Beyond the Castle Wall
Written and Illustrated by: Allegra Ambrosio
Sample Illustrations
Excerpt #1
Once upon a time, far beyond where eyes can see,
Floating weightlessly, somewhere above infinity,
North past gentle clouds and a weathered sky
Is a place most secret to you and I.
You see, up there, drifting among the stars,
Is a world unique and unlike ours.
A kingdom whose antiquity is as deep as the sea’s.
A place untouched, unconfined by gravity.
This is the land of the Spirits.
And only the awe of the stars can revere it.
Time and space bend in its shadow cast
And even Orion kneels as it drifts past.
Excerpt #2
For it wasn’t a door to be opened by a key,
The answer to a riddle was all it would need.
To each spirit that entered the tunnel, the question was the same.
“At the end of my story, tell me, what is your name?”
He would sit quietly, waiting for his next victim to enter alone,
Then begin his short riddle in a dark, soulless tone.
“Spirit, what is the one thing that can be, but also cannot?
The one thing that’s learned, but can never be taught.
It cannot be seen, nor heard, nor can it speak,
But has a voice that lies most strongest in the weak.
The one thing that cannot be sold, but the one thing you can find,
And can only be bought with one of its own kind.
What can be stolen as swiftly as night turns to dawn?
Missing, or misplaced, but never quite gone.
What cannot be touched, but warped and shaken?
Can be broken and shattered, but can never be taken?
And finally, what is something that I’ve never known, but deeply despise?
Something I don’t have, but need to survive.
Are you the spirit who can open this gate?
Tell me, What is this ‘something’ from which I became Hate?”
For a complete manuscript, please use the contact page to reach out.