Eerie pall at eventide
Landscape steeped in sepulchral hues
Weathered stones in a lonely graveyard
Mausoleums, crumbling with time
Marble statues stand like silent guards
Sentinels of death, cloaked in moss
I tread the gravel path alone
A solitary figure amidst the gloom
My footfalls echo through the still air
Somber notes in twilight’s fading light
The moon, a pale specter
Veiled by wisps of cloud
Casts its melancholic glow
Then, without warning—
A subtle shift disturbs the air
A whisper of movement, unseen
But felt in the marrow of my bones
Shivers crawl along my spine
A twig snaps—ghostly breath
My heart races, pounding louder
I turn
There she is...
A woman, wraith-like
Obscured in shadow
Her dress tattered
Perfumed by the scent of wilted flowers
Her shoes, time-worn and decayed
She steps forward
Into the pale, silvery dusk
And I see—
She is decapitated!
Gasp
I flee
Heart pounding
Chill rushing through my veins
Each step feels heavier
As if death itself pulls at my heels
I try to extend the fragile distance
Between the living and the dead
But I feel her presence draw closer
Desperation tightens its grip
I race toward the cemetery gates
Her pace doubles mine
A haunting pursuit
Each step, a terrifying harmony
I reach the threshold—
The iron gates
A sanctuary from these haunted grounds
Yet, her chimerical hand reaches out
Grabs me
Enveloped
In her cold embrace
Terror overwhelms me
I wait
For death’s final touch
But—
The fear begins
To ebb...
An unexpected surge—
Of something else
I realize—
I’m not trapped in death’s grip
But cradled
A hug
A silent communion
Between the living and the phantasmal
A brief, poignant understanding
Of our shared solitude
A fleeting moment
Of compassion
Tears trickle down
Softly, quietly
For all the lost souls
Wandering this earth
Homeless
Unseen
With one final caress
She releases me
I watch her form
For one more moment
As she dissolves
Into stardust
Outside the gates
A strange warmth grows within
Tinged with sadness
For a brief encounter
Witnessed only by the resting dead
And for a love
I never thought I'd feel—
For a woman
With no head
