Black Dawn

Dawn sat on the stone bench beneath the cursed black willow. The numbing cold gave her goose-bumps. She rubbed her arms trying to regain warmth as she waited for the bleak twilight to fade. 1

The mist of the ocean drowned out any of the vivid hues of color the sunset might have held. It was always like that, grim and cold. Especially here, on Willow's Cliff. Although it was less of a cliff, and more of a rocky shore line, the name just imposed more fear with the word cliff. Beyond it the ocean was restless, as it often is, and the dreaded Misty Manor had yet to make it's appearance. 2

Misty Manor was a large elegant house, built on the waves, appearing only in the short time between dusk and dawn. It just edged it's way out of the mist, spooky and hunting like the creatures that dwelled there. Things so vile and nightmarish the people of her town daren't speak their name aloud. They feared just the mention of the mere word could bring down the monster's wrath. It was a fearful way of living. 3

"Dawn!" The voice reached her hushed, like it's speaker was trying not to be over heard. 4

"Kallan, what are you doing here?" Dawn's answer was bored and uninterested as she kept her eyes out to sea. Right on the spot where she knew the Misty Manor would make it's appearance. 5

"I'm here to get you!" He snapped, "You spend too much time on this cursed hill!" 6

"It's a cliff." She corrected absently. 7

"No it's a shoreline, if you want to get technical about it. It doesn't matter anyway, hill, cliff, beach, it's still a cursed place. You know the stories as well as I." 8

"The willows leaves are black from the blood spilt at it's roots." She recited still barely interested in her betrothed's appearance. 9

"This is a damned place Dawn!" He refused to move into the openness that was the barren rock shore, instead he dwelled uneasily under the long black branches of the lone willow tree. "This cliff and the hell house it over looks." He now was glancing eagerly to the distance, knowing full well it was nearly time for the beasts to make an appearance. 10

She turned to face him, glaring, a dark scowl set into her delicate face, the expression framed by her long dark red hair. "Then leave." She put the words simply, letting him know her was unwelcome at any rate. 11

She didn't know why he insisted on collecting her from this place each night. They might have been engaged but that didn't mean he loved her. In fact she could have cared less about him. It was an arranged marriage, between two wealthy families, they'd grown up together to make it easier. In the end neither had a say in this. She's attempted to make it work in the beginning, after…no she refused to think back to that. He'd ruined it though, him and all his girlfriends off to the side. Everyone knew what he did. Still she wasn't free of him, unfaithful even before marriage and they still wouldn't let her be rid of him. 12

Now she just wanted it to end, wanted nothing more to do with him. It wasn't to be, no, soon enough they would be bound until death do they part. 13

Kallan wasn't an ugly man, in fact by all standards he was quite handsome. Not too skinny, but not chubby either, well groomed, and pleasant enough to talk to, when you were on his good side. He was tall, but not too tall, the perfect height for resting one's head on his shoulder. He had soft, short trimmed dirty blonde, almost brown hair and misty eyes the color of the cold ocean. Dawn often though she should be happy to have such a man as a husband to be, but found herself unable to be so. 14

"I can't leave without you." Kallan sounded desperate and exasperated now. "It's scandalous, you spending so much time up here alone. Do you know what people are starting to say?" Again he spoke in whispers. 15

"Let them talk." Dawn said without emotion, turning back to the fading sky. It was almost time. "It means nothing." 16

"It might be nothing to you, but I have a reputation to uphold!" Kallan scolded her. "I can't have my wife to be up here spending hours on end looking over the ocean just waiting for those monsters to take her away." 17

As if on cue a high pitched shrieking noise ripped through the dark sky, casting out the soothing sound of the ocean lapping against the rocks of the shore. The great winged beasts flew like mad form their now visible manor. 18

The gargoyles, unable to move freely in the sunlight, under the threat of turning to stone, we free in the dark hours. Forms visible in the foggy sky only as large winged creatures, sailing with natural grace unnatural to their size. . 19

"They won't take me away." Dawn said with confidence although her voice was distant. "They never do." 20

"Stop this childish game and come with me!" Kallan partly coaxed, but mostly demanded. 21

Dawn took one last wishful look at the brutal ballet of the mysterious creatures, watching them dip in and out of sight behind the dark stone colored clouds. Finally she stood and walked over to the Kallan, passing the unspoken barrier that was the old black willow tree. He immediately caught her wrist and started to drag her towards home. 22

*~*~*~*~*~*23

"What do you know about the gargoyles?" Dawn questioned her maid as she took a bath the next morning. 24

"Don't speak their name Madame!" The young maid squeaked in fear, glancing as if they would crash through the roof at any given moment. 25

"You haven't answered my question." Dawn prompted. 26

"You know as well as I ma'am," The maid started, "The gargoyles leave our town in peace as long as a human sacrifice is given to them yearly." Dawn shivered despite the warm bath water, she knew about the sacrifice's too well.27

"What becomes of the sacrificed?" She asked again. 28

"They're killed of course, everyone knows that." She busied herself with getting more hot water for the bath. "Ain't no one ever been seen alive after their sent as a sacrifice. Those creatures kill 'em right there at that old weeping willow tree. That's why it's leaves are black, y'know ma'am, it's from all the blood it's roots have sucked up over the years."29

"Yes I know." Dawn muttered unconvinced. 30

"Best not to be talkin' about them ma'am." The maid said sensing her mistress's want for a better answer. "Them people are talkin' about you enough as it is, with you spending so much time up by that there old tree alone." 31

"Don't worry about me." Dawn assured her, "I'm just curious is all." She gave a dismissing fake smile. 32

"Here we are miss," The maid pulled up an elegant black silken dress, "It's pretty to say the least, but I still don't see why you won't wear white, it is the traditional color for the bride and all." She frowned at the dark dress. 33

"Black is much better suited for this town." Was all Dawn replied, slipping out of the water and allowing the maid to help her into her wedding dress. 34

The sounds of a carriage sounded out side on the street. Dawn looked out the window to see who was arriving. Kallan stepped out of the carriage, Dawn's father exited the house to greet his soon to be son-in-law. The drizzle of rain made an outdoor greeting less then pleasant, but the weather was too common for either man to mind it much. They shook hands and Dawn spied another passenger in the back of the carriage. This one was a woman, pretty as they come with golden blonde hair done in soft angel curls. She had pale, but plain features and large dull brown eyes. Her figure appeared desirable from what Dawn could make out and her expression was restrained annoyance. Annoyance at the man who'd taken her to his fiancé's house. This women was Kallan's latest mistress, the nerve of that man to bring her here on their wedding day!35

Dawn overlooked the company form the window, rage building in her. She knew he kept girls around but he didn't need to bring them around! It was clear he cared little or nothing for his blushing bride. He didn’t even try to hide it!36

In a voice calm as ever Dawn called to the maid, "I wish to spend the day alone. I want no visitors. You may come get me before the ceremony." The maid looked a little lost at the woman's instructions but left all the same. It wasn't her place to question her mistress. 37

Having many nights of experience sneaking out of her room Dawn navigated the trellis like an expert and was gone before anyone would think to check up on her. Once again she was making her way to Willow's Cliff. 38

The light rain made her hair stick to her face, and her boots got wet, still she made her way to the stone bench and sat on it. Unsure how to deal with the mess her life had become. 39

"Are you going to do it this time?" The slightly concerned voice shook her out of her thoughts. 40

"Kallan?" She was surprised her was here, maybe they'd realized her escape sooner then she'd thought. 41

"I saw you leave." He explained. "So tell me are you going to do it this time?" 42

"Do what?" She asked embarrassed and ignorant. 43

"You know what." He scoffed. "You think about killing yourself every time you come here don't you? Don't try to deny it." She remained quiet answering his question with a silent yes. "So how were you planning on doing it? Throwing yourself into the sea, it's not that far of a drop, you know. Or maybe you want the gargoyles to come get you. Then you could be with your true love." He galred. 44

Dawn cringed at his venom as he spoke to her. "I have nothing to live for now that Blake is gone." 45

"I loved you did you know that?!" Kallan growled at her. "I was so in love with you. So happy about the marriage."46

Dawn snapped her head up. "You have a funny way of showing it. All those girls you run around with." 47

"That wasn't until after I found out. Dawn it killed me inside, what kind of a man was I if the love of my life refused me for another woman!" 48

Dawn titled her head down again. The love of her life, Blake, was a woman of lower nobility she'd met, their father's had done business together. They'd began the affair knowing it was wrong, but it didn't matter to them, they were in love. When Dawn's family had found out, it was only a matter of time before Blake was sent to the gargoyles as a sacrifice. No one outside the family knew what the two women had been. Tears sprang to Dawn's eyes. "I didn't know about the engagement until after." She admitted feeling sorry for Kallan, or was it for herself? 49

"That doesn't make it okay." He scowled. 50

"I tried to make it work between us!" It was her turn to guilt trip him, "The closer I tried to get to you the farther you were from me!" 51

He sighed, "Dawn I could tell you affection wasn't real. That's why I found it somewhere else." 52

"Are you going to drag me back now?" She asked him looking again to the horizon. "Are we going to continue living out this lie of a happy couple?" 53

"I would try for you." He said, "But you have to try for me." 54

"I did try Kallan, I did, but it seems it wasn't good enough." 55

"Then who are we to ruin each other's lives." She saw him shrug form the corner of her eye. "Do what you want. It's not worth it any more." He turned then and left. 56

Dawn though on his words for hours before making her final decision. She pulled out a knife she'd kept hidden since dinner the night before and let her blood spill red over the roots of the black willow, adding her life to the long list on the many it had seen taken. After all who was there to care for her now?57

~*~*~*~*~*~58

Kallan knew the second her returned that Dawn wouldn't be back. He himself felt terrible, the weight of his lost love bearing down on him, in his heart he knew he couldn't live with himself. After all who was there for him to care about now? He'd never stopped loving Dawn, never. He refused to be disturbed until the wedding, spending the time before in his room like his bride. 59


The gargoyles were free with their black dawn. They circled around the town shrieking a hollow song, as if they too mourned the double suicide of the unhappily betrothed and their ephemral relationship.