The Fallen Hour

Summary

Alice experiences a terrifying ordeal as she confronts her fear of an ominous presence that promises to return for her, only to be jolted back to reality by her mother's voice, though the line between dream and reality blurs at the story's end.

Abstract

"The Fallen Hour" is a short story that delves into Alice's psyche as she grapples with a chilling promise from a mysterious entity. The story unfolds on a windy night, with the moon casting an eerie glow, as Alice anxiously awaits the stroke of midnight. A year prior, she received a haunting prophecy that she would be taken to the "kingdom of hell" at this very hour. As the clock chimes, a knock at the door sends shivers down her spine, but relief washes over her upon recognizing her mother's voice. However, the story takes a dark twist when Alice feels a hand with curly black nails touch her, and the same voice from her nightmare whispers it's time to go, leaving the reader to question the reality of the events.

Opinions

The author effectively uses suspense and the element of the unknown to create a sense of dread.
Alice's fear is palpable, heightened by the vivid descriptions of the environment and her visceral reactions.
The story plays with the boundary between nightmare and reality, leaving readers with a lingering sense of unease.
The use of a knock at the door as a pivotal moment adds to the tension and serves as a catalyst for the story's climax.
The mother's presence provides a brief respite from the horror, grounding the story in a relatable familial context.
The final twist, with the eerie touch and whisper, suggests that the supernatural elements may be more than just a figment of Alice's imagination.

A series of short stories “The Dots”

image by the author

The moon was so full and furious sometimes at night, why? Alice thought irritably. She was looking at the clock anxiously and biting her nails in anxiety. It was a scary and windy night with the howling of the unknown. Tree’s long branches were like claws of the unseen coming towards her.

She remembered his words so clearly, "I will come back for you next year, same time Alice. You have to come with me and we will rule the kingdom of hell. We will have our prince there too."

The clock struck 12 a.m midnight sharp that night. At the same vicious moment, Alice heard a soft knock at the door. She put a hand on her mouth to stop her breathing. She didn’t want him to smell her breath. He was there to take her to hell.

She was almost shaking with fear when another knock was there for the second time. A little harder and noisier than before.

"Alice are you okay? Good night sweetheart. I just came to check because you were behaving strangely from the evening," Mrs. Robert yelled from outside the door.

Alice suddenly started breathing again, when she heard her mother’s voice. She finally realized it was just a bad dream. She opened her eyes and looked in the darkness of the room. Everything was in its place and he was not there. She started smiling at her scary fictional thoughts.

Then, suddenly she was touched from behind by a strong big hand with curly black nails. The same voice whispered, "Alice my dear, it’s time to go."

Nidaa

The Fallen Hour

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