The Black Stone Tower

I’d walked back home by the clifftop path,

I’d only been gone an hour,

Rounding the point, it came into view

The sight of our Black Stone Tower.

Its ancient mystery suited me then

We’d picked it up for a song,

Nobody else had wanted it,

At the price, we couldn’t go wrong.

 

They said that a king had built it there

Far back in the mists of time,

And soldiers climbed by the old stone stair,

But now, thank god, it was mine.

A roof to shelter my Evelyn,

Though we supped by candlelight,

And drew our water deep from a well,

Made love when the stars were bright.

 

But now a breeze blew up from the cliff,

Was chill, and ruffled my hair,

And something about the Black Stone Tower

Was strange, a sense of despair.

For weeds had grown where the weeds were not

When I’d left, an hour before,

And someone had painted a bright red cross

On the Baltic Pine of the door.

 

It was only when I had got close up

That I saw that the red was blood,

And the door was half off its hinges,where

It was splintering, as I stood,

Then shapes began to appear to me,

Of soldiers, battering in

The Baltic Pine of this ancient door

To slay the soldiers within.

 

There wasn’t a single sound to hear,

There should have been clash and roar,

A mighty battle was raging in

The Black Stone Tower of war.

I called and I called for Evelyn

But there wasn’t a single trace

Of the love that I’d left alone in there,

That now, most terrible place.

 

I ran outside to the edge of the cliff

And stared down into the bay,

And there was the foulest, evil ship

Sails set, for sailing away.

And Evelyn strode down on the beach

While a soldier pulled at her hair,

Dragging her into a longboat as

She fought and struggled down there.

 

But this was a different Evelyn

To the one that I’d left at home,

The girl on the beach was dressed in peach,

My Evelyn dressed in bone,

And not in a full length courtly dress

Like you see from the days of yore,

As her ghostly shadow stepped in the boat

And sailed away from the shore.

 

I turned again to the Black Stone Tower

And the door was back in its frame,

There wasn’t a sign of the bloody cross

That had been there, just as I came.

And Evelyn staggered from out the door

As I cried out, ‘Where have you been?’

And she said sleepily, ‘Don’t be cross,

I’ve had an incredible dream!’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Devanshu Rajput]

It seems the same story would have been written by your love as she had a dream, that is most likely to be same as of yours.

You never fail to flabbergast me at the end. I hope never get to a place like The Black Stone Tower, or any place like it.

Thanks for sharing it again.

Devanshu

[Terrence Chang]

A great build up story. Each line was getting better and better. i really liked it

[TPK Stories]

It amazes me the stories in your head as you keep putting them out there. Well written David.

[alf]

Hi David. Again you have given us a wonderful read, loved the imagination that wove this poem like a fine tapestry. My hat off to you, once again, for an incredible write!!! Love it, alf

[ANTO]

Stepped into another time/dimension portal - if walls could talk - these walls do much more that that - giving a whole performance in full HD.
Gave me goosebumps the excellent imagery in this one David.
A cracker !!

[R Smith]

now that's a real mind boggler David, so the scene you saw on the beach was Evelyn's dream, well Wow! that is a great story told in your perfect style and a conclusion to end all conclusions a mighty powerful poem that carries us away into that stone tower and its deep dark secret, very written :)

[andrew mitchell]

David What a smash of a write my friend .Fascinating stuff and a great story told with perfection. I like ghostly tales and plan to write one myself oneday lol

[Lyn Croker Paget]

Well composed DLP.
A story of suspense, action and time travel, all rolled into one.
The second to last verse is a breath catcher as his dilemma unfolds with not one but two images of his lovely Evelyn, making him feel so helpess to rescue and intervene.
A clever steer back to the present is well done

[Valentine]

Who would have expected two mortals to have the same dream at the same time? Luckily they both awoke back to normalcy. Valentine

[Barbz]

The interpretention of this piece, I assume, would vary from reader to reader.....I, myself juggled with the intriguing contents, wondering whose fantasy was another's nightmare. I love that a good deal of your work keeps us guessing, encouraging our Perusal again and again.......I was fascinated by this one.....who wouldn't be! Thank you for the brain exercise......Barbz

[Marie]

Oh my. I believe Evelyn woke up just in time to avert a tragedy. Obviously the spirits still in that black stone tower found their way into her dreams...