The Resident of The Nap Room

I am usually not the kind of person to take a nap during work hours, but, today was different. Mondays were never my cup of coffee, that too after a long night of partying. I should have called in sick, but my guilt din't let me to, and here I was three hours into the day, guiltier and sleepier, trying to grab a shut eye.

I found it difficult to keep my eyes peeled, and get some work done. Instead all I got was half awake slumber, which made me even more tired than before. May be the idea of sleeping on work table was not a good idea to begin with. 'Why don't you take the rest of the day off, or go sleep somewhere else', I heard my colleague chime in from across the table, and the guilt just became my only emotion. Nap room became my next destination, and I left the table for good this time.

'There was a bed!!', I exclaimed in my head, 'Well duh, its a nap room for nothing'. I got my self comfortable on the bed, after flinging off the shoes to one side, and closing the door shut tight. Sleep was just minutes away, and soon I drifted.

My rest in the nap room was a short lived affair. I thought I heard a scream, or a cry for help, as I jolted out of my sleep. I strained my ears - in the half dazed state, to discern what the sound was. That is when I heard the knock. At first it was a soft thump, which soon turned into a loud bang. Another bang, and my eyes were wide open. It took a while for my eyes to get used to the darkness in the room. Another loud thump on the door got me scrambling up on the feet. I frantically scrambled for the light switch, and after a while of groping around in the dark I found the switch. My heart was racing by now, first, to be woken up by a scream, and then a the bang on the door. I slowly approached the door, and placed my ears flat on the wooden boards. hopping to discern what the source of the sound was. Once I was sure there was nothing to be afraid of, I cautiously twisted thee door knob. The lock clicked and the door creaked. I pulled on the door carefully.

At first I was not so sure of what I had seen, and after making sure the door really was open, I tried to feel the layer of bricks that lined the outside of the door frame, just to make sure what I saw was what I felt. It felt real, the coarse earthy texture of bricks, with the coarse sand mixed mortar. The door opened to a wall. I could feel my spirit panic, as tiny beads of sweat formed on my forehead. I closed the door back again, closed my eyes shut and opened the door again, hoping it to be an imagination of a sleep deprived mind. I held my eyes shut while I opened doors for the second time, but, the wall decided to stay where it had originally manifested itself. I tried banging and punching the wall, and in the last bit of terror, resorted to kicking. Nothing budged it, nothing moved it.

I had to keep calm, and think. 'Its just a nightmare, and it will pass', I kept repeating to myself. Once I was sure that my fear was in control, I started thinking about the ways in which I could exit the nightmare. I tried the age old technique of pinching my self awake, and once I realized that it was of no use apart from inflicting pain on my self, I scanned the room for alternate exits. My search for an exit led me to a fire extinguisher by the bed side. I found it to be a tad bit heavier than I had imagined it to be, but it served as a good hammer. The brick wall buckled under the continued blows from the fire extinguisher, first a brick loosened and slowly I could feel the entire wall shake and peal off. One brick at a time, one row at a time, and down came the entire wall falling to the ground. I was relieved to see the wall crumble. I did expect to see a glean of light, but the room, which the broken wall led to was pitch black. I existed the nap room, into the darkness, not sure of what I would encounter further, and slowly groped around in darkness. I was hopping to find an exit, a light switch, or at least a clue as to where I was. After a while of prodding around I chanced upon a handle which seemed like a door knob. I tried the handle, twisted it around a bit, but the door was as adamant as I was. I let the door be, and continued the search, moving farther away from the only light source, which peered from the broken wall of the nap room. The air around me started to get heavier and colder, and I saw that I was pretty far from the only comfort in this nightmare, the bed in the Nap room. My search for an exit in the darkness was cut short by the rattling of a chain. I decided to retreat to the nap room. As my strides became faster, the rattling of the chains became louder. My sprint gave way to a dash as I leapt towards the nap room. I could see the light peering from the crack of the wall. The hope rose in me, to find safety in the Nap room, but that hope soon gave way to despair, as I saw the hole in the wall shrinking. Each of the bricks which I had pulled out from the wall started to fly back into their place, and soon the last ray of light was blocked as I approached the wall. The last brick slid straight into its place, and I was left with nothing but pitch darkness. The rattling of the chain grew louder and suddenly it stopped. I sat cuddled on the floor against the wall, pacing my breath, and the only other sound was that of my pounding heart, I hoped the nightmare would end, and I closed my eyes, but it had a different plan. I felt cold breath against my face and I could hear a laboured breathing as nightmare breathed straight onto my face, cold and sinister. I curdled closer to my self, and my panting had turned to sobs now. Soft sobs, as I lay uncertain of what would happen, until a cold hand grasped me, a cold and tight grip.  I let out a scream, and started frantically clawing and banging on the wall just hopping the nightmare to end. The cold hands that held me dragged me away from the wall, and a despaired scream escaped my being.

The scream was still ringing in my ears, as I opened my eyes, and the familiar sight of the Nap room slowly cleared itself into my sight. 'Bloody freaking nightmare!', I sighed to my self, as my heart pounded like a blacksmith's hammer. My throat was parched dry, and the clear sign of a dehydrated sleep were abound. I decided to end the debacle at the Nap room. I collected my stuff from the room, and opened the door, which seemed locked at first, but after a little fiddling with the knob, it clicked opened.

We all have that phase in our life, where we get optimistic with nightmares, I believe, I too got optimistic with mine, and as for my spirit, it sank inside me, my heart skipped a beat and the cold perspiration found their way back onto my forehead, as I opened the door.

The red bricked wall, greeted my eyes.

Night Train to Velli

Amid the tight glances, I stood,
Steadfast, a word less searched for,
By the foot hold of the last wagon,
Of the Queen as she chugged through.

Black clouds rose in the night sky,
Moon and stars blanketed by her gurgling smog,
Each cloud a plumage of the night bird, fluffy coal candies.

The ride was long, I was told,
I ignored, rather enjoyed the rumble,
The tics and taks on the metal rail,
As the wheels echoed on, into the darkness.

An amber shone bright in the distance,
And the Queen started the long screech,
Pungent whiff of her diesel fog,  her engines coma-ed.

My fears grew roots, As the queen halted,
The amber turned to red, gale birthed a gentle breeze,
The smell of screeching metal fumed the night air,
The Queen had stoped her righteous stride.

I alighted the royal gait, stepping into the cold sand,
The red turned to green, but miles away was I,
My legs, my chariots, fear my fuel.

The Queen started her slow chug, the royal march,
The faint echo of her wail, annoyance it did speak,
I heard her slow rumble, as she regained her posture,
But miles away I was from her, moon my witness.

My captors turned red in her bosom, as she chugged,
Their sleep played the Judas in the grand scheme,
I felt the cold sand beneath my feet, freedom I guess.

I do feel pity for the gallows waiting for me,
The lonely little hoops, but what is mercy to me,
As I ran to the freedom, and the Queen conquered new shores. 

The Castle of Metus

In the forest of shadows, amidst the setting darkness,
A crumbling leaf echoes through the walls of fear.

As the horse hoofs dig a mark in the dirt,
The rain recedes into the shadows of draught.

A twig breaks, the crackling kindles a fire,
Drips the moist dew, as night hones the darkness.

An echo is heard, a low hum of sorrow,
The forest shrugs, a shiver runs down its spine.

The knight in clanging armour, raises his sword,
The knee buckles, a fall of the century ensues.

The dark night, clad in fear, raises its shield,
Against a sword sharpened to the grit of sorrow.

The knight fights the night, fear a fools bravado,
The clanging armour crashes again, shatter, the sound echoes.

A spear of nightmare, thrust deep into the flesh,
The knight raises his arm, the sleep is lost.

The clanging armour and silence of the shadows,
Clash into the night, as the castle of Metus trembles.

I fight myself, the shinning armoured knight,
I fight myself, the shadow donned night.

I fight, and rally to win the Castle of Metus.

The Perfect Crime

Whats the perfect crime,
He asked, with a twinkle in his eye,
I was perturbed, taken aback,
Why do you ask? I chimed in,
Just a passing frenzy, was his reply.

I do not know, I retorted,
A lier you are, he giggled a tease,
Well, if you ask, I may,
But alas, I can't satisfy your quest,
Thats perfect,  a smile of unease.

What is that bothers me the most,
His question was to the point,
I guess, my indifference,
A smile played, as he stared,
I guess he was clairvoyant.

And I saw the reason behind his smile,
The perfect crime, he replied, 
Is the one you never get caught with,
And his smile turned grey,
As every happy memory of me died.

The perfect crime, is to forget you,
Erase your existence, his words I feared,
And before my eyes, I ceased,
I ceased to exist, with every laughter,
The perfect crime, he sighed, as I disappeared. 



- Tim

The Nightmare

Cradle my thoughts, 
Shine, brandish the little fear,
Make it your own, 
Make me your little nightmare.

I walk, I stay, trying to find the steps,
My legs slip, I fly, I fall,
Night my shelter, 
Scared my soul, pumping hard, my heart.

Screech my brains, 
Scars of a past so blunt,
Fumes of sulfur, yellow thick,
I lay, clutching my head.

Wake me up, 
Before the night runs out,
The hands that follow my scream,
I am lost, I am just another dream.

Cradle the thought, 
Raise a dead child, 
Never let it see the light, 
Never it live outside your nightmare.

One Song Poem (Sun Goddess)

Take my hand, she said with a guile smile,
I thought twice, just to shun the idea,
Take my hand, her voice echoed a while.
Carry me to the sunset, did she stutter, I doubt,
Obliged, I sat there alone, as she bathed,
The crimson orange sun, her mane.

Take my hand, she said, gullible, I stalled,
Just to see the fading sun, crimson, purple,
Through the forest her shadow passed.
Moments turn to hours, rustle of raising dew,
The cold moon smiles, as her shadow passes,
Lost I stand, lost I cry.

Take my hand, she said, cold, her touch,
Scared was I, death I doubted,
Take my hand, she said, retreat I did.
And I saw the shadow pass, and the fog raise, 
As the sun dipped into the ocean and darkness rose,
Me a stranger, a madman at the light's door.

Traveler-Epilogue, The mad King

The night had been long,

My share of mares, with the stories untold,

With dreams forgotten, a heavy heart,

And through 'em, sinister plans, I play my part.

My brothers disappear, in pools of blood,

My brothers disappear, I wish help'em I could.

Forests of despair, intervened with our quest,

Riches promised, women to satisfy our lust,

Lands to conquer, for the king in me to rest.

A long trail of deceit, as I travel,

An immortal, I have lived a story untold,

Today I stand, alone and lost in time,

Traveler, they call me, traveler with a rhyme.

To devil, sell my soul I did, to live for eons.  

To devil, sell my soul I did, despaired, I live on.

The moon, my desire,  a price far promised,

Wine to quench my thirst, golds for the love I missed,

Souls to win, for the king in me to despotize.  

This is the last journey, they say,

I desist to move, for I have stories untold,

The winding path through the country side,

And the men, whom I killed for my own hearts' pride.

Ghosts aren't real, they just vanish with the wind,

Ghosts aren't real, sleep eludes, for I have sinned.

O' night, why are you bathed in blood,

Ridden with guilt, my heart, a withered rose bud,

Sleep I yearn, and my eyes, they have bled.

I am a king, the king of an immortal time,

But insanity, my king, has stories untold,

I have reigned with vengeance, for my soul that I lost,

The witch of time, chuckles, "but at what cost".

Past is slowly pulling me in, vanish it whispers.

Past is slowly fading away, sins, my seven sisters.

So I drink, I dance and I feast with the dead,

With so much, over the crackling fires done and said,

But no pleasure satisfies me, and no one for a tear to shed.

For I,  am the traveler. 

The traveler saga : Traveler 1 - 6

Fathom

You will burn in your innocence when the world steals your smile

She waits under a sunburned sky, a woman in her primes,
Waiting for the day to dawn, to wake her up from her denial.

He would come, she says, but little does she know,
That despair is his only pride, and death his bride.

A long lost war, a shielded window of shattered faith,
Now she waits for her man to come, to save her from her fate.

Gods would show me favour, and let me be one with him,
But oh great sea, why did you steal his soul from me.

Is it madness that counts, or the love that kills,
For she stood there thousands of days, waiting for him still.

He won't come, the village echoed, crushing the last piece of hope,
He won't come, for he is one with death, sang the multitude aloud.

By the sea she stood, but why did you take him from me,
For an aching heart you have given me, and an eye devoid of tears.

Ages passed and soon the village forgot, forgot about the woman,
Until one sunny day, she came home, huddled in a casket of her own.