Chapter 14

     The coldness of this place seeps through my clothes, pricking my flesh with its icy fingers. Light barely filters through the assortment of windows, showing off the dark tiles beneath my curled up legs. Four openings surround the main room, all but one closed off by massive black doors. Potting plants sit by black twisted columns; a small pool of water glowing from the middle of the room, its structure in the shape of a flower with four petals. The monster stands over me, his lips pulled back into a dark smile. 

      “Now what are you doing down there?” His voice slithers through his teeth, black eyes down casted on me as my legs had given out the moment we had walked through the god-forsaken door. “You can’t see your new home from that position,” his smile widens, “Here let me help you up.” Long gray fingers encircle around my forearm and forcibly he yanks me up, cradling me to his chest. Leaning down he whispers in my ear, “See? Much better.” 

     His fingers slowly travel up my neck before settling on my cheek, his index finger brushing lightly over my bottom lip—daring to dip in-between before he moves his hands forward and places his thumbs gently behind my ears. Using his hands he moves my head side to side, showing off his home. “Isn’t it…magnificent?” 

     Swallowing the whimper before it escapes, I mechanically nod my head in agreement. This seems to please him, as he bends down and kisses the side of my head. 

      “You’ll come to enjoy living here,” He coos in my ear. With a mighty shove I’m pushed away from him, landing roughly on my side. My hands shake as I try to push myself up. Looking back I feel my stomach and gut twist at the sickly sweet smile on his lips. “I’ll have someone escort you to your room, my dear.” 

     A dark chuckle leaves his throat, echoing off the wall as gibbering and cackling comes from a far room—coming closer and closer with each passing second. I glance nervously to every entrance and doorway, a building anxiety laced with fear bubbling in my chest. 

     Then, I see them.

     Small bodies the size of toy soldiers made up of torn wings and bones swarming around me like a disturbed nest of angry wasps. Socket-less eyes gaze at me from all directions, their sharp fingers grazing over my skin and pulling at my hair. I screech and begin to crawl back, shielding my face with my arms. The monster clears his voice and the buzzing stops, the small creatures pausing to gaze at him. With a wave of his hand, the monster states, “She is our most precious guest. Take good care of her and please, no biting.” 

     The buzzing from the creatures gets louder, their bones clanking together as they cluster forward. Gathering myself off the floor, I back away from the creatures that venture toward me. Suddenly one is no more than a few inches from my face, and I shiver as I make out the revolting details of the aged skull. It gives an unearthly shrill and I flee through the swarm into an open entrance. 

     A handful cackles and grips tightly to my clothes, sharp claws puncturing the cloth. I swat them away as I ascend up a spiral staircase two stairs at a time, the swarm following closely behind.  The bottom of my bare feet begin to burn as I climb, the stairs leading up to an upper balcony that’s open to the sky. The scenery barely registers in my mind as I dash across the stone flooring to another door, my hands immediately reaching out and throwing the door open with a loud bam. Looking back I see a hurricane of tiny bones rise from the stairway and I quickly slam the door shut. Thousands of tiny knocks and scratches come from the other side. Their boney arms cut through the thick wood, black sockets staring at me with unreadable emotion. 

     Frantically, I turn and run down the hallway, another door coming into view. But unlike the others, it opens as I approach. Widening its wooden texture like a shark’s jaw. It snaps shut behind me as I dash into the room and, despite the oddness of that, a breath of relief leaves me when I can no longer hearing the cackling and betting of wings. Taking a few breaths to steady myself I gaze around the room, eyes widening in curiosity when I see the beautiful décor of a bedroom. 

     Contrasting sharply against the darkness of the mansion the walls are lines with white panels and designs along the blue paint. A king sized bed sides on the right—adjacent to an ivory white fireplace—, see-through blue curtains enveloping the round bed as plush white sheets look at me invitingly. Two bookcases sit against a fall wall, a black wooden table and two plush white chairs sitting between them. Potted plants sit in the corners, a lovely scent drifting from them. Silver chandeliers light up the room in a soft glue glow, another single door sitting beside the fireplace. 

     As I begin to walk towards it an inhuman screams comes from the room’s entrance and I back away into a far corner. Tears prickle the corner of my eyes and start to fall down my cheeks. My breathing shuttering as I plea, Mitchell…save me. 

     Gathering a bit of courage, I wipe the tears away and glance around the room, desperate for an escape. I run towards one of the arched windows and begin to pull it up when one of the boney creatures presses flush against the glass. I shriek and stumble back, dozens of them joining until every single window is almost covered with them. 

     Without thinking I unwrap the blue curtains from their holds on the wall and cover the windows. Another wail echoes through the room and I dash for the one other door in the room. I fall to my knees when I see it’s only a bathroom, those horrible creatures against the windows in here as well. Their twisted faces showing off rows and rows of needle-like teeth. I back up into a corner and curl into a tight ball, allowing my tears to freely fall. 

     There is no escape. 

     A door creaks open. I freeze. Pushing myself against the wall of the bathroom I strain my ears as I hear the soft thump of light feet. 

     Is it the monster? 

     Peeking through the open door I spot a young girl, not much older than me, standing by the entrance with her back towards me. A short skirt maid outfit covers her thin frame, the fabric handing loosely on her hips and shoulders; her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail. Slowly, she turns and I gasp in horror. 

     Her pink lips are sewed shut with black thread. The wounds fresh as dried up scabs of blood colored the otherwise pale flesh. Turning away from me she points to a tray of food placed on one of the nighttime tables by the bed. I slowly stand and walk over to her. 

      “Who are you?” I gently ask, “Why are you here?” 

     The girl seems to stare through me, cocking her head to the side. Taking a few steps back, I take a knife from the tray and walk back towards the girl. But, instead of being afraid she just stands there. Lacking any emotion. The girl barely looks down at the knife before moving her gaze back up to my face. 

      “I’m not going to hurt you.” I reassure her, though I feel like I’m more reassuring myself. Slowly I move the knife toward the girl, using my other hand I pull at one of the strings watching her lips pinch closer together from the slight pull as I move the knife between her lips in the string. With a flick of my wrist I cut the string. 

     One down six more to go.

      The room is quiet as I work; the girl doesn’t make a sound nor moves an inch with the sharp cuts of the knife. Slowly I pull out each string, pulling out the puss and blood. Placing the bloody thread on side table I pick up the cloth that came with the food and move to the bathroom, wetting it and start cleaning away at the wounds on her mouth. 

     Gathering up the mess I made I walk back towards the bed, throwing the mess into a trashcan by the door.

       “You must eat, Master orders it,” a soft voice says, weak as if it hasn’t been used in years.

      Turning, I look at the girl that just spoke, emotion still not present on her face. “Did the Master do this to you?” Dread settles in my stomach as I can already guess the answer.

      “The Master doesn’t want another incident like the last one,” her brown eyes burrow into mine, “Master owns us all. And now, you are his too. I fear for you.”

     I gulp at her words and softly inquire, “Why?” 

     A small smile forms on her face. “Because you are special. You are ‘it’.”

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