Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'- Edgar Allan Poe, 1845
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
`'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, `tapping at my chamber door -
Only this, and nothing more.'- Edgar Allan Poe, 1845
In the darkness of one Tristan Providence night, Phoenix Derrick pondered over an old poem by is favorite writer. The 18 year old boy always read poetry when he was troubled. Trouble was the least of his worries. Pounding, Pounding, pounding his heart raced, the blood was pumping relentlessly in his veins. All the despair in the world seemed to overcome him. His temple looked as if it would explode. Picking up a book from the lampstand he threw it across the room with all of his sorrow. The book hit a picture frame as if he aimed to hit it. His anger seemed to be uncontrollable to him. "Voices, Voices in my head." He cried. With this he fell onto his knees and started to sob. His tears poured out as if they would fill the room. All of the energy seemed to drain from him. His eyelids began to become heavy and he fell into a comatose.
Outside the wind was howling, rain began to cascade from the clouds. Inside Phoenix's house, he lay dosing in the middle of a puddle of tears on the floor. As uncomfortable as this is, he did not care. All of his despair drained his life energy. Sleep was his only escape. When it seemed he was in a peaceful slumber a knock came at his door. James lay unstirred. This time a louder knock came. The sleeping teen awoke. His eyes felt as if they were impossible to open. He struggled to pick himself off the floor. "Who the heck is knocking at my door at this time of night." He muttered as he turned the knob. He pushed the door ajar, enough to see outside. Only the darkness of night was there to meet him. He closed the door. "Maybe I was only having a dream." he stated as he lay down on his bed. In a mere 10 seconds he was in a deep sleep.
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow; - vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow - sorrow for the lost Lenore -
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore -
Nameless here for evermore.
And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating
`'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door -
Some late visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door; -
This it is, and nothing more,'
In the early afternoon James awoke from his deep dark sleep. His head throbbed from his headache. He battled to get out of his bed. The mental and physical pain was too much to bear. He looked over his small apartment room. The horns and noises of big city life could be heard outside. Phoenix walked over to the broken picture frame. In it was a picture of 2 young girls. His heart sank, what was left of his heart that is. Seeming all of his heart he gave to these maidens, maidens he only has a mere picture of. The memories were still real, all the heartache and pain. No friends to council him, no woman to comfort him. He was all alone in his small world. He overlooked his alarm clock. "Noon already." he moaned. He was late for his Psychiatrist's Appointment. He donned his coat and walked over to the door. He hesitated as he opened it. Looking through the crack as if some monster would be standing there. Of course nothing was there. Only his imagination. He walked down the pathway to the garage. A old rusted hatchback awaited him there like a faithful stead, or more like a faithful mule. Stepping inside of the rusted hunk of metal, he put the key in the ignition. The engine of the car struggled to start. Finally after a few turns of the key the car started. He put the hatchback into drive and headed down the road.
After a 10 minute drive, Phoenix arrived at the Psychiatrist's office. He exited his vehicle and ascended a flight a stairs. A wooden door with a sign that read "Suite 233" greeted him. Opening the door, he hesitantly walked inside. A secretary sat inside and welcomed him with a smile. Her white wide grin seemed to haunt James, the memories of the girl he lost all but rushed back into his head. "Doctor Franklin will see you now sir." She said as she continued to smile. Phoenix raced to the doctor’s door trying to escape the ominous smile. Confused as to the mans odd behavior the secretary continued her duties.
Doctor Franklin sat on a soft leather chair in a cramped room filled with many items such as books, and models. He beckoned Phoenix to sit down. As he did so the Doctor greeted him. "So how have you been this past week Mr. Derrick?"
"Not well. The voices and images have come back. They seem to never go away, they always haunt me chasing me, and I can't forget them. It’s as if she has control of my thoughts." Phoenix said hauntingly.
"Well you cannot let this keep getting the best of you. You have to let go of her. I know it has been hard losing your sister, and then the love of your life. But you can't let her control your life." The Doctor answered him.
"I can’t let her go, Amanda could still be out there, shes hurting right now, and I cant find her, I love her, my baby sister... But shes gone! As for Lenore.... I still hear her voice; I still see her eyes, those faces she's given me. The things she’s said to me, the things I've done to hurt her, I can't just forget about it. I love her, I care about her. I want her back; I want her to care again." He said as he began to sob.
"Phoenix! You have to get hold of yourself. You can't go on and on like a drunken madman slaving after one girl. You have a life to live. She isn’t part of it. You must accept it. And you must let go of your sister, its been over a year, I think its time to lay her to rest." The Doctor argued
"Shut up! My sister is alive! Alive I tell you!. This was a waste of my time. I knew it. I'm leaving." With this Phoenix ran out the door, past the smiling secretary, who at this time was even more confused with the mans behavior, past the door of the office and all the way to his awaiting car. Meanwhile in his office, Doctor Franklin sat in deep contomplation of the events that had just unfolded. The seriousness in his eyes showed signs of conviction in the present situation. Dr. Franklin sat up in his chair and reached acrossed his desk to pick up the phone. After dialing a few numbers he waitied as the phone continued to ring, at the end of a short wait a voice picked up on the other line.
"Hello, This is Doctor Franklin in regards to the project number 7, I would like to inform you that case number 4476 is ready for the second stage of tests."
Outside, Phoenix jumped in the car and slammed the door. Grasping the steering wheel, his hands seemed to be welded to the wheel, and his face turned a red hue. All of the anger in him was about to explode. Eyes dilated and his fists balled, his knuckles flew into the front window. Glass and blood spattered everywhere. Realizing he was injured he pulled a first aid kit out from under his seat. His breathing was heavy and labored. The sound of blood could be heard in his head. He finally regained control of himself. Letting out a deep sigh as he looked at his car. There was no way he was going to be able to drive it home. "Whatever." He muttered. "Not like I need a stupid car anyways." Phoenix flung the door open and began walking down the street. Puling his coat over his shoulders to shield himself from the cold. His eyes filled with sorrow and his mind filled with tragedy he headed back to his lonely abode.
Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
`Sir,' said I, `or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;
But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,
And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber door,
That I scarce was sure I heard you' - here I opened wide the door; -
Darkness there, and nothing more.
The inside of Phoenix's apartment was utterly destroyed. Furniture was strewed everywhere. Desks turned upside down. Pictures thrown across the room. Glass littered the floor. Phoenix sat in the middle of the chaos of his apartment. His anger all but overcame him. No part of his apartment was spared. He had utterly torn it apart. The sweat dripped down his forehead. The veins in his neck shown threw the skin. Heart pumping and blood rushing. This was the deepest darkest place of Phoenix's heart. Total despair. Phoenix looked around his apartment. He was awestruck as to how far his anger took him. Having never gone this far before, but was sure this wasn’t the last he would visit this darkest of moods, Phoenix sat contemplating his life. What was the point of it? There was no point in his eyes. Just end it all, he thought to himself. He reached for a long shard of glass. The Sharpe edges cut into his hand as he guided it to his forearm. Sooner than he could cut into his skin another mysterious knock came. Gently tapping at his door. "Come, to us. Come with us." it said eerily. Phoenix was aghast. The voice repeated and repeated the same thing. "Come, to us. Come with us." the voice began to cause the teen pain he clenched his head as if to shut the voices out. Suddenly the voices changed tone "We need you. You are essential to us." it claimed. As the haunting continued a low humming ring began to swamp the room. But as it continued and continued it drove Phoenix mad. He let our shriek of pain. The shriek echoed throughout the room. Subsequently the sound stopped. No more voices, no more haunting modulation. Phoenix steadily rose to his feet and walked over the shards of glass towards the door. He cracked it open, but Darkness there and, northing more.
Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before
But the silence was unbroken, and the darkness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, `Lenore!'
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, `Lenore!'
Merely this and nothing more.
Standing on the threshold of his apartment, Phoenix was dumbstruck by the darkness outside, he began to walk onto the sidewalk. The stars were out in the night sky. All seemed to be quite. Which was unusual for a night in the big city. He began to walk down the street, as if something was drawing him somewhere. Where? He didn't know. The cold pavement under his feet, he didn’t even bother to grab a coat. He was all but numb to the winter cold. Continuously he walked down the road, like a man who didn't know where he was going. He came to ally way that came off the roadway. The dark shadows between the buildings bewildered him. Suddenly out of the silence came a whisper. "Lenore!" Phoenix was aghast. Who but him would know the name of the girl that broke his heart? "Lenore!" it continued to say. It seemed to come from the dark ally way. He peered into the darkness expecting to see someone their. However much to his surprise there was no one there. Just shadows of the night. He began to walk into the ally way, searching for the strange source of these words. "Lenore!" it said once again. The word rang on and on through his head. He turned a corner. Still only darkness. Who was whispering this despaired word? "Lenore!" it continued. This began to trouble Phoenix. He couldn’t bear hearing the name over and over again. He began to cry out. "Who are you? What do you want!" no answer came. He slowly and softly stepped down the path. He looked all around; afraid something would come out and attack him. This went on for another 5 minutes until he came to a dead end. The voice continued, "Lenore!", again and again, "Lenore!" it began to get faster, "Lenore!", "Lenore!", "Lenore!". Sweat poured out of all the pores in Phoenix's body, suddenly everything stopped, and darkness consumed everything.
Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me burning,
Soon again I heard a tapping somewhat louder than before.
`Surely,' said I, `surely that is something at my window lattice;
Let me see then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis the wind and nothing more!'
Phoenix stood in the middle of a dimly shaded room. A few lamps on each side of the room gave off little light. In front of him was an open window. The wind blew through Phoenix's hair. The cool breeze seemed to calm him. Despite the refreshing breeze, Phoenix was still troubled with his surroundings. Were he? The last he remembered he was in an alleyway in Goronwy. He tuned his gaze away from the window. A few chairs surrounded a table occupied in the center of the chamber. He looked up over a small fireplace. What he saw next turned his skin white and sent a shiver down his spine. On the wall was a portrait of Lenore. The beautiful blonde haired girl seemed to stare back at him, through his very soul. "Lenore!" the voices said again. This time however he knew were it was coming from, the lips of the portrait seemed to move as the whispering came. "Lenore!" it said. Phoenix turned and ran for the door, but much to his dismay it was bolted shut. "Lenore!" it said again. Phoenix shock all over, his skin tingled with fear, this was his worst nightmare. This room, the air, the whisper in his head was all too real to him. He couldn’t bear it. Clenching his ears as if to shut the world out he huddled on the floor. This had no effect. "Lenore!" the portrait said once again. Phoenix let out a death curling scream. "Leave me alone!" he demanded. To Phoenix's surprise the whispering stopped. Silence took over the chamber. He let go of his ears. Looking over the room he stood up. The dim lights flickered as a loud tapping sound came. This time louder than it ever has before. Tap, tap, tap, tap. Where was it coming from? Phoenix walked over to a window on the other side of the room. He could hear the tapping even more clearly than before. He unlatched the lock on the window and forced it open. Nothing, nothing was there. He sighed in relief to himself, "It’s the wind, and nothing more."