Shadow of Pestilence

Think of it as whatever you want. Be it a demon, a ghost, or Satan himself. Hell, I've even gotten the whole “Well there are plenty of people who smoke pot in that area so you were probably just second hand smoking the fumes and not even knowing it” spiel. I know what I saw and it scared the fuck out of me.

It was Autumn. The sky was overcast but it wasn't raining. The wind wasn't too strong but it was far from a slight breeze, and the air was cool and crisp. Nobody was out in the small town of North Brookfield, Massachusetts. Call me crazy but to me it was the perfect day that day. I decided to go for a walk Bringing along my Ipod and my favorite “Karma & Effect” Seether hoodie I set out to the local graveyard. Now, I'm not some little cunt who goes around kicking over gravestones and doing crack on the tops of others. I pay respect to the dead every time I go in. That day I would find out that sometimes the dead don't share a mutual respect.

I took many of the side streets that, even if it wasn't a cool day in the middle of October, were empty. I've done this so many times before and since and I've never had such a sense of foreboding like what I'd felt at that moment. Just over “Witch Hunt” by Rush I could hear a growling coming from the bushes. Frozen in place I could see the shrubs rustling back and forth through my peripheral vision. As soon as it all starts, it seems, it all ends. When fear had released it's grip I had just assumed it was a mix of the family's dog and the wind blowing through the bushes. It made enough sense.

I got to the gates of the cemetery and the second after I stepped onto the grounds an intense gust of the coldest wind rushed through me, chilling me to the bones. Just as I had moved no more than ten feet into the cemetery “Danse Macarbe” by Celtic Frost began to play. Great... this is the last thing I need to hear in here, I thought to myself. I loved the song anyway so I didn't bother changing it.

Moving further and further into the boneyard I got more and more paranoid. I would see shadows moving in between the trees and headstones. Darting out of at extraordinary speed as I would turn to see who it was. At the top of the hill in which the cemetery surrounds I could see a black, shadowy figure moving towards me from the north gate. I knew there was something wrong about seeing it there. I just wanted out as I realized that Danse Macarbe was on for the third time. The thing was is that I didn't have repeat on at the time. Going to turn the repeat off I grabbed my Ipod and the burning was excruciating. It felt as if my hands were on fire and it came as such a shock I fell to my knees holding on to a headstone for balance. The grave was even hotter and I took my hand off as soon as it made contact with the stone. It felt as if everything around me had been dipped into the Lake of fire and brimstone itself. I look up and I see that the shadow has moved towards me. As I stare at it I can feel it's knowledge of my presence. It looks up at me with it's piercing red eyes. It reaches it's arms out and touches the adjacent tree. Upon it's touch the tree withers and dies as if it has been torched. The once vibrant colors of the leaves turn to a charcoal black and fall off. The bark peels off showing a millennium of rot inside. Just then a stray cat walks in front of the thing as if not even aware of it's presence. It picks the stray up and in an instant the cat's shrill screams and wails can be heard above my Danse Macarbe which, again, has repeated. I look on in horror as the flesh of the stray peels off and it's muscle and insides burst into flame as the still living cat writhes in pain trying desperately to escape.

I barely noticed that I was soon after running with this thing following me. I just remember dozens of graves passing by me in a flash. I though to myself, fuck I don't remember it ever taking this long to get to the exit! The next thing I know I'm in a pitch black void. I look to see the time on my Ipod and it says that it is 7:57 which can't be true because that would mean I've been out of it for about two hours. Danse Macarbe wasn't playing anymore which I count as a blessing. Then the realization that I was utterly alone came to mind. I could hear nothing... not even my own breathing which terrified me. Suddenly, I heard what sounded like paws coming down stairs. I'd fallen down into a crypt! Oh Christ I think I'd have rather not though of that. My train of though was one again broken by the slow methodical click of the mysterious noise. ''Click. Click.'' Fuck it I'm through. ''Click. Click Click. Click. Click Click. ''What followed was the longest and most terrifying growl I've ever had the displeasure of hearing. As my eyes were adjusting I could make out the lurched over figure. Wait... no... I could then see that it was on all fours. Everything is coming clearer to me. It's a dog. For fuck's sake I was this afraid of a dog. If it weren't for the damned thing I would not know where the stairs were. Just then it let out another low, guttural growl. Chills came running up and down my back as I realized it wasn't looking at me, but rather behind me. As I continued to come to thousands of rats came running around me in a frenzy of primal fear and panic. The army of beasts ran over me and around me in their attempt to escape. Completely uninterested in the rats at all the dog made it's way closer to me and stood at my side, growling at the unknown adversary. Well... I say “unknown” in the sense that I never saw it's face in detail. I knew that whatever was behind me, watching me, was what I had seen by the cemetery's north gate. Suddenly, the dog begins to bark furiously and lunges behind me out of my sight and I take this as my ticket to get out of there. I make my way up the stairs and I hear the dog squeal in pitiful agony as it's last moments on earth were being taken away from it. I could feel the thing's rage now as I sensed it giving me chase. I get up out of the crypt and, to my greatest delight, I could see the south gate... the gate by which I'd made entrance. Giving it my all I sprinted for the gate and I could hear the beast's enraged screams as it pursued me past the many graves that would bring me to safety.

I lunged at the gate and onto the sidewalk and closed it behind me. I continued to run and as I got to the end of the street I turned to look back and whatever was chasing me was gone. I looked up to the top of the hill even though it couldn't have even gotten that far. Nothing. All I saw were the rows of headstones and trees that littered the graveyard. A feeling of relief rushed over me when I had affirmed that there was indeed nothing there. I did run home nevertheless and didn't bother stopping until I had reached the front door. It was past 8:30 and my parents were pissed beyond belief. I simply told them that I had tripped and fell down on a sidewalk and lost consciousness for a while. I then proceeded to tell everyone I know but, hell, they don't believe me. I can't really blame them either. I do know what I saw however and what I saw has scarred me for life. You'd better believe that I say the Our Father before I take a little walk through the cemetery.