Zorga's Gate

It was damp and cold at the office

Where he’d been caught up, working late,

He’d almost finished a gothic

For the collection, ‘Zorga’s Gate’,

The lights had fused and the heat was off

When a chill swept through the air,

Just as he typed that final word

On the screen, that word - ‘Despair!’

 

He’d written ‘The Pillars of Zorga’s Gate

Rise out of the mist out there,

So only fools and unearthly ghouls

Will gather and stand and stare,

The gates are sticky with blood and gore

From the many who came and tried,

To answer the sign, ‘You’re welcome here!’

‘Til they found that the gates had lied.

 

He shivered once at the heartlessness

He’d woven into the plot,

When the evil Baron of Darkness

Turned the key in the dungeon lock,

Then blood flowed down the computer screen

With a font that reeked of  hate:

‘You dare to reveal the mysteries

At the back of Zorga’s Gate?’

 

Jack sat up straight in his chair in shock,

Peered warily round the room,

He sensed a muttering babble there

From somewhere deep in the gloom,

Then slowly the keyboard typed his name

In white, and the screen was black,

‘Wherever you’re coming from, my friend,

You’ll never be going back!’

 

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up

And a chill ran down his spine,

‘Somebody’s playing a stupid trick,’

He said, ‘I’ll get the swine!’

He went to type a reply, but by

The time that he hit the key,

The screen switched off, the computer locked

And a voice said, ‘Come with me!’

 

He fumbled around in the darkness

Staggered once, and he almost fell,

Touched a wall that was damp and cold

And he thought, ‘I can’t be well!’

He found himself on the battlements

Of a castle, cold and grim,

Where the wind howled yet at the parapet

And the thunderclouds rolled in.

 

A figure was standing behind him

Wearing a hood and flowing cape,

He turned and backed to the battlements

With his mouth and his jaws agape,

‘I have your Jocelyn bound in chain

Awaiting her sad demise,

I told her I’d only cut her throat

In front of your mortal eyes!’

 

He prodded Jack in the small of his back

And along a winding stair,

The stone was old, and covered in mould,

And led to a dungeon there,

She lay, fast chained to the dungeon wall

In a bright red party gown,

Jack cried, ‘My God! What’s happening?’

And she said, ‘You let me down!’

 

‘You let the Baron of Darkness out

When you typed the word ‘Despair!’

And now he’s going to kill us both

For the tale that you tried to share.

He’s kept the secret of Zorga’s Gate

Since Zog and the demons came,

And now that you’ve let the secret out

He says you’re the one to blame!’

 

The shadow stood in the doorway

With a scimitar raised on high,

While Jack cried, ‘Wait! It’s not too late,

I’ll press the ‘delete’, I’ll try!’

And there was the cursor, blinking fast

At the end of the word ‘Despair!’

It took a second to backspace that

And it suddenly wasn’t there.

 

Jocelyn walked through the office door

In a bright red party gown,

She said, ‘Don’t tell, you fell asleep!’

He looked at her with a frown.

He’s never written a gothic since

And never will work back late,

But sits with a tome in his padlocked home

Since messing with Zorga’s Gate!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[emmajoy]

Jack sat up straight in his chair in shock, .. Peered warily round the room, .. He sensed a muttering babble there .. From somewhere deep in the gloom,'

Brilliant!!! Must learn a new word for your skill and artistry in writing an entire story in perfect.. or near as.. metre, David! I've often cursed my pc for not working, so now am quaking in my chair wondering if ..

What amazes me is the way you discretely add bits here and there as if building layer upon layer of 'brickwork' but by the finish have a fine free-standing wonder. Great writing, Mr. Paget!

[Woody]

breathtaking! has anyone else used that adjective yet? probably, along with spellbinding and the like.
new adjectives should be invented just for you David.
what a joy to read you!

[Valentine]

One of your best, you kept me reading right through until the end. david you are a master at relating these hair raising tales to your readers. Great piece, onr for me to save as a favorite. God bless mate. Kathie

[Ravyne Hawke]

A wonderful spellbinding, chiller of a tale. I think they got off the hook too easily, but maybe I was just expecting there to be more blood.. lol. Great one, David.

[TL Boehm]

Yikes! A chilling tale with such a wonderful variation to it. The things in the computer become real so quickly to so many. At least in this case - there was the delete key.
Amazing write

[s y e]

This is an amazingly well written piece, David - I really enjoyed reading it. Your imagery was really intriguing and captivating. (: Loved it.

~ Noodle.

[Fréyjä Helv..]

I have to say that was an EPIC piece! And I enjoyed it very very much...

[Marie]

This was almost funy. Sometimes what we write seems frighteningly real. I often put off working on a story because I know I've come to an unpleasant part and don't want to face it.

[SyberRose]

Another beauty of a tale...your imagery is always captivating and fascinating to read David...loved it:)Rose