The Sunday Whirl

Posted Saturday September 24

It was a blind date. After all, I was free so I thought ‘why not?’ I was to meet Emma at a party. ‘It will be a scream' her text said. 'You’ll love it’

Standing outside the warehouse for a minute or two, I heard jangling music and merry laughter from within. Time to enter.

I pushed open the heavy metal door. The music stopped. I saw nothing, just blackness. I heard nothing but my heart pounding in my chest. Suddenly a beam of light shot toward me assaulting my eyes. I found myself creeping forward into the darkness. 

The door slammed closed behind me. A second dazzling shaft illuminated a macabre figure in a tailcoat seated at a piano, top hat upon his head and white gloved hands hovering above the keys. His ashen painted features faced me, bloodshot black-rimmed eyes staring into mine. His crimson mouth broke into a menacing toothless smile.

Another beam, and another creature stood before me; doll-like with little blonde pigtails tied with pink ribbons, a white face with blushing cheeks and little red rosebud lips. She tripped from foot to foot throwing petals from a basket into the air. 

'Emma? Is that... you?' I stammered. The lights went out. She disappeared. The pianist disappeared. I disappeared,

Someone unseen grabbed my arms, another my shoulders. I realised I was surrounded. They tugged and pushed and I tried to resist but then submitted. I found myself standing before a glowing crystal pot of swirling water. Somehow  I knew what I had to do. I rinsed my face and bathed my hands, then wandered into the pitch-black yonder. 

I’m holding a party tonight. Why don’t you come? It will be a scream, you’ll love it.

For The Sunday Whirl where the given words are - scream, date, will, mess, after, chest, you, rinse, submit, ashes, pot and free

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