Hidden away on one of the many quiet lonely roads in England's countryside is an old village called Chiddingstone. Here I spent my 21st birthday, in a stained glass pub that had once been the home of Anne Boleyn in 1430 AD. After a nice celebration at the pub, I headed out alone on foot to explore the nighttime world.

Across the empty narrow roadway was a beautiful church, stout but majestic, with a cemetary surrounding the stone walls. Ancient tombstones were scattered across the grass, simple peaceful reminders of death. The iron gate stood open, inviting the roving stranger or the townsfolk searching for solace.

It was late Friday night and not a soul stirred. I walked by moonlight through the limits of the town and found myself on a trail that was to lead to an ancient castle. I passed into the gates to the castle grounds and down a long winding path until I reached a dark forest. I rambled slowly through the trees, following rugged stone steps that made their way to the castle's main entrance. The forest was silent except for my footsteps. As I surfaced into a clearing, the mist stood thick in the air and a sliver of orange moon pierced through the sky at the horizon veiled by an approaching wall of thick fog.

A loud bird rustled madly to my left and flew off. Silence again. Soon I heard another sound, a small waterway which I crossed with a jump. Unimpressive moat, I thought. An old stone wall stood ahead of me with a large gate. I climbed it swiftly and dropped to the other side, finding myself on a soft grassy path leading through a grand garden. The path continued through rose bushes and flowers of all kinds. Soon I heard a splash that sounded like a large fish jumping through the surface of a lake. The sound quickly disappeared amongst the deep, rich earth and the silent nighttime world around me.

The fog shrouded everything before me but I could feel the huge stone castle towering ahead... A moat appeared suddenly, its black water weaving with dark sparkles into the thick white air ahead. Statues surrounded me in the Ancient Greek-like pavillion where I had suddenly found myself frozen. The fog wafted slowly through the sky and I stood gazing at the omenous castle that revealed its majesty to the night.