The Midnighter

November 18, 1893 (Augustus Wheeler's Diary)

10:48 A.M. Woke up in the morning today, maybe an hour ago. Had no idea how much time has passed; I woke up very feeble, as I could feel, much weaker than the day I arrived here. Did not have much strength to get up off the bed as quickly as I do in the morning, and I felt as if I was sick or ailing. I have looked at the mirror. How did my health worsen so much? I have no idea. My head ached for a while and could not understand my surroundings. As soon as I felt better, I saw through the window, and all I could see was the cool grey of the quickening sky—trees covered with fog more than their leaves. And there stands either side of Castle Varcolus, partially overshadowed by the fog, whose presence is heavily pointed by its turrets. Under the grey blanket of the clouds and amongst the monstrous fog, Castle Varcolus appears as a sleeping ancient monster, waiting to be awakened and freed.

I could not remember what exactly happened to me that caused my sickness, did I eat anything foul, or it's just that I overslept, it is all very confusing. The last thing I remember is that it was a stormy night, and I had dinner and went to sleep. And, maybe I also saw someone outside the window, which I clearly do not remember, and I also saw Lord Lazarus. Oh, Holy Christ! How can I forget that? He was a completely different man that night, that ferocious look on his face, was simply horrifying. I do not know why he was like that, or what happened that night. I know nothing. Just one thing that I remember clearly is that, after writing the diary, I went to sleep, but it felt as if sleep had simply eluded away forever from my eyes. The silence of the rain, the whispering of the walls, and the room's surroundings under that yellow lamplight felt like a prison for me. Yes, I was fearful, and I don't know how or when I lost consciousness. And now, here I am.

Words are not enough to express how much I am missing Julia. Since I arrived here, I have not had the chance to write to her about my whereabouts. She must be very worried. I am sorry Julia, to have left you there. I should have had a talk with you about this journey before deciding to leave on my own. I should have told you about it first and then thought about this- I should have stayed, Julia. Yes, I am afraid. I hope you are fine. I will write you a letter as soon as possible. It is my priority to reach out to you.

I have no account of the date, but assuming it to be two days since that night when I looked outside the window, I saw leaves randomly tussling on the dried ground, although I remember that there was heavy rain and a storm last night. So, I assume, that I must have been unconscious for two straight days. But if I was lying unconscious in the room, why did not Lord Lazarus wake me up? Or any of his workers? Oh, workers. Are there any workers in Castle Varcolus? I have not seen any of them since I arrived here.

As soon as I felt a bit well, I washed my face and got out of my room. As I entered the dining hall, to my surprise, I saw no one. Not that I was truly astonished by it, as I was not expecting any workers, but thought that I might face Lord Lazarus there. Although, after that night, I didn't want to face him, but as his guest, I had to. But surprisingly, I found none. I went to the dining hall, and saw, on the table, there was kept lavishly served and preserved food. And a note. I picked up the note, and it said, "I hope you are fine, Mr. Wheeler, and back to your health as you read it. You were asleep for quite a time, seemingly for illness, and so you were not woken up. Excuse me today that I do not join you, for some work is awaiting. You can rest or may go anywhere you wish, except where the doors are locked, where of course you will not wish to go, till I return. There is a reason that all things are as they are. A gentleman like you would perhaps better understand. From, Lord Lazarus." I understood that is not any advice, perhaps a warning.

So, if Lord Lazarus is not in the castle now, does that mean I am alone in this huge castle and morbid environment? I cannot stay like this, as I do not know when that man will arrive. Maybe he tried to wake me up, and seeing that he failed, he went out to bring medicines for me. But then he could have sent out his workers for that, and himself attend the guest. Or maybe, he never went out for medicines, as he mentioned in his note that he is out for some work.

This means he was still unsure while writing the note for me, that I would wake up soon. But then, why would he leave freshly cooked food for me? I mean, I could have woken up a few hours later, or, on a worse account, maybe a day later. By that time, the food would have turned stale. Or, maybe, his workers kept the food for me, on hearing me waking up. But the door was closed from inside, and I did not call or hear anyone. What is happening in this place? Am I alone inside Castle Varcolus?

I needed to find out other people. Ignoring Lord Lazarus' warning, I passed the dining room, and went towards the hallway corridor, to see if I could meet anyone. But why was the corridor so dark, even in the day time? The windows were closed, but the curtains were open; although it did not contribute much for the sunlight to mark its presence in the room. The bluish-grey fog was all around, filling up the corridors, and such silence was all around, that even in the daylight, no one would dare to roam alone. I decided not to go further through the corridors or the hallway. So, I had my breakfast and went to my room. But, why do I feel so uneasy? No, the breakfast was finely prepared, and I liked it. But it is not about the food, it is about- I cannot explain properly what it is, something inside me tells me, something is not holy going around here. I cannot think more, for I feel weak and also a bit disturbed. I will take some rest now, for I don't have much to do. Keeping it till here, for now.

7:53 P.M. I slept for hours. Woke up just a while ago and lit the candles in my room. Found none in the castle. Lord Lazarus has not arrived, yet. I have never felt so weak and tiring, that I slept for almost two and a half days. Something is happening to me, which is not good. The food I have been eating these days is tasty, but may not be good for human consumption. How does Lord Lazarus eat this, or has been eating it for years? Or, is he feeding me something else? Or mixing something in it? I don't know. I don't know anything. Yes, I am being paranoid. This environment is terrific. I have not felt this much uneasy the day I arrived, or the day after it. There is a constant coldness in the weather and a distressed feeling with it. Under the bluish-grey glow of the moonlight, the hallway of Castle Varcolus looks ghastly. There is a strange and foggy darkness around the corridors, seems like no living being has stepped there for ages. Yes, I tried to go past the corridors again, but I could not. I feared something unholy.

Maybe they all were correct. All those people who tried to warn me not to come to Ravenrose. Those people at the Grand Carpathian Hotel, the villagers of Leordina, and Jeremy. Should I have listened to them? After spending a week in this dreaded atmosphere, I realised a few things- people fear Ravenrose as vicious wolves roam around who want to devour any man they see, maybe which is why there is no locality around here. But that is not all.

There is more mystery to this castle than meets the eye. And one of them is Lord Lazarus himself. Why did he warn me about locked doors? What is behind those doors? Where is he the whole day knowing that his guest is ill? All of this is as strange as dismaying it is. Ravenrose cannot be found on any map, at least on the ones that are easily available for everyone, and still, this man wants to build a hotel for tourists. Why? How come anyone would visit any place they have never even heard of? I should have given it a thought before coming here. I should have thought about all of this. Oh God, why was I so stubborn? This is not what I wanted, this is not what I thought of. Julia, I miss you so much. I am sorry that I left you there without sharing anything with you. But, I am glad, that I did not bring you here. You will hear from me soon, Julia, I promise. Love you, my dear wife.

I think I just saw someone past my door. Maybe Lord Lazarus has returned. I will go and see. Resting the diary for now.