She sat back,

Crouching in the wood -

This still, dark house

That saw no good.

Sat there waiting

In a misty shroud,

Beneath a cold moon

And black, stormy clouds.

Her inhabitants filled the night

With desperate, mournful cries,

These souls of ages past,

Not seen by mortal eyes.

And as I warily approached her,

Fear embraced my soul -

A chilling wave swept through my veins

Where warm blood once had flown.

Yet I was drawn still closer,

With an obsession to know her fate,

And so laid a trembling hand

Upon her rusted gate.

The gate screamed its reluctance,

And with the screech of every hinge,

My heart beat faster and faster,

And every nerve would cringe.

I started walking down the path -

Closer I was drawn.

My mind said "Stop! Go no farther!"

My heart said "Go on! Go on!

I kept walking ever closer

Moving like the dead,

And as I drew nearer with each step,

My heart filled more with dread.

I finally reached the threshold,

After what seemed an eternity,

And pressed upon its oaken door -

Fighting the desire to flee.

The door swung slowly open

Upon a dusky room,

Full of cob-webbed corners,

And musky, oppressive gloom.

I stepped cautiously inside;

The floors creaked with every step.

The house moaned and groaned its rejection;

I  felt that it almost wept.

The tension mounted in the room,

My body was bathed in sweat.

I felt my every muscle tense.

The hair raised on my neck.

It seemed I was in battle,

As the house forced me to flee,

Assaulting with violent emotions,

And screaming "Let me be!"

I started swaying where I stood

Fighting off each new blow.

As wave after wave swept over me,

The house kept crying "Go!"

I fought the impulse to run,

And there stood my ground.

Surely all of the world

Could hear my frantic heart pound.

A chilling wind swept through the house,

Whistling in my ears.

The floors seemed to rock beneath my feet -

I'd never known such fear.

And just when I felt I could stand no more,

I saw a grisly site -

A gaunt and bloody woman

With hair as black as night.

It fell almost to her knees

In matted, wispy strands.

Her teeth were bared - her eyes were fire,

She had talon claw-like hands.

I backed away and turned to run-

I heard her eerie laugh,

She hissed and lunged -like a panther -

And fell upon my back.

Her arms were wrapped around my neck.

Her nails dug in my flesh.

I fought to break her strangling hold

And saw the face of death.

Her fetid breath blew in my face;

She smelled of long decay.

Her screeching laugh filled my head.

I fought to get away.

As I staggered around the room

'Neath my gruesome burden's weight,

My head began to swim and throb.

I prayed I wouldn't faint.

Her cackling laugh rose higher,

Bouncing off the walls.

The wind blew ever stronger -

I bled from knife-like claws.

I swayed and staggered to the door -

A red mist before my eyes -

I fought to make my mind stay clear

In spite of her manic cries.

I fell across the threshold,

Rolling upon the ground,

And found - blessedly - I was free

From my ghostly hound.

I stumbled to my feet and ran

With a strength I'd never known,

And finally reached that rusty gate

I'd entered so long ago.

I stood there torn and panting.

The blood ran down my face.

I shook as if with fever.

Now free of that evil place.

The house seemed to settle back -

Her intruder successfully spurned.

I knew that there would come a day

When she would see my return.

Debra Shiveley Welch

Copyright 1978