Horrors of the Night

Dark clouds loomed over the valley, casting an ominous shadow. Towering mountains jutted from the earth, their rugged peaks shrouded in mist. The forest, once vibrant, now lay barren, its trees hollow and lifeless. A thick fog blanketed the entire basin, muffling all sound except for the relentless cawing of crows, their cries echoing through the desolation. Even these black-feathered scavengers yearned for the warmth of the absent sun. Amid this bleakness, a village huddled, watched over by a brooding castle.

In the heart of the village, a modest bonfire flickered, its glow visible from afar. Villagers gathered around it, their faces alight with laughter and revelry, as they danced in the eerie, fire lit circle. As I drew closer, the merriment grew audible, drowning out the distant cries of the crows. The silence, once oppressive, transformed into a haunting melody. I couldn't fathom how anyone could find joy and celebration in such a grim setting, but understanding wasn't a necessity.

I was just an observer. Someone behind the curtain taking a peek at the play. I wasn't even able to control my own direction. It seemed as if an unnatural force was pushing me around to show me what I needed to see.

Amidst the festivities, two figures stood apart from the revellers. They didn't sway to the music or partake in the revelry. Their faces were etched with a blend of anger and dread. A deep fear was burned into their eyes, crying out for help or a wake-up call from this nightmare.

"Lord Dracul forbade all celebration until his awakening; we'll face his wrath! We must stop this at once!" exclaimed the blonde girl, her voice raised in concern as she addressed the young man in armour, Liviu.

It was surreal that I already knew the names of these people, but the power that was guiding me also gave me the minimum of knowledge I needed to understand the situation. I still did not know where this village was, but from the name of the Lord and the landscape, it seemed that I was in Transylvania.

"Don't worry, Odeta. Lord Dracul is in a deep slumber and won't awaken for another two weeks," Liviu reassured her, though his own voice quivered. Odeta rolled her eyes and pushed him away.

"Liviu, you know as well as I do that Lord Dracul can be roused from his sleep by an excess of positive energy. We must reach the castle and conceal this energy from him, or he'll bring doom upon us all," Odeta ordered, striding toward the stable. Liviu followed, and I trailed behind them into the dimly lit stable. They mounted two horses and rode toward the foreboding castle with determined haste.

The moon hung low in the sky, casting an eerie glow over the rugged landscape as we approached the looming silhouette of Castle Dracul. The air was thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the rhythmic hoofbeats of their horses and the slowly fading music of the revellers.

Their journey led them deeper into the lifeless forest. The sounds of music and laughter from the village receded, swallowed by the encroaching darkness. The forest enveloped them, and only the crows' calls filled the air. As they neared their destination, I noticed the tree branches beginning to tremble, their movements growing frantic, as if grasping for something elusive. Unfazed, Odeta and Liviu pressed onward, unaware that the branches of the lifeless trees were consuming the path behind them. It was as if an unseen force barred their retreat. The ominous response of the forest left them both wondering if it was already too late.

They continued their advance toward the castle, its walls constructed from black stone. Bowls containing eerie green flames adorned its exterior. The castle gate swung open, as if anticipating their arrival. In the center of the courtyard stood a colossal dead tree, its gnarled branches reaching toward the sky and brushing against some of the castle's windows. Odeta and Liviu halted, surveying their surroundings. They noticed a solitary window emitting a feeble light, a sign that someone within the castle was awake. They exchanged an apprehensive glance before drawing a deep breath and approaching the imposing double doors. The entrance was adorned with gruesome symbols depicting skulls and horrific scenes of death, each more macabre than the last. One depicted a man with his eyes gouged out, the sockets oozing an unsettling liquid.

With a resounding creak, the duo pushed open the double doors and entered the castle's foreboding interior. The doors slammed shut behind them, sending tremors through the walls and shivers down their spines. Darkness enveloped them, and an eerie silence greeted their arrival.

"What do we do now? I didn't bring a torch," Liviu whispered anxiously, his heart pounding so hard it felt as though it might burst at any moment.

The candles on the chandelier overhead emitted an eerie green glow, as if the castle itself sensed their fear. Approaching footsteps echoed on the creaking wooden floor. At the staircase's end stood the castle's enigmatic owner, Lord Dracul.

Terror filled their eyes as they heard the unnerving creaking of wooden planks. At the top of the staircase stood he, his imposing figure clad in red leather armor adorned with skulls and grotesque scenes of torture. A long crimson cloak billowed from his shoulders, matching the nightmarish decorations on the castle's entrance. He wore no shoes, for why would he need them after two months of slumber? His visage was far from that of a handsome youth; it resembled a lifeless corpse, with charred flesh and a crust forming on his face. His nose was absent, and his parched lips resembled the arid Sahara Desert. His eyes, sapphire blue yet devoid of warmth, exuded only coldness and death. His smile, far from welcoming, brimmed with anger and malice.

"I cannot recall granting permission for this celebration on this day. Can either of you?" Dracul inquired with a cruel grin, his eyes vacant and devoid of empathy.

"No, Your Majesty, you did not," both servants replied in unison, bowing their heads in terror. They quaked with fear for their life's and the life's of their fellow villagers. They dared not meet Dracul's gaze as he descended the grand staircase to approach them.

"Let us pay the peasants a visit," he declared without waiting for a response, striding out of his castle with malevolent intentions. He relished his return home, where he was met with a banquet of food.