps
descended into the murky waters of the swamp. I thought it very odd that people would
build a church in a swamp of all places. I looked up and couldn’t see sky, only grey
clouds. The smell in the air was that of rotting flesh. The waters were brown, and now
and then I could see the ripples of something under the surface swimming past. I had no
intention of stepping into the water. Through the trees, I barely could see the rear of
the church building and the archway the white haired lady had spoken of. That was my
destination.
I wondered as I stepped through the grass, if I had passed through time and was now in
medieval times? Could it be that I had went back in time to the days of knights and
castles? It was at that moment of distraction that I nearly jumped out of my skin when
I heard the most anguished scream! The sound was so loud, it was deafening! The sound
seemed to come from everywhere at once. Then I saw them! They were neither human, nor
beast, yet part of both. They walked like a man, but they were slow, holding swords,
in clawed hands. Their skin was dark grey, and their eyes sunken. I stood still, held
my ground and gripped the staff tightly.
I remembered what the old woman had said before she vanished, for me to draw a circle
around me with the staff, if I was in danger, but I didn’t move. I felt that if I moved,
they would hear me, and I was a long ways from the arch. All I could do was watch them
as they walked in my direction. They walked perhaps 15 feet apart and were searching
for something or someone! Did they know I was here…or why? Then I remembered what the
woman had said what she had said about the spell she had cast. The shadow spell! Yes!
That’s what she had called it. She said that I would be able to walk in this world
unnoticed! Rather then walk and make noise and see if she was right, I stood still.
Besides the staff, she had given me no weapons.
In a few minutes both creatures passed by me, one on each side, and neither appeared
like they had seen me. I felt sweat running down my face. I knew they would had killed
me had they seen me…they were that close. I waited until they were well past me, and
ever so carefully I made my way through the tall grey grass, doing my best to step over
dried limbs and anything else that might snap.I chose to climb onto the moss covered
steps of the church, where it was quieter. The sides of the building had huge scattered
stone blocks with brush growing all around them.
I stood in the doorway of what would have been the front door. But there was no door.
Only ancient hinges that were twisted, as if the door had litterly been ripped off the
hinges with tremendous strength. Yet the hinges were bent and twisted inward, meaning
whatever ripped off the door had once stood on the outside of the church. Judging from
the size of the hinges, the door must have weighed a ton! I took one more look back
because the hair was standing on the back of my neck, but I saw nothing. Besides a huge
cave like crater hole in the stone floor, there was nothing remaining. Just scattered
pieces of stone debris. Up ahead, maybe 100 feet was the stone archway I was looking
for. I could see a large, heavy wooden chest.
When I reached the chest, I saw that it was intricately carved with words and designs,
neither of which I understood. The hinges were brass, or were they gold? Either way,
they showed no sign of tarnish, even as old of a place as this was. That was when I
noticed the lock! The woman who had healed me and guided me to this place didn’t say
the box would have a lock! She had given me no key! What was I to do? There was a heavy
wide leather strap on both sides of the chest and I tried to lift one side up, but it
weighed a ton! I hadn’t planned on taking the chest back with me anyway. She had told
me to remove the stone and bring it back to my world and destroy the stone wall!
The longer I stood there, the more uneasy I became. Just on the off chance the lock
was no good, I lifted it up and twisted it, but saw it was a very strong lock. I knew
there was only one thing I could do. I had to use a piece of stone at my feet, to break
the lock off.
I didn’t like that idea at all, because what ever was in this world, that was guarding
this place, this box, would know someone was here. I am sure the two creatures I had
seen earlier would come to investigate. Not to mention the demon who had attacked me!
Sometimes, when you are the most scared… is the moment you find the courage to do what
must be done! I sat the staff down, and lifted the heaviest stone I could lift, which
had a sharp edge to it. With all my strength I threw it down and barely missed the
ock, and jumped as the stone hit the floor. The sound seemed to echo like a hand
grenade! I desperately grabbed the edges of the stone again and threw it at the lock
once more!
This time, I hit the lock dead center, and the bottom half of the lock fell to the
floor. Anxiously, I knelt and flipped the hasp and with both hands I lifted the lid.
The voices of a thousand children’s voices swirled around me…all crying out; “Please
help set us free”! Lying on top of a velvet cloth with gold braids was a unbelievably
beautiful turquoise blue stone. It was formed in the shape of the same way as the
stone amulet on top of my staff but larger. Its turquoise blue color was almost
transparent! I had never seen something so beautiful.
That’s when I heard the sounds of terror fill my senses! I grabbed the stone in one
hand and placed it in my pocket, and grabbed the staff and stood up. As I spun around,
I was facing not two, but four of the creatures, each holding a sword. They had no
eyes that I could see, but it was clear they were walking right toward the box. The
problem was, I was in front of the box. In less time then it could take to blink, I
stepped aside, and rubbed the end of the staff around the floor in a circle! I now
held both hands on the staff like a spear and waited. One creature reached the box
first and moved the velvet cloth, then picked up the broken lock, as the other three
arrived!
The scream I heard next was so blood curdling that thought my heart would stop!
Evidently the shadow spell had done or was doing exactly what the woman intended it
to do. They couldn’t see me. But… the one who looked or acted like the leader sensed
something. Something the others hadn’t. He was the closest to me, just a couple of
feet. Perhaps it was the magic of the Circle Of Protection, Perhaps it was the amulet
around my neck, The Circle Of Solomon, Perhaps it was the scent of my being human?
Whatever it was, all hell was about to break loose!
One never realizes whether you will be brave or afraid until faced in a life and death
situation! Will you hesitate, or act with courage? For me, at that moment, I acted
with courage, not knowing what would happen. I used the staff as a spear and thrust it
deeply into the creature nearest me, and pulled it out, as his body exploded into a
million flashes of light as he screamed, I thrust the amulet on the staff into the
second one, and he too vanished in anguished screams.
The other two, who I considered the walking dead were farter away, and though they
could not see me, they were swinging their swords as if I were within their swords
blades. Though I considered them dead, they showed intelligence. They were frightened,
but making their way closer to me, attacking the air, like a process of illumination.
Their plan was to kill that which they could not see. I was scared, no, I was
terrified! I didn’t know what would happen if I stepped out of the Circle of
Protection I hade made around me with the staff. Would it really protect me? I wanted
to step outside and attack them! I wanted to kill them and run back to the stone wall
and flee! But I fought that fear and stayed inside the circle. I could only wait, and
I didn’t have to wait long!
When the blade sliced through the air and reached the circle, he fell to his knees and
burst into flames. Oh My God, what a horrible smell he made! Only one creature remained
and he began to move away, walking backwards, slowly as he snarled, as if to intimidate
that which he could not see. I followed him at a distance, quickly looking to my left,
then right, then backwards! I watched him as he descended the steps and entered the
swamp, and in seconds, I could see him no more!
I knew where I was headed. Only this time I did not walk slow and careful! I ran!!!!!
I didn’t care who heard me. When I reached the spot where I was sure the wall had been,
I stopped dead in my tracks! As far as I could see was swamp!!!!I looked left and right,
then back at the church. This was the place, the spot, but where had the wall gone? I
was shaking, shaking as if my life depended on finding the wall, and believe me it did!
It was at that moment, that I heard a child’s voice to my right! There at the top of a
v-sloped hill, I saw a round glass object with a thousand facets of bright light!
“Please don’t be afraid! You are very brave to come here, to fight the evil that keeps
our souls locked in this place of torment and darkness! The wall you seek is behind you!
Use the staff and it will be revealed. Go quickly, destroy the wall! Please help set us
free”! Suddenly the brilliant light faded and was gone! My heart ached for all who were
trapped here, and I felt a tear fall from my cheek as I turned and held out the staff
in front of me. As if it had always been there, the stone wall appeared. That was when
I froze in my tracks! For the demon who had attacked me in the house stood between me,
and the wall. I had no choice now but to fight him, perhaps to my death!
© 2006 Raymond Cook (All rights reserved)
questions raced through my mind, and I had no answers. The old woman had vanished, and
I didn’t think she was coming back. In fact, I felt she had died! And me? I was a
stranger who stumbled onto a war…a war of good against evil; and it appeared the final
card was about to be played, but to what end? I was no hero, nor was I brave, and I
knew what was about to take place would take all the courage within me. I knew I was
unprepared to face the unimaginable on the other side of this wall. What was so
terrifying was I didn’t know what was on the other side, and worse; I wasn’t sure I
would know how to come back. That was of course, if I lived!
I sensed the urgency to begin my journey and reached up and rubbed by fingers against
the amulet the old woman had given me. Then I gripped the staff in my right had and
begin to walk through the stone wall. I wish I could describe what it felt like to walk
through stone, but I can find no words. When I came out on the other side, I found
myself in a swampy forest. Up ahead was the stone ruins of an very old church. Very
little of it remained though. It looked like it had been blown up, yet the explosion
had to have been inside the church. Judging from the immense weight of the stone
blocks, I couldn’t imagine what would cause such a tremendous explosion.
The front wall of the church remained, with a cross resting on top. The stone steps
descended into the murky waters of the swamp. I thought it very odd that people would
build a church in a swamp of all places. I looked up and couldn’t see sky, only grey
clouds. The smell in the air was that of rotting flesh. The waters were brown, and now
and then I could see the ripples of something under the surface swimming past. I had no
intention of stepping into the water. Through the trees, I barely could see the rear of
the church building and the archway the white haired lady had spoken of. That was my
destination.
I wondered as I stepped through the grass, if I had passed through time and was now in
medieval times? Could it be that I had went back in time to the days of knights and
castles? It was at that moment of distraction that I nearly jumped out of my skin when
I heard the most anguished scream! The sound was so loud, it was deafening! The sound
seemed to come from everywhere at once. Then I saw them! They were neither human, nor
beast, yet part of both. They walked like a man, but they were slow, holding swords,
in clawed hands. Their skin was dark grey, and their eyes sunken. I stood still, held
my ground and gripped the staff tightly.
I remembered what the old woman had said before she vanished, for me to draw a circle
around me with the staff, if I was in danger, but I didn’t move. I felt that if I moved,
they would hear me, and I was a long ways from the arch. All I could do was watch them
as they walked in my direction. They walked perhaps 15 feet apart and were searching
for something or someone! Did they know I was here…or why? Then I remembered what the
woman had said what she had said about the spell she had cast. The shadow spell! Yes!
That’s what she had called it. She said that I would be able to walk in this world
unnoticed! Rather then walk and make noise and see if she was right, I stood still.
Besides the staff, she had given me no weapons.
In a few minutes both creatures passed by me, one on each side, and neither appeared
like they had seen me. I felt sweat running down my face. I knew they would had killed
me had they seen me…they were that close. I waited until they were well past me, and
ever so carefully I made my way through the tall grey grass, doing my best to step over
dried limbs and anything else that might snap.I chose to climb onto the moss covered
steps of the church, where it was quieter. The sides of the building had huge scattered
stone blocks with brush growing all around them.
I stood in the doorway of what would have been the front door. But there was no door.
Only ancient hinges that were twisted, as if the door had litterly been ripped off the
hinges with tremendous strength. Yet the hinges were bent and twisted inward, meaning
whatever ripped off the door had once stood on the outside of the church. Judging from
the size of the hinges, the door must have weighed a ton! I took one more look back
because the hair was standing on the back of my neck, but I saw nothing. Besides a huge
cave like crater hole in the stone floor, there was nothing remaining. Just scattered
pieces of stone debris. Up ahead, maybe 100 feet was the stone archway I was looking
for. I could see a large, heavy wooden chest.
When I reached the chest, I saw that it was intricately carved with words and designs,
neither of which I understood. The hinges were brass, or were they gold? Either way,
they showed no sign of tarnish, even as old of a place as this was. That was when I
noticed the lock! The woman who had healed me and guided me to this place didn’t say
the box would have a lock! She had given me no key! What was I to do? There was a heavy
wide leather strap on both sides of the chest and I tried to lift one side up, but it
weighed a ton! I hadn’t planned on taking the chest back with me anyway. She had told
me to remove the stone and bring it back to my world and destroy the stone wall!
The longer I stood there, the more uneasy I became. Just on the off chance the lock
was no good, I lifted it up and twisted it, but saw it was a very strong lock. I knew
there was only one thing I could do. I had to use a piece of stone at my feet, to break
the lock off.
I didn’t like that idea at all, because what ever was in this world, that was guarding
this place, this box, would know someone was here. I am sure the two creatures I had
seen earlier would come to investigate. Not to mention the demon who had attacked me!
Sometimes, when you are the most scared… is the moment you find the courage to do what
must be done! I sat the staff down, and lifted the heaviest stone I could lift, which
had a sharp edge to it. With all my strength I threw it down and barely missed the
ock, and jumped as the stone hit the floor. The sound seemed to echo like a hand
grenade! I desperately grabbed the edges of the stone again and threw it at the lock
once more!
This time, I hit the lock dead center, and the bottom half of the lock fell to the
floor. Anxiously, I knelt and flipped the hasp and with both hands I lifted the lid.
The voices of a thousand children’s voices swirled around me…all crying out; “Please
help set us free”! Lying on top of a velvet cloth with gold braids was a unbelievably
beautiful turquoise blue stone. It was formed in the shape of the same way as the
stone amulet on top of my staff but larger. Its turquoise blue color was almost
transparent! I had never seen something so beautiful.
That’s when I heard the sounds of terror fill my senses! I grabbed the stone in one
hand and placed it in my pocket, and grabbed the staff and stood up. As I spun around,
I was facing not two, but four of the creatures, each holding a sword. They had no
eyes that I could see, but it was clear they were walking right toward the box. The
problem was, I was in front of the box. In less time then it could take to blink, I
stepped aside, and rubbed the end of the staff around the floor in a circle! I now
held both hands on the staff like a spear and waited. One creature reached the box
first and moved the velvet cloth, then picked up the broken lock, as the other three
arrived!
The scream I heard next was so blood curdling that thought my heart would stop!
Evidently the shadow spell had done or was doing exactly what the woman intended it
to do. They couldn’t see me. But… the one who looked or acted like the leader sensed
something. Something the others hadn’t. He was the closest to me, just a couple of
feet. Perhaps it was the magic of the Circle Of Protection, Perhaps it was the amulet
around my neck, The Circle Of Solomon, Perhaps it was the scent of my being human?
Whatever it was, all hell was about to break loose!
One never realizes whether you will be brave or afraid until faced in a life and death
situation! Will you hesitate, or act with courage? For me, at that moment, I acted
with courage, not knowing what would happen. I used the staff as a spear and thrust it
deeply into the creature nearest me, and pulled it out, as his body exploded into a
million flashes of light as he screamed, I thrust the amulet on the staff into the
second one, and he too vanished in anguished screams.
The other two, who I considered the walking dead were farter away, and though they
could not see me, they were swinging their swords as if I were within their swords
blades. Though I considered them dead, they showed intelligence. They were frightened,
but making their way closer to me, attacking the air, like a process of illumination.
Their plan was to kill that which they could not see. I was scared, no, I was
terrified! I didn’t know what would happen if I stepped out of the Circle of
Protection I hade made around me with the staff. Would it really protect me? I wanted
to step outside and attack them! I wanted to kill them and run back to the stone wall
and flee! But I fought that fear and stayed inside the circle. I could only wait, and
I didn’t have to wait long!
When the blade sliced through the air and reached the circle, he fell to his knees and
burst into flames. Oh My God, what a horrible smell he made! Only one creature remained
and he began to move away, walking backwards, slowly as he snarled, as if to intimidate
that which he could not see. I followed him at a distance, quickly looking to my left,
then right, then backwards! I watched him as he descended the steps and entered the
swamp, and in seconds, I could see him no more!
I knew where I was headed. Only this time I did not walk slow and careful! I ran!!!!!
I didn’t care who heard me. When I reached the spot where I was sure the wall had been,
I stopped dead in my tracks! As far as I could see was swamp!!!!I looked left and right,
then back at the church. This was the place, the spot, but where had the wall gone? I
was shaking, shaking as if my life depended on finding the wall, and believe me it did!
It was at that moment, that I heard a child’s voice to my right! There at the top of a
v-sloped hill, I saw a round glass object with a thousand facets of bright light!
“Please don’t be afraid! You are very brave to come here, to fight the evil that keeps
our souls locked in this place of torment and darkness! The wall you seek is behind you!
Use the staff and it will be revealed. Go quickly, destroy the wall! Please help set us
free”! Suddenly the brilliant light faded and was gone! My heart ached for all who were
trapped here, and I felt a tear fall from my cheek as I turned and held out the staff
in front of me. As if it had always been there, the stone wall appeared. That was when
I froze in my tracks! For the demon who had attacked me in the house stood between me,
and the wall. I had no choice now but to fight him, perhaps to my death!
© 2006 Raymond Cook (All rights reserved)