It was beautiful, but it was creepier than hell, too.
And when I first got there, there was nobody around.
Not a soul, not a sound.
Weird.
Really weird.
Eventually, a most otherworldly female appeared as if from
nowhere, and managed to be simultaneously charming and
welcoming, as well as sinister and threatening. Once I'd
persuaded her that I was actually supposed to be there taking
pictures of the place, and mentioned the right names, she
relented. But only just. And then promptly turned on her heel
and disappeared, never to be seen again. There was not a
single other person anywhere that I could see or notice, on the
grounds, or in any of the buildings. A light whisper of breeze
was the only thing to disturb the enveloping silence that the
place brooded within. All around me, a peculiar aura of wrack
and
ruin pervaded everything, despite ample evidence that
somebody, or maybe something, was seeing to it that the whole
place was being maintained, being taken care of. I felt like I
was in a fucking Twilight Zone episode, and if Rod Serling, or
perhaps even Alfred Hitchcock, had suddenly materialized from
around a hidden corner, I wouldn't have been too surprised.
Startled half to death, yes. But surprised? No.