When I saw it, I felt an illogical fear grip my guts, like tangled twine. The castle was silhouetted against the darkening, violet-grey sky. There were no lights at the windows and from what I could see of the castle in the dying light, it was very decrepit. The turrets looked like they were going topple over at the merest breath of wind and the castle itself looked as if a whisper could knock it down. Yet it felt as if it was keeping an unyielding grip on itself to stay standing, like a dying person grimly holding on to life.
It loomed over me like a cat over a cornered mouse. I felt trapped. Lightening cracked across the sky like a whip, briefly illuminating the castle. Thunder boomed almost instantly after, so loud that I thought my eardrums would rupture. The air became so oppressive, that I felt I was being suffocated.
The castle seemed to be beckoning to me, yet I could not move. Fear had gripped me so tightly, that I was paralysed. Soon though, a sheet of needle-like rain came pouring down and drove me to the huge castle doors.
The doors towered over me. They were old and studded with large, rusty iron studs, each larger than my fist. On the door there was a huge, grotesque knocker in the shape of a gargoyles head. It looked like someone in intense pain. Thankfully, there was a rusted bell chain, which I pulled with all my might. When the bell sounded, it had such an ominous and final ring to it that I wished I hadn't rung it.
As I started to back away from the doors, they opened slowly, with a loud groan and a rank, musty reek assaulted my nose, choking me. As soon as the doors had started to open, I stopped moving back, and stood there. Again I felt the overwhelming feeling of being trapped. But then an invisible force propelled me towards the doors. As I was going towards the yawning blackness, fear gripped me like a net until it peaked and an inexplicable calm washed over me. I had to face whatever demons, which lay within the impenetrable darkness. But when I was inside, and the doors slammed shut, I screamed and screamed when I saw…