October 5th

 

eager wind pursues

the huddled ones listening

to the scythe’s rattle

the beating rain and

rumble of the angry clouds

makes the timber wince

anticipating

the October Country guests

…this is their season

 

As it’s October, I’m dipping in and out of this fabulous collection of Ray Bradbury short stories. He died this year of course, but his body of work speaks for itself. The blurb for the book evocatively captures the essence of it:

“…where it is always turning late in the year. That country where the hills are fog and the rivers are mist; where noons go quickly, dusks and twilights linger, and midnight stays. That country composed in the main of cellars, sub-cellars, coal-bins, closets, attics, and pantries faced away from the sun. That country where people are autumn people, thinking only autumn thoughts. Whose people passing at night on the empty paths sound like rain…”

My little Haiku conglomerate is my humble tribute to him.

October 3rd

 

in the dark before

dawn the fish people watch us

from shingle shorelines

drip drip as they walk

gasps from their little used lungs

cold blood translucent

green hued gills gently

billow at their scaly necks

as they plod inland

I’m writing a story about the Fish People. I’m quite enjoying it. Here’s a triple Haiku horror about them.

June 28th

shadow witches perched

unblinking at the window

ragnailed and swaying

I walked into the spare bedroom in the dark the other day, before I switched on the light, I had a flashback of childhood. On windy nights, when the curtains were open, even by a tiny crack, I used to scare myself looking at the shadows of the trees breaking between the curtains, splayed on the wall. I imagined witches were out there, squatting in the trees, silently waiting for me, their long slender fingers exploring the insides of the room via their cast shadow.

And then of course I stupidly watched Salem’s Lot at one point, the Stephen King TV adaptation. Of course that was it then, it was floating vampires tapping at the window *and* tree witches from that point forward. Oh, and ghosts walking through the walls (sometimes just the dismembered floating drooling head of a ghost hovering above me) and a werewolf under the bed / in the wardrobe.

But it was all ok, as the rules were if you hid under the covers, they couldn’t touch you. Beds and blankets are the greatest ward against the supernatural. Not garlic, not silver, not holy water. A bed, with a sheet to pull over your head. Foils them every time.

Stills from Salem’s Lot below. This scene was pretty chilling. Even watching it today, this otherwise unremarkable TV horror has some great suspense and frightening moments. And David Soul is in it.

When a vampire floats up to your bedroom window and starts tapping and scratching at it, imploring you to let him in, do not, I repeat, do not invite him in. Without an invite, he’ll have to stay outside, getting bored. Just stay in bed. And pull the sheet over your head so you don’t meet his gaze, or he’ll try and beguile you to do his bidding.

Dude, what did I just say? He’s gonna mess you up now!

March 21st

Green shoots dusty ground

Tattered black banners flutter

Scarecrows’ grave markers

 

I went for a run today, completed 5 miles, instead of my usual 3.5 so I was pleased with myself. To fill out the distance I took in Centenary Wood as well as the Moors. There is a public footpath through a field to get to the Wood. As the farmer had recently ploughed it, there was no discernable footpath so to speak, but I could see the path marker diagonally opposite the field boundary, so I had to pick through the big bumpy clumps of earth, rolling my ankles and knees in the process to get back on the path. Was quite energy sapping but I avoided injury.

Anyway, the field itself was dry and dusty, but there was something growing in it, little green grass like crops were poking through. It was obvious it was a crop as the farmer had installed these wooden waist high frames with pieces of black sackcloth flapping in them, to scare the birds.

I just imagined these were graves markers for scarecrows who’d been forcibly retired, trussed up with rope, unstuffed of their straw, burnt and their scraps buried. At night they’ll crawl out of the earth and kill us all. Just thought you should know.

February 22nd

 

Near dark, Hand held tight,

The restless shadow crawling,

Praying for morning.

 

I watched an old favourite horror film of mine “Near Dark”. Didn’t get to bed till after 1am last night (this morning). It’s a road move and a vampire movie, Lance Henriksen is in it and with that timeless lined face, you really do believe he fought in the American Civil war. I say ‘watched’ because the volume was switched off. I was listening to Sinoia Caves at the same time, it gave the film a weird soundtrack. And even without dialogue, it worked. Freaked me out a bit.

A track from Sinoia Caves album The Enchanter Persuaded.

Near dark has fantastic imagery, it was a ground breaking vampire film, took them out of castles, they’d adapted, they lived amongst us, they drove cars. They sucked us in with their confidence tricks. They were drifters. And of course they killed us. Some of the imagery is captured in this video. The actual score for the film was written by Tangerine Dream which gives it a cold electronic edge too. Although a bit dated now, it’s still a great film and groundbreaking in the “vampires in the modern era” genre.

And if you like Sinoia Caves and horror films, then this film sounds like it will be a paranoid psychedelic nightmare. Beyond the Black Rainbow. It’s set in 1983 and Sinoia Caves (Jeremy Schmidt working under an alias, who is the Keyboard Player of Black Mountain) have written the soundtrack. The trailer gives you more questions than answers. Unsettling. And it’s full of the vintage sound of old analogue keyboards. Moogs and Mellotrons aplenty.

Finally, I wrote. I’ve started a blackly comedic (well I think it’s funny) short story in the “Paranormal Romance” genre. The music by Sinoia Caves and the visuals from Near Dark helped it along. I’ve nearly finished the first draft too!

Who says dudes can’t multi-task?

February 15th

 

The landlords daughter,

Siren song, pray, deny her,

Willing fool ablaze.

 

I read a news story today that the Hotel / Bar where many scenes of the Wicker Man were filmed is up for sale (the original version from 1973, not the abomination “starring” Nicholas Cage). For only £200k you can own a piece of classic British horror film history, the Ellangowan Hotel in Creetown, Dumfries and Galloway.

Where Britt Ekland tried to entice Christian copper Edward Woodward into her bed with her sexy pagan incantation and dance. And where the bawdy bar scenes were filmed.

What a film, not gory, just incredibly unsettling. Proper psychological horror. The ending fills me with dread every time. If you haven’t seen it… you should! It’s probably my favourite film ever.

The beautiful Britt Ekland, temptress in the film.

The increasingly marginalised and bewildered Edward Woodward, the Christian policeman sent to investigate the disappearance of a child on the remote Scottish Island of Summerisle.

Lord Summerisle, played by Christopher Lee in the frightening final scenes of the film. The impassive and faceless Wicker Man looms menacingly in the background.