The sun had faded and the darkness had come, casting its final shadows until dawn. Now awaken, I stand amidst a hallway facing the stairwell. A stairwell that is forever frightening and forever soothing. Each story, sometimes cleverly hidden, but always yearns to be told. Each step and story we take, represents the unknown ascension to the surface of who we truly are.
I lean against the metal frame. It’s cool touch is soothing to my burning body. Slowly the silent stairwell becomes alive. I hear music playing, talk radio disc jockeys, and mindless commercials occupying the open spaces. Exhaling deeply, as the chatter disappears.
I begin to hear the limitless cries.
Cries of passion… Cries of pain…
Cries of laughter… Cries of agony…
I turn to an empty page in my notebook. Closing my eyes, I begin to breathe deeply…
As I open them, my fingers wrap around the cold metal window handle. Slowly, I pushed it open with both hands. I leaned my head out the window, resting on my elbows with my head in my hands. A small bird flies by and rests on a branch in a nearby tree. My heart begins to pound and my breathing is labored, as the falling snowflakes tickle as they land on my face.
I tried to mimic her exact pose, as I watched from a safe distance. She looked so happy and content. They all did. My mouth begins to salivate; I can nearly taste their oozing innocence, like nectar from the sweetest flower. This is why I choose them. They were just over the edge of womanhood and lived alone, rarely having any company. Each of them was looking, as if they were waiting for someone to rescue and soothe them. They were waiting for me.
I can’t quite understand why they don’t look so content when they meet me. It would only take a few words to see that I was what they truly needed. But no, they scream, they cry, and they fight. But in the end they plead. Plead for me to make it better. I take away their fear; fix their hair, and their makeup. See, they are so beautiful now and so peaceful.
I take a step and close my eyes …
Opening them, Cyrus twists off the cap of his beer. He and some buddies had stolen his Uncle’s truck for the night, and decided to live it up while they still could. That first drink tasted so good and lingered a bit. Cyrus wasn’t sure if hanging out with his best friends was what made the night so special. Perhaps, it was that smile he got from Cindy Childress earlier that night. Truth be told, probably a little bit of both. Cyrus couldn’t believe that out of all the dudes standing out there, he was her guy for about fifteen seconds.
Cyrus swallowed hard, as he stared back. His heart had begun pounding, as he tried to summon the courage to walk over and spit his best game. Tail had noticed how nervous Cyrus had become and patted Rooster on the shoulder. Tail and Rooster looked at each other, and the same thought came. Cyrus was about to bail on a halfcocked promise of some play. Nope, that man must be out of his mind. Hell, there are three cases of beer in the back of his Uncle’s truck. They made their move.
Tail asked, “Hey Cyrus, are we going to get those girls?” Although he knew there weren’t any girls, Tail felt bad as hell. So he did what he had to do. The smile quickly faded from Cindy’s mouth. Then, she turned and stormed away. You could see Cyrus’s heart sink. He looked as if the life had been snatched on a whisper. Normally, Cyrus was one of those super cool dudes. You know the type; Kool as Kool-aid …Oh yeah!!!
Closing my eyes I took another step…
A man stood in a diner parking lot, just looking around. His cheeks were frozen from the wind. His eyes were glazed from his tears. His hands were numb as he opened the door of his pickup. He started the truck and sat there still. His thoughts were thousands of miles away, in a small town that contained his salvation… his dreams… his heart.
He sat there wondering, what had brought him there. His thawing cheeks and hands began to ache, but he hardly noticed. Fear and anxiety had become his watchwords. He was confused by this. These certainly weren’t traits of a leader of a powerful horde. If for a moment they believed that he had become weak, they would gobble him up and spit out the bones.
He pulled out the parking lot and continued his journey towards uncertainty. The road’s symphony gently played in his mind and tenderly caressed his soul. His eyes grew heavy, but his will was stronger. The will to reach and feel the passion he so desperately yearned. This is what carried him across the asphalt sea. As he drove, nights turned to days and days into night, but still he drove. He stopped only to feed his truck, he needed no nourishment. Soon, he would feast the feast of the kings. Lights from his phone danced within the darkness of his truck.
I took another step and closed my eyes…
Opening them, I could see the glow from his cigarette. I can’t remember how long I’ve been here. I don’t even remember the last time I felt my arms. I know they are there, because I am still hanging from that hook on the ceiling. My skin is covered in goose bumps and I am shaking from the cold. The only time I saw his face is when he brought the pain. Having endured levels of pain that I couldn’t have ever imagined, I am surprised that I haven’t died. But, he won’t let me. Then he sits in that damn chair and smokes cigarette after cigarette in silence.
I gave up the location to my latest victim days ago. Why doesn’t he let me go? I have tried everything, money, logic, and the promise of sex. The more I tried to sway him, the more pain he brought.
“AAAAAHHHHH!!!!” I scream, as I feel sharp stabbing in my legs right above my knees. It is still dark in the room. What is going on? Then a single candle is lit. There are those eyes cold and dark. I know them too well. They look just like mine.
Closing my eyes, I took another step…
I open them to the metallic click of my Zippo opening. The wheel strikes the flint and the spark ignites the flame. I light my cigarette and take a deep drag. Smiling as I exhale, thinking that there is no telling what you will find as you climb this stairwell. You hear me sound my poetic yelp from the rooftops of my mind. You have only started on the voyage to the Depths of Madness.
