The Saint

I have never really down horror, and this is my first real attempt. So pardon any errors, and or lack of thrills. I did my best and hope in the end, at least you can enjoy.

   

           There I was, standing in the small, rectangular space, of the elevator.  It was closing time, and most of my other colleagues had already left, hours ago. 

   I had to stay behind cause my car broke down, early in the morning, so they let me make up that time, which meant of course that I would be the last person to leave the building.  And so there I was, watching as each floor passed on by, 24,23,22,21,20, and so forth.  And it was already 10:35pm at night.  The lights on most of the building were put out by 10pm the latest, except for the main floor and the maintenance room.

   And so, as I waited to reach the main floor, I got thinking to what I would have to do, tomorrow, in order to get my car fixed up.  Hopefully my sister could give me a ride to work, and I would have to take the bus on home.  Of course, I had the kids to think about as well. Make sure that they get something to eat, once they get home from school.  Would have to call my mom, and see, if she could stop on by and make sure they were ok.

   Time sure flies!  I have been in this company for almost 10 years already.  Been through some tough times, but managed to get back on track.  Of course, many people told me I was crazy to even want to work, here at Wellsmans Tour Company.  Seems that there were a few rumors of missing people, that never turned up, after staying late at night.  I just laughed it all off, cause they were just jealous I got the job.  And in all the time, I had been here, never had any issues and Mr. Burns was a great boss!

     He told me to not pay attention to those stories, as they were just made up, to keep new people away.  My job was pretty easy. I had to contact customers that needed to travel, and offer them a bonus trip and help them with accommodations as well.  I would get to keep, 8% of the sales.  Angie was my under secretary and she loved telling such tales.  At times I would just ignore her, or let her run off her tongue.

      Well, getting close now, 10,9,8,...And all of a sudden, the elevator, goes pitch black, and a humming sound comes on from the right side corner of the box.  The lights flicker on and off, and I can hear a crackling sound from above.  I keep my cool and look for the emergency button, and as I start fumbling with the button panel, a screeching noise starts squelching through the speakers!

        Something garbled is being said, but I cannot truly understand. Ok, you got this girl. Keep your cool. I look once again for the emergency button, and finally find it, and go ahead and press on it, long and hard.  I get my phone out of my purse and turn the flashlight on, to see, what floor I got stuck on. The blinking light up on the number panel keeps on showing the number 6. So that must mean this is the 6th floor.  I start banging on the door, in hopes that someone can be out there and hear me.  We have a two man team for security and at times, they go from floor to floor and make rounds.  I do hope one of them is up here.  The temperature, starts dropping down, and a chill air, comes on through from the doors.  Luckily I have my shawl on, so it does not feel so cold.

         I try to make a call to 911 but my phone has no signal. Just great.  Well, might as well get comfy.  I press the emergency button once more, and get no reply so I sit down in the left side of the elevator and get my water out and take a sip.  Maybe I will sing a bit, to pass the time.  Sure is chilly.  And as much as I try, my mind starts wandering off, to the last tale that Angie mentioned just the other day.

          Many believed that this building used to be used as a psych ward for the mentally ill, but it got closed down after several of its patients got lost, within the building and never were seen, ever again.  The circumstances were not that fishy, yet most nurses, recall seeing a trail of blood go towards the elevator.  They searched hi and lo and never were able to find these lost patients.  One theory was that one of these patients was smarter than he seemed, and somehow had created an underground lore, in which he would take his victims, and dispose of them there.  

           No one knew who he was, and there was never record found of this mysterious soul. Some say, he would disguise himself, as a warden or priest and none would say that he was in need of some care.  He was well groomed and looked the part as well. The name most had for him, was The Saint.

           It seems that he loved to discuss those that were deemed saints by the catholic church and how he considered himself, one, even if the Pope knew not of his existence. Yet the work he did, was supposedly to help this world get rid of evil.

           Bang! Whuzza happening?  Oh my, I dozed off a bit, what time is it now? How long has it been?  My watch shows 11:30pm.  Wow, its close to midnight.  Wait, whats that?  Music?  Why yes, there is some type of organ music being played, but where?  Hello, anyone there? Can anyone hear me? Please, help me, I am stuck inside the elevator!

           I start hitting the doors with my shoes, to no avail...The music does not stop, and the lights keep flickering on and off.  I press the button once more, and finally I hear a sound.  Hello? Can you hear me, please call 911! Wait, what is that, what are you saying?  I can barely make sense of what is being said, yet one word is uttered clearly, Saint!  Oh no, this cannot be, I am probably still asleep, wake up girl, come on wake up!  

           My heart is beating quite rapidly and my breathing is getting a tad bit more shallow.  I cannot lose my nerve, not now, not like this.  And before I know it, the lights come back on in full, and the elevator starts moving downward, once again, Hallelujah! Finally, maybe someone got help after all.  I look up at the number panel, and do a double take!

4,3,2,....Basement,....Dungeon.

           No way, this only goes down to the basement, I must be hallucinating, yet the doors open, and that music, its coming from down here!!! The air seems to be moving and on each side of the doors, there is a long wall, full of bones, human bones,...oh my!  

 Should I stay here and wait to wake up, if this indeed is a dream? or should I go out and see what else is there?  Its so cold in here, and outside it seems to be a tad bit warmer.  My heart is beating against my chest, and my hands shiver as sweat runs down my back.  I can hear my own heartbeat drumming against my ears, and yet my mind seems to not want to work properly.

              Eventually I decided to go on out and seek a warmer spot.  As I walk along the hallway, I can see mirrors at odd ends. And there is a smell of decay that fills the air, ever so sweetly.  The ground is pretty bare, with mud and leaves scattered everywhere.  I reach the end and can turn left or right...so I go ahead and make a right turn, just in case.  There are torches, lined up against the wall, and a room is up ahead of the this turn.  The floor is covered by a red velvet rug and the walls have chains on them, of different sizes.  And there is a bed in the right side corner, covered in red silk.  A table right next to it, is a platter full of food, and a cup of wine.  I am unsure of what to do, should I turn and go back, or hide underneath the bed?  Finally my curiousity gets the best of me and I walk ever so quietly towards the table. What is that? A note!  It reads:

Please receive my most, sincere, apologies, for it seems

that as I was experimenting, the electricity got turned off

by accident.  If you please, could partake, of some wine and food,

and as you can see, this bed, is here, just for you.  Do not worry, 

I will not come and bother you, and for tomorrow, there will be

a change of clothes set on the foot of this very bed, just for you.

           Sincerely,

                      The Saint

...............................................................................................................

                 How can this be, that he is alive, and knows I am here?  Well, I should not touch either food or wine, unless it be poisoned.  Yet, I am a tad hungry, and have not had any dinner.  So I pick up a pastry and take a bite.  OMG! this is so delicious!  Before I know it, I have eaten most of what was on the plate and finished the cup of wine.  It is 15 till midnight and am so tired, so I will go to bed.

                    The sheets are so soft and crisp, and the pillows, fit perfectly, before I recall, why I am here, I lay myself to sleep.  And then just like that I awake!  What was that noise? Where am I, what is this, and I slowly remember what had happened. There is a candle on the table, and a set of clothing on the foot of the bed, I take a peek, and alas, there is another note attached to the dress.

 

      Please wear this dress, once you awake, and comb your hair out as well, wear no shoes, and proceed to the other side of the dungeon. I shall await for you there.

         Sincerely,

                   The Saint

.............................................................................................................

                This dress is beautiful and fits me perfectly, but how did it come to be here?  I love the color, a lily white, and tinted with a bit of yellow.  I comb my hair and take off my socks, and walk on out of this room.  I walk down to the other side, and wonder what shall befall me there.

                I see a table, and a man standing near a fireplace. The room is dark, and gloomy, yet the fire, makes it more tolerable.  I hesitate for a second or two, and he turns right on the spot.  ¨Bienvenut to my home¨.  I can barely speak, for this man, has no face, but wears a mask, made of thorns and nails!  Where the eyes should be, there seems to be a piece of coal, with a tinge of orange, and the mouth, is covered in bees.  The robe he wears is very long, and I cannot see his feet, but what on earth am I doing here, if it is not to meet my death!!!

               He sees my fear and senses it, as he draws near.  ¨Pardon my appearance, but at long last, you have come, I have been waiting for many centuries.¨ Many have come to take from me , that which is not theirs. My heart you see, lives outside of me, and only one can put it back in.  That is you, my beloved, for that is why you came.¨

               I am at loss for words and can only move my head, side to side and cry out, no, I am sorry, but this cannot be, for I am a mere woman, who is simply living and needing to get home.  Please let me go, and I promise not to tell, a single soul, of where you live!

               Öh but you see, Madame, you cannot leave, for if you do, I should have to kill you.

And what a shame that would be, if we have only just met¨.  And he grabs a jar that is full of brownish liquid and tells me to see his heart.  I try to run, but my feet do not work, and am glued in place.  As I look upon this jar, I see a face looking back at me, and before I scream, out of fright, he smashes the glass to the ground!  Oh what wails that come out, of this muddled glass, full of much pain, and terror of course, that my heart cannot partake!

                He grabs my wrists, and draws me close to that horrid of a face, and whispers to me, that I am the one, that can set him free of all his sins.  For you see, he was never a Saint, and God decided to deal with him, and so he took a blow to his face, and no longer bore resemblance to man.

         I shout and scream and run with all my might back to the elevator and as I draw near, the doors open up again, and I jump on in and lay on the floor.  I pass out of fright and terror that has taken over my soul. And all of a sudden, I hear a noise, and the doors open to reveal the main foyer, of the building.  It is already morning, and people are coming in, to work.  My eyes are blinded by the light and am confused with the sounds.  I feel hands all around me, and someone lifts me up from the floor.  ¨Please move, make some room, for the girl¨, and he sets me down on a chair. I look at myself and find that I am still wearing that dreaded dress and my feet are covered in mud and something else, what is that? And I try and lean down, to take a closer look, when someone screams¨Her heart! Look her heart! Its outside of her chest!¨and with horror I look down, and see that indeed there is a heart, attached to my chest. Yet the heart in itself is not my own, for its covered in thorns and nails. He somehow managed to get his heart to attach itself to my chest and nothing anyone ever tried, could ever remove this heart of the Saint.

                And as I retold my story of what had happened, no one believed a word I said, and in the end, they put me in this place, for the crazies, they say, that had no idea what they were talking about. 

                Yet, even now, this heart of his, beats fiercely against my chest, and in the end, they chose to believe that my heart had split in two.  But deep within I know the truth, for the Saint lives on, down in that dungeon, waiting for me, to go back down, and put his heart back in place.  But for now, I will have to live, with this parasite, of the Saint.

                 

Author's Note

I have never really down horror, and this is my first real attempt. So pardon any errors, and or lack of thrills. I did my best and hope in the end, at least you can enjoy.