She brushed back the overgrown bushy foliage

Pricking her finger on a thorny branch

She instinctively stemmed the flow of blood sucking it dry

The salty blood made her feel suddenly nauseated

As she remembered why she was there

Facing her stood a heavy barn door with a thick wrought iron latch

At first the latch wouldn’t budge from sheer human force

Grabbing a hammer from her back pack she smashed the latch as hard as she could

After several attempts the rusted latch grated over releasing the aged seal

She kicked the barn door hard; it creaked and groaned like a monster on a leash

Musty dank air escaped in a sudden powerful rush

The daylight shining dimly down a decrepit timber staircase

She flipped on her torch; it flickered on and off, the battery almost gone

She knew time was limited so grasping the rotting railing

She slowly descended the creaking stairs

Gently testing each step with half her weight

The stairs felt like they were floating above a black swirling pit

Memories flashed a lightning fast movie in her mind

That demonic toothless smile the suffocating weight

Her paralysed body when only her eyeballs could move

The terror trapped in her motionless body

Shivering feverishly a wave of fear engulfed her

Sweat blistered across her brow even though the air was icy

 As the memories threatened to halt her descent

She felt her skin prickle as she inhaled the acrid smell of her own fear

Swallowing the bile of horror that threatened to drown her

She continued downwards flickering her torch against slimy wet walls

Her heart pounding faster, so large in her chest, the beat deafening

She looked in her hand a visceral red pulsing mass quivered

Shuddering she blinked away the frightful eidetic illusion

Gulping deep breaths she steeled herself to continue

A sudden wave of anger spurred her on; she could do this, yes

The memories again flashing violently behind her eyes

Feeling each thought in deep stabbing bursts of vibrant colour

Clinking, gnashing chains, desperate crying, sobbing

The stench of foul air, wafts of sewage and refuse

The smell so intense she staggered as if hit by an unseen force

So toxic it burned the inside of her nostrils

She covered her nose with her shirt sleeve

Trying to filter the rotting vapours that burned their way through

The railing was wet and slimy she touched a gravelly mush like substance

Then it hit her again the powerful mineral-ish smell of blood and faeces

Uncontrollable vomit spewed from her mouth

The smell and taste of vomit mixed with the reek of death made her feel faint

A candle flickered ahead; something was hunched against the wall

It moaned, she edged closer then all went black her torch had died

Suddenly the barn door thundered shut

Written by Wendy Norman

Follow this link to another chapter in the book draft, maybe the excerpt.. https://seafarrwide.com/2017/06/17/a-story-of-fear/

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Published by Seafarrwide

Passionate woman, enjoying life, learning new things, love traveling, writing thoughts and sharing memories. View all posts by Seafarrwide