The Whispers in the Walls

Lovecraft taught me that fear of the unknown is universal. Poe taught me the most evil hides behind a human face. King is inspired by both.

The Whispers in the Walls 

By

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

"The devil's voice is sweet to hear." - Stephen King 

In the silence of the night

it makes its presence known 

Scratching, crawling,  moaning sounds

that haunt us all alone 

It moves along the ceiling roof 

and deep inside the walls 

Claws against the windowsill 

just as darkness falls 

It speaks to us in whispers 

and calls us all by name 

Seeks to choke the life from us

and drive our minds insane 

Its fingers run along our spine 

as we lie asleep 

Scurries down below the sheets 

across the floor it creeps 

Yet blind to view we know its there 

lingering closely by 

A figure in the night that knows 

it can't be seen by eye 

For in the twilight of the dark 

these voices come to call 

And murmur abhorrent secrets 

             to the shadows in us all...

Author's Note

True story: years ago I worked for a security company at a winery. The hours were horrible because I worked graveyard. To make things worse there was a cemetery located next door. One night about 3 am I heard what sounded like a cat walking along this strip of back road where this winery was located. There was a moon out so I could see past the small guard house beyond the parking lot towards the road. Across the street was a field of grape vines that stretched for miles. As I looked out from the main window I couldn't see this animal crossing by but could hear its meow 50 ft ahead. It cried in intervals of about ten seconds. And sounded as if moving across the path of the road toward the graveyard. As the sound got in the direction straight across from me it stopped for a full minute. And what sounded like a cat's high pitch meow turned into a gravely voice that said...help me. I closed the windows locked the door and hid below the counter top turned of the one light as well. I stayed there shivering till the sun finally broke. I quit the next day and never went back. I just remember that voice continuing to cry like a cat as it moved slowly down the road until I couldn't hear it anymore. Though I still do in my dreams.

Reviews

[Mauricio Montoya]

Wow I wonder what it is, something never seen, love the image,it makes you think and want to hide, great write food definitely for thought.
Thank you for sharing.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Mauricio for sharing your thoughts with me on this poem. There are times I still find myself covering my face with blankets in the night because of hearing something odd in the dark. Even in my old age things in the shadows can fill me with fear.

[Mauricio Montoya]

Fear makes us stronger because everyone has fear it's the ones who hide it you must beware

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Your author's note is very riveting, your poem a much lighter contribution. I love them both.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I've never gone back to that place, even though it held such strong memories because it was a place my father once worked at back in the early 70's. I was happy to work there in my early 20s up until that terrorizing point. And hearing cats cry at midnight still send shivers down my spine. Thank you for taking the time to read this piece.

[Betty Hermelee]

This creepy "thing" that seem to be everywhere, but no one has seen it....it's definitely Sci-Fi.. and weird..
Perfect for Halloween...perhaps it's mirage or a nightmare....or just a shadow of yourself...pretty haunting all around... great verse throughout...flows frightfully well.....
Best, B

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you B I appreciate it. October always inspires me with something spooky to write. It does help though that I'm inspired by those 3 iconic writers in the horror genre I mentioned above. I liked this piece as much as I enjoyed the Halloween poem I wrote last year. This one seemed to ratchet up the creepy feeling more. CLE

[Betty Hermelee]

You're very welcome Carlos!
Best, B

[Perdition]

Wonderful Halloween story! Yeah, there are certainly whispers about things that we simply do not know about or dream exist but we all experience them at some point in our lives. This one needs a firepit and a flashlight and a good dark moon....perhaps a wolf or two in the distance. " Scratching and crawling"... pretty good way to raise some eyebrows and goosebumps. Thanks for the freaky tale, Carlos!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me. It was my tribute to this wonderful month of October. Though the story in my author's notes was difficult to relive and recount in words. I still shiver whenever I hear a cat meow past midnight. CLE

[duff]

A sinister walk and appropriate time of year. Nice job.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Duff for your comment. It's my little tribute to this wonderfully haunting time of the year. I enjoy the challenge of a good spooky write to celebrate the coming Halloween night that quickly approaches. CLE

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this reminds me of Blake's "the sick rose"---
and one interpretation of it...which speaks to an awful disease that comes in the night...and destroys her life and the lives of those who love her.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you J for your comment on this poem. After reading your words I had to go and read William Blake's poem "The Sick Rose". It sent shivers down my spine. I was reminded of an incomplete story I was going on a couple of years back titled Pestilence. It was about a dark love story where a poor Spanish pauper falls for a rich entitled girl. Inorder to win her heart he travels to a city in Spain to learn medicine. While she marries a rich young man, unknown to the guy who loved her. A strange sickness envelops the town killing people as some of the girls family. She calls upon her ex love to help her. He vows to do so but only if she leaves her husband for him. Long story short she reneges and the young doctor dies. Only to return haunting her in a plague doctor suit standing across the cobbled road to her home. In the end it doesn't end well for her. Love is a sickness that can destroy everything in its path or drive us to madness was the message. The story was a bit similar to a poem I'll probably be releasing in the coming days called the madness of Don Quixote. Only the poem is more lighthearted. Thank you again my friend.

[Neville]

Spooky or what .. a very timely post Carlos and your authors note made me wanna reach for my blanket ..
I too believe in things that go bump in the night and which I am also unable to explain .. I have experienced far too many to dismiss or disrespect them .. Neville

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Neville. I agree with you too I have experienced a few unexplainable things in my life that leaves me open to such things. Like the true event I described in the notes. It haunts me to this day. CLE

[Relic]

WOW! The poem itself is great and perfect for the Halloween season but the author's note blew me away.

Excellent writing, Carlos. :)))

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Relic I appreciate it. That night still haunts me to this day. Any time I hear a cat meow at 3 am a shiver runs down my spine and I fear the devil or whatever it was is coming back to finish its deed with me. It's why I always sleep with the cover over my head and a small hole to breathe through. CLE

[Fabian G. Franklin]

Spooky cool vibes, this is just what I like in my horror, a creeping uncertainty that leaves the reader on edge. Great write and loads of fun to read! I enjoyed. F.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Fabian I am so glad you enjoyed this poem. Being a huge fan of those who I term the iconic 3, Poe, Lovecraft, King, I use them as models and inspiration for quite a few of my works. I love the strange, bizarre, and eerie. It's what I was mostly drawn towards as a young reader of literature and art. Anytime I can tap into those roots as a creative I'm in my happy zone. Thank you so much my poet friend for your thoughts.

[Fabian G. Franklin]

I used to love reading horror. I've read Lovecraft, King, Anne Rice and Clive Barker mostly. Of course Poe, too but I read all of Poe at a very young age and all the Sherlock Holmes stories by Doyle and The Knights of King Arthur by Pyle. My favorite horror writer is Clive Barker. Most of his stories are impressive and damn near perfect in syntax. He writes a grim fairytale as well like The Thief of Always. Another of my favorites was "Weaveworld" by him. One of his books about a sadistic serial killer gave me nightmares. So did Intensity by Dean Koontz. I've also read Peter Straub and a lot of collected authors in horror collections. I read Dracula when I was about 14. I watched Shock Theatre every Saturday. I loved Anne Rice's series on the Mayfair Witches even more the her vampire series about Lestat. Lestat was an impressive character though. She was a master storyteller.

[Lillian Kirsch]

This poem really pulls me in, I love the way you rhyme and the imagery you use that touches on, once again, very human emotions made tangible by the words you use to describe them. What I like about this one in particular, is that everyone who reads it will be thinking of a different shadow within them. It relates to us all differently and I think that's the beauty of poetry.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I'm so happy you caught that message in the end. Thank you so very much. The ending was actually the very first part that was written in this piece. It was important to convey the over all message of inherent darkness within us. And what may draw certain things to it. Are they voices of our subconscious mind that we seek to suppress? Or something darker in the world that is drawn to the dark aspects inside us all? Which feeds it. Plus its just scary as hell to think about. Thank you again for your kind words Lillian I really appreciate it. CLE

[Lillian Kirsch]

Of course, I absolutely adore your style of poetry and can't wait to read more!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

You are too kind Lillian. I must caution though some of my older work like "forgive" and "in moments" can be very difficult and heartbreaking to read. My favorite poem of mine is called the serpent and the Holy man. No need to comment on them I simply hope you find something meaningful in those words. Thank you so much. CLE

[Lillian Kirsch]

You've got me intrigued, I'll have to give them a read

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

please only those three and uhhh....maybe one more for context called All things that we are. If you are brought to tears it's not my fault. Thank you so much again.