The Stormy Knight
As I walked the halls of my mansion, I felt the squeezing presence of the new article in my collection. Ever since the ancient knight’s armor was delivered to my manor, I had avoided that room. The armor was spectacular; the dark metal shone with a light of its own. The drawback was the aura that emanated from the metal shell. There was no place that would conceal me enough from its presence. The townsmen saw me as mad.  They claimed there was nothing there, only a magnificent set of armor. I was not mad! They just refused to feel my torturer as it engulfed my very being.
A few weeks after receiving the armor, as I was lying in bed, the sky outside began shaking amid the downpour of rain and flashes of lightning. My eyes refused to close and every thunder crash sent my body jolting upright. The lightning illuminated my room for a second at a time sending the dark shadows fleeing from its disdainful light. On the sixty-sixth strike, the shadow did not flee, but instead it remained watching me. I clasped the blankets closer to my chest and fell into the deepest folds of my bed. Crash! The deafening blow of thunder shattered my window. The lightening flew through my room revealing the armor casing standing right over me, staring into my very being with its empty, dead eyes.
     “What do you want?” I called out to it as I remained still. Then as quickly as the flash from the lightning had come, it left, once again leaving me in total darkness. In the blackness, I heard the rustic squeal of metal grinding on metal. I heard the heavy footsteps of  my armored nemsis walking across the room. Then all went silent, yet I knew I was not alone. The armor was still in my room, watching me. I could feel its evil presence looming over me like a heavy weight.   
       “Where are you? Leave me alone!” I yelled into the darkness. Crash! The lightning sprang through my window into my room. There, illuminated and standing erect, was the armor staring at me once again. I bolted from my bed, over to the chamber’s heavy door. The armor stood there angrily watching me.
      “Leave me alone! Leave me! Leave!” I shouted. The door refused to budge no matter how hard I pulled on it. Again the room went pitch black and I heard the grind of metal on metal, then silence. I flattened myself against the door listening for the movement of armor. Nothing. I felt it though; it was there, everywhere, surrounding me, cutting off my air, grasping, crushing me! Without warning, the light created by the swirling sky burst in through the window. At that second, I leaped for the window, propelling myself flying into the harsh weather, and falling toward the shadowy ground below. Stunned, I stood up and started to run from that manor and the evil armor within. But I was not alone; the armor followed me. I could not see it, but I felt its presence closing in and heard the heavy metal footfalls right behind me.
The rain fell from the sky with a vicious speed, as I ran along the muddy path. Although exhausted and weak, I continued to run, while water droplets stung my face in the darkness. Intermittently, lightning tore the sky apart with an unnatural intensity as thunder rumbled through the dark. I continued to run. As I approached the entrance to the forest, I sprinted with a renewed hope. I was sure I had lost the colossal beast that was chasing me, yet, I continued to run. Without warning the shadowy roots of giant trees climbed out of the muddy earth and wrapped themselves around my ankles. They sent me sprawling to the ground, mud splashing up around me, covering me. As I lay there regaining my breath, I heard the armor, creeping towards me, one slow step at a time. Then, from the opposite direction,  I heard the splash of hooves coming straight for me. A dim flutter of light fell upon my mud-caked face.
The town guards approached me on their strong black steeds, as I gasped, “Help it’s after me! It wants to destroy me.” I begged to them to save me.
“Who is after you? There is nobody around these parts of the forest at this time of night. Who are you running from?” they questioned.
“The armor! It’s after me! It wants me dead! Help me. Help”, I pleaded.
“Stop yelling! There is nobody around here. You’re mad!” they insulted.
I am not mad though. Couldn’t they see the creature? Their torches must have expelled the beast from the night world, I thought as they dragged me off in chains.
Months later I was ruled mad and locked up forever. Forgotten. I do know, though, the armor went to a new host, indisputably to torture them. I will never stop dreaming of the eyes that look upon me and drive me toward insanity. I’m not insane though!