Colourful lights were blinking at me from windows, doors and trees, because this was a Christmas night, a full moon Christmas night that is and because I never really liked the cold round face staring down at me from above, I was happy to notice that this night was so cloudy that no round face could follow me as I walked down the familiar path home.
I wish to repeat the melodramatic bit of the story; this was a Christmas night, a glorious night, where people celebrated, families gathered and lovers kissed..though I was alone. A lonely man away from home.
With every breath I took white steam escaped from my mouth, I watched the dancing ghosts of breath disolve and fade into the night.. the perfect metaphora...I was like an old steam train but with nowhere else to go but home to a microwave dinner and the tv.
The rusty church gate was left open as every night, though tonight the snow made the yard look like a puff of cloud. I cross this deserted church yard every evening since it cuts the distance home down to a half and it has found a place in my heart. The few Poplar trees whose leaves applaude the wind that always blows in this patch of land... the tiny church that noone enters anymore, as lonely as I am....
With these mellow thoughts I cross the yard tonight, hearing my boots crush the crunchy snow until music made me look up at the tiny church..
well... look at that,(I paused).... the church is open... there are people inside singing a Christmas hymn..how nice..
I follow the narrow path down to the other side and from the corner of my I eye I catch a glimpse of a woman, a beautiful willowy woman walking towards the chapel, wearing white..
"Won't you come inside?" a mellow voice behind me said.
I turned around and what a surprise, an angel was standing right before me, with a stunning smile on her ruby lips.
"Please, won't you escort a lonely lady on this lovely Christmas Eve?" she said with imploring eyes.
"Listen to that angelic song...Don't you think it's worth taking the time?"
Indeed, I could hear the soft, divine song, a girl's voice sang a Christmas song and even though I could not make out the words I was entranced. The candle-lit windows seemed so inviting and warm, they cast a spell on me.
She came closer, the gorgeous woman all dressed in white and touched my arm with her long delicate fingers. Such a perfect, outworldly face I thought and sighed. How and why could I refuse such a request..escorting a glorious lady to church..
And so I let her slender arm slither around mine and together we trod the untouched snow towards the charming, little chapel.
I pushed the door open and the lady walked inside, the candle light warmed my face and the girl sounded even more divine as I went in.
The door closed behind me with a heavy thud.
The lights, the song had gone.
The church lay derelict and empty. The round moon had escaped its cloudy prison and now cast its silver light violently on me since there was no roof to keep it out...rumble and ruins was all I saw around me and in panic I searched for the lovely lady that had lured me in.
They were both there, standing under the flood of silver light, looking at me with a faint smile drawn on their lips.
I ran for the door, I pushed with all my might but the door had sealed.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT? WHO ARE YOU? What kind of magic is this?" I screamed and wept.
They looked at eachother tenderly and then the woman nodded to the girl who took a step forward and unbuttoned her fury, white coat and let it drop on the floor.
Underneath, she was wearing a white night-gown, her small slender arms hung loose on her sides, she looked so small and fragile..
Just then I noticed that the skin which lay bare below her throat rippled in an abnormal way.
A hand, I swear, I saw a hand move beneath her skin and then another, the girl's body convulsed and then her skin started to break. A face was drawn behind her feeble night gown where her waist was supposed to be and then the girl fell backwards.
I screamed as these demons burst out of her and glidded like ghosts towards me; horrid and ghastly, putrid and abhorrent. I stepped backwards, tripped on a wooden plank and fell.
Unbearable pain burnt my back; I couldn't move.
The woman's face shone above me next to the face of the blinding moon and then the ghostly things came over my chest.
"Don't be afraid," she sang to me "They'll collect what they need and then you'll go.."
"Please.."I muttered
I felt the woman's cold fingers caressing my forehead and saw the ripples at the base of her neck and then bony hands were formed before her skin broke and those things came out.
"What do you want?", I cried "Please...please.."
They rested above my chest and then in unison they started cutting my skin. I could feel their teeth and nails and felt my blood before I saw it soaking my blouse and heard the scream, my scream echoing on the walls. Right then the things went for my mouth.
I woke up in the snow, inside the broken church. My back still throbbed when I stood on my two feet and like a maniac took off my coat and blouse; the blood had dried but it was still there.
I searched my chest, looking for the wound or the cut that those witches had inflicted on me but there was nothing, not even a scratch. Nothing but the blood on my clothes.
I feel empty, horrified and contaminated. Will I ever know what it was they took or will I have to wait for next Christmas to find out?
