Alvin let out a sigh of relief. He had waited so long for a place to get away from reality, bereavement, loneliness and sorrow. He fished out a photograph from his bag. It was old, torn and faded. He held it to his chest as he fell back onto the soft bed.
Alvin
I held back the tears as I thought of Paige. It had been nine long, antagonizing years. I closed my eyes to try and drift off into a peaceful sleep but I couldn’t. I dragged myself down 7 sets of spiral steps and made my way to well a few metres away from the freezing castle. I slipped a knife from the kitchen up my sleeve as I couldn’t risk what happened to Paige, happen to me even if I wanted it to. It was now late at night. The full moon shone brightly, supplying the light so that I could find my way to the well. I splashed the icy cold water over my face several times. I rubbed my eyes before returning to the castle.
I heard the distressed howls of wolves in the distance. I shot around. The only thing that accompanied me was the stillness of the night. Shaking, I ran inside, paranoia controlling my tensed body. Looking back, I tripped and fell. I struggled to my feet in a desperate attempt to get inside. As I reached the door, I heard a ghastly scream. It was full of pain that I could also feel at the pit of my empty stomach. I stopped. My heart raced and my freezing body quivered. I hurried inside and locked the door before leaning against the back of it. I sat on the floor filled with regrets. Looking down I watched tiny drops of water splashing on the stone cold floor. It was only a few moments later that I realised that I was crying.
I finally gathered my self together and wiped the tears off my cheek. I slowly rose to my feet. I couldn’t think, I was confused, anxious, fearful, paranoid and tired. I noticed that disgustingly sweet smell again, but it was stronger and more grotesque than ever. I took a detour through the 7th floor, where the stench was at its most powerful. I reluctantly opened one of the many doors. I trembled as I caught sight of horrifically disembodied corpses that filled the room. Instead of running away, I entered the room. I wanted to run away, I just couldn’t. It was impossible to even think about identifying the tortured victims. They no longer had faces, except for one of the lifeless bodies lying on the cold hard floor. They looked as if they had been here for a very long time, years. Who could have done this? Why would have anyone done this? My mind wanted to run as far away as my body could take me, but I remained as still as a lamp post.
I fell to my knees. I was distraught. Why didn’t I attempt to get as far away as my body could take me? Maybe I didn’t want to. Maybe I wanted to end my misery. Maybe I wanted to die.
The Killer
The bedraggled beast returned to its castle through a hole where there was no longer a window. It looked restless as if it hadn’t feasted on raw human flesh for days. The hunched creature stopped abruptly. It moved its long, pale neck round as it was sniffing around the room. It was the delectable smell of human. Its eyes widened in disbelief. The monster dropped to the floor and dragged out Alvin’s bag before snatching a piece of clothing out of it and smothering its ghost-like face in it.
The beast looked confused. Where was the human? When had this human arrived? How had it got in here? A nasty grin made its way across the creature’s face and a contemptuous laugh was let out.
It followed the scent down the steps and walked up to the already open door and gripped into the wall as it climbed up onto the ceiling above Alvin.
It was now above its prey. The savage looked desperate. Bloodthirsty. Merciless.
Alvin
I came close to the only corpse that still had a face. I gasped. I was in extreme disbelief. I recognised that face. They were the same blue eyes, the same long, thin nose, and the same thin lips. I had no doubts. I recognised that face. It was her.
“Pai…” I gasped.
I was thrown to the floor. I felt a heavy object pressing all the air I had out of me. I tried to grab the thing that was crushing my body but my arms were firmly held down. The thing ran its fingers up and down my pale flesh on my neck like it was finding something, a vein maybe. I felt a sharp pain in my neck. I thought I had been stabbed. I couldn’t have. I felt a cold breath tickle the back of my ear. It felt as if all the life in me was being sucked out. I looked in the mirror opposite me; the only reflection I could see was of me.
I heard a venomous snigger. The something had turned into someone. I swung my arms back to grab whatever it was that was doing this to me. I couldn’t feel anything. Was it just my imagination? It was too draining and painful to be my imagination.
I was dragged to my feet by my hair.
The Room
Alvin let out a cry.
“Pa…”
“There’s no point in wasting your breath on her” laughed the pessimistic voice “That one has been there for nine years at least.”
Alvin took the weight off of his feet and fell to the floor in order to get away from the beast. He crawled down the stone steps of the castle into a random room on the 6th floor He knelt down. Catching his breath, he thought of Paige. He let out a cry of despair, not knowing he would soon regret it.
The creature burst through the window and leaped on top of Alvin. The creature had started feasting on him. Alvin let out a painful scream. He fell to the floor lifeless. He was dragged up, once again. The creature pulled back his chin, ready to slit his throat.
Alvin opened his eyes. In a desperate attempt to be free and avenge the death of his late wife, he reached shook his arm to obtain a long, sharp knife and thrusted it through himself and into the heart of the creature behind him.
This way Alvin could be with his beloved Paige, and the creature of the night could never feast on another innocent soul.