HOW TO HANG WALLPAPER a la Edgar Allan Poe
“My wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death.
One or other of us has got to go.”
Oscar Wilde
I was nervous–extremely nervous about changing the dull and dark wallpaper of my huge chamber which
caused nothing but melancholy. The problem wasn’t only with the wallpaper– I was hearing weird and unusual
Sounds–Sounds coming from the walls of my bedroom. It was the strange noises that have destroyed–have
tortured–have tortured me. How can I then narrate the story calmly?
I cannot remember nor reason how the Sounds beyond the wall started to disturb me, but once I realized them,
I could never put them out of my mind. They distracted me–day and night. When the annoying heart beat like
Sounds become impossible to bear, I decided to hang new wallpapers in the hope of blocking them. I know that
you consider me as mad–but you should have heard the sickening Sound! I had to get rid of them.
When the wallpapers that I ordered earlier arrived at my house, I was ready to carry out my plan which I
designed very, very carefully. First, I cleaned all four walls of my chamber along with the spider webs in the
corners. Then I cautiously drew a straight line to the first wall with a level–very cautiously to make the line
perfectly vertical. In fact, it took me an hour to finish drawing my perfect line. Now it was time for rolling the
paper strips and submerging them into the water of the water tray. No! The nerve-wracking Sounds got louder.
Oh no! I had to keep my temper and ignore them. Eventually, my delirious fury wore off and I was ready to
continue with my plan.
Once I was calm again, I slowly–very slowly unrolled the strips which were submerged into water. The muffled
Sound I was trying to ignore, by thinking of the final look of my bedroom. Then I started hanging the strips
to the dreadful wall–but the noise steadily increased as if it was trying to defy me. I have told you that I was
nervous: so I am. Believe me; if you heard the Sound you could even say that it was alive!
With my mortal terror, I hung the strips at once, trying helplessly to block the noise. However, the Sound could
not be quietened. Even my headphones with full volume did not prevent the grievous Sound from coming to my
ears. I hung all of the strips hastily, terrified and awestruck. Now, it was the time for smoothing the strips with
a sponge–the last stage of this torture. As my hand was moving on the wallpaper, I felt something–something
moving! I could not identify it and the Sound was even louder now! I became mad–mad with delirious horror.
I had to block the Sound; I had to find a way!
When I opened my eyes, I was lying on the dusty floor of my room with a hammer in my hand. I stood up and
saw my walls–all ruined and demolished. The Evil Sound was gone, as well. Apparently, I have won the fight,
even though my chamber was a total wreck.
Gül GÖKTUĞ 11-B
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
TEACHERS
Head of Department
Melanie SWETZ
Teachers
Buket BEKDAŞ
Eray BİÇER
Nalan KAPLAN
Okan ÖNDER
Jason SAFFA
Tanya SMILEY
Liana STOIAN
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THE CLAPPER 2016 - 2017