The Gargoyle

Back in the tiny town of Hamm

In a province best unknown,

Is an ancient sandstone prison tower

Where the grounds are overgrown.

The locals still in the town are few

Were wary of us at first,

But ventured out when they heard me shout

To tell me the tower was cursed.

 

‘Don’t venture there if you fear despair,’

They said in a foreign tongue,

Then slunk back, each to his rundown lair,

But we were too smart, and young.

‘They’re peasants, what would they know,’ said Kym,

‘They’re superstitious and fools,

We’ll test their funny old tower now.’

We should have played by their rules.

 

It was built in a grim and Gothic style

But had sadly been run down,

Hundreds of years of standing there

Put a torpor over the town.

The rusty railings, falling apart

Had never been breached by them,

The peasants whispered and looked away

In the manner of Holy men.

 

We made our way through the bushes, sedge

And weeds that grew in the grounds,

But then up close to the building saw

Some features that astound.

The walls had flying buttresses,

A door with a pointed arch,

And a gargoyle leering from above

Next to soldiers on the march.

 

We didn’t go in the first time there

But wandered around the site,

It was Kym who had the bright idea

We should go and explore by night.

I wish that we’d known its history

For that might have broken its spell,

I wouldn’t have sought its mystery,

And Kym would still be well.

 

We noticed an old Teutonic sign

Engraved, and above the door,

We couldn’t translate it at the time

It should have been done before;

Before we entered that cursèd place

And risking our sanity,

For I came out with a twisted face

Though Kym was worse than me.

 

The moon was casting a yellow glow

As we stood before that door,

Directly under the gargoyle that

Let out a fearful roar,

Then a stream of ectoplasm flowed

From its jaws, and down on Kym,

Covered her in this bluish light

And then, it dragged her in.

 

I followed, not that I had a choice

I was quite beyond control,

My legs did whatever they wanted to,

I had no choice at all.

Inside was a vaulted ceiling over

An old and blood-stained block,

And Kym was struggling, screaming,

As she was stretched across its top.

 

She glowed and glowed in this bluish light

Her neck was placed on the block,

And then a shimmering man appeared

I think I went into shock.

He held a shining scimitar sword

And he raised it up to strike,

And still I live that terrible scene,

Each and every night.

 

I saw it clearly pass right through

The base of Kym’s long neck,

And watched as this bluish head fell off

Went rolling along the deck.

But her head was there, was still in place

As I dragged her screaming out,

It was then I noticed my twisted face

That I can do nothing about.

 

They say that it’s called Bell’s Palsy, that

I must have suffered a shock,

The right hand side of my face is numb,

My eye and my mouth have dropped,

But Kym just utters the weirdest moans

As if blood was starved from her brain,

Her eyes astare at the horror there

I think she must be insane.

 

The last I saw of that evil tower

The gargoyle seemed to grin,

As if to say there is hell to pay

For those who might come right in.

And the screed engraved above the door

The letters were filled with lead,

‘You’ve come to the Tower of Grimm von Gore,

Enter, and lose your head!’

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Marie]

People always go ito the forbidden castle. THey go into the cellar. They go into the attic. They go into the haunted mansion.Against all advice they do this.It's foolishness of cource, but I see a certain bravery in it. If everyone kept to their comfort zone,there'd be no pioneers, no explorers, no discoverers. The spirits are goig to fight back of course, and sometimes people do lose their heads...

[A Soap Mess Stories]

I felt like I was back in medieval times...great read DLP...

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

I don't know why darling, but as I read I find myself in ancient Persia - a damsel in warrior clothing! well done, good read.

[Valentine]

Very crafty write, you had me hooked from beginning to end. Course if they had been able to translate that sign, they might have wandered away still normal. I thought her head was going to roll and stay off, you got me there. Loved this tale. Kathie

[R Smith]

excellent work David, a stomach churning story told in your best poetic manner, really exciting and scary to say the least, a most enjoyable ride for us horror fans, thank you :)

[MomzillaNC]

You write the most entertaining tales with very cinematic imagery! This is another gripping tale straight out of Old Hollywood gothic horror! I'd really love to see this one as a movie!

[Barbz]

Sometimes you have to heed the words, of those who might know best. They warn you, in a knowing way, what happened to the rest. You disbelieve their words, their eyes that looked away, never to believe, that there is a price you'll pay! This vacant, worn-down oddity whet their imagination, the Gargoyle up above the door, was filled with indignation. The horror they experienced, changed their life forever. Would they ever be the same? My answer would be , Never!! Mine wouldn't be either.....Thank You, Sir David . For this very enjoyable, weird adventure.....haha. Barbz