Compelled

Mesmerizing colors of autumn twilight break rays of the dying light upon the entry way. Standing before the majesty of a grand stairway that lingers up twisted dark wood rails stands a solemn figure. No words spoken, just the cold gaze from under old overgrown eyebrows from the figure draped in old grey robes. Stepping at a pace with steady reserve I find a cold steel chill run through me. The old oaken door creeks closed behind me as a faint sound of a bell chimes in the recesses of the upper landing.

A gruff stroke upon my leg startles me, seeing a decrepit aged feline pass. Its odor pungent and deathly as it fades into a maze of rotting furniture. The aged figure from top the stairs beckons me up with a wave as he walks down the hall. Creaking boards fall silent as he makes his way into the dark hall. I gulp, clear my throat as I wipe my brow of cold sweat as I begin my ascent up the stairs.

This was not like my other visits to elderly clients. Mostly, they wanted to update their last will and final arrangements. The folly of this meeting was to consolidate wealth. The house in its deathly quiet now and the sound of my own breathing was the only thing to break the deafening silence. Each step up the stairs pounding like a heartbeat in my ears.

At the top of the stairway, I paused to look down the dimly lit hallway that was now void. At the end of the hall stood a tall gently ticking grandfather clock as its bronzed pendulum swayed in rhythm. The flickering light of a candle light could be seen seeping from inside open doorway next to the clock. My steps comes forward slowly as I hear the old man wheezing from the darkness. A rattled cough breaks into a spasm of labored breaths. Each step sounds with a creaking sound of the decaying floor boards. The house was no less than 200 years old and in poor maintenance. The matted old fur of cats seemed to fill the cracks and discolor the old boards. The smell of dying breath now filled my nose as I drew closer. With each step, the sound of the old grandfather clock grew louder. Each breath I took was deeper. My heart grew faster! A faded voice came from behind me. I spun around with purpose to see only the old cat pacing down the hall. No one there! Was I just being paranoid? Surely my mind plays jest on me. I smugly smiled as I dismissed the notion that there was some one there. I squat down to welcome the slowly approaching cat. I made a clicking sound to entice the cat closer as it took notice of something from behind me. I fell to my knees and upon my hand as I spun around like a clumsy fool. Once again, nothing. The rattled cough came from the room once again. With what little dignity I felt I had, I came to my feet and straightened my collar and belt.

I began to walk with a direct purpose of clearing this dank hallway. I came to the doorway of the candlelight and stood in its arch. The pendulum clacking loudly as the flickering candlelight illuminated the darkness. Within the room sat a huge oaken master bed with 4 posts, ratted up silks upon it. Laying in this center was about 3 frail sickly looking felines. Seeming little life in them they all raised their heads to meet my eyes as I looked upon them. The old man, sitting behind a old black desk adorned with several candles. He croaked out a weak welcome as he motions me to take a seat at his desk. Upon the desk sat an assortment of crumpled parchments, wax boxes and sealing stamps. Candle wax frozen in time, edged over the sides like stalactites in a musty cavern. Behind the old man upon the wall rested a giant frame covered in a linen sheet. As I glanced around the room I noticed several such frames except for the handsome painting of a young man which posed with a hunting hound and a large rifle. The painting of the man had no joy in his eyes and seemingly stared directly at me with his imposing eyes. The old man slid a small envelope across to me that was stuffed with papers and then a handwritten check with a fanciful font on it with a blank amount.

The old man, slowly croaked out, "you'll find the directions in the envelope and a check left blank. I trust you will take a reasonable amount of compensation?"

I nodded back as if troubled to get a word out. I then fumbled my parchment case about to withdraw a single paper. Stammering I spoke, "I.. I.. Just need a signature to allow power of uh... attorney to... to make such arrangements."

The old man grumbled a moment and withdrew a plumed pen from an inkwell and reached out for the paper. As the paper slid upon the messy wax stained desk, some of the cat hair disturbed filled up the air. He took the document and sloppily signed. With the deftness of a younger man, he stood up from the desk and with a creepy smile, he extended a grey gnarled hand to shake.

I found my fumbling of the papers and case awkward as I clumsily extended my hand out to him. His hand, cold and bony grasped mine and I felt a deep chill that seemed to pull the very heat from my hand. I pulled away with a quick snap. I walked to the door to faced him once again before I was to leave. He was busy this moment as a cat clawed at one of the linens hanging low to the floor that covered a frame upon the wall. The old man hissed with a insolent tone at the mischievous cat. The linen fell away to reveal a old dull mirror adorned in a gold leafed frame. The cat scampered away as the linen fell to the floor with a plume of dust and cat hair. The smell was vile and thick as it filled my lungs as I began to cough and heave up remains of untold ages of dust.

In just a quick instance, the reflection of the old man flashed the mirror. It was, however, that of a younger man. Much younger! perhaps the very man in the single portrait behind the desk. Quickly, in a flash seemingly, the linen was thrown with great skill back upon the mirror.

"I trust you'll find your own way sir?", the old man struggled to shout. A cat scurried past out the door and down the hall, creating a sick cloud of vile odor and debris. As I made haste for the doorway the grandfather clock began to chime loudly as it startled me even further. I nearly fell to the floor in my haste. A sick laugh erupted from the old man as the bell began to toll its hourly count. When I regained my footing, the old man was nowhere to be seen. Heart racing and terror struck i stumbled down the hall trying to hold onto the papers in frantic haste. The clock chimes fell silent as I made the staircase landing.

A single huge cream colored cat sat there in my path. He gazed up at me with a cruel growl as it arched its back. The voices of many filled my mind with whispered frantic tones. All with a sense of urgency that further raced my heart. I could feel my heart pound like it was about to burst. Perhaps in my former trip up these stairs I didn't notice all the dead vermin that were now strewn up the steps. I took my first step down the stairs, then suddenly with no sense of reason, the large cat struck at my Achilles heel with searing agony as the pain quickly shot up my spine like fire. With the world now spinning about tumbled with the grace of random precision down the flight of stairs. Body thrashing and banging as I came down, I found myself laying prone and face up upon the floor. No pain... the lights fading luminescence as I found unable to move.

Am I dead? I can hear my heart... I can feel the heavy air escape my lungs. I quivered as I struggled to move. Suddenly, a single cat came to my face. Its eyes alive with a glow of reflecting low light. It gave my nose a single lick with its sand paper like tongue. I sighed and breathed out relief. The cat, now at my nose, seemed to take in my breath. I tried to draw in another breath, but it was like trying to take in a breath from a vacuum hose. I struggled a few breaths but it was as laborious as breathing in water. Now a few more cats seemed to join the other cat! I tried desperately to flail my arm to fight them, but nothing. My heart beating and pounding I could hear only the purring of the cats as they began to brush against my face.

The vile laugh of the old man came from up stairs. Eyes wandered up as the sight of a heavy old book crashed near my head. The cats scampered away and within seconds the old man stood above me as he scooped down to lift up one of the cats slowly coming back to my face. He slowly brought the cat to his own face with a certain demonic grin that only the devil himself could seem to have. As I lay upon the floor gazing up at my would be savior I frantically whimpered out a thank you, or what seemed like a thank you. Without warning, his mouth seemingly unhinged to reveal huge teeth and grossly huge mouth that bit down on the cats head as he tossed aside the corpse of the now demised headless cat. Blood coursed down his chin as a huge ball seemed to travel down his throat. In a grotesque flash of deformity upon his face and a scream of agony he dropped beside me and put his hand upon my chest. I drew in a huge gasp of air in panic. The old mans face now seemingly much younger. Many other cats began to come out from the hidden places around the room and consume the remains of the mutilated cat. The man now leaned over my head and looked down at me. "Well Sir, you certainly have gotten yourself into a mess. lets see what we have wrong with you now. You know getting good help these days is not an easy task. Lets get you on your way now will we."

I struggled to speak.. I moaned in desperation to tell him I couldn't move. Something in the way he strung his solemn words that faded to garbled noises brought me no sense of ease. I began to fade from the world until I felt the cold embrace upon my lips. I felt my lungs then collapse fully as the sound of ribs cracking loudly in my chest. Lost... no hope.... all life fading made the way of the world seem like a bygone way. Like a cold fish with no feeling, my heart ceased its final beat. Darkness swallows me whole, no will left to give. The voices.. so many voices.... where are they? "Don't do it!" One voice cried out. Bright light filled my mind.

Now looking at the young man from the portrait upstairs, eye to eye, he held out a new white sheet in his hands as he walked closer. Still unable to move I could see everything clearly now. Behind him walked a somewhat sickly figure, that even in the dim light seemed familiar. The sheet now spreading out in his arms the figure came out from the darker parts of the room. Its visage brought me sheer horror! It was me! A bit worse for the wear, blood upon my chest and sullen eyes with little little life. I screamed out without a sound as the other me groaned like a wounded animal.

"Now, now. all will be OK.", The young man draped the sheet over me. Now with a dim white light I could now see the wall where the young man now draped a new frame with a fresh new linen sheet. The younger man now spoke directly to the framed covered image. "Now, go upon your way sir. You have work to do. Make haste and come back next week." With a certain uncertainty I was compelled to obey. My mind a blur and seemingly two places at once. I could hear his laugh as if in my mind, as I walked out the front door. The same cat that greeted me when I first came now escorted me to the car as I drove away to complete my work.... Our work.... His work....