I waited an extra week to give Cliff time to do the illustrations for Chapter Nine. I think they came out great. Very odd and twisted. Not unlike a nightmare. This is a scary one. Proceed at your own risk.
Chapter Nine
Pesadilla’s House
The girls and Polly made their way down the mountain side, heading for the valley below. The air was hot and the breeze had stopped. It was deathly calm and quiet. The storm clouds had moved in, but just hung overhead, watching them in silence. The faces of the clouds had grown old, with dark black circles where their eyes used to be.
After some time they made their way into the valley. It was a sea of green grass, outlined with oak trees and the mountain they had just walked down, on one side. It should have been a pleasant place, except for the total quiet and the dark clouds, and the feeling of things that might be watching from the woods. It felt as if something was brewing. Like the calm before a storm. And now the clouds had begun to smile, but not a happy smile. There seemed to be something malevolent about it. As if they knew something, or someone was coming to do the girls harm.
“There she is.” whispered Thea, pointing to a dark figure walking toward them. “I recognize her. She is in my bad dreams at night. I don’t want to talk to her. She scares me.”
“I know her too, but I haven’t seen her in a while.” said Keona. “She has been in my dreams too.”
“I shall talk with her and you girls stay behind me. Don’t get close to her and don’t speak to her.” Polly cautioned.
“You must listen to her and do as she says, if you are to ever leave here.” Philemon said. “She knows the way.”
The dark figure moved closer and closer. As it did, Polly began to see her features. She was tall with long, straight black hair that fell to her waist. She looked to be Mediterranean, but her complexion was very pale, and she was much too thin. Like a concentration camp survivor, or a cancer patient. Her eyes were black and deep set, and she wore blood red lipstick and nail polish. She was wearing a black robe with a blood red fur collar to match her lips. She appeared to be floating on the grass, although her robe was too long to see her feet, and she had, what looked like, a hairless tail, like a rodent, wrapped around her and sticking out from the front of her robe. There was something hideous about her, but also beautiful. Polly had a faint recollection that she may have seen here before.
Una saw her and began to whimper. She opened her mouth to let out a loud scream , but nothing came out. She was frozen with fear and held on to Polly’s leg.
“Good afternoon ladies.” Pesadilla said, with the same wicked smile that the clouds had. My name is Pesadilla and I am the princess of this corner of Dream World. I have watched you since you entered by the pool. We don’t have many who come here lucid. Have you had a safe journey thus far?”
“It has been fine, but we really must be going.” Polly answered. “Philemon informed us that you could show us the way out.”
“Yes, there is a way. It is close by, but whether you can find it, is up to you. I can only point you in the right direction.” she said. “You must go to my house. The door is open. That is where you’ll find the way out, if you are brave enough to face your fears.” Pesadilla instructed.
“But what do we do when we enter your house?” Polly questioned. “Is there a passage way somewhere? How will we know where to find it?”
“The first thing I would do, if I were you, is lock the doors and make sure all the windows are latched.” she warned, and then looking down the trail she added. “It looks like they have caught your scent. You should probably be going.”
Down the trail Polly and the girls could just make out the shape of something heading toward them. It had begun to grow dark and the wind had started to pickup. It was hot like a summer fever and the clouds began to quietly moan.
“Polly, I think they’re wolves, but they’re walking on their hind legs like humans!” Keona shouted.
Polly knew what they were, because this had been her childhood fear. “They’re werewolves!” she yelled. “We must hurry! Where is your house Pesadilla?”
Pesadilla turned, and with a calm malicious smile, she pointed up the trail to an old ,two story, run down house. The house was dark and foreboding. It was set in a clearing with oak trees around it and a small graveyard on the right side of the property. There was something about the house that disturbed Polly. Had she read about this house in a book? Had she seen a picture of it somewhere? She couldn’t put her finger on it. But now, there was no time to think.
“Run girls! We must get inside that house! The werewolves are coming!” Polly commanded.
“I have lead you as far as I can!” Philemon yelled after them. “Face your fears and you’ll find the way!”
As they ran they could hear the growls and barking behind them, like a pack of wild dogs, but these were more cunning. They were huge like grown men, with sharp teeth and claws, and wild dark empty eyes. But the worst thing, was that they had hands, which could open doors and windows, or pull loose siding boards from a house, or even climb to a rooftop to find other ways in.
They made their way to the house and ran up the large porch. Polly opened the front door and the girls ran in. She latched the door behind them and looked around. It was cold. Like a dark basement on a summer day. It smelled of mold and was lit with candles on the end tables and oil lamps placed here and there.
“We must do as Pesadilla suggested and make sure all the windows and outside doors are locked.” Polly frantically said. “I’ll check the upstairs windows and you girls check the downstairs. Una can stay with me.”
Polly climbed the old spiral staircase, that squeaked with every step. She and Una checked the windows and the door to the attic and made sure they were secure. As they walked down the hallway to head back downstairs, Polly saw a wood carving hanging on a bedroom door. She took the oil lamp and held it up to read the inscription. It said, “As a great fish swims between the banks of a river as it likes, so does the shining Self move between the states of dreaming and waking. The Self is free from desire, free from evil, free from fear.” She pondered this as she carried Una down the stairs.
Back downstairs, Polly checked on the girls, who had checked all the doors and windows on the first floor.
“I think we’re secure in here for now, but I must find the way back to the other side of the pool.” Polly said, as she heard the first of them hit the front door.
There was a loud thud as the first werewolf hit the door with its huge paw. Then began a terrible scratching noise from all around as the others arrived and tried to find a way in. They began to howl, and the clouds began to wail causing the wind to pick up outside. It became darker and darker and the girls clung to Polly’s legs.
“We must search the house for the passage back!” Polly shouted over the noise from outside the house.
They began to walk from room to room and as they did so, they could see the werewolves, through the windows, trying to get in. As they passed by the large picture window on the right side of the house, they could see the graveyard lit up by the last rays of the evening sun. Thea stared out the window. “What is that?” she thought. “What are those things rising from the graves?” although she knew what they were, but didn’t want to believe, because they were her greatest fear.
“Polly!” Thea shouted. “Look at the graveyard!”
As Polly turned her gaze on the picture window, she saw what appeared to be people floating up from the graves into the air. They had clothes on from long ago. Hats and dresses that no one wears anymore. There were old people and children. And they were coming toward the house.
“They’re ghosts!” cried Polly. “We must continue to look for the passage! We haven’t much time!”
They started up the stairs, staying close together. “Perhaps the passage way back is up here.” said Polly. “It didn’t appear to be downstairs any where.” Just then there was a large crash from the basement. “Girls, did you lock the cellar door?” Polly asked anxiously.
“I didn’t know there was a cellar.” Keona answered.
“I think the werewolves have found a way in through the cellar.” whispered Polly. “Be very quiet. Don’t let them know where we are.”
From down stairs they began to hear the scratching and growling of the first werewolves to enter the house. Thea saw, through the hall window, that the ghosts had surrounded the house and were trying to open the windows. Polly heard the first creak of a foot on the staircase and then felt the paralyzing fear, of looking straight into the eyes of a werewolf.
“Quickly, in here!” Polly shouted as she opened the door to the room with the wood carving on the door. Keona and Thea ran in while Polly picked up Una in her arms and closed the door just as the werewolf lunged at her. She fumbled with the door latch, but got it closed before the creature could turn the knob. Now the werewolves were in the hall. They began to scratch and claw and pound on the door, with howls of rage. Thea went to the window to see if there was a way out. She pulled open the curtains and screamed. She was face to face with a ghost! It had floated up to the window and called it’s friends. “Now they know where we are!” Thea cried, as she closed the curtains tightly.
“Polly, what should we do!” cried Keona. And then came a noise from inside the closet. It was the sound of something moving around. Keona ran to the closet and pushed a chair under the door knob. Whatever was inside turned the knob ever so slowly and tried to open the door, but the chair kept it inside. “Quick!” shouted Keona, “Help me hold the door shut. I think there’s a monster inside.” She knew this, because this was her greatest fear.
Polly and Thea came and sat in the chair, but the thing on the other side was strong and it would be impossible to hold it back forever. The bedroom door was also wearing thin from the werewolves clawing their way in. And the ghosts had been loosening one of the panes of glass, and would soon be in.
“Help Polly! What should we do!” shouted Keona.
“Perhaps the answer was on that plaque on the door.” Polly said. “Maybe the power that Pesadilla has over us, we have given her by giving into our fears. This is a nightmare, but we are awake, so we can choose it’s outcome. If we can move from dreaming to waking and, the Self is free from desire, from evil, and from fear, then we must be ourselves. We must conquer our fears by meeting them face to face. We must be who we truly are... Savages!” she said as she got up off of the chair and moved it from the closet door.
“What are you doing Polly!” Keona shrieked in fear, as she braced the door with her back.
“We must all face the thing we fear the most, Keona. Pesadilla is nothing more than part of our subconscious mind that is trying to tell us something through our nightmares.” Polly said. “I think the way out is through that door.”
“But I’m afraid! I don’t want to open it!” Keona cried
“We all have our doors to open. And we will be here with you.” Polly said “There seems to be no other way. You’ll have to trust me.”
“Alright, but stay by me.” she said and took Polly’s free hand. Polly’s other hand was holding Una, and Thea was clutching onto her leg.
Keona slowly opened the door. The thing on the other side grew quiet and all Keona could hear was her own heart beating. She peered into the darkness and found a little girl looking back at her. Not just any little girl, but one that looked just like her. It was her. She was looking into a mirror.
“I don’t understand. It’s just a mirror. There’s nothing scary in here.” she said relieved, but perplexed.
“I think I understand.” said Polly. “Go open the window, Thea.”
Thea was reluctant, but trusted Polly and did what she asked. She slowly opened the curtains and could see the ghosts trying to get in. She unlatched the window and quickly raised it, closing her eyes tight as she did so.
“Thea. You can open your eyes. It’s alright.” said Polly.
Much to her surprise she also saw a little girl. It was Thea. She was looking at herself in a mirror instead of a window.
“You have both faced your fears and now it is my turn.” said Polly heading to the bedroom door with Una in her arms and the girls holding on to each leg.
“Polly, don’t do it! They are still out there! We can hear the howling of the werewolves, and even smell them on the other side!” Keona hollered.
“If I’m right, and I think I am, this has been nothing more than a chance to face our fears. None of this has been real, anymore than a dream is real while you are dreaming it. What is important is what we have learned about our fears and how they cripple us. They keep us from being who we really are. They keep us from seeing the shining Self.” she said as she turned the knob on the door and opened it.
The howling and scratching had disappeared along with the werewolves and ghosts,and they found themselves standing on the edge of the pool looking at a most welcome sight, Donkeyhotie.
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