Nightmare in the Limbo of Halloween

By Behzad Almasi

After more than eight years of writing, the authors first book (Nightmare in the Limbo of Halloween) was finished. He believes that this book is the essence of eight years of thinking of a teacher who desires the best for all the people in the world. Every sentence and every scene in the story has a special purpose, and the major theme of the story is the worth of life, truth, belief in God, and trust in God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Dec 30, 2014
• ISBN: 9781504934848

Behzad Almasi

He was born in January 22, 1973. He was the youngest child among four sisters and four brothers. When he was nine years old, his oldest brother was killed in a war, and this was the reason for him to understand the meaning of death and pain. He learnt the mean of kindness and truth and helping other people by his lovely mother. He found that the best way to help other people is through education and teaching them. After graduating in a university in natural science and English translating course, he started his job as a teacher in secondary schools in very far villages in Iran. He always had a sense that just learning to his students is not enough, and he should do something for all the people in the world, and this was his reason for writing the book. At last, after more than eight years of writing, his first book (Nightmare in the Limbo of Halloween) was finished. He believes that this book is the essence of eight years of thinking of a teacher who desires the best for all the people in the world.

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© 2015 Behzad Almasi. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   12/23/2014

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3482-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3483-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-3484-8 (e)

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To humankind

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I felt my body had gone numb with the cold. I didn’t have the power to open my eyes. With great difficulty, I opened my eyes. It was dark. I was lying on the sand on the shore. Most of my body was still in the water. I mustered all of the strength I could to get myself out of the water, but my body felt terribly numb. Somehow, I managed to crawl my way out of the water and onto the sandy shore, where I fell face down and blacked out.

I don’t know how long I had been lying there on the sands. I opened my eyes. It was still dark, and a thick fog had set in. I wanted to get up and leave that place, but my body still felt numb and crippled. I gathered all the strength I had in me and used my hands to stand up. My legs, however, were still not able to carry my weight, and I fell to my knees again. I waited a few minutes and then tried once again to get up. I did so, with great difficulty. My legs were shivering hard. I stood there for a few minutes to make sure I could walk. I looked at my clothes. They were totally soaked and smeared with mud, slime, and seaweed.

I looked around, but there was nothing to be seen but dense fog. I slowly headed forward so that I might get somewhere. I was still unsteady on my feet, and with every step, I was afraid I would fall. Nonetheless, I kept on going. The farther I got, the stranger everything seemed to me. I didn’t know where I was. What was I doing there so late at night, anyway? I had no idea.

Suddenly, not too far away, I saw a light. In that foggy night, a light was flickering weakly. I headed towards it. The farther I went, the more visible the light became, and the closer I got, the more lights I could see. Now I could see where the light was coming from as well. There was a lamp post beside the street, and there were other lamp posts in equal distances. As I walked, I suddenly noticed a shadow in the fog, a shadow that was approaching me right from the direction of the light. Since the light was shining from behind him, I could not see his face. I froze; my arms and legs began to shake. A terrible fear came all over me. I wanted to put all the power I had into my feet and run away, but I couldn’t even take a single step.

He came up to me and stared right into my face. I stared back at the person facing me, but I could not say a word. Besides, it was too dark for me to make anything from his looks. All I saw before me was a man of strong build, who said nothing. He sized me up and smiled. Then his smile turned into laughter, and he raised his arms. I felt that my legs could not take it any longer.

I’m done for, I thought to myself.

At that moment, my feet gave way, and I fell on the ground right in front of the man’s shining boots. I put all the strength I had into my hands and took firm hold of the man’s boots, throwing myself at his feet. Feeling helpless and in despair, tears began pouring from my eyes. I started to weep as hard as I could. I could still hear him laughing.

Please, I said, sobbing, please … please … I beg you … give me a little time … just a short while … Please.

As I was begging him, I ran out of breath and started coughing. Nevertheless, I kept imploring him. Then I began coughing harder and harder, so hard that I could not say anything …

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I still felt sleepy. I somehow managed to open my eyes. I thought I was still dreaming. I closed and opened my eyes one more time. I could not believe what I was seeing. I rubbed my eyes a little and then took a good look around me. I really was awake. I was lying on a bed, and I had pyjamas on. Faint rays of light were coming through the curtains of the room I was in.

The last thing I could recall was the riverbank. I didn’t know how I had ended up in that room. I got up and walked slowly to the window. I pushed the curtain aside and looked out. What I saw outside made me think once again that I was still in a dream. I slapped myself a couple of times so that I would wake up from this dream. But I was awake, and everything I was seeing was real. Carriages, depicting aristocracy, were moving along the streets. There were men and women in fine clothes moving along the sidewalks. Everything looked kind of old to me: the carriages, the clothes, the houses, the shops, and everything else. I was dazed, staring at them, when all of a sudden I felt a hand on my shoulder. I almost shrieked with horror. Nervously, I turned back. There was a broad-shouldered but thin, skinny man with a long beard facing me. His hair was also curly, thin and long, like his beard, and his eyes had an odd shine in them. He was wearing a long black coat and a cylinder-shaped hat.

Once I turned to him, he bowed and said, Good day, sir. Did you sleep well? Then he smiled, baring a few awfully yellow teeth.

Good day, I replied. I took a closer look at the man’s face; he seemed familiar to me. Haven’t we met before?

Indeed we have, sir, he answered. I believe I saw you by the riverbank last night.

Who are you? I asked.

I am your servant, he answered.

I thought he had to be making fun of me. You have mistaken me, I said with a serious tone. I am not your master. Not yours, and not anyone else’s, either.

He shook his head and said, No, master, that is not so. I will never mistake you for someone else. I recognised you the very moment I saw you last night. I had been expecting you for a long time. Yes, sir, you are my master, and I am your servant. Once I realised you were not well, I brought you here. I changed your clothes, which were all wet and dirty. This morning, I took them to the laundry to have them washed and tended to. Of course, then I dressed you in these pyjamas, which are not appropriate for someone like you, but I will bring you new and better clothes today. By the way, I would be obliged if you would call me whenever you need something. If you would only ring that bell on your table, I will immediately be at your service.

He then showed me a small bell by the wooden table next to the window. I was totally confused by what he said. While I was wondering whether I should ask him to explain, he bowed and left the room. I took a look at the room he had brought me to. It was small, but neat and tidy. There was a bed on one side and a window across from the bed. There was a wooden table and a chair by the window as well. The room also had a dressing table, but there was no mirror; instead, there was a door with a lock. An old clock was hanging on the wall. I was still unable to make out where I was. I was mixed up. I picked up the small bell on the table and shook it.

Moments later, gentle knocks were heard on the door and then the man appeared. At your service, sir, he said, bowing.

I was dazed; I really didn’t know what I was to say. Suddenly, I remembered. I wanted to eat. I’d like some breakfast, I said. I’m very hungry.

Of course, sir,’ he replied. I’ll bring you your breakfast right away," and then he left.

This man must be crazy, I thought. Or he must have mistaken me for someone else. In any case, he thought I was his master; this was a very good chance, which I had to make the most of. I was deep in thought when the clock on the wall began chiming. I went over to the clock, which read eight o’clock. The weird thing was that although the clock was ticking, the second hand was not moving.

What a clock! I thought. There was just one clock in the room, and it didn’t work. Just then, the man knocked on the door, came in with the breakfast tray, and laid it on the table.

Your breakfast, sir, he said.

I sat at the table. I picked up the cup of hot coffee he had poured me and took a sip. It tasted quite strange. I had never had coffee like that before. I decided not to drink any more of it. There was a variety of things to eat on the tray, but they all tasted quite weird. I decided not to eat anything, for everything had a quite unpleasant and unfamiliar taste. I got up and asked what time it was.

The man took a watch out of his pocket. It is eight o’clock in the morning, sir, he replied.

I looked at the clock on the wall again. It still read eight o’clock. Both the clock and your watch are out of order, my dear sir, I told him.

Please do not call me sir, my master, he answered. I am your servant. I would appreciate it if you would regard me as your servant and grant me the honour of serving you.

There was no reason to disagree, so I nodded in approval. Then he turned to the clock and looked at it carefully.

No, sir, he said with a grin, this clock is working perfectly. It is one of the best clocks I have ever bought. It strikes right on the hour. This clock is certainly a miracle of beauty and accuracy. He then reached into his pocket and took out his watch and said, And this watch is the best and most accurate watch I have ever had. It is both beautiful and exact. I could say, master, that it is indeed unique. Putting his watch back into his pocket, he said, If you do not want your breakfast, I will take the tray.

No, I’m done with my breakfast, I replied.

He picked up the tray and left the room. This man must be insane, I thought. Then I looked out the window. There were many people passing by in the street. I felt like going out for a stroll around this strange city. I was still watching the street when the man knocked on the door again and entered the room, carrying some clothes. I turned to him.

He bowed and said, I have brought you your new clothes, my master.

Where are the clothes I was wearing? I asked him.

As I said before, sir, your clothes were dirty, so I took them to the laundry to be washed. I think it will take a few days for them to be ready again. But there is no problem, for these clothes are the same size, and they are the highest quality clothing in the city. He laid the clothes on the bed. Please put them on; my master deserves to wear the best kind of clothes available. Then we will go for a ride around the city so I can show you the best places in town.

He then left the room. I put the clothes on and then wanted to see how I looked in the mirror, as I usually did. There was, however, no mirror in the room. I rang the small bell, and after a few moments, the man appeared. Seeing me, he smiled, baring his yellow teeth as always. His eyes had a peculiar shine.

He took a full bow and said, The clothes become you quite well, my master, as I had anticipated. After a pause, he added, You rang the bell, sir. Is there something you need?

Yes, I replied. Is there a mirror I could see myself in?

He was silent for a few minutes; he went to the window, looked outside, and drew the curtains with great care.

Yes, sir, he said very quietly. There is a mirror. We have the best mirror available, in this very room.

As far as I could see, however, there was no mirror in the room. My servant went towards the dressing table, took a key out of one of his pockets, put it in the lock above the dressing table, and turned it. The wooden door opened. When it was fully open, I saw a large mirror inside the wooden door.

Here you are, sir, he said. Now you can see yourself in the mirror.

He stepped aside, and I went over to see how I looked. What I saw, however, startled me. I looked so different. I seemed to be looking at an aristocrat. I had not imagined the clothes to be so exquisite when I was putting them on. I turned to the left and the right to see myself better. Then the servant came up to me and sized me up in the mirror.

You look exactly like I thought you would, sir, he said cheerfully. Now we can go out for a stroll.

Then, he came towards the mirror, closed the wooden door, and locked it, while I was still standing in front of the mirror.

He then went to the door of the room and said, Sir, I will take the lead and show you the way. Please follow me.

I followed him out of the room into a large hall, where there were three other doors. They were all closed. There was a large wooden door before us. There was a small door on the right side of the hall and another small door on the left.

My servant headed straight for the large door in front of us, opened it, and said, This way, sir.

I followed him. Behind the large door, there was a staircase heading down.

He said, Sir, please go down these stairs. I will be with you immediately.

I took a look at the stairs. The staircase, the walls, and the ceiling were all made of stone. The stairway smelled quite damp. The stairs were quite dark, too. A few oil lamps, hanging from the ceiling, lit the stairway. There was also a lot of smoke in the stairway. I carefully started moving downstairs. I was just a few steps down when the door shut behind me. I could see only a few feet away from me. I was nervous. I wanted to get downstairs as quickly as possible. I started going faster, but the stairway was unnaturally long.

How long does it take to go down two flights of stairs in a building? I thought.

I was still going down, but there was no end to the stairs in sight. The farther down I went, the damper it was, the more smoke there was as well, and the darker it became. I could hardly see in front of me. I was overcome with anxiety and stress. All of a sudden, I saw the light of a large lamp hanging from the ceiling. I went faster. Now I could see a large wooden door in front of me. There was also a small wooden door on the left. The exit must be the large door, I guessed. I went to the large door and took the handle. I tried to open it but failed. All of my efforts were in vain. I decided to give up trying to open the door. I turned and looked behind me. All of the lights in the stairway were off, and only the light above me was on. A dense cloud of smoke was approaching from the top of the staircase, so I had no way back. I thought maybe I should take the small door on the left to get outside the building. I took a closer look at the door. It was very old and totally decrepit.

As soon as I took the handle, the large wooden door suddenly opened from the outside, and I heard my servant saying, Sir, please step this way.

I headed for the large door, where my servant was standing with his annoyingly ridiculous smile.

How did you get down here before me? I asked him.

I came by the stable, he replied, so that I could prepare the carriage and the horses for your ride, sir.

Well, I said, I could have come downstairs that way with you too, right?

Yes, of course, he answered, but it would be inappropriate for you to exit the building through the stable, which is for servants.

That doesn’t matter, I said. It would have been better than these stupid stairs.

He bowed and said, As you wish, my master. Now please, get in the carriage; it’s ready for you.

Aren’t you coming as well? I asked.

Of course I am, he said. If you would please get in the carriage first, I will follow you.

He then took several large iron keys out of his cloak and began locking the door. I slowly headed for the carriage in the street. I took a look at it. It was small and black, but efforts had been made to make it look luxurious and glamorous. Two black horses were hitched to it as well. I looked around, searching for the carriage driver, but saw no one. I opened the door and went in. The seats were covered in yellow and white flowers. I took a seat, picked up a yellow flower, and smelled it; it had no odour. Then I looked out the window. I saw my servant, carrying his hat and hurrying towards the carriage.

He quickly took the driver’s seat and said loudly, I apologise for keeping you waiting, my master, but now I shall show you places you will certainly enjoy.

He then swung his whip in the sky and struck the horses on the back with it; we were off. I watched the street from inside the carriage. There was an odd silence everywhere; the only sounds were the horseshoes hitting the street. The street looked like a scene from an old painting. Many people, dressed in elegant clothes, were walking in the streets. The carriage passed through a large number of streets. Everything seemed old to me. Then, as we were moving along, a fog set in, and the farther we went, the thicker the fog became. We were now outside the city, and there were no more buildings. The fog was so thick that I could not see much from the carriage, either. Suddenly, my servant called out to the horses and brought the carriage to a halt.

This is one of the most beautiful places in the area, my master, he said loudly. It would be a pity for you not to see it on such a beautiful day.

He then came down and opened the carriage door. I stepped out slowly.

Taking a look around me, I said, This fog won’t let us see much. Hadn’t we better come again some other time?

No, sir, he replied. It’s foggy here most of the time; that’s perfectly normal. So take this chance, or you may never see a place like this again. You will never forget what you see. Just remember, you should go to the end of the path. I will be staying here, right by the carriage.

There was a path paved with stone in front of me. There were tall trees on both sides, so tall that the tops of the trees were not visible for the fog. I could see only a short distance in front of me; the end of the pavement was totally lost in the fog. I was overcome by intense anxiety, but I did not want the man who regarded himself as my servant to realise that. I began walking slowly along the path. I had not gotten very far, but when I turned back, I could no longer see the carriage or my servant. Still, I kept going on. The only sound to be heard was the sound of my shoes hitting the stone pavement. Crows on the trees also made an occasional sound.

A bit farther down the path, a gentle breeze began blowing, so the fog around me was now not as thick as before. Now I had a better view of my surroundings. As I walked on slowly, I noticed something at the side of the pavement. When I got to it, I saw a stone statue. I went over to it. It was the statue of a baby being nursed by its mother. It was so beautifully made. It seemed alive. I just stared at the statue for a few moments. I felt kind of strange. It seemed that I could hear the sound of the baby drinking and swallowing the milk. It was spectacular.

I passed by the statue and continued on my way. There were other statues up ahead. I reached them. The first was the statue of a child sitting. The second was a child crawling on all fours, and the next statues were of several children playing. The last one was the statue of a boy and a girl, lying on the ground and reading a book. I stared at the statues for a while. I couldn’t believe that man could create such things. These were works of utmost accuracy and exquisite beauty. My servant had been quite right when he said I would not forget what I would see here. The thought of having a servant of such good taste pleased me.

I wanted to go on farther and see what other interesting things were on the way. I passed by the statues and went on. As I thought, not too far away, two other statues appeared in the fog. One was on the right side of the pavement, and the other was on the left side. I approached the statues and stood before them. On the right, there was a statue of a young man, and on the left, there was a statue of a young woman. They seemed to be looking at one another. The young man was holding his arms outstretched, whereas the young woman had her hands on her chest. From the looks on their faces, one could almost hear what they were saying. Whoever made these statues must have been in love to have been able to pay such careful attention to details, I thought.

I watched them for a while and then proceeded on my way. I was sure there were more beautiful statues to see. I no longer paid any attention to the fog, the sound of the birds, or things happening around me. I just wanted to see more interesting things. A bit farther up ahead, the next statue could be seen. I went over and stood by it. It was a statue of the members of a family. It was beautiful and indicated the care the children received from their parents. I looked at the statue for a while and then continued walking. I wanted to see more. I went on quite a long way, but there were no more statues. As I walked, I carefully looked both to my left and to my right, so that I would not miss the next statue.

Finally, two statues appeared in the fog, one on the right side of the path and one on the left. I went over to them. They were both made of iron. The statue on the right was made of many parts connected to one another. Among the assorted components were gears, a sickle and hammer, a bow and arrow, a sheaf of wheat, a sword and a spear, a spring, pipes, spherical shapes, and cubes. The statue had totally rusted out.

What’s the purpose, I thought, in investing so much money in a statue which was on the verge of falling apart?

It must have been created by an inexperienced novice. The statute did not impress me, so I turned to the other one. The statue on the left side was, while simple, quite beautiful. Although this statute was also built of several parts connected to each other, it was impressive. It was a combination of the sun, the cross, the moon and the stars, the Star of David, and a winged man. This statue was also made of iron, but surprisingly, there was no rust. I looked at the statute for a while and then kept on going. There were no more statues along the rest of the way, but the path itself curved to the left or right at times. I was disappointed that there were no more interesting things for me to see on the way, and I was going to turn back when I remembered that my servant had insisted that I proceed to the end of the path. I slowly went on.

At last, something appeared in the fog. When I went over to it, I saw that it was not a statue, but a small wooden bridge built over a stream. I went up to the wooden bridge and took a look around me. Interestingly, I saw another statue on the right side of the path. This statue was located away from the path, just by the trees. I left the path and went over to the statue to take a look at it. The statue consisted of a bench with an old man sitting on it. The old man’s hands were placed on his walking stick, and his forehead rested upon his hands. He seemed to have dozed off. The whole statue was covered in bird droppings.

I thought, These bird droppings must be part of the statue, for the creator of the statue could have had it located beside the other statues along the path rather than under these trees.

Just then, I heard crows from the tops of the trees. I looked up, but the branches of the trees could not be seen for the fog. I stayed by the statue for a while and then returned to the main path once again. When I got to the paved way, I brushed my shoes on the stone path and cleaned the mud stuck to the sole of my shoes. Then, I proceeded to the wooden bridge. It was old and decrepit, and the wood made very strange sounds when I walked on it. After I had crossed the bridge, I went farther and saw a stone-paved square before me. In the middle of the square, there was a statue, facing the other way. I went over to the middle of the square by the statue and then turned to face it directly. There was a small pond of water facing the bridge; the water was a bluish-green colour and must not have been changed for ages.

The statue itself was more appealing to me. It was a naked man sitting on a stool; he had one hand on his knee and his other hand on his forehead. His eyes were gazing at the pond, and he seemed to be in deep thought. I was going to pass by the pond and the statue and proceed on the path, but when I looked around, I found out that it was the end of the path. I went over to the statue once again and looked at it; it was a true masterpiece. I followed the statute’s line of sight, which ended in the greenish water. I sat by the pond and stared into it. Algae had started growing in the water. Looking carefully, I noticed bubbles coming up to the surface of the water. I fixed my eyes on the rising bubbles for a while.

All of a sudden, I felt odd. I was dizzy, and everything started moving around my head. I leaned both of my hands on the edge of the pond to avoid falling down. Then I noticed that there were many more bubbles rising to the surface of the water. I felt short of breath and then started coughing. My cough grew worse and worse. It must have been the bubbles. The dizziness and the coughs grew so intense that I almost fell into the pond. I wanted to get away from the water, but my legs were too weak. With great difficulty, I took a few steps away from it. I was quite nauseous. I needed to sit down for a while so I could feel a bit better. I looked around