The Caves of Aklabadd

In a land where there is no country,

Where the people are driven mad,

The world once chose to forget them there

By the Caves of Aklabadd,

They’re ringed around by a mountain chain

You can never get in, nor out,

For the Vampire Bats will drive you back

As they swarm from their great redoubt.

 

They’ve bitten so many people,

Corrupted the peasants’ blood,

With evil eyes, like the bats, they fly

When the Moon is in full flood.

While the uncorrupted peasants lie

With their doors and shutters barred,

The Vampyres feed on the blood they need

In the village of Beauregarde.

 

And deep in the Caves of Aklabadd

There are beasts who slave all night,

Making the coffins the Vampyres need

When the sun gives out first light,

While down in the valley the Silver Mines

Are worked for a single need,

For silver bullets to cull the young

Before they can start to breed!

 

The Vampyres come when the sun goes down,

The peasants work in the day,

And venture into the icy caves

To destroy them, come what may,

But a single bite or a scratch, just might

Infect with the spore from Hell,

And it only takes a day and a night

To pass on the blood-lust spell.

 

Jamaal was Chief of the Slayers there,

Had taken his father’s place,

Had stalked the Elder when he became

One of the hated race,

He’d begged forgiveness and wept as he

Had staked with a silver spike,

The man he’d loved in his earthly state

When he’d cornered him, one night.

 

His heart was bitter and vengeful then

As he nursed his hate for the spore,

He sought revenge for the stream of men

Who’d been lost to their hearths before,

He ventured deeper into the caves

Than those who said he was mad,

Searching the caves for the breeding grounds

In the caves of Aklabadd.

 

He’d tear the lid from each coffin found,

Destroy with a single shot,

The silver bullets were small and round

Would kill, more often than not,

But he came to a coffin, wrapped in lace

And carefully raised the lid,

To find a vision of holiness

That from earthly eyes was hid.

 

A woman, slumbered on silken sheets

With lips that were crimson red,

The hair that fell on her shoulders, seemed

Not fit for the gross undead,

The eyes that flickered were green with lights

Of amber, glowed in the gloom,

Jamaal fell back, and his heart was full

Disarmed in that cave-like room.

 

‘I can’t believe that you’re one of them,

They’re evil, and you are fair,’

She stretched herself and arose just then,

Ran her fingers deep in her hair,

‘Have you come to spare me, sweet Jamaal,

It was said that you’d come my way,

They need to breed from a sweeter blood

To save them from Judgement Day.'

 

‘Do you say that you haven’t got the spore,

That your blood is as clean as mine?’

‘They spared me that when they brought me here

My blood is like fine red wine.

They’re old and tired, and their blood’s on fire

Their sin has brought them to care,

To breed a race with a gentle face,

To escape from their own despair.’

 

She said that her name was Lilith then,

He took firm hold of her hand,

‘I’m going to take you out of this place

And back to your former land.’

They sped through caverns, gloomy and dark

As the night flew on, a tad,

The sun came up as they bounded out

From the Caves of Aklabadd.

 

They slept on an ancient chesterfield

With the heat of their passion spent,

Jamaal awoke, and he looked around

To see where the woman went,

His blood was trickling over his shirt

From the puncture holes in his throat,

And he cried aloud for the coming shroud

As he picked up Lilith’s note.

 

‘My love, I’m sorry I lied to you

But the fault was always mine,

Once you return as one of us

You may drink my blood like wine.

Our child shall live with a fairer face

For your blood was good, it’s sad,

But she’ll never fear for the morning rays

By the Caves of Aklabadd.’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Becky C Strukamp]

Now this was one subject I never expected you to take to task. Yet, you did and masterfully so. Hats off to you for one amazing write after another.

[Tate Morgan]

How many of us have been bitten by loves curse only to regret it in the early morning dawn.That was spectacular

[Zahra]

this is very good.enjoyed reading.

[Rachael Reina]

That was so amazing words can't even describe my joy for reading a work such as yours.

[Carolann Dowsett]

Wow very dark and foreboding but as usual a wonderful read.

[TPK Stories]

Love it. Always a fan of vampyre stories. ;+)

[Devanshu Rajput]

i always love to read your great,excellently written poem.............poem telling a Story..............you are a flower of the flock ................that's all i can say...................

[keyvan]

beautiful....very nice..

[Valentine]

When will men wise up and look on the inside of a woman instead of the beautiful outer shell..evil gets them every time..nice one david..a bit gruesome..but so well writtein..Kathie

[redflutterby]

This left my macabre side fully satisfied. Poor Jamal...taken in by Lilith the Queen of all deceit. What a horrible fate he has fallen too. You wove this so well as usual. I'm never disappointed with your words.