Based on a Twilight Zone Episode “The Howling Man”
David Ellington, a fearless aviator, embarked on a solo journey through the skies of post-World War I Europe, circa 1919. His mission was to explore the uncharted territories of Central Europe, braving turbulent storms and unpredictable weather.
During one particularly harrowing flight, a fierce storm engulfed his aircraft, causing him to become disoriented and lost. Desperately seeking refuge, he spotted an ancient castle, standing as a silent sentinel in the midst of the tempest. It was now home to a secluded monastic order.
With no other option, Ellington descended and approached the castle, his plane buffeted by the wind. He knocked at the heavy, weathered door, pleading for assistance. A stern-faced monk reluctantly greeted him, informing Ellington that visitors were not welcome. Undeterred, Ellington continued to beg for help, prompting the monk to consult with a figure known as Brother Jerome.
As Ellington stood shivering in the cold, he heard an eerie, wolf-like howl emanating from the depths of the castle. The monk returned, brushing off the howling as nothing more than the wind’s eerie song. Reluctantly, he led Ellington to meet Brother Jerome, the enigmatic leader of the order.
Ellington, soaked and weary, recounted his plight to Brother Jerome, hoping for shelter from the storm. To his astonishment, Brother Jerome coldly declared that no assistance could be offered, instructing Ellington to leave immediately.
Bewildered and disheartened, Ellington walked away from the imposing castle. Weakened and fatigued, he collapsed in the hallway, surrounded by shadows.
When Ellington regained consciousness, he was once again haunted by the eerie howling. Driven by curiosity, he followed the sound, leading him to a concealed cell within the castle. Inside, he discovered a man, claiming to be unjustly imprisoned by the “mad” monks and brutally beaten by Brother Jerome with a staff.
While Ellington conversed with the prisoner, he was abruptly taken back to Brother Jerome, who demanded his departure. Frustrated and determined, Ellington threatened to report the monks to the authorities. This threat greatly unsettled Brother Jerome, who finally unveiled the shocking truth: the imprisoned man was none other than the Devil himself. Brother Jerome’s “Staff of Truth” was the only thing preventing the Devil from wreaking havoc on the world.
The Devil had arrived in the village after World War I, seeking to corrupt it, but Brother Jerome had managed to confine him using the staff. This imprisonment had granted the world five years of relative peace.
Pretending to believe Brother Jerome’s tale, Ellington was assigned a vigilant guard. However, seizing an opportunity when his guard fell asleep, Ellington crept back to the cell. The door was secured only by a staff that lay within reach of the imprisoned man. Heeding the prisoner’s urging, Ellington removed the staff, inadvertently setting the Devil free. The Devil, as if embracing his true form, transformed into a sinister figure resembling his diabolical self before vanishing from the castle in a plume of smoke.
Brother Jerome arrived, filled with regret, and explained that mankind’s inability to recognize the Devil had always been its great weakness.
Ellington concluded his tale to a housemaid, revealing his mission to atone for his mistake. Throughout World War II, the Korean War, and the perilous age of nuclear weapons, he had hunted the Devil. Finally, he had managed to imprison him once more, locking him in a closet, secured by a staff akin to Brother Jerome’s. Ellington sternly warned the skeptical housekeeper to never, under any circumstances, remove the staff from its place.
As soon as Ellington departed, the housemaid heard an ominous howl emanating from behind the closet door. Curiosity overcoming her, she removed the staff, unlocking the door and unwittingly unleashing the Devil once again.
