Scarce an hour before midnight
On a night close
with summer heat,
I found an unknown
companion
Awaiting bare atop
my sheets.
While I had never
met him
Nor invited to my
bed,
What his gaze did
not make welcome
His dark beauty did
instead.
Uncertain but
desirous,
I approached the
bed with care,
Then stroked my
hand across his skin
And through his
silken hair.
He seemed far more
than willing
Though strangely
glancing at the clock;
I saw no harm in
just proceeding
For my resolve was
hard as rock.
I removed my
evening clothing
Without looking
from his face;
Now bare, I lay
beside him
And eased into his
embrace.
I was entire enchanted,
Though unwilling to
command;
So he smiled gently
up at me
Then reached out
with his hand.
He encased all my
attention
In hands as hot as
flame;
I arched my back in
anguish,
In pleasure, called
Gods name.
My heart was like a
rabbit
Beating frantic in
my chest;
As he caressed my
courage,
I was the one
possessed.
I resisted first
entreaty
But scarce managed
to delay
The urge to
immolation
That no patience
can defray.
He wrapped his legs
around me
And offered up
respite,
Sweating, I soon
sheathed my sword
In a baldrick hot
and tight.
As I thrust inside
the furnace
And stared wild
into his eyes,
I was his captured
servant
With all that that
implies.
I leant down to
kiss the lips
That parted to take
my tongue;
His flesh, a treat
of muscled silk,
So handsome, strong
and young.
I closed my eyes
and, groaning,
Rushed up helpless
to the peak;
Would have, again,
cried out to God
Could I use my
throat to speak.
I battered at his
porches,
A mindless animal
in heat;
My need was
overwhelming
And allowed me no
retreat.
At last, I reached
crescendo
With a sound more
scream than groan,
And collapsed upon
him, gasping,
Shorn of all the
strength I own.
I lay across his
gorgeous flesh
While I wondered at
the luck
That brought to me
this Adonis
Before the twelfth
hour had struck.
At last, more calm,
I raised myself
Up on shaking arms
now weak,
For I noticed that
he‘d
gone still
And had, as yet, to
speak.
As my eyes began to
open,
I heard loud the
midnight chime,
And gazed down upon
my lover,
Into the face Id
thought sublime.
What alchemy hast
the clock wrought,
Oh, what dreadful
magic curse?
For his face that
watches silent
Is more fitted to a
hearse!
A skin-wrapped
skull regards me,
His eyes lit with
flickering flame;
No trace of former
beauty
In this mummy he
became.
I shrieked and
tried to free myself
From his claw-like
bony grasp,
But his fingers,
they clung tighter
And I could not
undo their clasp.
In my panic, I was
crying,
And begging to be
released,
But he, silent,
held me closer
Until all my
struggles ceased.
Panting, fearful, I
looked down
And then froze at
what I saw:
For that awful face
held sorrow,
Though his arms did
not withdraw.
He stared at me and
slowly
A bloody tear
escaped his eye;
I was struck dumb,
astonished
That such a thing
as he could cry.
His withered jaws
were moving,
As if unused to the
act;
He seemed on the
brink of speaking-
I knew not how to
react.
My terror did not
lessen
But was now
tempered with concern;
What was this thing
I’d
coupled with
And what was I now
to learn?
He watched me and
now somehow
This thing seemed
far less a threat;
And after all, I
told myself,
He’d
not truly harmed me yet.
A sound came from
his dry throat,
Much more like a
cough than speech,
A sputtering and
painful groan
Ending in a
high-pitched screech.
His eyes, they were
imploring,
As if desperate to
convey
Some urgent,
special secret,
Did not his wasted
flesh betray.
Meanwhile, he kept
me hugged close
And my skin tingled
with dread
At this awful
proximity
To some thing so
surely dead.
My eyes closed in
confusion,
And I held my
breath as well,
Though as I did, I
realized
He gave off no
graveyard smell.
He spoke my name
then softly,
I jerked back with
shock and fear;
His stick-like arms
then drew me back
And cuddled me
close and near.
My heart was racing
frantic
And my breath came
fast and deep,
But gazing in his
shriveled face
Once again, I saw
him weep.
He spoke my name a
second time
And I bid my heart
to calm;
I slowly gained a
strained control
And strove to show
outward aplomb.
My countenance is
ghastly, said he,
And more fitting to
the grave;
This I know far
better than you
For it is I who am
death‘s
slave.
I went to speak in
answer
But he shook his
head, then said,
I am more cursed
than any ghost
And have been eight
decades dead.
I died here in this
very room
You occupy as
summer guest;
I shot my
faithless, lifelong love,
Then put a bullet
through my breast.
On that long-ago
August night,
I found him with
another;
Forgiveness never
crossed my mind
For he was beneath
my brother.
My wicked brother
fled the room,
As I watched my
true love expire;
He cursed me with
his dying breath
With words hate
filled and dire.
He died before I
killed myself,
But I had not
understood
That by taking both
lives that way,
His death-door
curse had truly stood.
He went on to
whatever peace
Awaits a belov-ed
who lies,
But I was left a
corpse aware
Forever trapped in
my demise.
Always I would walk
this room,
Seeking out his
replacement;
Offering in lust
and love
For my penance and
debasement.
For all men will
crave my dead flesh
When it takes on
the look of life,
But I am cursed to
show myself,
And cut illusion
like a knife.
Each time I think
to find surcease,
The curs-ed clock
sounds midnight chimes;
Lovers scream and
flee my bed,
And each one pays
me for my crimes.
Long years have I
offered myself,
To strangers I
cannot possess;
My lonely search
will never end
Til with faithful
love I am blessed.
I gave my heart
unwisely, then
Took it back, more
unwisely still;
Betrayed, I thought
to end it all
But broken hearts
are hard to kill.
In the hour before
midnight
I am free to share
in passion;
To breath alive for
a brief time
And to love in my
own fashion.
You are not the
first handsome man
To lay spent upon
my chest;
But only you were
moved by tears,
And could pity what
you detest.
I ask that you
think well of me
And forget my true
appearance,
I only want to give
you joy
And reward your
perseverance.
If you forgive this
night’s
trespass
I will come again
tomorrow
Encased in the
flesh you enjoyed
In that one hour I
may borrow.
Can you then look
at me with lust?
And accept a
monstrous lover?
If you could be my
constant love,
We might
counter-curse discover.
I offer love, an
hour a time,
But forever and
unending;
For what is time to
such as I-
Long years are such
easy spending.
I was considered
beautiful,
And worth
impassioned wooing,
It was only my
misplaced trust
That was my deadly
undoing.
More pleasure can
be had with me
Than from any mere
mortal man,
And even more, I
still can love,
Just as I could
when this began.
If these are things
you could value,
If you are willing
to attempt,
My undead life
might be less harsh,
And need no other
man to tempt.
And if nothing else
should move you,
Know this, my
fine-looking friend,
I felt a difference
in your heart
But know not what
it portends.
There did he cease
his speaking
And only stared at
me, intent;
The sadness in his
horrid eyes
Gave credence to
his lament.
I lay against this
dreadful thing,
Yet no real fear
was in my breast,
For I had heard
enough to know
What tame
intentions he possessed.
My own death was
not at issue,
This corpse did not
threaten me;
Indeed, his plight
was pitiful
And itself a
guarantee.
That he was cursed,
I could accept,
That his hour was
true, I had seen;
That I might
mitigate the curse
Seemed a trifle
less routine.
Yet looking down
upon his face,
I recalled his
lovely features;
It seemed a awful
curse indeed
To reduce him to
this creature.
He watched me
without blinking,
So anxious but yet
restrained;
I realized he posed
no threat,
Though I could
never have explained.
Could not have told
another man
Why this curs-ed
corpse seemed kind,
Something in his
forthright mien
Struck me charming
and refined.
What kind of man in
life was he,
To be this
courteous in death?
So unlike ghosts in
nightmare tales,
He was no dread,
deadly Macbeth.
At last I spoke
answer aloud,
My voice a whisper
in the night;
I saw him hold his
breath-less breath,
As if anticipating
blight.
If what you say is
true, I said,
You‘ll
resume the flesh you borrow;
I ask that you
please share my bed
And will look for
you tomorrow.
Still in his arms,
I smiled at him,
Looking into that
skull-like face,
Searching for the
slightest hint
Of what prompted my
first embrace.
For a second there,
he flickered,
And I saw his
beauty return;
As it did, I placed
a soft kiss
To erase his
fearful concern.
He smiled up at me
lazily,
And then the
illusion faltered;
Even so, I knew
sudden peace
That no curse-born
change could alter.
He left me then, I
know not how,
For my exhausted
eyes had closed,
Though not before I
’d
time to think
Of the strange
thing he had proposed.
When I awoke, I
thought Id dreamed
For surely such
things were untrue;
Though when night
fell, I watched the clock
As if my day were
not yet through.
When the clock did
chime eleven,
I walked naked
toward the bed,
And the feeling
through my body
It was anything but
dread.
And there he was,
atop the sheet:
The light upon his
smooth bare skin,
His black hair
spreading like a fan,
And wearing nothing
but a grin.
I laughed aloud at
wicked fates
That bring
bedfellows together,
But could wish for
no sweeter sight
Nor no fairer bird
of feather.
I leapt into the
bed with him,
And clasped him
close to me;
Careless of what
midnight would bring
For now, this hour
was key.
He took my hand and
kissed me,
And looked close
into my eyes;
He said, lover, are
you certain?
You have seen my
other guise.
Your curse is
terrible, I said,
But you are here
now and alive;
Let us share what
joys we can
Before the midnight
chimes arrive.
I drew his hand to
my firm need
And kissed him all
the while;
The scent of him
like summer nights,
And love lived in
his shy smile.
I drew my tongue on
down his chest
And went on licking
further south,
I heard him gasp
and groan aloud
When I took him
into my mouth.
His taste was light
and luscious,
His nectar sought
release;
His breath was
ragged, gasping,
As he begged me not
to cease.
But I had another
longing
And pulled him over
onto me;
My lover caught on
quickly
And seemed happy to
agree.
I wrapped myself
around him
As he had done the
night before,
And with his
slender fingers
My hot depths did
he explore.
I groaned low and
called out aloud
When he touched me
deep inside,
My need for him
began to build
Until it could not
be denied.
I pulled him nearer
to me,
My hand an urgent
guide;
I placed him where
I needed
And then felt him
slip inside.
He began with
gentle movement
But I soon begged
for something more;
He paused to lean
down and kiss me
And then our needs
were in rapport.
He pounded at my
temple,
My legs wound
around him tight;
His thrusts were
filled with power
And he gave me no
respite.
The pure pleasure
that he gave me
Was more than I had
ever known;
My passion spilled
out between us
As my lover began
to moan.
He reached the
dizzy pinnacle
While I watched him
from below:
Dark hair fell
across his eyes
And his handsome
face did glow.
His stiff saber
pierced me faster,
As his lunges sped
their pace;
He arched his back
and cried out,
And then went limp
in my embrace.
While I held him
close against me,
And as I closed my
eyes to sleep,
I heard the chimes
at midnight
But my dreaming
drew me deep.
In dreams, I walked
beside him
Under starry
midnight skies;
No chimes rang out
between us,
And no need for
dire goodbyes.
When I awoke, the
sun spilled out
Across me and my
tousled bed,
But the feel of
flesh beside me
Struck my waking
heart with dread.
Resolute, I turned
to him,
Well determined to
endure
The price for
midnight passion
Yet was shaken and
unsure.
Did not want to see
my flower
Reduced to a
graveyard bloom;
Did not want to see
the horror
Cruel midnight made
him assume.
I closed my eyes to
ward off
What I knew that I
would see;
Until I heard his
sweet voice
Call good morning
out to me.
My eyes went wide
and startled,
For his voice was
still his own,
And then I gasped
in mazement
For his beauty had
not flown!
His form was still
beguiling,
And his face was
handsome yet
His body still
enticing-
Not a thing to
bring regret.
He laughed at my
expression,
And kissed me upon
my cheek;
I stared at him,
astonished
Simply unable to
speak.
What of your ghost
existence,
What of your cruel
death and curse?
Asked I when I had
breath,
How are such fell
things reversed?
He stared at me so
solemn,
That I dreaded his
response,
I struggled hard to
maintain
An apparent
nonchalance.
Oh, love, he sighed
and told me,
You know not what
you did,
Your willingness
and wanting
Were where my
solution hid.
I did not know the
outcome,
I knew only of my
pain;
But you were
willing lover
So the midnight
curse is slain.
When last night’s
chimes were sounding
I saw you succumb
to sleep;
I was glad to see
your going
For your fear would
make me weep.
I awaited my night
horror,
For the grave to
call to me;
But the chimes had
finally ended
And what I still
was, you see.
I drew him close
and kissed him
And he responded to
my touch;
I thrilled to know
my midnight love
Was no more
condemned to such.
Strange enough to
find love
With the compass of
your lust;
But stranger still
to form men
From bodies made of
dust.
His life had
re-ignited
As the curse
released his bones;
Now we claim more
happiness
Than near any other
owns.
And from that
morning forward
Through the years
of our long lives,
We‘ll
be everlasting faithful
Until our final
hour arrives.
The End
The Midnight
Chime is a verse story by Tragic Rabbit. The story itself,
with all words and characters, belongs to TR.
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