Enter.
Sit before the Tale Weaver.
Be still; your incessant fidgeting only diminishes your concentration. Do you not hear it? There. There. Aah, stark terror glazes your eyes…but it should not be so. Relish instead, such a strange and horrid note, that awful baying from beyond the window sash. Silence yourself! I share with you now what knowledge I possess of the beast.
Yes, beast I say, but beast quite not. An unspeakably magnificent specimen of what should not be yet most certainly is. Born to walk this earth of two legs, but through the nether, hunts upon four. A most fascinating creature of wretched beauty, resigned in its existence of perpetual condemnation between its own genesis of dawn and gloam. Humanity its filthy cage. Bestiality its cherished home. Torn and ravaged by the tumult within its sorrowful soul.
You gaze upon me in naked incredulity, yet persistent your hands do wring; aye, even you cannot deny the awful splendor laced within the hoarseness of its throaty howls. Be attentive! Open not only ears but your narrow mind…listen beyond the ferocity of the echoes in the valley. Tis true, this abhorrence of nature will rend of you flesh and bone as a child strips wrappings from a gift if its disposition should see fit. The hunt it relishes, for only then does it truly live, the timbre of its environment razor-sharp, ally to its preternatural senses. You cannot outrun this thing, for how do you outrun that which already resides within you?
Swift, powerful, majestic…a wholly somber and evil thing. But I inquire of you – what is the gist of evil? The unnatural to your eyes; the obscene to your senses? Or is evil some broken yet unbowed pet, unwilling to yield to the shackles that seek it bound? If you should learn one thing from me this moonlit night, then heed this—true evil is the fiend that hides behind man’s mask, not the beast that allows its mask known.
Listen closely to that mourning song, that pitiful melody lamenting of deprived freedom from behind unseen bars, for tis the true conflict deep within its dark, fated core, and so it starves. Longing for the wild. Longing for the matte of fresh dew beneath its pads and the sparkle-slivered caress of Mother Moon across its rippled back. Longing…forever longing…this beast so much more than man.
Leave now then, but be mindful to keep a hastened pace along the timber’s fringe. Pull tight the collar to your neck, and do not afford yourself a moment to pause. For if the long howl of a doleful ballad plucks at your heartstrings, and the hapless allure of eye shine keeps measure with your gait, pray to your god that on this night the beast remains satiated.
And the man within it holds fast to its rein.
Until next I summon you, be gone.
So the Tale Weaver speaks.
~ Joseph A. Pinto as the Tale Weaver
© Copyright 2012 Joseph A. Pinto. All Rights Reserved.
Pen of the Damned 
Of wolf and man. Great yarn, Joe! I do enjoy the Tale Weaver’s tone!
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Thanks very much, Tyr. The struggle within always makes for something more…monstrous 😉
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Your voice as the Tale Weaver holds me utterly captivated, from the first word to the last. This is a superb piece Joe, and and woven so beautifully that one yearns for the Beast to gain his freedom, not out of pity, but admiration and a sensed pride that is conveyed in the moonlight shine of his eyes.
Your telling of the tense struggle to maintain control between man and his Beast is exquisite.
Genuinely magnificent!
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I appreciate that, Nina 🙂 The Tale Weaver manages to see what is otherwise hidden; true to his word, he speaks truths most dare not utter.
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I believe he speaks a truth most should open their eyes to!
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Sir Weaver of Tales, I too was captivated by this tome of struggle and internal strife. I do think that the tales you weave that delve into the concept of ‘hidden monsters’ that may or may not live in us all, are immensely engaging. I am not necessarily one known for ‘subtle’ (*which-goes-without-saying smile*) but your words are an inspiration that many a writer can use to better their own work. All I can say is that I look forward to your posts and am already doing so for whatever your mind comes up with to enlighten us with next.
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Thank you humbly, oh he who hunts the nether by my side. I must admit I enjoy when the Tale Weaver “channels” through me; I never quite know what he’s going to say, but rest assured, his words serve pause for much reflection. I’m honored you enjoyed it as you did.
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As much poetic as portentous. For some reason, as I read it, suddenly my tried and true interior voice faded away and was replaced by Boris Karloff! Great job!
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Thank you very much, Hunter! So funny you should mention that; when I write “as” the Tale Weaver, my inner voice drifts into that direction as well. Must be all those Saturday morning/afternoon monster flicks we grew up.
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This was amazing, Joe. Both the tone and beauty evoke a wicked bout of chills. You wave fantastic words with your pen and leave the reader much to ponder and fear!
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Interesting to read all of the comments. Everyone mentioned voice, and I was intending to do the same thing. I thought the Karloff reference was interesting. That certainly works, but for me, I was more reminded of Poe. Obviously this is darker, but the word choice and even the pattern of the words (starting sentences with verbs as opposed to the subjects) is very reminiscent of Poe.
“true evil is the fiend that hides behind man’s mask, not the beast that allows its mask known.”- Great line.
Paul D. Dail
http://www.pauldail.com- A horror writer’s not necessarily horrific blog
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Thank you, Paul. When I write in this style, I just try to make it my own without giving thought to what the “style” or even “my own” means. My influences are obvious. And I hope it’s obvious that I respect those influences 🙂
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Oh yes, definitely your own. And there’s nothing wrong with some of your influences showing. I had a great professor (actually cowrote a few novels with Frank Herbert) who said that all writers are plagiarists to the extent that we can’t help but be influenced by other writers we have read.
This didn’t sound like an imitation; it just had that Gothic era feel with your modern flair.
Paul
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Well I’m thrilled you “got” that because when I write as the ‘Tale Weaver’ it’s the feel I’m after
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A clear voice that stands on its own and hooks into you, with a strong drive in the narrative. Good stuff. And kudos to the clean, easy to navigate, blog. Along with your other posts, I’m really interested in following what you post!
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Thank you very much, Matthew. I appreciate the kind words on my post Beast. On behalf of all the Damned, welcome… a new twisted soul posts something unique and stirring every Tuesday. Join us, shall you?
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Most definitely!
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Very, very cool!
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Thank you!
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Running with the shadow-side, are we? Loved this tale.
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Hi Madison! 🙂 Running with? Dear, we’ve been sprinting side by side for some time now lol “Beast” is an older post; a bit of my muse coming out to play. I’m glad you enjoyed it, & I appreciate you taking the time to read it 🙂
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“Every man has a beast with in him.”
Jennifer David Nov. 2013
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Thank you, Jennifer; and each a beast, a part of man…
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