5. Twisted Love Story

(American Cinquain)

Prologue

[Spirit]

The rites

Must now begin.

The Sleeper gathers round

The instruments he must perform

In trance.

The knife

Is held. The blade's

Sharp edge is used to cut

Each finger on both hands, so they

Bleed through.

The words

Are set in blood

Upon the paper with

The name and date of his lost love

On it.

In deep

Dark trance, he sets

The candle on the floor,

Then kneels, then holds the unlit match

And strikes.

So done,

He holds the match.

The candle flickers up

Into a flame. The message starts

To burn.

Before

The flame dies down,

The Sleeper goes to bed,

So that he can complete the rite

In sleep.

So now

He drifts to sleep

And dreams he is inside

His bedroom, where his practiced words

Invoke:

[Sleeper]

"I now

Invoke your aid

To find my love and shed

My tears of mirth and grief for her

Sweet smile.

"Spirit,

I greet the world

Of terror, shock and fright

To meet my long-departed love—

Awake!"

And yet,

When I now ope *

My eyes to see my room,

I'm still within this dreaming state

Of fear.

For all

Is mist and fog

Inside this bedroom dim,

Which just an hour ago was filled

With joy.

Just now,

My world enfolds

Itself to sleep and leaves

This room to things invisible

To sight.

Such is

The state in which

I now take up my knife

To still the beatings of my heart

With blood.

Beyond

The mind, a dark

And footless gate appears

And opens wide its yawning mouth—

The void.

Vast are

The barren plains

That dwell there, vaster still

The inner depths that hold the realms

Within.

"What realm

Beyond the spans

Of such huge voids exist?

What greater span than human thought

Is there?"

[Spirit]

"The dreams

Of sleep eclipse

The length and breadth of time,

Which slows or stops time's grasp upon

Our wills."

[Sleeper]

"What then

Beyond the span

Of dreams exceeds such realms?

What greater span than human dreams

Is there?"

[Spirit]

"The realm

You always dread

To enter in, the space

Of nightmares where your fears

Reside.

"Remain

Not long within

The midnight's witching hour

Of spells and vain conceits of pride

And sin.

"Stay not

Therein upon

Your peril at the hour

When demons walk the land at three

O'clock.

"O'erstay **

Not long the hour

Of wolves at four o'clock,

Lest just before the crack of dawn,

You die.

"Do not

Forget these words,

Sleeper. Your life may well

Depend upon them, if you find

You're trapped!"

1. Hour of the Witch | 12:00 a.m.

[Sleeper]

Those last

Departing words

Send up my spine a chill

That robs me of a restful sleep

In bed.

But then

I recognize

The hour the spirit chose

To warn me of th' impending doom—

At dawn!

Damn that

Prophetic fiend!

In recognizing that

I'm still inside the fatal dream,

I dread—

Dread all

The chances I

Mistook for folly at

The ticking of the fatal clock

Of doom—

Dread all

The tidings of

My fate upon these walls,

Now stained with blood that spell her name

And date—

Dread all

The sick and dire

Imaginings that man

And woman share in hate and woe

And fear!

For just

A moment's time,

I dwell upon these thoughts,

Until the rustling curtains break

Their hold.

Here strikes

The midnight stroke

Upon some unseen clock.

The fatal strike resounds and fades

To naught. ***

No sound

But his heartbeats

Now interrupt the still

And silent room. He then gets out

Of bed.

Below

Me at my feet

Lies my own candle snuffed

Out, melted down to half its length

And mass.

Moreo'er, ****

I see the pile

Of ash that once contained

My lover's name and date in blood.

I cry.

[Lover]

"Cry not,

My love, because

I'm here upon this hour

Of your late summons, where we stand

And meet."

[Sleeper]

"My God,

Are you for real?

Are you the fated love

I lately wed in sacred bond

And love?"

[Lover]

"Look on

And know my face

And listen to my voice

And reach out for my hand to touch

And know."

[Sleeper]

Known are

The charms that love

Can swell inside the heart.

Now struggling thus to keep my feet,

I doubt.

Decide

For me my fate

Or what you will, yet when

I listen, look and touch her hand,

I yield:

"You are,

Indeed, the one

I've yearned to hold within

My arms once more, if only just

In dreams!"

[Lover]

"Dream on

And love me with

The passions of your kiss,

And may our hearts entwine fore'er *****

In bliss!"

[Sleeper]

Believe

When I recall

The glories of her lips,

So sweet to taste. My life is now

Complete.

Compare

Such ecstasy

In vain, if any eye

Should witness such a paragon

Of bliss!

But now

Must come the fall,

For her soft sultry lips

And honeyed breath decay to lips

Of death.

Devoured

In death's embrace,

I jolt to feel the cranium ******

Imprint its rotten teeth upon

My lips.

Lest I

Lose all my wits,

I yank myself away

From that impostor, reeling in

Disgust.

Down deep

Inside my soul,

I scream in vain, insane

To every sacred creed or prayer

Or oath.

Oh God,

Oh God, oh God!

I fall upon the ground

In agony and shame, debased,

Disturbed.

Despite

All that, I'm sane

Enough to see the bones

Enfold themselves in flesh and garb—

A witch!

[Witch]

"Why look

Upon me so,

My love, when I can give

You several thousand kisses more,

Tonight?"

[Sleeper]

"Take your

Foul lips and jests

With you towards that Fiend

You call your sire! Be gone, be gone,

You wretch!"

With all

My strength, I take

My stand and glare upon

This vile impostor in my hate

And rage.

[Witch]

"Revenge

Is not a dish

Well served in bloody heat,

For I prefer mine cold to touch

And eat!

"Enter

My word of foul

Delights and drink my cup

Of sweet delusions! Feast upon

My whims!"

With that,

The witch advanced,

Stalking and leering with

The stench and look of death's

Disease

Described

Upon her face,

Turning her nasty looks

Into the sweet but false compare

Of beauty.

"Behold

Your lover's face,

Your destiny and fate!

Behold in me the deep desires

That tug

"Those sore

And fickle strings

About your heart and eyes

And loins! Behold the fruitful sweets

Of love!"

[Sleeper]

Looking

Upon such vile

Deceit, I fled the room,

Disgusted by her parody

Of health.

Here then

Begins the vile

Pursuit from room to room,

Past countless doors and beds

Defiled,

Doomed to

Repeat the chase,

Until I should collapse,

Exhausted, drained of courage, life

And hope.

Here now

As I collapse,

Defeated and distraught,

I close my eyes and start to pray

In haste,

Howe'er

Useless it seems

To try; and in the midst

Of sudden doom now come upon

Myself,

Many

A thought of hands

Wrapping around my neck,

I wait and wait for such a doom

To come

Claim my

Life, but instead

Of bony hands that curl

Around my neck, nothing at all

Happens.

2. Hour of the Devil | 3:00 a.m.

[Sleeper]

Here now,

After I pause

A moment longer, I

Now ope my eyes and gaze upon

A room

Redone

With racks of dark

Red wine upon the walls

For rites and spells of sacrifice

And death.

Dark is

This room with rows

And rows of maddening

Books, knowledge-bearers, tomes

Of lore

Lost to

The sands of time,

Recovered only with

The scraps of evil tidings in

Grimoires.

"Give me

The strength to call

On you to do my part

In this unending round of chance.

Awake!"

And yet,

When I proclaim

My worth upon the air,

Only a spell of silence greets

My words.

[Whisperer]

"Wishful

Invocations

Cannot increase the stock

Of your unfruitful venture, yet

I'll make

"My one

Exception for

A suitable price made,

Depending on what you can give

To me."

[Sleeper]

"My wife,

I want my wife

Back in my arms again—

The real one, not the blasted witch

Ere now."

[Whisperer]

"Noble

Is the humble

Heart that wants a humble

Dream, a wife to love and cherish.

That it?"

[Sleeper]

"It's that,

No more, no less,

Just resurrect my wife,

And I shall be content, happy

And gay."

[Whisperer]

"Give then

Your soul to me,

And worship me from now

Until the hour upon your last

Breath. Deal?"

[Sleeper]

"Deal." So

I take up the

Terms, knowing I will have

To pay it back with all my soul

In death,

Doomed to

Enter the realm

Of outer darkness where

The blinding light of Satan hides

No sin.

So now

I wait and wait,

Expecting something big

To happen, though I know not what

It is.

It's like

Awaiting some

Unnerving boon to spring

Upon your heels like a stray dog

Of fate.

Fear clamps

Its jaws around

My beating heart and grips

Me in suspense as one possessed

With death.

Deranged

Becomes the man

Awaiting in the dark

Before the tide of fear can crest

And ebb.

[Whisperer]

"Enter

The void in front

Of you and trust in me,

For through me shall you find surcease

From pain.

"Perhaps

You might obtain

The one you've longed to hold;

You'll never know until you tread

The path,

"Passing

Into the path

Untrodden by the meek,

For nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Come here."

[Sleeper]

Here then

I tread towards

The voided path beyond

The fading light of ignorance

In fear.

For there

Beyond the edge

Of human sight, there lies

An open door into some realm

Unknown,

Unknown

To all except

The brave and foolhardy;

This door I push aside and walk

In steps

Subdued

Amid the dark

And ill-lit corridor

Of ominous design and fell

Repute.

Ready

The heart and mind

For that which is to come;

And so I tread along towards

The depths

Deep in

The gloom and gloom

Of eerie walls and floors,

Just visible to walk by sight

Alone.

And then

Another door

Appears within the dark,

Looming ever larger in front

Of me.

My fears

Grow larger still

Upon the sight of that

Strange door now slightly just ajar,

It seems.

So thrilled

Upon the sight

Of it, I turn my head

Behind me where I view the bleak

Abyss,

And when

I turn around,

I see the door swing in

Without the human agency

Of sight,

Sound or

Touch to remain

At ease whereon I stand

As witness to the movements of

A ghost.

[Whisperer]

"Go hence,

And you will find

That which you have desired

Deep in your breast, down to your core,

Your soul!"

[Sleeper]

Sweet-talk

Like this compels

Me on to take the chance,

And so I push aside the door

And see

Something

That takes my breath

Away and leaves me dumb;

For there it stands, the lidless tomb

In which

Words fail

To comprehend!

My love lies in repose

On a glowing bed of roses

Glowing,

Giving

Off fragrances

So sweet and clear to smell

That all my sense of terror dies

At once.

Onward

I step inside

The hallowed crypt and fall

Upon one knee in penitence

And love.

"Let this,

My love, be our

Last parting on the eve

Of our sweet anniversary!

So here

"Hidden

Beyond the sight

Of demons, gods and men,

I quaff the cup of heaven's gate *******

And bliss."

By now,

I rise upon

My feet and overlook

My lover in repose so deep

And pure,

Pleasing

To look at her

Attractive figure and

Her handsome face without a trace

Of ruin

Remaining

Upon her skin,

So smooth and silken soft;

I place my hand upon her cool

Mild cheeks,

Checking

To see if she

Is real and still alive;

I bend and lean my ear above

Her mouth,

Measuring

The faintest breaths

Of life still in her lungs.

By God, she lives and sleeps the sleep

Of rest!

Right then,

The door shuts up,

Entrapping me inside

The fated tomb before I can

React!

[Whisperer]

"Repay

The guide his due,

Sleeper, and slumber here

Forever with your loved one in

The crypt!"

[Sleeper]

"Curse you,

You blasted fiend!

Open the door or else

When I get out of here, I'll kill

You there!"

The sounds

Of laughing spite

Resound within the tomb,

Almost compelling me to rage

And rave.

Right then,

Barely before

I catch my breath and calm

Myself, a spike of terror shocks

My heart.

Hardly

Do I even

Comprehend the terror

When round I turn to see my love

Sit up

Under

Her own power,

Looking at me with the

Comprehension of my living

Lover.

[Lover]

"Lest I

Am dreaming, where

Are am I and who are you?

For I am not acquainted with

This place."

[Sleeper]

"Perhaps

You do not know

The circumstance that brings

Me here, but how can you not know

This place?"

[Lover]

"Please, do

Not speak in hints

And riddles! Where am I

And who are you to question me

Like this?

"This room

Is far too dark

For me to see beyond

This glowing bet of roses red

And white.

"While you

Are there where I

Can't see, come closer that

I might perceive the speaker thus:

Come here."

[Sleeper]

Here now,

I stand in doubt

Upon the threshold of

My lover's summons to come near

To her.

Here now,

I triumph o'er

My doubts and close the gap

Between myself and my dear love

And say,

"Sweet love,

I came for you

To get you out of here,

But now we're trapped, both you and I;

We are—"

[Lover]

"Ah me,

It cannot be!

For while I live and breath

Inside this place of wretchedness,

You're here!

[Sleeper]

"How can

We then escape

This place, for we're entombed

Inside and I can't budge this door

To ope."

[Lover]

"One way

I know t' escape

This place of endless rest,

And yet it's fraught with many risks

And traps—"

[Sleeper]

"Tell me

What it is, love!

I'd rather risk it all

Than spend my life inside this place

Of doom."

Despite

A anxious look

About her face, she stands

Upon the bed of roses bright

And says,

[Lover]

"Since you

Will have it thus,

I'll do your will; come here

And stand upon this bed with me.

I can

"(Combined

In your embrace)

Escape this place of doom,

Both you and I, but heed my words

Of warning.

"When we

Escape this place,

We'll be inside the woods

Where howling wolves do prowl about

To hunt.

"Heed me

And know that on

The hour before the dawn

Is the darkest of all the night

To hike."

[Sleeper]

"How do

You know the way

When such foul menaces

Exist upon the path that frees

Ourselves?"

[Lover]

"On this,

I only know

Too well. Before you came

To rescue me, I had escaped

This place,

"Perhaps

By fate or chance—

I know not which or why.

And then I walked around to find

My bearings

"By the

Moonlit forest,

Yet the howling of the

Wolves had frightened me back to this

Dark place."

[Sleeper]

"Perhaps

With me to act

As guide protecting you,

We may get out of here alive

And well."

[Lover]

"Will you

Then help me through

Those horrid woods at night?

Can you ward off those monsters with

Your might?"

[Sleeper]

"My strength

Is just enough

To scare off those that stalk

The woods at night; but even then,

We must

"Make haste

If we're t' escape

This curse beset upon

Us both. We've little time to fear

The rest."

Restored

To action, she

Now beckons me to her;

I follow her direction, stand

Where she

Stands now,

Embracing her

Close to my bosom's heart;

The glowing bed of roses starts

To shine

So bright

That I could not

Bear such a sight for long,

And I must squint my eyes to bear

It better

Before

We 'gin to sink

Into the cushioned folds.

So down and down we sink and sink

Until

(Unable

To bear the sight)

I shut my eyes as she

And I cling to each other tight,

Secure.

So long

As I have her

With me, I'll go with her

To Hell and back again, so come

What may!

3. Hour of the Wolf | 4:00 a.m.

[Sleeper]

Moments

Now pass, as we

Begin to see ourselves

Still whole, still breathing, still

Alive.

A sigh

Upon the wind

Now rustles through trees

Beneath the moonlight of the night;

The trees

Take on

The aspect of

Of watchful eyes hid in

The shadows of each twisting branch

And bark;

Beyond

The sounds and sights

Of monstrous things, I stare

Upon my lover's handsome face

And gain

Good heart

And courage for

The struggles yet to come,

For love can lift the dregs of hope

To strive.

So now

We tread our way

Into the thick of wood

And feel the chill upon the skin

And face.

"Fear not,

My love, for we'll

Get out of this as soon

As possible; I'll try my best

To seek

"Some way

Out of these woods

Unharmed by any beast

Or monster lurking in our midst

Tonight."

[Lover]

"Thank you

For your words of

Courage in this fatal

Venture through this hostile forest—

What's that?"

[Sleeper]

Thereat,

I hearken to

The sound of distant howls

Against the silence of the night

And say,

"Stay low

And follow close

Behind my treading feet;

There's danger now afoot upon

Our trail."

Treading

So light upon

The muffled dirt, we spot

A traveled pathway hid within

The woods.

We breathe

A sigh of such

Relief upon the sight,

Leading towards a safer place,

Perhaps

People

To take us in

And get us on our feet;

And so we follow on the path

And hope—

Hope for

Some miracle

That clears away our fears—

Hope for the chance that we will find

Our way . . .

When to

Our weary eyes,

We see a cabin on

A shallow hillock just above

Its base.

Before

We breathe a sigh

Of welcome thoughts and ease,

The sound of howling wolves assail

The night!

Now we

Sprint along the

Trodden pathway up the

Way towards our place of safety,

Nearer . . .

Nearer

And nearer still,

We run as we discern

The howling wolves now multiply

Their numbers.

Nearer

And nearer still,

We hasten up towards

The hillock where the cabin sits

Alone,

And now

We hear the pack

Of wolves growling at us,

And when I look behind to see,

I see

Several

Pairs of glowing

Piercing eyes, like demons'

Eyes gaining fast and faster on

Our trail.

The steady

Increase of grunts

And growls and prowling feet

Grow stronger as we near the hill

And cabin,

Combining

Our fears in one

Mad dash against the fate

Awaiting just behind our steps

As food

For wolves

With glowing eyes

And snarling jaws with teeth,

Ready to clamp around our heels!

We gain

Good time

In reaching hill . . .

And pathway going up

The hill towards the doorknob, turn

The handle . . .

Hasten

Inside and shut

The door against the wolves

Just in the nick of beating time!

Relief

Resumes

Upon ourselves,

As we collapse upon

The floor, exhausted with the chase

Of fate!

"Fear not,

My love, for we

Have made it out alive

And well without an injury!

Rejoice!

"Rest well

Upon that bed

Over there where we will

Wait out this final hour of night

In safety!"

[Lover]

"Such words

Will bring about

Your downfall if you let

Your guard down! Do remain alert,

By God!"

[Sleeper]

"Good God,

Girl, what on earth

Has gotten into you?

Can you not see that we have just

Escaped?"

[Lover]

"Escaped

The fate of death,

Indeed we have; but now

I must reveal the final truth

To you."

[Sleeper]

"You fright

Me, love, indeed

You do! What devilry

Remains for us to overcome?

What pain—"

[Lover]

"Pray, pray,

Be quiet now

So that I can divulge

The final secret of my woes

And fears."

[Sleeper]

For her

I bite my tongue,

Awaiting yet more words

Of warning or direction from

Her lips.

[Lover]

"Heed me

When I now say

That I'm no longer what

I used to be, that I have changed

To something . . .

"Something

I dare not say

To you, because I am

Afraid to tell the only man

I love."

[Sleeper]

"Listen,

My love, I will

Not faint or turn away,

Because you are my love, even

In death.

"Do not

Ever doubt me

When I say to you that

I will always love you—always

Love you!"

[Lover]

"You do

Not understand!

A curse now hangs upon

Me with its fangs upon my heart

And soul!"

[Sleeper]

She walks

Away from me,

But still I follow her

Towards a shuttered window that

Lets enter

Enlightened

Streaks of moonlight

Filter through the shutter;

Here she flings and shutter open

And says,

[Lover]

"See me

For what I have

Become, a monster to

All human sight! How can you still

Adore . . ."

[Sleeper]

And now

She starts to cry

As she transforms into

A she-wolf of such monstrous look

And size!

Such words

Can little paint

The jolt of horror in

My heaving breast, a stern denial

Th' insane

Insist

Against the cruel

Evidence of my sight!

I ball my fists, i shut my eyes,

And yell,

"You monster!

Impostor! Fiend!

Where have you taken here?

By God, if you don't tell me where

She is—"

I stop . . .

I now can see

The reason why she is

A she-wolf . . . She went out before,

And I . . .

I was

Not there when she

Got bitten by the wolves

When she had ventured outside of

Her tomb.

To think

I was not there

To safeguard her from harm,

And now I view the sad result:

I failed,

Failed to

Protect the one

I loved when I chased out

The wolves with gun in hand and shot

My love,

Leaving

Her bloodied and

Dying within my arms;

The wolves have given her new life

In death,

Despite

My vow to her;

I look upon my love

Now curled into a giant ball,

Cowering,

Cornered,

Afraid of me.

I now collapse upon

My knees, knowing that I have failed,

Crying

Cruel tears

Of bitter pain

As I have never cried,

Bearing my tears as penitence

For failure.

"Fear not,

My love, for I

Will never hurt a hair

Upon your head, nor will I fail

You now.

"No matter

What will happen,

I'll always—always—love

You as a human or a wolf;

So bite . . .

"Bring an

End upon this

Eternal curse of pain,

That we may live together as

Two wolves."

Epilogue

[Spirit]

What words

Of sweet regret

Could falsify such love;

The she-wolf timidly uncurled

And shed

Such tears

As human eyes

Can only shed—regret,

Remorse, commiseration in

One act,

An act

Of surrender

To the magic hand of

One final chance to set things right

Once more.

Moved to

Action, she stood

Upon her legs and lunged

Upon her kneeling lover, arms

Outspread,

Offering

Himself to her

Sharp canines tearing at

His flesh; he screams in utter pain

And dies,

Defying

The curse laid on

Her cursèd head as she

Tears him to pieces, ensuring he

Will not

Need to

Share in her curse;

So with her lover dead

And free of sin, she breaks out of

The window,

Where she

Attacks those wolves

Who gave the curse to her,

Killing many wolves but dying

Upon

Unending

Bites to herself,

As the wolves begin to

Tear her limbs apart, staining her

Fur in blood

Before

The final hour

Of night begins to end,

Bringing the dawn of a new day

To life.

Let us

Assume those two,

The Sleeper and Lover,

Are now together in the tomb

Of love.

FINISH