|The Long Night|
Composed by
Amory Edgar Kreiburg.
I was restless, my mind racing as I gazed out from beneath my sheets. The wind howled and rattled the shutters on my bedroom window, the pattering of rain falling upon the glass only accompanying it in a composition from the Spirit itself. The gentle rumbling of thunder in the distance and the lightning that momentarily lit the room every few minutes were settling somewhat, the storm that seemed to have lasted for hours was now settling and I gazed towards the window to see dust swirling in the faint moonlight that made it past a small gap in the curtains. I found solace in the silence that came from the town below the estate, though still the thought of her lingered at the forefront of my thoughts. I lifted myself from my bed, scratching my jaw lightly as I looked tiredly towards a mirror on the far side of the room. I had forgotten how far I had fallen since my father passed away, how long had I been locked in this prison I have made for myself? My face bore scraggly blonde hair, something I never imagined to be likely. I stood up and peered further into the darkness, scowling as I walked to my study through the small door connecting it to my bedroom. Moving through the room, I passed several piles of books and parchment; gazing down at the various titles. I must've collected books on nearly every topic I could find, if I am to be honest to the reader; I can't tell if it's a fascination or an escape from the cruel reality we live in.
My isolation was beyond that of the average Genevaud native, it had been months since I last emerged from my 'pit' as it could be lovingly called. The occasional race to the kitchens, a walk to the cellar for another cask of wine and wheel of cheese to accompany it; my life had become a routine and one I was not living, but simply existing within. I staggered towards the window and gazed down into the gardens, my eyes crossed a shadowy figure and with a scrutinizing gaze I watched and judged each movement. I held a candle up to the window, peering through the darkness to try and catch any number of features as it peered back at me; I could feel it's eyes upon me and yet I had no idea of the visage of this inhuman shadow. It all felt so real, I knew the figure somehow; as though I had seen it before either in a dream or otherwise. With time, I tread lightly from my study; my nightgown covering all but my calves and downwards, I wore a pair of evening slippers which encased my foot in a heeled velvet-type shoe with a thin leather sole for comfort. I pattered down the stairs slowly at first as I found my head was beginning to pound in wonderment, though soon I had deduced that the figure was none other than the woman that had kept me awake all evening. My steps became heavier and my footfall unto the wooden floors surely awoke the family within the estate, I raced down the stairs and out through the conservatory doors into the gardens; seeing the face of my cousin Heide upon the figure before it blended once again with the shadows and was sent to oblivion. I fell to my knees defeatedly, exhausted and now questioning my sanity as the woman that had gone missing a week prior and so many hundreds of miles away had now appeared to me here.
A mixture of both tears and the rain caressed my cheeks, my eyes were red and puffy as I began to sob and hyperventilate; holding my chest with one hand as another sunk into the path beneath me, gravel becoming trapped beneath my fingernails as my hand balled into a weak and shaky fist. My uncle stood behind me in the doorway, allowing me the time I needed to let it all out; a gesture which I am thankful for even now. He eventually gathered me up and helped me indoors again, my windswept and soaked hair now matted to my face; much the same as his own fringe had stuck to his forehead. He returned me to my bedroom and sat me down, not bothering to ask of me what had gone on; only offering a reassuring smile, one that told me everything was okay, I was safe. Still, the appearance of the figure haunts me to this day. Only days later my cousin Theopold sent word that Heide had been returned from the foul, belligerent creatures that had taken her. I was told she had been infected, being cured and cared for after the ordeal. My correspondence was swift, letters were exchanged as I always passed word between my cousins and I. She asked for me, my presence within Regalia; my chest felt as though it was near to bursting. I was fearful, in truth. I am still terrified of the sprawling and vast alien landscape beyond my homeland and yet I prepared for my travel, taking a questionable route past a few odd tourist spots as it were; a route I justified as well needed inspiration for my writing.
For the first time in a long while, I left my room and I said my goodbyes to my uncle Diepold; praying he remained in good health during my journey into the unknown. I left the house in a near march and hightailed it to my carriage, rapid breaths passing my lips as I glared out the window of the carriage upon the outside world and realized that if I was to survive now; I would have to adjust to the drastic lifestyle changes I was to face. So began my journey, my route to the forefront of society pathed out before me.
May the Spirit bring good fortune,
Sir Amory Edgar Kreiburg.
Sir Amory Edgar Kreiburg.
