The Lucifer Wine

I hurried across the sunny courtyard and into the chill of the winery. The huge stone building was full of shadows as I turned into the corridor that led to the caves. I told myself I was just imagining that I heard furtive little sound, like someone walking on his toes, behind me. When I opened the door, the black pit inside confronted me like a solid wall. I located the light switch and turned it on. A few minutes later, I had reached the entrance to Vault Five. I stared at the door, repelled by the dark stain, shapened like a hand, on its warped boards. When I opened it, the door dragged across the floor with a grating sound that set my nerves jangling. I thought I heard another sound behind me, and although I knew it must be an echo, I looked over my shoulder. The lighted blubs---I could see three from where I stood---were reassuring. I reached inside the vault opening for the switch, but I felt a reluctance to the inside. My discomfort grew as I stared around at the piles of rotting lumber, the barrels with their buckled heads, the rows of derelict vats, the thick layer of dust on the floor. I heard footsteps, dragging and slow, moving towards me....