The Monk and the Maid: Part Two

A Dark Light
I still felt the burning of the words on my back. I began walking wearily towards college, but the closer I was to it, the more and more I was drawn to the Abbey. It was almost maddening. I couldn't understand it but I felt a dire need to go to that place again. I progressed through my lessons as always and almost forgot about everything. Kieran was nowhere to be seen for the whole day. Needless to say I was concerned, especially after how he behaved on the bus back home on that night. After thinking about that, the only thought in my mind was what happened after our encounter with the Black Monk. I decided to brave the storm one more time and proceeded to the Abbey. Even now I don't know why I decided to go. I thought I might find some clarity on what had happened to me if I returned to that old monastery, or maybe I would find out where Kieran had been all day. I walked down the old, crumbling, path with extreme caution. Not only could I hear every single crunch of every tiny rock and pebble under my boots but I could feel them cracking and crumbling as I took each step. My arms and legs beginning to slightly shake and my hairs standing on end as if death itself had grabbed both my arms. It was still day so the overall atmosphere was less daunting but that did not change in my mind.

As I approached the fence I decided to wait until dusk to go further toward the monastery, so I made my way toward the little restaurant next to the ruins and ordered a cup of tea and some crumpets with butter, in a truly English manner. After filling up with such a warm meal I felt better about where I was. I didn't really want to leave knowing what I had to do once I went out that door. At 6:00 it was closing time and so I forced myself out of the door. Once the lock on the door clicked it rang in my ears for a few minutes. That one click made the whole world go silent and the jolly, warm and friendly world I was in felt like it never actually happened. Such a good feeling felt like a dream compared to this nightmare world I had just entered. The one thing that worried me deeply was that as I looked toward the monastery, it wasn't that place that I felt drawn to. It was the forest surrounding the monastery.

I drew my breath and let out a great sigh in order to build up my courage. I proceeded into the forest. The leaves quietly crunched under my feet, various twigs and small branches cracked like brittle bones scattered across the floor. I kept on the stone path hoping I would be safe, but I had a constant feeling of dread with every step further into the forest. I knew the first rule of situations like this, don't turn around. I was very wary of every step I took, again with the constant feeling of pure fear and terror as I knew at the back of my mind that I was not alone in this place. In the midst of hell you are sure to find some demons. I came toward a fork in the stony path, one path looked eroded and ragged with very few stones and more of a combination of sticks and mud, the other looked more like it had been freshly made for possible hikers. I knew in the horror films the characters take the idiotic option and go on the old, scary looking path and so I took the more inviting pathway.

About a hour passed when I happened upon something rather unusual. There was a tattered and torn piece of cloth, probably from a pair of black or grey jeans. I was a little concerned by this but nonetheless continued, holding the cloth. I didn't know if it was my imagination or if there really was a white light moving in various directions in the woods. It seemed lost. Is this the reason I felt drawn to the forest? This strange light? I couldn't think of the Black Monk and all the dark tales surrounding the forest, all I could think of was this enchanting light. I then stepped away from the path, toward the light. It stopped, as did I. Everything suddenly went extremely dark. The temperature dropped to arctic subzero. I felt so small and defenseless. I then saw the last thing I wanted to see that night. From the light emerged a person, with pale white skin. Murky brown hair as if he had been dragged through the mud. Piercing white eyes stared at me from the blurry image. It was so vivid for the few seconds I stood there. I then began to sprint along the path for my life. I ran at least a couple of miles down the pathway and came to a stop. I frantically looked around for it but it was nowhere to be seen. I asked myself over and over what that was and then realized it was the same way Kieran looked when we went to the monastery. I was too scared to describe, until seconds later when my phone rang. It was Kieran. I cautiously answered the phone. As he asked where I was his voice sounded normal and calm, and he assured me he was at home. After I hung up, for a brief second I thought I was just hallucinating, until I looked up from my phone and saw a pale white face with a huge row of red stained teeth smiling, literally from ear to ear, and bloodshot white eyes right in front of me. I was terrified at what was in front of me. It grabbed my neck and threw me into a tree, determined to end my life. I gathered what strength I had and gave it a swift right hook to its jaw, it screamed in pain and bit into my shoulder, taking some skin and a lot of blood.

As it sprinted away from me I collapsed to the floor in severe pain. Before I passed out in front of the old willow tree, two thoughts crossed my mind. As the creature ran away I noticed a small tear on its trouser leg, revealing a large gouge on the back of the leg as if it had been stabbed and the blade dragged toward its foot. Then secondly, I looked up at the willow tree and wondered why it was there. In a forest with such dead and depressed giants, what was this one silver leafed willow tree doing in the middle of the forest? All I knew was that the threat was gone. Until the light came back, dashing back and forth in the forest, so lost and confused until it reached a clearing. A perfect line of sight toward me. It stopped and appeared to turn. It saw me. That was when everything went dark.