The Eternal Casanova aka Dorian Black

The Eternal Casanova

Inspired by a Neil Gaimen short story.

***

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
From the shadows darkness creeps
And I have promises to keep,
But years to go before I sleep,
years to go before It sleeps...

Clickety-clack. Clickety-clack. Clickety-clack.

That's all one could hear, if there was anyone around. And if one were to strain their ears, they could also hear the soft rustling in the grass and the hushed panting of a small pup and a little girl. They were following a little boy along the grassy path in the woods.

Clickety-clack... the sound of a wooden spoon hitting the wooden cart-wheel was hushed by the dense growth of proud trees around the barely trodden forest path. Lots of bad things, dark but not so unimaginable, could happen to young and the innocent ones in these deeper woods, where even fiercest of forest creatures feared to tread. And they would, but not now. For now, a fate far worse than your imagination can conjure right now awaited them.

*******

"Will you come with me?"

And my heart skips a beat. Here he is, standing at the ledge on the window of my first storey bedroom, asking me to come away with him for a night I'll never forget. I think of my doting father as his snores fill my ears like a lullaby and my heart aches with the anguish he would feel if he were to know. I think of my caring mother, whose only dream in life is to see me happily married with half a dozen kids. I think of my younger sister, and what sort of example I might be setting for her. I think of my younger twin brothers... and it makes me smile, for they're angels and too young to even grasp what my going might mean. But most of all, I think of The Dark Spectre, the serial killer who has been stalking and killing young maidens all over countryside. In fact, if it hadn't been for his dark shadow, I'd be still out with my friends, instead of being held prisoner in my own house the moment the sun set, like all other friends of mine.

And then I look at him, his face reflecting the silver majesty of the moonlight. This is what Narcissus must be if he weren't in love with his own reflection. There is something about him, certain ageless eternal mystique that makes one feel as if in presence of Adonis himself, as if cupid is his personal guardian angel. For me, like every other maiden in village, it was love at first sight. The sort of love that makes you go weak in knees, the sort of love that makes you pray to God to kill the ironsmith's daughter because his eyes shine their light on her face, and the sort of love that helps you not feel too guilty when the ironsmith's daughter vanished without a trace... another victim of The Dark Spectre. The sort of love that makes you throw caution to wind and say...

"Yes."

I hold his hand as he helps me out of window on to the ledge. We jump to land softly on the bed of hay he had prepared to soften the landing. He knew I would come. But escape has just started. Most of young men of village will be out patrolling, imposing the edict that barred all young ones, especially women, to wander out of their houses after sunset. And the patrolling would be even tougher around the edge of the forest, where we are going.

Soon I discover, there is more to him than just his obscenely good looks and charming ways. He has the immense fortune of the Gods. We didn't encounter a single guard on our way to the edge of the forest. It was much easier than I ever thought it would ever be. But once we reached edge of the forest, he got very cautious, very aware of every sound. All the victims of The Dark Spectre had disappeared around the forest. The dense forest coupled with superstitious ghost stories made for the perfect hiding place, no one would dare enter the forests, even during day. No one but him. And I am smitten by him enough to follow him to the end of world, more so when he promises me a night I'll never forget. He holds my hand and steps into the shadows. Like a cold blanket, darkness engulfs us and my nails dig deep into his palm. He doesn't make a sound.



"How much further...” I ask half an hour later. I can hardly see anything, just being led by him.

"Hush...” he says.

"I can't walk anymore." I whispered.

"We're almost there." he says as I feel a snake rustling nearby. A full moon drives silver swords through the dark canopy. I clutch his arm as if my life depended on it. His fingers hug mine, assuring me. Up ahead I can see some light. He lets me go and runs upto it. I follow.

"And lord said, let there be light..." he turns and smiles at me as I step into the silver moonlight.

A silver oasis in the middle of the black desert. The ground seems to be studded with stardust, reflecting the moonlight in myriad hues and shades.

"It's so..."

"I know."

"I'm..."

"Shh...” he puts a finger to my lips and stares into my eyes. My knees give away me and his arms stop me from hitting the ground. A rustling sound in the bushes brings back fear to my eyes.

"Don't be scared, no creature of the forest comes here."

"How do you know?"

"I know..." his eyes read the disbelief in my eyes, "...because my grandpa told me a story. Would you like to listen to a good story?"

I smile. He goes on to tell me the story of the young boy, young girl and their scared little pup.

*******

Clickety-clack. Clickety-clack. Clickety-clack.

That's all one could hear, if there was anyone around. And if one were to strain their ears, they could also hear the soft rustling in the grass and the hushed panting of a small pup and a little girl. They were following a little boy along the grassy path in the woods.

Clickety-clack... the sound of a wooden spoon hitting the wooden cart-wheel was hushed by the dense growth of proud trees around the barely trodden forest path. Lots of bad things, dark but not so unimaginable, could happen to young and the innocent ones in these deeper woods, where even fiercest of forest creatures feared to tread. And they would, but not now. For now, a fate far worse than your imagination can conjure right now awaited them.

Thump!!!

The boy fell on the ground, face first, unharmed by thick grass that covered the path. The boy's neck strained upwards, sun shone in his eyes till the rolling wheel blocked it out. The wheel seemed to stand still for a moment, like a black pillar protecting the kid from the blinding sun, wobbled a bit and then rolled down a slope towards its right into the swamp, as if it had a mind of its own, a mind that couldn't refuse the calling of a power that can only be felt, never seen. The pup stopped a few paces ahead, stared back at the kid and then followed the wheel, following his expectant stares.

A dark shadow fell on the boy's face as a cloud took the sun in its embrace. The earth returned the echo of kid's own thumping heart. In the distance, the pup whimpered, calling out to its young masters. Without a moment's hesitation, the girl went after the pup. The kid got up and stared into the direction where the cartwheel had gone, followed by the pup and then the girl. Suddenly the pup went silent, too silent a bit too suddenly. Shadow of fear streaked across kid's face. He called out for the little girl. No reply. Finally, in a moment of bravery known only to the innocent, the boy limped down the slope, eyes ever so wary of what they might discover once into the deep dark woods. Suddenly the pup shot out of the thicket and ran back the path they had come, stopped and turned back to look at his master, wondering if he would too return, imploring him to not go in there, and when was sure he wouldn't, let out a scared little whimper and ran back to the village.

The boy was all alone now. The forest suddenly felt alive, like phantom of a werewolf breathing down his neck. The hair on the back of his neck braced themselves as if swords ready to battle the unseen enemy. From within the gap in the trees he caught a faint glimpse of the cartwheel, dirty and covered in... something. Now he could hear the faint sobbing of the little girl too. His eyes followed the 'path' carved by the cartwheel and could see a clearing, the cartwheel and the little girl... but there was something more. Something that made the little boy scream. And he would never scream again.

*******

A long thin shadow cuts across the moon, cleaving it in two. But moon fights back and casts it away, both its halves coming together again. Our fingers intertwine and I am pulled out of my reverie

I am breathing very heavily now. Fear. A very strong sense of fear has gripped me, a grip far stronger than I've ever felt. Fear, a very primal emotion that takes hold of all other senses, an emotion so basic and all encompassing that it has no rival... save for one.

I let out a soft gasp as his cold hand crawl up my leg. A draft of cold breeze precedes his hands and makes my eyes search for my drawers which I don't remember removing. I also become aware of a warmer hand resting softly on my bosom. The snugness and the comfort suggests it has been there for quite a while. His warm breath on my neck, cold nose touching every now and then, teasing. His curls brushing my cheeks in long soft strokes like a master painter. His lips tethered at the edge of mine, breathing life into me.

"No." I clench my legs tight as his hand tries to find its way past my thighs. He pulls his hand back a little and leans in to kiss me.

I feel fire in my mouth, setting ablaze my face, raging fury spreading all across my being. My legs ease up a little, his fingers start moving again.

"No" I try to resist, eyes tightly shut. My breathing gets harder.

Suddenly he pushes his hand upwards with a gentle force and a cold fire flows up my spine. I still try to put up the pretense of chastity.

He pulls back from the kiss. I open my eyes, he is smiling. "No", I say it again. He has a look on his face that questions my refusal. He holds up his right hand, gleaming in moonlight and says "You're wet." I blush and bury my face in my hands, and wait for him.

I hear a faint rustle of the leaves. I open my eyes, he is wiping his hand in the ground. He gets up, his body a shining marble statue of a Greek hero. He turns around to face me. Another shadow comes across the moon. His face looks different... tired, old and years of pain carve tales across his face. But most of all, his eyes, suddenly look so pale.

"I'm sorry..." he says as a moon peeks from behind the clouds for one last time, casting a silver blade across his right eye. The shadow soon takes over and he is again plunged into darkness as he steps back, only his scared pale eyes visible in the shadows. With that the light in his eyes go out. A moment later his voice...

"You can scream if you wish to."

*******

Your fingers are wet. Finally. You feel the cold breeze on them, breeze that carries the smell to the woods. You bury the fingers in the ground. The ground seems to throb around them, as if sucking on them. You can feel your heartbeat in your ears and you know its not just your heart. It's coming.

You get up and stand away from her. Even after all these years, this is the toughest part, but you owe it to her. You turn around and say "I'm sorry". You can feel the ground shake beneath your feet. It's coming. You look at her, confused and stared. And once again you find yourself staring at that little girl buried waist deep in the swamp ages ago. And you can feel the roots coming out of the ground, ready to grab her. You step back into the shadows.

"You can scream if you wish to."

And then It comes. Long wooden tentacles wrap themselves around her waist, her bosom, her face and feet. It grabs her and begins to pull her into the ground, which opens up like a yawning crater, rather a hungry mouth, for that's what it is. She screams, for one final time. You... you screamed only once years ago, never after that. It takes her and soon you are left staring at an empty abyss staring back at you. You can feel the burden of all those years, wondering if you made the right choice that day, when you chose to live. Won't death be a better fate than this?

Maybe It heard your thoughts, for a streak of lightening leaps at you from the blackness, lifting you above the ground. You see the faces of all those girls, every single one of them. When it's over, you fall on the ground, on your fours. You feel alive again. You stare into the abyss, you can feel It staring back at you, smiling. It knows.

You start walking back to the village. You will not age for another nine months. If you hadn't been so scared early on, you'd still be the nine year old kid you were centuries ago. But twenty works better, easy to find prey for It, for you. As you make your way back to the village, you don't worry about anyone finding out, they never will, not been able to for so many years, for shadows are yours to command, foot soldiers for It.

Only thing on your mind, is a dilemma...


"Should I go for the pastor's daughter, or the blacksmith's?"

[ The End ]