Black Castle

Fortress.
Giant, looming over a black lawn like a bully over a victim
Surreptitiously holds dark creatures, glares piercingly at foreigners
Contains aliens—a false façade of human skin and features
That stare without acknowledging; imprison without mercy
Uniform beings, at a glance as diverse as mankind
Yet their souls are homogeneous —aloof, detached, despising
Messengers for an unknown monarch—that of evil, or death?
Animals with skin, faces, breath, and plastic life
That execute orders of murder, capture, and intimidation
Awakening.
From a paradise, enter this corruption, this monotonous horror
Terror and nauseating fear replace blood, replace oxygen
Through moist eyes, this fraud of life notices you
Stand there, frightened, drilled into the ground with nails
Aching as a result of this oppression that lasts only seconds
Yet these moments may be as well be eternity
Watch helplessly as you are charged by vile beings
Escape.
As you realize the peril, sprint along the black and bleeding carpet
Down long corridors, onto a large balcony
With jubilation, observe an oblivious relative, a familiar face!
Steps lead to this known, and leap toward a last hope
With astonishment, with dismay, relationships mean nothing here
For all former loves, all former family has been converted
Has been exchanged with a replica, a made up, brainless monster
And it reports a trespasser, someone who still has a soul, a mind
Rescue.
Dashing away, with wide eyes, knowing you are followed
Robotic beings calmly chase you— the scared deer running from the hunter
Passage after passage, rotunda after rotunda, until there is only one path
Clinging to this thin thread that saves humanity, you move along it
With trepidation, with grinding heart-ache, with splitting sides
A sharp curve, a turn, a square alcove harboring a child
Small, not yet adolescent, shivering and weeping sorrowfully
What harm can easing the mind of this youth do?
Grab him, cradle him and he relaxes, gratefully
Somehow this kind act gives you strength to continue
Yet footsteps fall behind you—close, so close
A cart lies a foot away, filled with useless objects, trash for these humorless things
Dive into it, burry way down with the boy, hope to remain hidden
Thuds come closer, and the aliens search the cart
And-
Silence, nothing.
The scene resets itself and repeats.