On the stormy afternoon of the third day of March the unfortunate circumstances that were to occur began to unfold.
It was to the dismay of Lilly and her newly proposed fiance' that their picnic in the countryside was cut short by a sudden violent thunderstorm. The rain pelted their bodies so hard that welts started to rise on their skin. They ran and ran until they were out of breath. Then their breaths almost escaped them both as when they looked up they saw a Gothic English-style castle on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean.
Inside the towering castle was an old man, who had lived alone for over thirty years and didn't like visitors. A loud and hurriedly knocking came as suddenly as the storm had. It startled the man at first. Then he took his time answering the door. He was so large that he could not walk properly, His large legs ached as he because his deformed little feet were too small to carry his weight. It was hard for him to open the door, due to the fact that his short arms could barely reach around his humongously fat stomach. The large oak door creaked open slowly. The light, even so dimly, hurt his eyes so he had to squint. His flabby cheeks wrinkled up as he squinted and his chubby fingers tried to shade the light from his eyes.
Lilly gasped in horror. She tried to hide her disgust but he clearly knew how she felt.
He sighed, "The weather is getting worse. Would you like to come in?"
They entered the dank, dark and desolate castle. The dreariness of it overwhelmed them both. The man spied her fiance' with an evil look.
"I am the Lord of this manor, Fergus Grey. I will give you shelter for the night."
They both thanked him warmly.
"Come this way to the dining hall."
They followed the strange old man through halls of old drab brown and grey banners and old paintings of descendants of the Grey family. It were as if the castle were out of an old book. There were old suits of armor, rusted with age and from the dampness of the castle There were shields with the family crest on them, which looked like they had not been dusted in fifteen years. At the end of one long hallway was a painting, clearly well taken care of, dusted off recently and the painting looked like new. To Frederick, Lilly's fiance's surprise, when he looked at the painting it looked exactly like Lilly. He gasped.
"What's wrong, Frederick?", Lilly asked.
"Look ... the painting .. it looks just like you, Lilly."
Fergus interrupted, "It is a painting of someone I cared about long ago."
Without another word he turned and continued towards the dining hall. Lilly and Frederick looked at each other with questions in their eyes but said nothing and continued to the dining hall as well.
There the two of them sat across from each other and Fergus sat at the head of the long cherrywood table. Not much of a banquet, just some small loaves of bread, stew and water. All the same, they accepted it humbly. At the end of dinner Fergus left he dining hall for a few minuted and came back with three glasses of wine. They all drank up. All of a sudden Frederick got up and started stumbling around and moaning.
"What's wrong with him?" Lilly pleaded.
"I poisoned him!", exclaimed Fergus, 'I put it in there while you two were not looking."
"But why?"
"Because, Annabelle dear, I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving me again."
"Anabelle? Who's Annabelle?"
"Why do you play these games, my dear? You know you are Annabelle."
Frederick let out a quiet moan, "Lilly ...", before he fell to the floor.
"Frederick! You have to help him! Please!", Lilly cried.
"I have the antidote," said Fergus, "but I will only give it to him if you promise to marry me and never leave me again! Promise me and I will give him the antidote."
"I promise.", she whispered in between her falling tears.
He went over to Frederick and took a vial out of his pocket. He took off the cap, lifted Frederick's head and poured it into his mouth. Frederick swallowed.
"It will take a couple of hours for him to wake up. Come with me now, my darling Annabelle."
His ghastly hands grasped hers. She tensed up. He led her up several flights of stairs to a large door, then took out a key and unlocked it.
"This is your room now."
Then he shut the door and locked it. She ran to the door and tried to open it. Then she pounded on the door.
"What are you going to do with Frederick!?", she asked, "If you hurt him, so help me, I'll ... I'll ... I'll kill myself!"
"Don't worry, my dear. I'll take him someplace he'll be taken care of."
Fergus then laughed. Lilly heard his wicked laugh fade as he made his way down the stairs to Frederick. Frederick let out a moan as Fergus picked him up. He carried him down two flights of old, cracked and worn stairs. Rocks crumbled and skipped down the steps as the stone and mortar gave way under the weight of them both. As they went down, the air grew denser and the mustiness of it made it hard to breathe. Finally they reached the the cobblestone floor of a room. Fergus set Frederick down on the floor and felt around on the wall for a switch. Then he reached up and pulled down on a candlestick. A wall opened up to a secret chamber and Fergus carried Frederick inside and set him down on a table.
"You will be taken care of, all right."
Fergus then took some shackles that were hanging on the wall and chained Frederick's feet to the table. Then Fergus took more shackles and chained his hands under the table. Then he ripped a piece of cloth off of a sheet that was lying on the ground and stuffed it into Frederick's mouth. There was a pipe above the table that connected to a well outside. Fergus turned the pipe's valve ever so slightly that it only dripped. He set Frederick directly under the pipe so that it dripped into his mouth. The cloth started to soak and Frederick was still unconscious. Then he started to choke on the water and was forced to swallow the rag. Flickering in and out of consciousness Frederick tried his best to rid himself of the rag but since his hands were chained under the table he was completely helpless. He wriggled and writhed to get free from is bonds, but it was impossible. Fergus had also chained his head down so that he could not move his head, either.
"Now you'll never taker her away from me again.", Fergus said smitingly.
He choked and gagged and finally, letting loose all his hopes, fears, wishes and anything else that ever made him strong, he let out the longest, loudest, most tortured scream a soul could ever hear. Even Fergus, who had been looking on all this time had to cover his ears and look away. And even Lilly, up five whole stories away could hear her love's tormented soul being ripped away. She knew what was going on. Her love, Frederick Amos, was being tortured to death. The ear piercing cry for mercy from God himself was unbearable to her. She wanted to die but there was nothing to do the longed-for deed; no rope, no knife, no gun, nothing. All she could do was kneel down by her bed and ask God to give him some peace. Over and over she repeated this prayer. Frederick was running out of air and fading fast. He started to heave and gasp and choke and finally nothing. Suffocation was his demise. Now he had his peace. Lilly just lay on the cruelly cold stone floor and wailed as if it were the death of Frederick himself all over again. He was her love, her life, her one reason for continuing life's cruel existence everyday. Now that he was gone she couldn't stand it any longer. She began to scratch wildly at her skin, tearing it away piece by gruesome fleshy piece. Her screams were not of pain but of frustration because she could not do the deed faster. She tore at her heart, throat, and wrists like a wild animal gone mad. Much like a wolf gnawing it's own leg off to get out of a trap. She finally made way at her wrists, blood flowed uncontrollably from the mutilated veins. She started to grow weak and yet the weaker she got , the more fiercely she tore at herself. She just could not let Fergus have the satisfaction of saving her from herself. She watched as the blood started to form a pool on the floor. Lilly hoped it would soak into the stones as a reminder, even after she was gone, of what he had done. Lilly could feel the life-giving blood being drained fro her now frail body. She could hear Fergus running up the flights of old and crumbling stone steps. He hurriedly sifted through his side bag to find the key. Fergus could now see what the screams were all about. Her blood now began to creep underneath the door. He quickly unlocked the door and rushed in. She was lying on the floor, paler than a ghost that had seen a ghost. He clambered on his hands and knees through blood towards her. She was just conscious enough to see the inhumanly horrified look on his face. It made her happy to see the look on his face. She then exited this life, but she did so with a smile on her face. That aspect of her death was so gruesome and horrific that it drove Fergus Grey completely mad.
"No! No! No! Not again! Don't leave me again! I won't let him take you away from me again! I won't let him!", he ranted.
He then did the only thing he could do. His madness drove him down the stairs and through the halls. He stopped at the painting of Annabelle Lene and commenced in ripping it to shreds, stomping on it and scuffing it and kicking it. Fergus ran out of the old oak door, wobbling under his weight. He ran to the edge of the cliff and plunged himself into the foamy brine, leaving nothing but a bloody stain on the sharp rocks below.
The two lovers, whose fate had been most unfortunately and unfairly sealed on that terrible day, now had their revenge.
It was to the dismay of Lilly and her newly proposed fiance' that their picnic in the countryside was cut short by a sudden violent thunderstorm. The rain pelted their bodies so hard that welts started to rise on their skin. They ran and ran until they were out of breath. Then their breaths almost escaped them both as when they looked up they saw a Gothic English-style castle on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean.
Inside the towering castle was an old man, who had lived alone for over thirty years and didn't like visitors. A loud and hurriedly knocking came as suddenly as the storm had. It startled the man at first. Then he took his time answering the door. He was so large that he could not walk properly, His large legs ached as he because his deformed little feet were too small to carry his weight. It was hard for him to open the door, due to the fact that his short arms could barely reach around his humongously fat stomach. The large oak door creaked open slowly. The light, even so dimly, hurt his eyes so he had to squint. His flabby cheeks wrinkled up as he squinted and his chubby fingers tried to shade the light from his eyes.
Lilly gasped in horror. She tried to hide her disgust but he clearly knew how she felt.
He sighed, "The weather is getting worse. Would you like to come in?"
They entered the dank, dark and desolate castle. The dreariness of it overwhelmed them both. The man spied her fiance' with an evil look.
"I am the Lord of this manor, Fergus Grey. I will give you shelter for the night."
They both thanked him warmly.
"Come this way to the dining hall."
They followed the strange old man through halls of old drab brown and grey banners and old paintings of descendants of the Grey family. It were as if the castle were out of an old book. There were old suits of armor, rusted with age and from the dampness of the castle There were shields with the family crest on them, which looked like they had not been dusted in fifteen years. At the end of one long hallway was a painting, clearly well taken care of, dusted off recently and the painting looked like new. To Frederick, Lilly's fiance's surprise, when he looked at the painting it looked exactly like Lilly. He gasped.
"What's wrong, Frederick?", Lilly asked.
"Look ... the painting .. it looks just like you, Lilly."
Fergus interrupted, "It is a painting of someone I cared about long ago."
Without another word he turned and continued towards the dining hall. Lilly and Frederick looked at each other with questions in their eyes but said nothing and continued to the dining hall as well.
There the two of them sat across from each other and Fergus sat at the head of the long cherrywood table. Not much of a banquet, just some small loaves of bread, stew and water. All the same, they accepted it humbly. At the end of dinner Fergus left he dining hall for a few minuted and came back with three glasses of wine. They all drank up. All of a sudden Frederick got up and started stumbling around and moaning.
"What's wrong with him?" Lilly pleaded.
"I poisoned him!", exclaimed Fergus, 'I put it in there while you two were not looking."
"But why?"
"Because, Annabelle dear, I couldn't stand the thought of you leaving me again."
"Anabelle? Who's Annabelle?"
"Why do you play these games, my dear? You know you are Annabelle."
Frederick let out a quiet moan, "Lilly ...", before he fell to the floor.
"Frederick! You have to help him! Please!", Lilly cried.
"I have the antidote," said Fergus, "but I will only give it to him if you promise to marry me and never leave me again! Promise me and I will give him the antidote."
"I promise.", she whispered in between her falling tears.
He went over to Frederick and took a vial out of his pocket. He took off the cap, lifted Frederick's head and poured it into his mouth. Frederick swallowed.
"It will take a couple of hours for him to wake up. Come with me now, my darling Annabelle."
His ghastly hands grasped hers. She tensed up. He led her up several flights of stairs to a large door, then took out a key and unlocked it.
"This is your room now."
Then he shut the door and locked it. She ran to the door and tried to open it. Then she pounded on the door.
"What are you going to do with Frederick!?", she asked, "If you hurt him, so help me, I'll ... I'll ... I'll kill myself!"
"Don't worry, my dear. I'll take him someplace he'll be taken care of."
Fergus then laughed. Lilly heard his wicked laugh fade as he made his way down the stairs to Frederick. Frederick let out a moan as Fergus picked him up. He carried him down two flights of old, cracked and worn stairs. Rocks crumbled and skipped down the steps as the stone and mortar gave way under the weight of them both. As they went down, the air grew denser and the mustiness of it made it hard to breathe. Finally they reached the the cobblestone floor of a room. Fergus set Frederick down on the floor and felt around on the wall for a switch. Then he reached up and pulled down on a candlestick. A wall opened up to a secret chamber and Fergus carried Frederick inside and set him down on a table.
"You will be taken care of, all right."
Fergus then took some shackles that were hanging on the wall and chained Frederick's feet to the table. Then Fergus took more shackles and chained his hands under the table. Then he ripped a piece of cloth off of a sheet that was lying on the ground and stuffed it into Frederick's mouth. There was a pipe above the table that connected to a well outside. Fergus turned the pipe's valve ever so slightly that it only dripped. He set Frederick directly under the pipe so that it dripped into his mouth. The cloth started to soak and Frederick was still unconscious. Then he started to choke on the water and was forced to swallow the rag. Flickering in and out of consciousness Frederick tried his best to rid himself of the rag but since his hands were chained under the table he was completely helpless. He wriggled and writhed to get free from is bonds, but it was impossible. Fergus had also chained his head down so that he could not move his head, either.
"Now you'll never taker her away from me again.", Fergus said smitingly.
He choked and gagged and finally, letting loose all his hopes, fears, wishes and anything else that ever made him strong, he let out the longest, loudest, most tortured scream a soul could ever hear. Even Fergus, who had been looking on all this time had to cover his ears and look away. And even Lilly, up five whole stories away could hear her love's tormented soul being ripped away. She knew what was going on. Her love, Frederick Amos, was being tortured to death. The ear piercing cry for mercy from God himself was unbearable to her. She wanted to die but there was nothing to do the longed-for deed; no rope, no knife, no gun, nothing. All she could do was kneel down by her bed and ask God to give him some peace. Over and over she repeated this prayer. Frederick was running out of air and fading fast. He started to heave and gasp and choke and finally nothing. Suffocation was his demise. Now he had his peace. Lilly just lay on the cruelly cold stone floor and wailed as if it were the death of Frederick himself all over again. He was her love, her life, her one reason for continuing life's cruel existence everyday. Now that he was gone she couldn't stand it any longer. She began to scratch wildly at her skin, tearing it away piece by gruesome fleshy piece. Her screams were not of pain but of frustration because she could not do the deed faster. She tore at her heart, throat, and wrists like a wild animal gone mad. Much like a wolf gnawing it's own leg off to get out of a trap. She finally made way at her wrists, blood flowed uncontrollably from the mutilated veins. She started to grow weak and yet the weaker she got , the more fiercely she tore at herself. She just could not let Fergus have the satisfaction of saving her from herself. She watched as the blood started to form a pool on the floor. Lilly hoped it would soak into the stones as a reminder, even after she was gone, of what he had done. Lilly could feel the life-giving blood being drained fro her now frail body. She could hear Fergus running up the flights of old and crumbling stone steps. He hurriedly sifted through his side bag to find the key. Fergus could now see what the screams were all about. Her blood now began to creep underneath the door. He quickly unlocked the door and rushed in. She was lying on the floor, paler than a ghost that had seen a ghost. He clambered on his hands and knees through blood towards her. She was just conscious enough to see the inhumanly horrified look on his face. It made her happy to see the look on his face. She then exited this life, but she did so with a smile on her face. That aspect of her death was so gruesome and horrific that it drove Fergus Grey completely mad.
"No! No! No! Not again! Don't leave me again! I won't let him take you away from me again! I won't let him!", he ranted.
He then did the only thing he could do. His madness drove him down the stairs and through the halls. He stopped at the painting of Annabelle Lene and commenced in ripping it to shreds, stomping on it and scuffing it and kicking it. Fergus ran out of the old oak door, wobbling under his weight. He ran to the edge of the cliff and plunged himself into the foamy brine, leaving nothing but a bloody stain on the sharp rocks below.
The two lovers, whose fate had been most unfortunately and unfairly sealed on that terrible day, now had their revenge.
This story was an English class assignment in my Junior year of High School in 1995. According to my teacher's comments this had been an assignment to create a Gothic story, though I am not sure if it was specifically a horror story as the assignment or not. Thanks, Mrs. Cobbs got giving me 30/30 on it :) Most people may see this story as perhaps something to be "worried" about the author but I remember hearing that Stephen King didn't write his famous horror stories based on things he liked but on things that terrified him. Not 100% sure that is an accurate statement about him but it made me realize that could make my horror story better.
I kept this story and about 20 years later i was looking through a bag of old saved papers, journals and art and found it. After letting my oldest child read it, I got the idea to incorporate it into the haunt.
Hope you enjoyed it and DO NOT RECREATE OR COPY OR REPOST THIS STORY IN ANY WAY. THIS IS ALL 100% MY CREATION AND MAY NOT BE USED BY ANYONE ELSE IN ANY WAY. Thank you.
I kept this story and about 20 years later i was looking through a bag of old saved papers, journals and art and found it. After letting my oldest child read it, I got the idea to incorporate it into the haunt.
Hope you enjoyed it and DO NOT RECREATE OR COPY OR REPOST THIS STORY IN ANY WAY. THIS IS ALL 100% MY CREATION AND MAY NOT BE USED BY ANYONE ELSE IN ANY WAY. Thank you.