A Dose of Fear

Once on a dark, stormy autumn’s evening, the grey fog hung so thick and heavy over the country lane that it blocked the view of the landscape. The gloomy, cumulonimbus clouds filled the thick, filthy air that smelt of dirty sewage water, as if there had been flames of fire that had let off a lot of smoke. You could hardly see a thing unless you had perfect vision. In the evening nearby an inconspicuously, deserted mansion that was about fifty metres away from the narrow, odd, tarmac road in the countryside, branches creaked and birds squeaked in their nests.

It seemed to him like many days since he had begun to prepare his mind for “the camp” as he always called it. Seth Winston was a fifteen-year-old adventurous teenager who was so alive, vital and positive about everything. He also had a personality that one could not ignore. He had dark, brown eyes, short black hair and olive skin. His mother had died when he was born so he had never known or missed her. However, his young and handsome father seemed to be the only relation he had in the world apart from Ruth and Peter his caring and loving best friends. Ruth Mathews was sixteen years old, had blue eyes and ginger hair. There was more connection between her and Seth. On the other hand, Peter St John was an eighteen year old; who only had one thing in common with Seth and that was camping.

That Saturday afternoon at half past two, Seth, Ruth and Peter set off to go camping in the countryside. This would have been their first camp ever without Seth’s father because Peter was old enough to drive and owned a driving licence.

“This is going to be the best camp ever,” said Seth in an excited voice as Peter started to drive.

Three hours later nearly two hundred miles away from town, the weather began to change from slightly warm and sunny to heavy rainfall. As darkness drew closer, the rain got worse every minute and the country lane became too slippery to drive the car.

“I think you need to stop at the side of the road until the weather gets better Peter,” said Ruth in a tentative voice.

“Don’t be silly, we’ve only got a few more miles to go until we reach the camping site,” said Peter in a voice that was struggling to hide the fear inside him.

“Guys I think I see something,” Seth said loudly wishing it was a place to escape the unexpected heavy rain.

“What is it?” Ruth and Peter both spoke at the same time desperate to find out what it was.

“It looks like a house. A mansion.” Seth answered in an uncertain tone.

“Let’s go and check it out,” Ruth suggested positively as if she knew exactly what it was.

Peter made a left turn and slowly drove down in the open space towards the secluded, big mansion. When they reached the faded, rusty gate, they stepped out of the car and put their coats on. It was open so it made it easier for them to get to the mansion. In approaching the mansion, there was a chill in the air as they hurriedly walked to the door. Ruth knocked on one of the huge oak doors although they were slightly open. She knocked five times and waited but there was no response.

“Hello, is anybody here?” Ruth shouted as she echoed repeatedly and as water dripped from her round face.

“Did you hear that? Someone just repeated what Ruth just said,” Seth said sarcastically.

“Are you stupid? That was her echo, you fool,” Peter said in a rather unimpressed high pitch voice.

Helplessly desperate for shelter, they decided to step inside. The view captured their eyes. Joined cobwebs smeared the walls and an unidentified smell of rot filled their nostrils. The dusty, mouldy ceilings dripped with water. Peter seemed to be more fascinated by the unusual scene than the other two, so without them noticing, he decided to take a tour around.

The door creaked behind Peter as he escaped into the next room. With their heads held up high, Seth and Ruth looked to see where the sudden noise had come from. Just as they turned round, they were horrified by a dead bat, which had fallen two metres above their heads from the spider web that hung under the ceiling. They heard a loud scream coming from the next room on their left that sounded as if someone was being tortured.

They fled into that treacherous room as fast as they could. On its walls were skulls portrayed in a devilish appearance splashed with rotten blood. When they looked down, they saw a half naked body viciously assaulted dripping with blood on the black tiled floor. The floor was littered with bones and headless skeletons that were gathered through the courts of time. Satanic crosses were marked all over the ceiling and the atmosphere was heinous.

Seth and Ruth could not believe the monstrous view in front of their eyes. Horrendous injuries covered the body and the eyes had popped right out of the skull. They were wide open, stony with the glassiness of death. Only one nostril was left of the nose and was dripping with mucus and blood. The lips were deformed. With a grimace of his face, Seth wondered what kind of a vicious, menacing sinister who would do such a terrible act. The slimy small and large intestines were noticeable and cut open that they dared not to look at the brutal stomach, which looked as if it had had an abdominal surgery.

“I’m so sorry Peter,” said Ruth in a petrified voice trying her hardest not to burst out in tears.

“Who could do such damage to an innocent soul?” Seth questioned silently as tear drops fell from his eyes.

Seth noticed a sombre shadow with an axe in its hand on the wall at his right hand side. At first, he did not say anything because he was not sure where it was coming from.

“Ruth look out!” shouted Seth.

“Where?” Ruth shouted back.

“Behind you!” Seth answered in a despairing voice.

Ruth looked behind her, widened her blue eyes in terrified horror while her jaw nearly dropped on the ground and screamed, “No!”

At this moment, Seth had nothing else to say or do but save himself.

He ran out of the room as fast as he could and raced to the other side of the mansion as if chased by hideous demons. This end had autumn leaves on the floor that two open triangular windows had let in. He fled into the nearest room that he believed was safe as he had the intension to hide. Although it was not as bad as the previous one, this room was damp and infested but with a gnaw feeling, Seth did not take any notice.

There was a rustling noise; it grew louder and more persistent. When it started, Seth had thought that leaves were blowing in the sweeping wind but now it was far too loud for that. It sounded like someone stomping through crisp packets. The rustling turned to crunching, as if some huge animal was munching on a giant creamcraker.

Seth shivered.

He pulled his coat tightly around him because he was cold. He clenched his fists in his pockets. He stared at the floor in front of him and occasionally glanced nervously at the door handle.

“You must keep calm,” Seth repeatedly said to his self as he breathed heavily as if he was starving from oxygen.

Seth desperately looked at the impenetrable window wishing he were small enough to fit through so he could escape the haunting poltergeist.

In the darkness of the fading light, the poltergeist’s face had the pallor and sheen not so much of flesh so much of bone itself. Seth stared at it until his eyes ached in their sockets in surprise and bewilderment at its presence. With the combination of the peculiar, isolated room, the appearance of the poltergeist and the dreadfulness of its expression began to fill Seth with anxiety.

Indeed Seth, never in his life was so threatened by anything like that. He had never known his heart to give such a great lurch, as if it would almost leap out into his shivering, dry mouth and then begin pounding in his chest like a hammer hitting an anvil. Seth never thought that a dose of fear would make his knees tremble and his flesh creep. He never imagined himself daunted and held fast by such dread, horror and apprehension of evil. His worst nightmares had resurrected.