That familiar melody reverberated in my head. Each clanging note echoed in my ears, bringing me back from darkness. Tong! Tong! Ting! The ringing tones could only be the sound of the church bells. Ting! Ting! Tong! I remembered hearing them before, but what was the song? I heard it so many times I could hum along with the melody while they chimed, but the words escaped me.
At once, I felt immense pain in my leg, and with great effort, I opened my eyes. I discovered I was suspended by the seatbelt of my car, and I was being pulled towards the ceiling. I was upside down. Such a terrible accident! Slowly, the memories returned to me. It was the cat, I recalled. That is why I swerved. I had turned sharply to avoid the cat in the road, and crashed into the ditch. The reality of the situation was only beginning to dawn on me. I took a painful breath while hanging in my overturned vehicle, listening to the church bells play that old song, of which I could not yet remember the words. The scent of gasoline filled my nostrils.
I knew I could not stay there, so I resolved to get out of the car. After unlatching the seatbelt, I slid out through the opening where the window used to be. I was unable to avoid the cuts and scrapes from the shards of glass that surrounded me. But eventually I succeeded in my struggle, and found myself lying in the grass alongside my ruined automobile.
How quickly things can change, I mused. One fateful instant changed everything. A slight overreaction had caused this potentially fatal disaster. No, it was the cat. That awful animal caused this. The cat was far more lucky than I was.
Turning my head, I noticed I was resting at the edge of the old church cemetery. I thought it a strange coincidence that I should crash next to a field of those who had died before me. Headstones stood like rows of crooked teeth.
I crawled to the nearest grey slab to lean my back upon it. I slid my phone out of my pocket, knowing the battery was already dead. It had shut off on me just a few minutes before the accident. That was terribly inconvenient timing. Dusk faded to night, and I wondered how long it would take for help to arrive. I had not seen another car on this road the whole time. With the likelihood of someone finding me so slim, I felt enormously lonely.
There I was surrounded by the dead, and, I confess, morbid thoughts entered my mind. I thought of the souls buried in each of those graves. Who were they? And how long had they been dead? Placing my hand on the cold stone, I prayed that I would not join them in death.
Then there was a much worse idea. What if I was already dead? Perhaps I had died in the crash, and I was but a spirit lingering on? Was I nothing more than a ghost sitting amongst the corpses of this cemetery? This thought was too terrible to consider, but regardless, I had no intention of spending the night among the graves.
Suddenly, the bells chimed again, playing that somber chorus once more. I figured the bells must ring for every passing hour. But I still could not recall the words of the song. How many times must I listen to it? I thought it irritating that the lyrics eluded me. I tilted my head to see the bell tower looming tall in the moonlight. The metal shells were swinging back and forth through the tiny window. It was so ominous.
A slight movement caught my eye, and I was startled at the sight of the cat on the steps of the church. Its glowing feline eyes aimed towards me with an ominous stare. Mostly black except for a white patch on its chest, it sat there taunting me. A brief moment of anger flashed through me knowing it was the reason I crashed. How I wished I could strangle that animal! Was it a natural creature, or was this cat something more?
I slowly rose to my feet, while still in a great deal of pain. I managed to hobble to the concrete steps of the old, wooden building where the cat had been just moments ago. I noted that the weather-stained front door was ajar, and the cat must have gone inside the church. I felt it was beckoning me, calling me. My feet moved forward almost magnetically. I was terrified of what I might find within this sacred structure, but curiosity gnawed at me. I cannot say how long I stood on the steps battling my fear and this intense desire. Eventually, I passed through the doorway into the darkness within the walls.
It stank of dust and mold. There was a heavy dampness in the air. Without the light of the moon, I had to strain my eyes to see anything. The weight of my steps made the floorboards creak and groan. What could be lurking in the shadows? I felt that at any moment some horror would strike and attack me. The sense of danger was so severe I could barely breathe. I admit I felt safer in the cemetery, as surprising as that may be.
I had nearly turned around to leave the church when I saw the narrow passageway. Beyond was a steep staircase that rounded a corner and continued upwards. I knew at once this was the base of the bell tower, and that this staircase spiraled to the top.
I felt certain the cat had gone up the stairs, so I followed with great hesitation. Everything in my heart warned me not to, but I continued. I tried to remain quiet, but each step seemed to echo loudly inside the tower as I began my ascent. I clutched the handrail, and dragged myself upwards one step at a time. Pain throbbed in my injured leg.
Finally, I reached the summit, and there before me stood a narrow wooden door with an enormous iron latch keeping it closed. Logically, I knew that this room contained the bells and all the machinations to make them play their hourly tune. But some deep sensation told me there was more. Something else was on the other side of this door. I pondered what unspeakable horror I would unleash if I opened it. Such mystery and dread! I watched my fingers caress the cold iron, and, to my horror, I saw my hand grasp the latch and pull the door open.
As I suspected, the tiny room housed the set of musical bells along with countless gears, ropes and rods. It was beautiful, in a certain strange way. It was an engineering masterpiece, and a wonderful work of art. There were parts moving and rotating. It was clockwork counting the passage of time proceeding towards the strike of the hour when it would unleash the melody of bells. I stepped into the room in amazement.
Then I saw him.
An old man was hiding in the corner. His grey hair, matted and dirty, hung down to his shoulders. His overgrown beard reached to his chest. His clothes and skin were so dirty that the two were almost indiscernible from one another. His frail shape crouched low like that of a frightened animal. I truly cannot say who was more surprised by this encounter, myself or the man.
“Late is the hour of reckoning for the soul which longs for freedom,” whispered the old man.
“Indeed,” I replied, not knowing what he meant.
“All men have vices. None are shameless. All shall be judged,” the man spoke.
“So it is said,” I answered.
“But sweet redemption comes to those who have paid their dues. The bonds of sin shall be loosed!”
Unsure how to respond, I simply asked “How long have you been here?”
“For an age I have dwelt in this prison! But no more! Salvation has come! My spirit can fly!”
“Sir, are you dead?” I asked.
“Are you?” he questioned back, but I had no answer.
I was utterly confused at the discovery of this man and this strange conversation. Who was he? How did he get here? Was he a ghost? Was he a hallucination of my own mind? Was I going mad? And every question I asked him was returned with even more mystery.
“Lo! On the window ledge! There sits the harbinger! The cat is here!” cried the old man.
Turning away from him, I too laid eyes upon the sinister creature. It sat poised in the window. Moonlight streamed into the room from behind its furry body. Those feline pupils stared at me. I felt dread beyond description.
“Farewell! May God have mercy on your soul!” said the old man, but he was no longer there! I spun around to look in every direction within the little bell tower. He was gone! Had he ever been there to begin with?
I lunged at the door, pulling with all my strength. It refused to open. I realized it was a terrible mistake coming here. As panic struck, I began to shake the door handle. The metal latch rattled, but would not give. I was locked. I was trapped in the bell tower! Mercy!
There was a subtle click and gears and ropes began to move. I watched the metal shapes begin to swing. Tong! Tong! Ting! Tong! The music was so much louder here in the tower. I was doomed to hear this melody endlessly, and I still could not remember the words to the song.
I knelt to the floor in despair. I had become the prisoner of the bell tower!