the story I'm about to tell you still gives me pause, there are many questions
I ask myself, which, I fancy, may never be solved
I cannot altogether sweep away the fact that it might be the mere invention of a
tired mind, still the truth of the waking world speaks differently, the listener
must judge it for himself what to make of this
befor me lay a road paved with white
stones; slithering its way amidst green fields studded with elms and
fringed with firs
where did it led?
I could not say
I wasn't worried about getting too, well . . . whatever place this road would lead me to - if it led anywhere
at all - nor had I in mind from where had I come
it was a cloudless bright day
the sky was painted in light-blue and in the featureless and shadowy distance it
faded into a soft glowing white . . .
all was silent
neither birds nor the wind upon the leaves were heard I had a sense to be
utterly alone, somehow forlorn and forgotten in the vastness of the world
the terrible and disquieting silence slowed my pace for I feared silence did
not wish to be disturbed the road ahead or the road left behind
was all the same to me was there an end beyond the houseless
hills? Had ever been a beginning at all? when or why such dead silence fell upon
the road? suddenly a sound was heard the sound of rustling wind on fallen
leaves but there were no leaves on the ground and the trees did not move then
the sound of my steps crushing both leaf and twig
but the road was clearly paved with stone and nothing lay on it save my own feet
the eerie cries of night creatures echoed in a deep valley and the air was
left with a restless impression moreover I started to feel something
which was also out of place it seemed to be a very hot day but I felt the cold
fingers of night creeping on my skin it was all coming to me as if my senses had
awakened I looked on every direction all I could
see was the white road the green fields and the bright blue sky I heard and felt
what could not be or my eyes were sheeted and what I saw was a delusion
and reality was distorted I went on walking the scenery hadn't unchanged but
the sounds of night and what seemed to be a forest to continue disturbing my mind
then I realized that what I was seeing was but a dream and in reality I
wasn't in my bed I forced myself to wake up but it was helpless I continued on
moving upon that white road but in the real world I was walking away from my
home and I had no clue in which direction I was heading
I tried to catch every sound trying to perceive if there was anything familiar anything which
might tell me where I was but clearly it was nighttime and all there was to
hear was the sound of nature with any luck I wasn't very far from home and I
was probably walking in circles on the park near my house
was I to go forward?
on the white road? or would it be better to turn back? I went on walking still
deciding what to do I had no control of my legs and my eyes deceived me
then . . .
a spine-chilling horror filled my mind I heard the sound of rushing water perhaps
a river . . . nowhere near the place where I live - within a radius of 50 miles or so -
was there any river nor a brook not even a fountain
where was I ?
worse . . .
he white road led to the sound of the water now I had to get off the road
and continue walking on the green fields which seemed quite pleasant to wander about
but in the waking-world that would lead me even further away from my neighborhood
perhaps . . .
but then it struck me; before I realized that I was in a dream
I had probably been walking for miles without knowing and to be near water
I was probably really far from anything that I knew
My legs ached
I was afraid to go on walking; I decided to stay right where I was until I could wake up but
after a moment I heard the sound of footsteps someone had found me and was coming
towards me I could clearly hear and feel reality I just couldn't see it so if
someone was there why didn't I hear this person saying anything and why was
this person moving slowly almost as if it didn't want to be heard
now I wasn't certain if it was a person at all there were footsteps, slow and cautious footsteps
whoever or whatever was there clearly
knew my current condition and I felt an easy prey
it was almost upon me I looked in the direction of the sound but all I could
see was the white road the clear blue sky and the pleasant green fields and tree
yet . . . there it was . . . in front of me
I could feel its presence and unseen eyes staring at me
I heard the sound of heavy breathing nearer it sounded and we each
step to being took its breath became louder and faster I could distinctly
hear a quick hissing breathing as- as of someone in strong excitement
its breath was near my ears I could even feel in my face the waft of air coming from inside
its mouth from within such mouth I heard a muffled continuous moan
without touching me I realized fingers were coming towards me
wanting to grab me my skin was cold and the hair from my arms stood up and
sensed that presence that ghostly-touch the hair behind my neck bristled
and a black fear filled me I was paralyzed . . .
in my dream I could not follow the white road or it led into the sound of water so I fled to the
green fields, in my dream I was running but in reality it seemed I was merely
walking my feet were swelling my knees were breaking and though I saw
a flat green land ahead in the waking world I was climbing a hill
the ground was slippery the leaves were covered with sticky water from the humidity of
the night, I fell and my hands on my dreams were upon green freshly shaven
grass but what I felt was wet dirt roots and decaying leaves
the creature did not stood behind watching, unmoving, it followed me
it came running and it didn't seem to be the sound of feet but of hooves that
chased me I stumbled and fell many a time and I rose as fast as I had fallen
the land before me seemed to stretch into the horizon a land with nothing but
grass and trees and a clear blue sky where the Sun shone bright but in
reality the world was much darker and dangerous and there were many traps for
my wandering feet
the creature was almost upon me when I woke up in my room
so . . .
it had been all a dream I was finally safe in my own room lying on my
bed I wasn't sweating and my heart wasn't rushing I was very calm staring
at the ceiling a bluish light came out of the window and my room was dyed with
this pale gleam everything was right where it should be but it didn't quite
seem to be my room at the end of my chambers the wall was dark the light
couldn't reach it, in such a blackness I saw a shape slowly standing up in the
corner as if it had been there (hidden) the entire night
this shadow was darker than the wall
like a stain in the gloom there it stood tall and thin
a motionless shadow of a man
there was no movement . . .
nothing . . .
it watched me
and it made a single sound
that terrible quick hissing breathing followed by continuous
muffled moan, and without warning it came to me in an
inhuman-speed, not moving its legs and with an arm stretching forward to grab me
I woke up . . .
now I was certain I was in the waking world but I wasn't in my bed
nor was I inside my own room I was standing in between the front door of my
house I wasn't certain if I had just arrived or if I was about to leave
out there it was night the moon was veiled and it was actually a particularly dark night
something was watching me in the dark in that void there was a presence
afraid to step out of the darkness and come into the light
I swiftly closed the
door and turned every light on I went to my room closed the door and the window and
sat on a chair with my back against the wall wide awake and afraid to go to
sleep again there was no knowing if the next time I fell asleep I had the luck to
wake up again at my front door where there was light maybe next time I would wake
up just a bit away from my house where the light can't reach and the darkness
can catch me . . .
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét