Death

Shadows played upon the crumbling walls as the remaining candles burned down low and slow. Nowhere to turn or go with thoughts of devilish torments dancing within your minds eye.

The wind was howling and gusts carried screams from the dungeons below. Blood soaked mounds of straw carried with it the smells of death and decay.

A sudden crack, pop then hiss as the candle flames burned low. Footsteps followed by intermittent mad laughter with the odd scream could be made out off in the distance. Chained to the wall, waiting for your turn in hell to surely follow. Closer and closer came the laughter and screams. Only to fade away off into the distance once more. Your mind wandered to the question "How did I come to be in a place such as this?"

The candles one by one went out until there was no longer any light at all left within. Hiss, pop and the odd scraping sound could be heard however you could not see in the darkness.

Suddenly, all was quiet. Nothing could be heard from beyond your cell. You do not know for how long you were waiting but not being able to break free of your shackles you were slowly giving into despair. Your mind began anew to conjure images of torture, images of death.

"Bring out your dead!" A shout off into the distance was drawing closer, closer and closer still, but you clung to the hope that your end would never come in your heart and fought back the darkness as best you could.

You awaken, with out any real idea of the time you had been asleep, but your fear made your blood race and sent chills down your spine as the sweat could be felt dripping from your entire body. Your mind had dreamed and wandered into your memories of happier days only for the stark reality of your situation to once again take hold.

No longer could you hear laughter. No longer could you see, your eyesight became accustomed to the darkness but nothing came into focus. But the dampness continued to carry with it the smells of death. Hope began to fade. Your sanity was also beginning to give way. You clung onto the feel of the chains that held you affixed in place. Some reality was better than none at all you mused. Memories of better days were slowly dying within you.

Giving unto your fatigue, you stretch out onto the straw that you could feel beneath your feet making yourself as comfortable as you could. You mind lost track of time. Still, death had not arrived. Sleep came back upon you once more. This happened over and over without seemingly an end.

Long ago you had dreamed of candles burning low giving off a reddish glow with wax drippings falling into the straw upon the floors. Uncontrollable was your sudden heart felt laughter as you finally gave yourself into complete madness and despair. "Oh for the love of death you cried!"

Bodies were strewn all over the place in all sorts of death poses and the smells of rotting flesh could not go by unnoticed. As you were dragged and strapped onto a table, silent you simply were waiting patiently for your own end determined in your madness not to make a sound.

Slowly, the blade entered your abdomen, excitement could be made in your captors eyes. The Reaper was silently contemplating your demise all this time, uncertain as to the final method to be deployed. Death by a thousand cuts was his preferred selection. The Reaper, also known as simply Death had lost count long ago of the number of souls he had collected.

You suddenly found yourself awake in bed with the television running softly in the background and you could here Vincent Price's voice clearly audible stating that it was your turn to die followed by his incontrollable laughter...