Do you Remember?

A 900 Word Story

DO YOU REMEMBER?

With each insidious stroke of crimson hue, mnemonic malice tore viciously at my mind with letters that oozed off the page like gore spilling over an altar of cabal offering.  Then, as a holocaust, they were gone--ash on the wind--leaving only the acrid haze of a thousand candles snuffed as one--an ominous fog which rolled ubiquitously about me.  Haunted silence hung over the room, even as my mind raced to understand, ‘Where was I?  What was I meant to remember?’  Tentatively reaching with unsteady hand, I caressed the now blank vellum.  It was caustic to the touch, as if aeons of hatred had decomposed to a motley malice driven only by voracious hunger; I recoiled, startled by the already oozing sores forming on my hand.  How was this possible?

A lone quill and inkwell lay beside the rancorous tome, inviting, compelling.  Wincing, I took the pen in hand, blood pooling between my clenched fingers, and dipped it within the pitch-onyx ink.  I stood there, pen hanging above the empty page, unsure of what I was wyrd-bound to write.  Lightning clashed overhead.  Gazing up I saw, through the stained-glass dome above, the ominous gathering of clouds blotting out crescent moon’s withdrawn light.  Each flash cast unnatural, distorted images of baroque blasphemies across the dusty marble at my feet.  Lowering my gaze back to the book, shivering, I hastily scrawled, “I do n---“

SLAM!

The book shut with a deafening crash which overwhelmed even the approaching thunder, knocking the quill from my hand before I could finish, splattering the pedestal it rested upon with my blood.  The pen skittered off into the darkness, leaving a trail of ink in its path which seeped along the cracks of the floor, like blood welling up from a wound.  I stumbled back in horror, falling to the cold stone beneath me; a book to close on its own?  As if to devour me?  On heavily-worn leather cover, embossed in that same sanguine hue, loomed the title of the book,

YOU WILL

Wind hissed between the chittering panes above, wailing these very words, “You will, You will, You will.”

I ran, without direction, deeper into the tenebrous library.  Each step I took leading to a sepulchral resolution I was incapable of escaping, no matter how I ran, as if bound in a marionette's steps to a Danse Macabre’s accompanying dirge.  No matter how I tried to escape, to find an exit, I was always surrounded by writ’s malice bound only by monolithic oracles of primordial cypress.  Evermore did they harrow my steps, guiding my path ever downward to cadenced sense of dread.  All about me, those towering shelves seemed to grow taller, more menacing, perniciously mocking me within enigmatic lore’s penumbra, “Do you remember?”  ‘Remember what?’

Casting my eyes about, my breath labored, terror eroding sanity's hold, I found myself cloistered within a silent alcove of pedestals reserved only for the most illustrious tomes--each now appearing a vile grimoire parodying Walpurgisnacht.  Amorphous shadows flicked about me, cast under the sibilant hiss of lightning’s recess, popping and crackling, distorted in the ebony phonograph of my memory.  With growing intensity, macabre whispers of ink-manifest shrieked to accord with the wailing of zephyrs through distant window, conducting a distant pipe-organ’s moribund requiem.  Burgundy strokes, guided by hands unseen, appeared as one across each tome, exhuming--on pallid pages of chthonian memories long forgotten--the taunting words,

DO YOU RESENT?

I said nothing; I refused to humour this nightmare further.  Closing my eyes, I tried to banish the memory, the image that each page seemed to ingrain within even my inveigled mind’s eye.  Words have no power if you never see them… never hear them… if you can forget them.  If I don’t remember, how can I regret?

At my feet billowed opaque eddies which congealed like blood; the senescence of putrid lore dripping ichor void of meaning, without pages to guide them.  Even if I couldn’t see them, couldn’t hear them, I could still feel their cadaverous embrace, tugging at me, refusing to let me go.  Within their grip came the fetid stench of mildew and the death of a prior age--like stale cinnamon--culminating to a deafening silence, as each page stopped on those rancid sanguine words which whispered with gangrene intent the piercing question resonating to my core.

DO YOU REGRET?

With primal conflicted agony I screamed, “Remember? Resent? Regret?  Regret what?  Leave me alone!”

As one, the pages of the entire library's collection tore free from their bindings, filled with vehement blood-lust--for me.  Regret shredded away an instant under a myriad of paper-cut revenants.  A distorted repository using my blood to craft a remnant Faustian epitaph--forever alone

LOVING ME

Reviews

[Darkimmortal]

Well, as far as i could see there were no problems with your grammar.... again your writing is flawless my friend. I am sorry that it took me so long to read this, and I wish that I had read it sooner. The only thing that frustrates me is that your vocabulary is slightly larger than mine. :p
So.... this story is simply amazing. Every word that you choose fits perfectly with intelligent intensity, and i could not help but be pulled in until you were finished the story. The amount of description is perfect, explaining just enough that I know where the speaker is, but not exactly what is going on until the very end of the story.
Very Very well done, as always.
Keep penning!!!

[Nusquam Esse]

Thanks for reading! It is not often that I try my hand as suspense/horror stuff, so I was looking forward to your opinion on this (since you write those genres more) As for the vocabulary, this is probably my story with the highest lexical density (only a couple poems are more complex); but I got caught up in trying to use words which dripped malice, and which would be appropriate for a library filled with hate-bound tomes. Some 'brutal' word choice seemed appropriate. Hopefully you walked away with some new interesting words that you can actually see yourself using.

[Darkimmortal]

Then I apologise again that it took me so long to read this for you. Also, I will admit that a few of the words I had to go and look up... so you might see those lurking in a few of my stories in the future. Fell free to message me any time to read your writing, it is, as always, a pleasure.

[Nusquam Esse]

Just don't overuse them.. ;) I normally wouldn't make something 'this wordy' if not for the theme. I am really busy with work right now, and at the moment I am working on a larger writing project, so I will probably not be posting new stuff all that frequently. I do recommend checking out my City of Dreams story when you get a chance though. I think it may be the best balanced story I have written to date; and I have been experimenting with the style, trying to make more that have a similar ambiance.

[Darkimmortal]

I will go straight there the next time I log onto the site. You have my word good sir. However, i do have homework and things too which affects the amount of writing that I can get done. Darn life... why does it have to get in the way of our creativity? And I will try not to overuse them.... but when i come to like a word i do forget that i use it a lot.

[Woody]

I missed your writes, your unique style, Nusquam.
this is absolutely sumptuous.

[Nusquam Esse]

Well, thanks for reading. Nice to know that I got a unique style; although this one may have been a bit too esoteric--but it seemed fitting for a library that is out for revenge and remembrance.

[Woody]

I consider myself a bookworm but I would never set foot in such a library.
back to your style. it is indeed unique and you know how much I like your writes.

[Nusquam Esse]

I seem to have a bad habit of finding myself in literary labyrinths. I set myself down for an enjoyable evening with words, and end up surrounded by malicious pages that have no intent of letting me go. :P

[Lyn Anderson]

By far the most compelling and enthralling piece of yours I have ever read. There is so much darkness seething in the underneath, it begs for a continuation, yet it stands alone as a great short piece. If there were any mistakes didn't notice any first pass. Great sign of "too busy enjoying to notice anything else"

[Nusquam Esse]

Glad you enjoyed this one! It was my first attempt at a dedicated horror story, and I admittedly got carried away with describing things and trying to use language which reeked of malice. Part of me is unsatisfied with it because of this; the other part figures that a library of horrors should use over-the-top word choice. hah! I do think that it could use a little bit more near the end, since the pacing feels off to me; but I am waiting until I feel in the mood to attempt it again. Always nice to get some attention on my short stories.

[Lyn Anderson]

You are an editor, re-editor, perfectionist. But honestly, it holds on and grabs you, which is what this genre should do.

[Nusquam Esse]

hah, a good description you have there for me. I think part of it is that I am still pretty new to writing (about two years), so I am continually growing, and in turn I often find things which I didn't notice before. Watching me copy-edit is borderline hilarity.

[warfig]

Great Imagery, well done indeed.

[Angel55606]

I love your vocabulary :) Beautiful write

[Nusquam Esse]

Thanks for reading, I would generally avoid having such a heavy lexical density (using so many 'big words' in a row) But I got carried away with descriptions, trying to use more grotesque and ugly sounding words.

[Angel55606]

Welcome ^-^ I think the description is awesome, it puts way more feel into it the story.

[Stonz P.]

Hi,

You have written this story so well, with the precise, imagery-invoking details.
I like how you got into the character's psyche to establish the dread the narrator feels.
The only thing I felt was wrong was that it was not a longer piece...so that it would not have ended so soon... I wanted more of this tale... I mean this as a compliment :)

Good write.

[Stonz P.]

And it just slipped my mind there, about that little piece in red... Really added to that looming horror feel.

[Nusquam Esse]

Honestly, I may have rushed the ending a bit, so perhaps I will go back and make it about a third or so longer... not really sure; will need to look over it again with a fresh mind. I honestly think that I went a bit overboard with the descriptions, and may have made my word choices too esoteric; but this was my first time trying to go all out on horror... so I was obsessing over the details. Thank you for reading sir, I am glad that you enjoyed this one. And I am always glad to hear that someone wants a story to go on; it is the greatest compliment for short stories! I will give your latest story a look over when I am more lucid.

[Stonz P.]

Oh that would be great, I'd love to check it out, do notify me. Well, I the descriptions are esoteric, but only add to the haphazardness of the scenario, that is of course if one understands them properly.
You're welcome.

[Anahat]

Awestruck! Amazingly well written...
Ah, your vocabulary....makes me feel jealous :P
Well done..kudos!
-Love Anahat :)

[Nusquam Esse]

Glad that you enjoyed this one; it was my first attempt at going all out on writing a horror piece... I was so caught up in trying to write vivid descriptions (essential for horror) and using words which felt malicious and foul, that I may have gone overboard a bit. *sigh* Need to go back and tidy this up, but too busy at the moment. Thank you for taking time to read.

[Anahat]

It was amazing if it was ur frst attempt for a horror piece...Congratulations! Keep writing :)

[Rene Salinas]

I know is not good to comment on a review with an anecdote but I thought it was fitting. As I had finished reading this suspensfull writing. I was full of desire and need for resolution and I felt that the ending did not go my way sort of thing. I pressed enter only to recieve html coding as if as a consequence of the writing. I share that becuase the levels of intensity got me. It brought me back to the studies of the german expressionist in music and their use of cressendo and glissando as a way to invoke emotins. Disgust, suspense even fear. But not the horrible kind - the enticing one akin to the movie The Crows. I really appreciate the way the words forming sentences and the help for one another, the complementing. In fact in my case there is a lot to learn here so double the effect for me. The choice of words it is also complement of the environment so is not out of place or pure random choice. And to top it all the length. In fact at the risk of sounding ignorant I wished it would have been longer and the internal nightmare would have had the possibility of expanding even further.

But I think that is my own desire.

Greatly appreciated.

Thankyou

[Jennie Baron]

Stunning! I'm always envious of your vocabulary and you use it well here to evoke images of the underworld, Satanism, witchcraft, etc., to increase the suspenseful mood. And the ending is superb. Extremely well done, my friend.