Tetractys Poem-Meeting

This is my first attempt at a tetractys poem; a style I discovered from a fellow blogger.

Meeting

Elves,
Fairies
And goblins
Meet in shadows,
To play their cruel tricks, to bring themselves joy.

What Happened that Night

This is a piece of coursework I did last year. I got good marks for this, which I was really surprised at, but proud of. Anyway, feedback is once again appreciated 🙂

What Happened that Night

He caught my eye straight away as I arrived at the pub for were pre-drinks. Dan introduced me to his friends in his usual, hurried style meaning I couldn’t take in who was who, their faces becoming jumbled in my head. But his face was too striking to become mixed in with the others. He was tall, thin, and very pale with sharp cheekbones and a pointed nose and chin. Dark, glittering eyes and long black hair. Small devilish smile. He had one of those faces which was impossible to read. He didn’t speak as much as the others, who were, thankfully, very friendly. When none of the others were listening, he said one thing to me, which I didn’t know what to make of.
“You will enjoy tonight. I’ll make sure of it.”
His accent was refined, but I couldn’t place it. He sounded English, yet he didn’t sound like a typical English gentleman. I thought I could hear a slightly foreign edge to his accent. I wanted to ask him, though somehow, without my realising, he had disappeared. I assumed he must have gone to the bar, though I’d no idea how I hadn’t noticed him leave. I asked Dan how he knew him.
“I just see him around sometimes”, Dan shrugged. “He tends to come and go without warning. I don’t know a lot about him to be honest. But he seems alright.”
Strange, I thought. I tried to push him out of my mind. But I couldn’t quite manage it.

He didn’t appear again until we were in the queue to get into the club. I was chatting to Dan when I noticed him standing behind the other guys. I started at the sight of him, but he didn’t acknowledge this. He didn’t take much interest in the conversation either; he just stood there watching us all. I began to feel self-conscious. I was already somewhat nervous about going out that night; being the only girl in a large group and not knowing anyone but Dan. But it was his birthday, so I felt as though I had to go out.

Once we got inside the club, I became excited again. I found it hard not to be, the atmosphere changed once we got inside. Everyone’s focus became on having a good time. Dan had told me about his friends and what he got up to with them. It sounded as though they all had a good laugh together. My nerves about not knowing anyone vanished. Really, it’s impossible to feel tense when in a nightclub. I love everything about it; the loud blast of the music, people letting it fill them up to make them dance. On the stage, the DJ is king, he controls the mood of the room with his speakers; he makes the revellers feel anger, lust, excitement. And the darkness and the flashing bulbs, which turn a plain room into a dark maze illuminated by fairy lights. But the best thing about it is the way in which everyone simply lets themselves go; behaviour which would normally be unacceptable becomes the norm. People become wild; sometimes changing completely. I knew that people said bad things could happen inside clubs; people could be assaulted or drugged. But I never worried about anything like that. It would spoil the fun.

I had a few double vodkas to make myself feel less nervous and so far I’ve managed to mingle perfectly.  I danced with Dan and his friends, though I noticed that the guy had vanished again. I kept looking for him, thinking that I had to see him soon. Someone like that always stands out in a crowd. I wondered if he’d met a girl. It wouldn’t be surprising; as we were queuing outside the club I’d spotted a lot staring at him. He could have his pick of them. I tried not to feel jealous and focused on the music. I wiggled and swayed and jumped; feeling like the sexiest woman in the world. I was interrupted during one song; one of Dan’s friends hustled us into a corner, and pulled a small bag out of their pocket. I didn’t click onto what it was at first, but I soon found out.

At that stage, the only downer had been Sara and her dull girlfriends. Sara wasn’t happy that I’d gone out and gotten drunk with a bunch of men.
“They could do anything to you Alice” she told me in her patronising tones, after pulling me away from the group, “Come and dance with us.”
I raised my eyebrows at her, and noticed the others watching me. “Who says I’d object to them doing anything to me?” I told her as thoughts of that beautiful, vanished guy flashed through my head. My words had the desired effect on Sara. For once, she had been rendered speechless. Good. She’s a lot better when she’s quiet. The only time she talks is to criticise me. It’s sad in a way; we used to be close. We used to go out together quite a bit as well. But somewhere along the line, we both changed. Sara always wanted us to stick together; she believed we would be ‘safer’ this way. But I felt suffocated.

I laughed at her expression as I tried to saunter over to the boys, away from her and back into their world, where there were no limits. But the drink caused me to wobble and nearly fall over. Some laughed, some merely grinned; amused.
“Not at the passing out stage already, are you Alice?” One of them shouted above the music.
“’Course not”, I slurred. I was clearly the lightweight of the group. I should probably have started to slow down, but I didn’t want to seem pathetic for not keeping up with them. “Let’s go to the bar.”
We ordered three shots each, and downed them all together. I had pure vodka. The others were impressed by my choice. The drinks burned down the back of my throat and caused my head to spin. I took a second to gather myself. Suddenly, I found I was being watched. I turned my head too fast, causing the room to blur; the revellers all becoming one frantically moving entity. Except for him. His white face did not need the lights to define it. His lips curled, his eyes were gleaming. Without thinking, I stepped towards him.

He took my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. His arms coiled around my waist as he pulled me closer, hands sliding to my hips and beyond. Come closer, I begged silently. I momentarily realised that I had no idea where Dan or the others were, but this thought was only fleeting. At that moment, I didn’t care. I still didn’t remember his name, and I doubted he remembered mine. But none of that mattered here.  His face began to move closer to mine; so slowly it was excruciating. Yes, come on. His gaze dropped. I felt exposed; there was nowhere to hide from him. He held me tighter, and walked me a few steps back until we were in the corner. There was no escape now. He became a third wall; boxing me in entirely. I noticed that he had a glass in his hand. A strange, smoky liquid filled it to the brim. He continued to stare at me. Drink it. I felt worried; I did not know this man and I had no idea what that drink was. I began to say no but thoughts of Sara flashed through my brain. She would be dragging me away now, telling me I shouldn’t even have gone near this man. Well, I didn’t want to be like Sara. I took the drink and I downed it in one. I coughed and spluttered as the smoke filled my throat and coursed through my body. His grasp on me tightened. I could no longer breathe…

The first thing that returned was my sense of hearing. The music thumped inside my skull. People shouted; some excited, some angry. I felt the sticky floor beneath my hand. Shit, did I pass out on the dance floor? My clouded mind wondered. What I remember seeing first is a pair of feet, which I immediately knew did not belong to me. The owner of them was wearing converse; I had come out in heeled boots. I looked up to see if I knew the face at the other end of them.

What I saw sent a bolt of fear crashing through my body. All the way up the body was normal, but the face…it couldn’t have been human. Deep fissures ran through long cheeks. The eye sockets were so deep that I couldn’t see the eyes. The mouth; filled with too many teeth, opened; tearing the skin on the cheeks. It jerked towards me. I pushed myself out of the corner and staggered to my feet. I stumbled away from this thing, blinking as the lights blinded me. All I could make out was a mass of bodies moving erratically to the booming noise. Where are Dan and the others? And where is that guy? These thoughts whirred through my mind as I peered around, searching for a face I recognised. Something collided with me; I turned to see who it was. It was a girl’s body, clad in a corset and jeans.  The figure was thin, what many would consider to be attractive. But just like on the other figure, everything went wrong at the head. It was bloated; a pus-filled balloon with thick, slug like lips and eyes swollen shut. I felt a lump rise in my throat; my stomach lurched. The girl tilted her monster’s head towards me and I ran from the sight. I ran straight into a group of the things. Their long fingers clawed at me, fire danced inside their eyes. One of their mouths’ twisted into a smile revealing a set of sharp, bloody teeth. I backed away, hitting a door. I saw the sign for the ladies toilets above it; I pushed myself in that direction, desperate to escape the madness around me.

I shut myself in one of the cubicles. Immediately I found myself slouched over the toilet, vomiting for what felt like forever; yellowish bile poured from my guts. The stench of second-hand alcohol combined with burning stomach acid was overwhelming. As I coughed up the last few clumps of sick I tried to focus and make sense of what was happening. What were those creatures out there? And why were they after me? I twisted to look at the lock on the door, to check that I was secure.

I tried to remember the events before I passed out. Dan and his friends, Sara, him. Who was he? Where did he go?
I’m here, Alice.
I started as I heard a low, dulcet voice. It must be him, I thought…but how?
You’re in my world now, Alice…
I could still hear the din of the club in the background. I didn’t understand why his voice was so clear above everything else.
Come out of there…
Automatically, I climbed to my feet and pushed open the door. I caught sight of myself in the mirror. My face was distorted, one eye higher than the other, my mouth a diagonal slant. The remainder of my lipstick was reduced to red streaks smeared across my cheeks. I couldn’t even see where my nose was. All this was framed by a wild mass, my hair, I assumed. What’s happened to me? I panicked, horrified at my reflection. I’m a monster! My fingers scrabbled towards my face as I desperately hoped that the mirror was lying, that this was nothing but a cruel trick. I scratched myself with my nail, I pulled my hand away to find dark blood pooling beneath the nail. I let out a strangled sob. I wanted someone to find me, to tell me everything was ok.
But it is ok. Look again.
Once again, I obeyed him without question. I gasped at the change in my reflection. I was…beautiful. There was no other way to put it. I had flawless white skin, dark eyes and smooth, silky hair. How did that happen? I pondered.
My world isn’t frightening when you embrace it. It’s just as you said Alice. There are no limits here.
I considered his words. What was it I had wanted? To be part of something exciting. And now this strange, beautiful man was inducting me into a new world entirely. My thoughts were interrupted by Sara barging through the door.
“Alice!” she raged. Not even a hello. “What the hell has happened to you? You’re a mess. And I saw you with that boy earlier, it was disgusting. I didn’t think you could sink much lower.”
Her mouth expands as she speaks, growing wider and wider until it takes over her mouth takes over her entire face. That’s all she is. A massive mouth with no eyes and no room for a brain. Nothing but loud, boring talk. I look back at my reflection and smile. I don’t need this mouth on legs telling me what do.
“Come on, I’m taking you home” It yaps, tugging at my arm.
Using everything I had, I pushed her away from me. She hit the wall with a dull thump, the mouth becoming a large round ‘O’. It looked as though it was going to say something else, but I wasn’t going to stand for that. I strode over to it and aimed my boot straight at the mouth. The spiky heel connected, blood spurted out. It screamed. Satisfied, I pulled the door open to leave it behind. When I saw the dance floor, I was stunned.

A sprawling mass of bodies pulsated to the music. I managed to make out a few faces, some were smooth and beautiful; woodland elves. Others were hunched and twisted. No one cares though. It doesn’t matter. The atmosphere had become electric, the lights sparkled. I saw Dan, his face was somewhat longer than normal, whirling around with what may have been a girl, but the strange shape of the body meant that it could have been anything. I stepped out of the door way. I dodged around two giants; I wanted to see more. Two twisted dwarves jumped at the edge of the crowd. Amidst the flashing lights I spotted several other faces I recognised; faces I had been introduced to only hours before. They had altered; some had grown, some had shrunk. Some bared elongated teeth when they smiled at me. When they beckoned towards me.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the crowd. I immediately felt myself being swallowed up by the revellers. I could not see any gaps in the crowd, nor the place that I had entered from. I knew there was no getting out of here now. They pressed against me as though they were trying to crush the very life from my body, there claws grabbing at me. However, I felt no fear. I was one of them. I used my own nails to grab at them. I began to dance as they had; letting the music control my movements. I noticed a small clearing in the crowd. And there he was. He cut a majestic figure amongst all these creatures. He was perfectly still, his eyes fixed on me. Once again, I noticed that small, unfathomable smile. His arm reached out to me. Come. The others ceased moving against me. They knew that I belonged here. That he wanted me here. They parted slightly, making room for me to get to him. Like an aisle, I thought to myself. I glided (glided? I didn’t know I could do that.) I reached towards him. The music became louder and faster. The dancing became more frenzied. He remained perfectly still, waiting patiently. My hand touched his. He pulled me towards him. You’re mine.

What happened when we were outside the club is rather hazy in my mind. I found the light from the street lamps harsh on my eyes, the yelling of the drunks in the overcrowded kebab shops painfully loud. The pavement swayed beneath my feet as I stumbled around. I leaned against a wall to try and steady myself. I hadn’t a clue what had happened to Dan and the others. I wondered what Sara had done after I left her, but I didn’t really care. I felt a firm pair of hands grasp my shoulders. I let them steer me wherever they wanted. I was taken away from the crowds to a more secluded area. I turned to face him. It was just the two of us now.

The next day, after I had awakened in a house which was not mine, I found I could not remember what exactly happened during the course of the night. All I knew was that I was satisfied. I sat watching myself in the mirror, staring at the reflection which had become so beautiful the night before. My phone sat beside me. I had switched it off. Too many people were texting and trying to call me. They were all wittering on about last night and what had happened. Even Dan had sent me a ridiculous amount of texts, and he was normally a really laid back guy. As for Sara…some of her friends had been trying to contact me. Apparently I had made a real mess of her face. To be fair, she had been asking for it. Before last night, I would have felt guilty about what I did to her. But now I simply didn’t care about her. Smiling, I turned to the door at my left. Behind that door was everything I needed. I couldn’t wait for next time.

The Warning and The Rebellion

These two poems were part of a portfolio I submitted for my University coursework. They were also two of my first attempts at poetry :). These are both villanelles, and I had fun experimenting with this style (though finding so many words that rhymed was tricky at times!).

When writing them I drew influence from classic fairy tales, thinking how the protagonists are often told to stay on the right path and/or keep out of the woods. This idea is used for ‘The Warning’, while ‘The Rebellion’ is the response to this.

Hope you like!!! Feedback much appreciated. Will probably be uploading prose next 🙂

The Warning

Don’t enter the woods in the dead of night

You don’t understand what hides in there

Stay where I can see you, within the light.

Creatures that will cause pain, creatures that bite

Monsters that will shred, rip, maim, grip, tear

Don’t enter the woods in the dead of night.

Go and you will suffer a dreadful plight

Which would be too much for me to bear

Stay where I can see you, within the light.

Please do not dispute this, please do not fight

Do not disobey me, please don’t you dare

Don’t enter the woods in the dead of night.

You do know that, as always, I am right

Don’t try to tell me that it isn’t fair

Stay where I can see you, within the light.

The creatures will attack with all their might

I only forbid you because I care

Don’t enter the woods in the dead of night

Stay where I can see you, within the light.

The Rebellion

Unlike you, I’m not afraid of the dark

Not afraid to enter the woods, and there stay

My existence within the light is stark.

Not all creatures are akin to a shark

I wish to meet an elf, an imp, a fey

Unlike you, I’m not afraid of the dark.

I am bored of life on the path, please hark

I need more than this, I must go away

My existence within the light is stark.

The woods to me are an enchanted park

Somewhere new, exciting, where I can play

Unlike you, I’m not afraid of the dark.

If wolves or witches find me during my lark

Let them, or anything else come what may

My existence within the light is stark.

This adventure will give my life a spark

So yes, from you, from safety, I’ll stray

Unlike you, I’m not afraid of the dark.

My existence within the light is stark.

First blog :O

I’ve finally started a blog!!!

Writing is something I’m passionate about; its all I’ve ever really wanted to do. My favoured genre is horror, however I also love sci-fi and fantasy. Authors such as Anne Rice and Stephen King inspire me the most. I’m currently on an English and Creative Writing course at University in order to improve my skills. I’ve started sending pieces of work to various competitions; one of my poems was recently long-listed for one of these.

Here is where I will be publishing some of my work as well as anything else I get the urge to write about. The aim is to try and publish at least one post per week to keep things up to date and ensure that this page doesn’t feel neglected.

First proper post will be up soon!!!