Darker than death

Horror story, about death and darkness

Two teens stood facing the black rusted iron gates as they peered through the bars at a massive black marble castle. The ageless stone reflected everything, including the moonlight that shimmered upon its surface. The forest around them whispered in the wind, the cold air made the male on the left pull his jacket around him.

“Are you sure you want to do this, Noctis?” asked the boy with short black hair and super blue, almost white eyes that seemed to flash in the dark.

“Damian, it’s the only way to prove that ghosts exist. When we post this video on YouTube, we will be famous!” exclaimed Noctis, a female with long black hair and grey eyes. She approached the gate and pushed the heave iron door inside. The hinges screeched with rust and age as they walked up the cobble stone drive towards the castle.

The massive spires cast shadows at seemingly random angles. The reflective surface of the walls had shown their flashlights in the dark. The moon cast a faint silvery light upon the oaken front doors. Damian grasped the freezing brass handle and pulled on the heavy door with a faint rumble. A strong breeze pushed against their backs as if trying to push them inside the castle. Damian shivered slightly as they stepped inside. The door behind them slowly closed itself with a small click. They stood in a great entry hall of black marble and golden wall hangings. The floor reflected them and their lights as they made their way up the first set of stairs.

“Ok, take out the camera.” Noctis commanded as Damian removed it from his pack. He switched it to night vision and looked around.

“Ok, where do you want to go first?” He asked, looking down the hall that stood in front of them.

“The map says there are 3 main corridors. The middle leads to the great hall. Let’s start there.” She suggested as they walked down the middle hall. Damian felt no presence of any ghosts. He looked everywhere around the hall as they walked.

 Stone pillars lined the corridor like rips. There were no windows to let some natural light it. The old walls were not even covered in dust. Damian thought it was strange that this place had not aged even a bit. It was disturbing to him. They had walked silently for 10 minutes. He then noticed Noctis had stopped walking.

“Do you hear that?” she asked.

“Hear what?”

“That dragging noise, as if someone is dragging stone across stone.” She explained.

“No…” at that moment Damian heard it too. As if a wall or something was slowly moving. He got very creeped out.

“Let’s check it out, I think it is behind us.” She suggested and she turned around. They walked back to find that there was no way out. Damian felt his heart surge with adrenalin and fear.

“What the heck?!” he exclaimed. Noctis had a look of fear on her face as well.

“That is not possible!” She exclaimed, and began pressing on the wall. There was no way out. Noctis turned to face Damian.

“There are more ways out, so let’s just find it.” She suggested trying to remain calm. Damian took a heavy breath to calm his nerves. He nodded, then they headed silently down the hall, Damian was still filming. Not wanting to miss anything. That was the scariest thing he had ever seen, walls moving by themselves. He could hardly believe it. He felt the air grow extremely cold.

“Noctis, do you feel that?” he asked. “It feels as if the air just suddenly froze”

“Yes, it’s probably a ghost trying to manifest itself.” She explained

“I don’t think that I want to run into a ghost now. Especially when we don’t have an exit.” He muttered. His senses were going haywire. He knew something was watching them.

“We can’t chicken out now! Let’s just get it on film, then get the hell out of here.” She replied. They approached the end of the hall. They stood at a fork in the corridor. Noctis took out a second camera from her pack.

“I guess we have to split up.” She said, also taking out headsets. She handed one to Damian.

“No! I don’t want to split up!” he complained to his friend. He had a slight fear of being alone.

“Come on, don’t be a p***y. You can talk to me with this radio. Now quit freaking out.” She commanded. He reluctantly took the radio and turned it on. He could clearly hear Noctis’ voice. She turned and took the right corridor. He took the left.

*****

As Damian made his way down the heavily decorated hall, paintings and other elaborate arts where hung along the windowless corridor. He felt the growing presence of something ahead. Forcing himself, he kept walking. He tried his hardest not to appear a coward in front of Noctis, but his senses told him everything was wrong. He franticly turned back to make sure nothing was behind him. Soon, he reached the end of the hall. A small door was all that was on the end. He opened it, and entered a small tunnel. It smelled strongly of dirt and iron. It was undecorated and pretty plain. He left the door open and made sure it stayed open. He propped a small trinket, from a nearby table, against it to be safe. As he ventured down the freezing hall, it opened into a large square room. It was decorated in crimson hangings and brass candle holders. Upon entering, he gasped. It was full of black marble statues.

The ebony statues stood on no bases or platform. They were laid about the room as if they were real beings, except, they were not human at all. Damian looked closely at one with the zoom button on the camera, to afraid to go near one. They were angels. Their cloths less bodies stood in many positions. Some had open arms as if to embrace someone. Others had expressions of pain or anguish. Their wings reflected the light from his flashlight. Damian was creeped out by the fact that they had no faces. They all had faint smiles on their face. They had no hair, but a fan shaped crest that started from their forehead. Damian couldn’t take it anymore. The statues scared the f**k out of him. He began running as fast as he could out of the room back to where he came. In the distance he saw the open door; he was running towards it as fast as he could. Moments just before he was about to go through it, the door slammed in front of him. Unable to stop, he smashed right into the heavy door and fell backwards, knocking him unconscious as he hit the dusty stone floor with his head.

*****

                Noctis had left Damian behind to explore her own hall. It was lined with rooms. She checked them all, only to find a bed or chair in them. Windows were in each room, so her surroundings where clearly visible. She looked out the window; the moon was full and orange in the autumn air. She was scared, despite what she appeared. She was trying to be the strong one. Damian and she had been working on this ghost project for a while. All they needed was the video. She left her current room, and wandered down the hall till they end. A small door was before her, and she pulled it open. It leads into a small tunnel of undecorated stone and dust. As she went down it, the smell of earth and something she didn’t know pervaded the air. As she wandered, her flashlight started to dim. Immediately, she knew there was something paranormal. All of the batteries where brand new and she knew that only a spirit could drain the energy from it. She stood shock still as she heard something. It was the familiar sound of stone being dragged across the ground. She turned back and began running towards the exit. She stopped suddenly as she noticed a figure stood in her path.

“Damian?” she asked, as she approached it. The figure in front of her twitched. Wings distorted the silhouette of a man, into that of an angel. Noctis shined the light on it, and gasped. The statue twitched and began wobbling footsteps towards her. Its long slender hands reached towards her. Its wings twitched violently as the faceless statue smiled. It revealed many razor like fangs glinted with moisture in the light. Noctis screamed, and began running in the opposite direction. The cold air breezed behind her, and she could still hear the angelic like being dragging its feet behind her. She had to find Damian.

*****

Damian came back to consciousness, not knowing how long he had been out of it. He felt his head; a massive goose egg throbbed as he rubbed it. He felt something sticky, and assumed it was his blood. Cursing, he got to his feet. He suddenly remembered what happened. The door had shut itself. He quickly got up and struggled with the handle. It turned, but didn’t open. He slammed on it, and called for Noctis. He knew he would not get an answer. He heard something move behind him. He swallowed slowly, as he turned around. He turned to face the 7 angelic statues; all were in the hall not ten feet from where he was standing. He let out a gasp, as he knew he was overcome by fear. The angels all grimaced as the first one began to twitch and drag itself towards him. Damian closed his eyes; he knew he was probably going to die. Several seconds passed, and then several thoughts ran across his mind. He couldn’t die without fighting. He had to save Noctis. He had to try. He opened his eyes quickly. The statue was right in front of him. Taking the heavy flashlight, he swung and struck the thing in the head, shattering it. Its body fell over into a pile of what now appeared to be tar. All the other statues hissed and they all came after him at once with surprising speed. Damian struck out with the flashlight as the first one came at him with its fangs bared. He struck another in the head, then the 4^th on in the chest, then head. Finally, the fifth one grabbed his arm with a stone like icy grip. Barely able to smash the forth, Damian cried in pain as the one that grabbed his arm sank its fangs into his shoulder. He felt his blood run down his arm. The sixth on latched on to him from behind. Bringing the flashlight against the black head of the 5^th, it crumbled to tar. The 6^th one jumped onto his back bringing him face first into the ground. The angel held him down; as Damian struggled to roll over as the angel tried to rip out his jugular vein with its razor teeth. He managed to grab its back thigh and pull it away from killing him. He yanked as hard as he could, then was able to roll over and managed to get on his hands and knees. He was struggling to hold the beast down as he struck it in the face with the flashlight. He hit it a few times before rolling over exhausted. He grabbed his bleeding wound on his left shoulder and held it. He had to stop the bleeding. He struggled to his feet and began to walk slowly down the hall. He was feeling very lightheaded and tired. He stopped, as he reached the open room where the angels had been. Slumping against the wall, he rested. His vision began to swim. His wound had stopped bleeding, yet he was starting to feel worse. He then got the idea, the angels were poisonous.

*****

                Noctis had run very far, and had not encountered another being. She was now carrying a fire poker with her. She had found in another room. Worried sick about Damian, she wondered what on earth that thing was. Adrenalin had her moving and had her in high alert. She tried to make sense of what it was. It was a spirit no doubt, and it seemed evil. Yet it looked angelic. Taking out her map, she glanced at a possible place that both sides of the castle merged. Where she could possibly find Damian again and get the hell out of this cursed castle. She was not sure if the creature had been a spirit, or a solid form. She had assumed spirit. Following the map, she kept walking. The hall she was in was wide and empty. The ordinate floor was full of many colors of marble. It was also dustless, and flawless. She knew the castle was 100’s of years old, but never had signs of wear and tear. Rumors said the place was constructed with magic, guarded by spirits. A sudden loud thud had jerked her from her thoughts. The wide hallway could have easily hid anything from her view. Looking back, she saw nothing. She kept glancing around for the noise’s source. Her light reflected off of statues of men on horses, to suits of armor. The white pedestals looked ghostly in the dark room. That’s when she noticed that the hallway just ended. No reflection, no anything. A pure wall of darkness lay behind her. As she watched it, it seemed to grow. She was not sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Rubbing her eyes, she was now sure. The darkness was growing. She turned and started running now. Taking a left, she headed down another corridor without looking back. This hall was supposed to connect back to the other half of the castle where Damian was.

*****

                Damian was feeling very weak. His body felt like lead as he stumbled down the hall out of the red colored room. He had found another path. He could hardly stay on his feet. His arm where the thing had bitten him was on fire. He knew it was some sort of venom. He was not sure if he was going to die. All he knew was he had to keep going and find Noctis. To make sure she was ok. Sudden pain ripped through his arm and his torso. He fell to his knees and grasped it with his right arm and gritted his teeth in pain. Taking off his jacket, and shirt, he peered at the wound. Black veins had appeared under the skin. Like spider webs they had spread across his skin to his middle torso and up his neck. Hearing something behind him, he flashed his light in that direction. It was pure darkness. He could see it growing in the distance. He was only 20 feet from the door he just exited. He remembered he could see it a moment ago, now it was darkness, nothing was there. Struggling to his feet, he saw the darkness grow. To him, it looked like it stretched towards him. He attempted to run in the opposite direction, but kept falling. He knew he could not escape death twice. Almost on the verge of giving up, he looked ahead and saw Noctis running towards him.

“Damian! Are you alright?” she yelled. Then saw what was behind him. She grabbed him and helped him to his feet. “Come on, it’s right behind you!” she exclaimed and helped him run. The wall of darkness now had a physical form. Clawed hands gripped the walls and reached for them as they ran. After she gained distance with her nearly incapacitated friend. Noctis took refuge in a room. She placed Damian down and began bordering up the door with a dresser and stuffed a wall hanging under the crack of the door. She knew it probably would not hold it back, but it was gaining on them. Eventually they would have been caught. She kneeled down at Damian’s side. His gaze was glazed and he seemed almost asleep with his eyes open.

“Damian, can you hear me?” she asked. His head nodded slightly. “I’m sorry, this is all my fault. How was I supposed to know?” Noctis felt tears in her eyes. She sat next to Damian.

“It’s not your fault, no one could have known.” He muttered barely audible. Suddenly the door shook violently. Scratching noises sounded on the other side. “Looks like this is the end…at least we won’t die alone.”

“….yeah” She muttered. Damian once again shuddered in pain. His muscles tensed with the effort to stop it. His tendons could be seen in his neck as he gritted his teeth. The door was shaking more and more now.

“Do you think we will both go to heaven?” Noctis asked, clinging to Damian’s arm.

“I hope wherever we go, we go together.” He managed to say.

The door cracked, and soon the clawed arms were in the room. One shot strait at Damian and gripped him around the neck with its long clawed fingers. He struggled to grab the dark hand, and tried to stop it from chocking him. It lifted him off his feet. Noctis yelled in fear. Several more of the arms had started to grip him. They gripped around his ankles and his arms. Suddenly, a head had appeared through the door. It was the head of serpent. It gazed at Damian with empty eyes. The serpent roared through its massive maw and revealed thousands of tiny teeth. Its breath smelled of decayed leaves. Damian started to struggle more, he was going to die. He could no longer stop the clawed hands from gripping his throat. Their sharp points sank into his skin. He could not breathe. He looked at Noctis, she was untouched. He hoped it stayed that way. Her eyes were full of fear. He wanted to comfort her. A clawed hand gripped his chest and drove its long claws into his heart. He gasped and the thing dropped him to the floor. Damian was still alive; he didn’t understand what was happening. There was no wound on his skin where he was sure it had driven its claws into his heart. He noticed the thing had vanished. He gasped for breath, his mind pounded and he could not move. Noctis was over him, saying something. He could not understand. He felt a shadow in his mind, and he knew. The thing was inside of him. Its presence throbbed harder. He felt his arm twitch in response. He began to sit up, but it was not him that had done so. He felt his mouth talk; he could not hear the words. Noctis seemed frightened now, she back away from him. He got to his feet, and approached Noctis.

He felt his mouth move again, but no words. He felt fangs in his mouth. Damian gripped Noctis, and pulled her close. He screamed in his mind. He didn’t want Noctis to be harmed. He yelled over and over again, but no avail. He felt his teeth rip into her soft flesh as warm blood poured down his throat. The creature inside of him roared in delight. It dropped Noctis’ body at his feet. Damian was in tears, he was crying with rage and grief. The creature laughed at him, in his mind. He yelled at it, cursing it. Wishing it would die. He was losing it. He could almost feel his sanity breaking. He tried desperately to regain control of his mind and body. He felt the darkness inside of him, eating him from the inside out. His soul was being torn to shreds. He had killed his best friend, his only friend. The creature took him outside of the room. He walked towards a wall of darkness. He could see nothing now, the creature left his body. He collapsed on the marble floor, surrounded by darkness. A clawed hand reached down and turned into a spear. It drove into his heart and he knew no more.

Author's Note

Made this for a contest

Reviews

[Jaedon2299]

sweet that one should win!!!!!!!!!!!! Great Job

[deeps]

Whoa! This was memorizing! I could see your events all unfold.
This was a very powerful write here.
I like your story, Very wonderful deatil and such lively characters.
Full of action and drama.
You write very well!