A Walk in the Night

I awoke in the middle of the night and lay awake in the dark for some time. A beautiful sweet smelling scent hung in the air. I'm not sure how long before I noticed my window open, the curtains were dancing in the chilly night breeze. I watched as the moon rose from behind a cloud and sent glowing beams of light down through my window, I saw something shining on the floor. Getting out of bed I found the shining object was a small bottle, I put it in my pocket, pulled on my night robe and crept out into the hall. It was always dark -even in the daytime- soon I was walking down the pathway to the front gate and out onto the street. I stood under the street lamp and gazed down the empty street. Pulling my coat around me I followed the street to the end -there were fifteen street lamps. On the corner a man was kneeling screaming prayers and clutching a rosary, I passed with my head bowed and continued along without looking back. As I walked past the houses I glanced at the black windows which stared back menacingly from behind the hedges and walls. I heard a cough and down the street I saw a shadowy figure, it was standing under a lamp post on the opposing side of the street. After a pause I continued along hoping to walk past but the person started to cross as I drew near. As they came closer I could see they were an old woman in a shawl, she stopped in front of me and mouthed something I couldn't catch. So I walked over to her in the middle of the street, she leant forward their deep dark eyes sent chills down my spine. "Such a dear" she coughed "But oh! The horror, the horror!" my heart started beating as she continued in a quivering voice "They have a two story house you know." I stepped back "who does?" I asked, the old woman pointed over my shoulder to a two story house behind a large wall. A light flickered on and off in an upstairs room, I turned back to the old woman but they were already walked away and after a moment had all but disappeared into the shadows. I tugged my coat tight around me as the chilly wind stirred up the night air and turned back to the house, it was a lovely brick two story home in a beautiful street and I have never seen anything so terrifying. I stood in the middle of the street staring back at the house trying to console myself. On the roof was a weathercock, it was the traditional shape of a cockerel, suddenly spun around and a gust swept through the treetops, I shivered as I heard the moans of the praying man from down the end of the street. Just as I was about to walk away I noticed some writing on the wall in chalk, I can't remember what it said -perhaps my mind instantly blocked it out. After a while I had come to the park in the middle of town, in the lamp light I noticed   black stains on the sleeves of my coat and turning my hands over they covered in blood, I was wheezing and could feel bruises all over my body. I limped forward toward a bench and fell onto it everything went back. Sometime later I awoke, it was still dark but the moon had already set. My hand had stuck to my face, I pulled it away and painfully stood up remembering I had fallen asleep in the park. Shaking my head I hurried back to my house. I made myself a hot chocolate and went into my room and sat down on my bed. I felt a lump in my pocked which turned out to be what looked like a small glass perfume bottle. I stared at it for a few moments wondering how it had got there and then I opened it. An intoxicating scent burst out smothering me like a thousand flowers, I dropped the bottle and staggered over to the window and flung it open. The perfume made my head spin and I stumbled backwards and landed on my bed as everything went black.