Castle Horror

All around you swirls dark mists and evil shadows. Unafraid, you walk on into the night. Your boots hardly make a sound on the hard rock beneath you, but even that sound is magnified here a hundredfold. You are not sure what it is you are looking for, but it is that...something, that is pulling you forward.

Suddenly, you notice a huge expanse of blackness looming before you, shrouded by mists. As you draw nearer, you begin to make out the spires and arches of a truly gothic castle. What is this place? You wonder again and again. With a feeling of dread, you try to turn and run but are unable to stop your legs from walking forward towards the castle.

The closer you come, the clearer you can define the workmanship of the walls. You gasp in horror when you notice uncountable numbers of twisting faces moving within the foggy shadowstone of the walls, each face locked in an expression of utmost agony and torment. Captivated by the immense horror of the walls, you reach out and press your palm against it. Instantly the voices of countless lost souls fills your mind with their screams of pain and torment. Freeee usss.... comes their voice. Freeee usss.....! Overcome with terror, you rip your hand away from the wall, and the voices die out. As their cries fade into the blackness of the world around you, you shudder and walk on.

At last you come to the great yawning blackness that is the alcove in which are set the gates. Massive doors of a black metal are framed against the horrific stone. Upon these doors are blue-white carvings, constantly shifting and twisting into images found only in your most terrible of nightmares.

Only the siren call that brought you thus far keeps you from screaming in fear, but rather, pulls you closer to these massive doors. You reach out to knock, but the doors swing inwards with the sound of the millions of souls screaming in torment.

From inside this dreaded arch comes shadow, full and tangible, bringing a darkness that seems to overwhelm you. When you finally come to your senses, you are standing inside an almost infinite hall. Down the centre lies a blood red runner stretching back into the darkness. Upon the walls are tapestries depicting scenes of unimaginable horror. You want nothing more than to wake up from this terrifying dream, to find yourself safe in your bed, but the call draws you deeper into the cavernous halls of this Castle of Fear.

Your steps echo off the walls, shattering your calm, and you shiver as you walk. Pinpricks of fear tickle up and down your spine, raising the hairs on the back of your neck, and sending chills throughout your body. Still, you walk on.

What was that? Was that a sound in the darkness behind you? You dare not to look to the left or to the right, yet even as you think, scuttling noises are heard all around you. Images of walking dead fill your mind. Rotting corpses walking through your mind, their bony feet making clacking noises that eminate throughout the darkness around you.

Suddenly, you feel a presence behind you, and something brushes up against your cheek. You scream in terror and explode forward in a desperate attempt to get away from the unimaginable dread.

You finally come to a small archway and dash through. At the other end of this low hallway is a huge wooden door, and it opens without a sound at your swift approach, then it slams shut behind you as you pass through. You whirl around and bang on the door, screaming to be let out, but your voice only echoes around you in the sudden stillness.

Come! Join us... Speaks a softly terrifying voice from out of the darkness behind you. You slowly turn, but you see no one. "Who...who is there?" You ask timidly into the emptiness. Your greatest desires, and your darkest fears... Comes the chilling reply.

Those words send fear as tangible and cold as ice sweeping through your body, and you spin around, and dash forward again. Up ahead suddenly gleams a cold blue light. Curiosity mixed with fear slow your steps and you come cautiously to another arched doorway.

You step through into a large study, with a huge fireplace in the wall to your right. A strange fire burns within it's grate. A fire that gives no heat, yet seams to drain your own warmth from your body. The deep blue flames entrance you. As you gaze deeper into the flickering light, again the faces appear, screaming their silent pleas for a savior that will never come.

You back away in horror, and you realize that you are not alone in the room. A highbacked chair faces the fire, but you are unable to see the occupant. A shadow seems to cover it's face, but it's tall figure can be seen in the flickering blue light.

Welcome to my home... Comes a voice both strangely familiar. Please, make yourself, comfortable...

Suddenly a intense fear grips your heart in a vice-like grip, and you struggle to breathe. You gasp for breath as you feel like you are falling into a sea and hands are pulling you under, ever under...

Awakening with a start, you find yourself lying in a bed, the sheets black as pitch, and the only light coming from a small candle, flickering with the same deep blue fire, set on the stand beside you. Fear again grips you as you realize you cannot move. One final time the voice speaks unto you, coming from everywhere and nowhere.

You should be comfortable, you will be here a very, very long time!

The voice fades away into the emptiness with a laugh of shear evil, and infinite sadism. Maybe it's your own fear deepening into madness, but the voice sounds just like your own...