“Passageways”

Complimentary ebook

“Passageways”

Complimentary ebook

Copyright

1st Publication 2012

© Markus Taylor

No unauthorized photocopying

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any

form, or by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical- including photocopying, recording, taping or otherwise, without

the prior written permission of the author and the publisher.

ISBN: 978-1477539521

Artwork by Julia

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“Passageways”

Complimentary ebook

Table of Contents

Blood Harvest

1

The Screen Cafe

14

The Confession

20

Suffocation

29

Sisters of the Lamplight

34

The Visitor

37

Add Me

45

“Passageways”

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Charlton Lodge

51

Whispers in the Wind

60

Around a Country Lane

64

Rendezvous with Change

74

The Disappearance

80

Blake’s Quest

84

Midnight Lover

91

A Fine Point of No Return

97

Epilogue

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I

“Passageways” The Screen Cafe

1

The Screen Café

A silent looking gentleman stood by the doorway, and simply just passed on a sealed envelope to Veronica, before walking away as quietly as he had arrived- down the tree lined streets, near Veronica’s home.

Veronica reaching her late 20’s, her girlish looks faintly appearing on her attractive but tired looking face, stared at the envelope, tied with a simple red ribbon, with the curious handwritten letters eloquently showing her name, before closing the large, wooden front door and entered her home again.

Suburbia hardly suited Veronica, neither did the large wood paneled mansion, she called home, often thinking it was more like a mausoleum. A monument to her deceased in-laws, rather than to them, as she wandered through the gloomy passageways of the now silent, and cold house.

A clock ticked gently, echoing across the hallway, slow ticks emphasizing to Veronica, the longing for adventure again, instead of the slow, secure life of a wealthy suburbanite. She gazed at the envelope in her hand, wondering about the well dressed and rather old fashioned looking gentleman who delivered it to her.

Slowly, irritated by the steady ticking noise of the clock, Jack, her husband always proudly described to interested guests as a cherished family heirloom, the sudden sight of its silver face, made Veronica sigh, and eagerly tear open the finely made envelope, as if some long overdue curiosity has been awoken, after the months of suburban anonymity.

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2

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There before her eyes, a finely hand written invitation in silver no less, was revealed inside the now torn envelope,” You are invited as an honored guest to the Screen Café at 2pm, this afternoon.”

Veronica looked uneasily at the invitation, as a copy of the address and a printed map slipped into her hands. An address she barely recognized, but gazing at the invitation again, Jenny puzzled, wondered what the Screen Café, was?

Placing the exquisite looking invitation down on the messy table were Veronica kept her fine perfumes, and other bits and bobs, inside her bedroom. She hastened to get ready, anxious to leave the cold, silent house which she shared alone with her busy husband, and the memories of his parents.

Dressing in her most trendy but conservative clothes, Veronica brushed her long dark hair, gazing at the mirror. Spotting the girl inside her that had slowly aged, maturing in a feminine way, and remained as attractive as ever. An attraction Jack barely noticed nowadays, with business being so difficult, and the pre-occupation of the planned company move to the Far East.

Veronica, gladly passed the fading family portraits, left by her in-laws, along the hallway, feeling their stern cold eyes gaze upon her with disapproval. Feeling a chill, as she stepped out the house, jumped into her car, and never looked back.

Driving through the once great city, now a shadow of its great industrial past, with abandoned buildings, overgrown parks and a feeling of gloom as shabby looking locals walked unsteadily in the now grim city center. Towards shady country roads, and into a brighter yet disturbing countryside, were wheat crops grew lazily, oblivious to time.

Turning down a steep lane, she drove fast, anxious to visit the Screen Café, wondering who else would be there, and perhaps even the faint chance of meeting someone for an interesting chat. And there as she passed an abandoned farm building, she gazed in excitement, at an elegant gathering of people, sat outside a hastily put up marquee, with the faint sound of a piano, and violin, in the distance.

Parking, an usher opened her car door, smiling briefly and welcoming her, taking the invitation, Jenny passed, complying her with a solemn politeness to an empty table. Veronica sat down, and stared curiously the scene. Most guests were alone, she noticed, some sipping ice tea, others

“Passageways” The Screen Cafe

3

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looking slightly bewildered as guest would be escorted into the awaiting marquee, and then simply just vanish.

Ordering a coffee, Veronica listened to the haunting yet hypnotic music, angry with herself for coming to such a dreary gathering. Casting a glance towards the older lady sitting alone on the table next to her, who looked as bemused as Veronica felt, and just nodded with a polite smile, turning to her cool drink for company.

Stroking her fair hair, Veronica tried to peek inside the marquee, as the music seemed to relax her, soothing her initial irritation, before an usher, came over and politely whispered, “Madame, please come into the Marquee.”

Veronica, eagerly took a last sip of her drink, and followed the usher, unsure whether this was a joke, as she entered the bare marquee, noticing only a row of empty canvasses hanging on its walls. She faintly laughed, amused by the odd scene. “A joke,” she thought,” an exhibition by some desperate artist seeking customers like herself.

The tall, thin usher just led her to a blank canvas, and whispered faintly, “Stare into the canvas, Madame, empty all your fears, and you will paint a picture.”

Veronica looked back in disbelief at the serious looking man, but something inside her said play along with him, as she stood there and gazed directly into the blank canvas, the violin now entering her deeper thoughts, focusing intensely at the canvas as faint colors slowly started to appear.

Focusing more, bringing all her inner feelings into the canvas. the faint blue paint, turned into a darker blue, with black patches appearing on the edges of the canvas, as the image of Veronica appeared on the canvas, in different colors, showing her lime green eyes, and curvy lips, as if she was actually on the canvas.

By now Veronica was intensely staring onto the growing picture on the canvas, as her slim, naked body appeared, Veronica showing no embarrassment, curiosity overcoming any initial uneasiness, giggled, as each intimate part appeared on the canvas, her birthmark on her arm, the scratch on her foot and even the bumps, she knew well.

In front of her, her facial features in the painting turned into a mass of confused colors as if it expressed all her doubts, feelings and disappointments. Until the finely painted portrait was completed, and Veronica stared at her nude, true self on the canvas before her, with a content look of amusement.

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4

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The usher returned, quietly lifting the canvas, and covering it with a silk cloth, handing it over to her, politely asking her to follow, out of the back of the marquee. Veronica followed clasping the painting, unsure what or who painted such a lifelike portrait of her, so absorbed in the beauty she held, as she left the Marquee, and was led silently to her Lexus

Feeling there was no need to speak or ask questions, Veronica gently placed the portrait in the messy backseat of her car, and bade the grim looking usher besides her goodbye, as the engine fired and she drove back reluctantly to the house she slowly started to hate. Unknown to Veronica, underneath the silken cloth, the portrait changed, as she sped through the dying city center, back into the suburbs again.

That night she hung the portrait in her bedroom, as she giggled as pulling away the silk cloth that hid her portrait. She moved back in shock, as the painting had changed, the colors were brighter, and looked more flirty and playful now.

Veronica sat on the bed, and gazed at the portrait before her, hesitating as it seemed to change according to her mood, and the more she started to feel afraid of the painting, her playful image turned into one of fear, the portrait almost like a mirror of her changing emotions and moods. Now darkened, her lime green eyes dulled with fear, as dark paint crept around the nude-but unsure image of Veronica.

Listening to her husband, Jack’s car enter slowly into their driveway, the sound of stones crackling underneath the heavy tires of his company car, she ran nervously to the ever changing portrait, covering it back up with the soft silky cloth, before stumbling into the hallway, and rush to hide it inside one of the unused bedrooms.

There she placed it facing the dully painted wall, and stood breathing calming herself, trying to hide her nerves as Jack walked into the house, as a chill seemed to surround Veronica as she looked relaxed, and headed to welcome him home.

That night Veronica tossed and turned, her dreams erratic, disturbing Jack, who snored noisily his back turned. The dreams were always of the canvas, as if it was taking over, compelling her to awaken, but staring at her tired husband, she resisted visiting the empty guest room.

Jack left early, without awakening her, as Veronica slept in, waking up with an exhausted feeling. Dragging herself out of bed, not thinking about the dreams the night before, and the strange portrait she had hid. But her feelings did grow as Veronica seemed to give in the urge to visit the spare bedroom again, and nervously enter it, finding the portrait undisturbed facing the blank wall.

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5

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Veronicas anxious eyes stared at it with a mixture of fear and curiosity, as she slowly stood over it and peaked into the portrait. Now darkened, her image of fear, mixed with slight frustration. Something drew her to lift the silk cover, and compel her to sit hunched against the wall, as she started to stare straight at the painting again.

The eternal ticking of the old clock in the hallway echoed in the room, whilst Veronica pressed her back into the wall, as her intense, glowing green eyes stared into the portrait, lost now in the canvas that continued to mirror her deepest, most intimate feelings before her.

“Passageways”

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Enter the Passageway of Dreams, and Discover

What lays behind each Door?

The foreboding passage of secrets belongs to a place outside the realm of our own physical World. Along its walls, stand 15 doors, which open at a simple turn of a handle, leading a curious visitor into another tale.

Delve into the unknown, and discover what lays beyond each entrance, Unlock the mystery behind each doorway, witnessing the unfolding events that follow. Find out what happens to Jenny, when she presses “Add me,” reach for the secret inside, “Carlton Lodge,” and visit the mysterious cove of Venus. Discover where "A Fine Point of No Return" is, and observe the appearance of a "Midnight lover."

Explore passageways, where behind each door, a mysterious secret is ready to be told.

Available through Amazon Books

http://www.amazon.com/Passageways-passageway-discover-secret-behind/dp/1477539522

Order a Kindle Version

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008EJTRYO