Staring at that palace of decay I shuddered. The temperature seemed to be slowly dropping the closer I got and a cold breeze brought unpleasant scents to my senses. Time was endless and infinite here and it felt as if it took days to reach the ancient wooden doors. Yet in truth it took but mere moments before I lay my palms upon the damp wood. Pushing with all my strength the doors creaked open and I looked in upon a large vacant room. Cold sweat dripped across my skin. I felt as if my every vein ran with solid ice. Adrenaline drummed in my ears and urged me forward, into the unknown. Candles dimly lit the room; their glow casting long shadows against what objects lay strewn about. A few flames sputtered and died with the gust of fresh air, a sign that these doors had not been opened in a very long time. As I moved closer a figure became discernable amidst the flickering candlelight. It sat tall and silent upon a throne of flesh and bone. Its form was wispy and translucent and masked within its hood was a bleached white skull. Not unlike those bleached carcasses found amongst the desert sands. Its eyes like great black chasms, sucking in all who caught its vile gaze. “I’ve been waiting…” the hollow voice echoed off the crimson soaked stone and I began to tremble uncontrollably. “No…n-n-n-o-o….” I mumbled as I gradually moved closer to the skeletal form. I seemed to have no control over my own corporeal form, I felt as if I were being sucked in to an endless pit of shadows. I fell then, completely numb, into a pool of what appeared to be fresh blood. Then, knowing my end was soon to come I shut my eyes, and everything faded to black...