Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Before I was tied up, I had thought I saw the red eye creatures morph into
human form. Because it was dark I wasn’t one hundred percent sure of what I saw.
Then everything went black.
Dreams invaded me almost peaceful sleep. Events that happened a while ago but
still haunts me today. Events that I wanted to escape from. Events that made me
want to star fresh. And here I am. In a new would I didn’t think could even be
real or even exist.
But Ricky and Elpha are real. So real that my shoulder brushes against
Ricky’s arm and I felt my skin tingle.
“We’re here.” Said Ricky in admiring tone.
I almost bumped into him when I didn’t realise he had stopped walking. My
eyes were following his feet, making sure I was in line with him. Then as my
shoulder brushed against him I started to fall behind.
I moved my eyes away from Ricky to see the castle’s entrance. It was made of
red brick and had an iron door. I couldn’t hide my disappointment. I had thought
of something much bigger and more grand. But no. There was simply red brick
making up the wall and a thick, black iron gate. Elpha and Ricky exchanged a
side way glance.
“Don’t worry.” Said Ricky, leaning in so the words went straight into my ear.
“This is a secret passage. The main door is hours away.”
“And he’s taking a chance showing this to you.” Said Elpha, not trying to
hide his disapproval.
“I don’t think we need to worry about her Elpha. She wasn’t paying attention
anyway.”
My cheeks flushed with colour when Ricky looked my way, sending a smile that
could easily light up this dim lighted area.
“Still you’re taking a chance.”
Ricky pushed past Elpha to one side making Elpha look at him with a mixture
of shock, hurt and his pride a little damaged. I couldn’t stop myself from
smiling at his reaction but looked away quickly when he gave me an annoyed look.
Ricky had opened the iron door and waited for us.
“That was… silent.” I said, surprised. The door opened without a single
squeak or moan.
“It’s a secret passage.” Said Elpha, his tone cold. “It’s meant to be
quiet.”
He walked past me, making sure he brushed against my arm along the way. He
went into the darkened tunnel and found a switch that turned the hidden lights
on. From where I was standing, I could see two walls were grey and the ceiling
and floor were white.
“What is it with grey and white?” I asked joining Elpha in the tunnel. He
only stormed of when I was a few meters from him.
Ricky smiled a little and came into the tunnel, closing the door behind him.
Shaking his head gently he said “Elpha will come round. The last betrayal
effected him the most.”
“Poor Elpha.” I said “But seriously, what’s with grey and white?”
We started walking slowly, following the way Elpha went. The only way.
Straight ahead.
“People were complaining about how dark the tunnels were and wanted to colour
them. Half wanted white. Half wanted grey. In the end they were coloured half
and half. White and grey.” Explained Ricky.
“A good compromise.”
“It was. Until our last visitor.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing important my dear. You are our guest. This shouldn’t concern
you.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“No. This is for me to worry about. Besides, you’ll be leaving soon so this
really doesn’t concern you.”
I stopped walking and watched Ricky as he turned the corner. Leaving? Perhaps
I haven’t escaped after all.
*****
It’s not early morning and I’m sitting in the guest room of a small part of
the castle. It was spacious but to airy for me. There was a double size bed with
scarlet duvet and pillows. One arm chair was placed by the arched window and a
walk-in wardrobe was a few paces away from the main door. Nothing else was in
the room. No dressing table, no mirror (though there is one in the walk-in
wardrobe). Not even a writing desk.
When I walk the sound of the footsteps bounced of the walls. The room was too
empty for it’s size.
I’m sitting in the arm chair, watching the first ray of the raising sun. I
had only arrived here a few hours ago and now I’m expecting to leave. What would
happen if I told Ricky I didn’t want to leave?
There was a knock on the door and a young woman cam in. Her skin shimmered in
the soft light of the raising sun, making it appear she wore glitter. She was
wearing a soft pink dress that curved around her body in all of the right
places. Her hair flowed down to her waist and it was a beautiful chocolate brown
colour. Like Ricky, her face appeared to be childlike.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She said with innocence in her
childlike voice.
I stand up and slowly walked toward her, sort of in a hazy mesmerised way.
She smiled at me as she watches me approach her. I got so far and stopped,
shaking my head to clear my mind.
“A lot of people react the same way when they first meet my kind.” She said,
explaining to me my own actions. “Ricky sent me to heal your wounds.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.” I said “I rather they heal naturally.”
“Naturally. But some may come infected if not treated. That’s all I’m going
to do. Stop them from being infected.”
“Even then…”
“You don’t need to be scared around me. I’ve seen almost everyone in the
Land-”
I held up my hand to stop her. “Don’t need to know that. I’m not embarrassed.
It’s just…” I couldn’t find the right words to say.
“I’ll only handle the wounds that the creatures made. That okay?”
I put my hand down and sighed deeply. “Please, just do the wrists and
ankles.”
“By all means. Would you like to take a seat?
Nodding my head I went over to the bed and sat on the edge. She followed me
and knelt down. Taking one hand into her own, she examined the redness on my
wrist. Her other hand went behind he back and produced a small round tub. When
she opened it there was a clear gel with many air bubbles trapped inside.
“It’s a special formula.” She said as she scooped out a small amount onto her
finger and started to rub it into my skin. “Only a small amount does wonders. In
half an hour, the redness is gone and the skin will start to heal. In an hour no
one will know about it.”
“Wish I knew about it before now.” I said quietly, thinking about all the
cuts and red skin I had in the last four years.
“It’s only available here I’m afraid. Anybody who tries to take it out of the
Land will be surprised in the morning. The cream will disappear and the areas of
the body that had it on will burn. Not for very long. But long enough to
activate the wounds again.”
I shuddered with the thought. “Would that happen to me?”
“Only if you try to take the cream with you when you leave.”
I sighed deeply as I watched her move from wrists to ankles.
When she finished the ankles she said “There. In an hour no one will ever
know.”
“Thanks.” I said and watched her stand up.
She considered something for a few seconds and handed me the cream. “Here, so
you can deal with the wounds you don’t want me to see.”
I took the cream from her and smiled weakly. “Thanks.” I said in almost a
whisper.
“If you need to talk about anything, talk to Ricky. He’s a very considerable
man.”
“Even if I want to stay here?”
She sighed and looked at me sadly. “That depends on your situation. We can
deal with visitors. We like visitors. But asking to stay is another thing
altogether. Just talk to Ricky.”
She smiled sadly before she excuse herself to leave. Taking a deep breath
when the door closed, I could feel the lump in my throat tighten. What would
happen if Ricky asked me to leave? What would happen when I returned home? A
thought I didn’t want to think about.
Chapter 4
Before I was tied up, I had thought I saw the red eye creatures morph into
human form. Because it was dark I wasn’t one hundred percent sure of what I saw.
Then everything went black.
Dreams invaded me almost peaceful sleep. Events that happened a while ago but
still haunts me today. Events that I wanted to escape from. Events that made me
want to star fresh. And here I am. In a new would I didn’t think could even be
real or even exist.
But Ricky and Elpha are real. So real that my shoulder brushes against
Ricky’s arm and I felt my skin tingle.
“We’re here.” Said Ricky in admiring tone.
I almost bumped into him when I didn’t realise he had stopped walking. My
eyes were following his feet, making sure I was in line with him. Then as my
shoulder brushed against him I started to fall behind.
I moved my eyes away from Ricky to see the castle’s entrance. It was made of
red brick and had an iron door. I couldn’t hide my disappointment. I had thought
of something much bigger and more grand. But no. There was simply red brick
making up the wall and a thick, black iron gate. Elpha and Ricky exchanged a
side way glance.
“Don’t worry.” Said Ricky, leaning in so the words went straight into my ear.
“This is a secret passage. The main door is hours away.”
“And he’s taking a chance showing this to you.” Said Elpha, not trying to
hide his disapproval.
“I don’t think we need to worry about her Elpha. She wasn’t paying attention
anyway.”
My cheeks flushed with colour when Ricky looked my way, sending a smile that
could easily light up this dim lighted area.
“Still you’re taking a chance.”
Ricky pushed past Elpha to one side making Elpha look at him with a mixture
of shock, hurt and his pride a little damaged. I couldn’t stop myself from
smiling at his reaction but looked away quickly when he gave me an annoyed look.
Ricky had opened the iron door and waited for us.
“That was… silent.” I said, surprised. The door opened without a single
squeak or moan.
“It’s a secret passage.” Said Elpha, his tone cold. “It’s meant to be
quiet.”
He walked past me, making sure he brushed against my arm along the way. He
went into the darkened tunnel and found a switch that turned the hidden lights
on. From where I was standing, I could see two walls were grey and the ceiling
and floor were white.
“What is it with grey and white?” I asked joining Elpha in the tunnel. He
only stormed of when I was a few meters from him.
Ricky smiled a little and came into the tunnel, closing the door behind him.
Shaking his head gently he said “Elpha will come round. The last betrayal
effected him the most.”
“Poor Elpha.” I said “But seriously, what’s with grey and white?”
We started walking slowly, following the way Elpha went. The only way.
Straight ahead.
“People were complaining about how dark the tunnels were and wanted to colour
them. Half wanted white. Half wanted grey. In the end they were coloured half
and half. White and grey.” Explained Ricky.
“A good compromise.”
“It was. Until our last visitor.”
“What do you mean?”
“Nothing important my dear. You are our guest. This shouldn’t concern
you.”
“Maybe I can help.”
“No. This is for me to worry about. Besides, you’ll be leaving soon so this
really doesn’t concern you.”
I stopped walking and watched Ricky as he turned the corner. Leaving? Perhaps
I haven’t escaped after all.
*****
It’s not early morning and I’m sitting in the guest room of a small part of
the castle. It was spacious but to airy for me. There was a double size bed with
scarlet duvet and pillows. One arm chair was placed by the arched window and a
walk-in wardrobe was a few paces away from the main door. Nothing else was in
the room. No dressing table, no mirror (though there is one in the walk-in
wardrobe). Not even a writing desk.
When I walk the sound of the footsteps bounced of the walls. The room was too
empty for it’s size.
I’m sitting in the arm chair, watching the first ray of the raising sun. I
had only arrived here a few hours ago and now I’m expecting to leave. What would
happen if I told Ricky I didn’t want to leave?
There was a knock on the door and a young woman cam in. Her skin shimmered in
the soft light of the raising sun, making it appear she wore glitter. She was
wearing a soft pink dress that curved around her body in all of the right
places. Her hair flowed down to her waist and it was a beautiful chocolate brown
colour. Like Ricky, her face appeared to be childlike.
“I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She said with innocence in her
childlike voice.
I stand up and slowly walked toward her, sort of in a hazy mesmerised way.
She smiled at me as she watches me approach her. I got so far and stopped,
shaking my head to clear my mind.
“A lot of people react the same way when they first meet my kind.” She said,
explaining to me my own actions. “Ricky sent me to heal your wounds.”
“Thanks, but no thanks.” I said “I rather they heal naturally.”
“Naturally. But some may come infected if not treated. That’s all I’m going
to do. Stop them from being infected.”
“Even then…”
“You don’t need to be scared around me. I’ve seen almost everyone in the
Land-”
I held up my hand to stop her. “Don’t need to know that. I’m not embarrassed.
It’s just…” I couldn’t find the right words to say.
“I’ll only handle the wounds that the creatures made. That okay?”
I put my hand down and sighed deeply. “Please, just do the wrists and
ankles.”
“By all means. Would you like to take a seat?
Nodding my head I went over to the bed and sat on the edge. She followed me
and knelt down. Taking one hand into her own, she examined the redness on my
wrist. Her other hand went behind he back and produced a small round tub. When
she opened it there was a clear gel with many air bubbles trapped inside.
“It’s a special formula.” She said as she scooped out a small amount onto her
finger and started to rub it into my skin. “Only a small amount does wonders. In
half an hour, the redness is gone and the skin will start to heal. In an hour no
one will know about it.”
“Wish I knew about it before now.” I said quietly, thinking about all the
cuts and red skin I had in the last four years.
“It’s only available here I’m afraid. Anybody who tries to take it out of the
Land will be surprised in the morning. The cream will disappear and the areas of
the body that had it on will burn. Not for very long. But long enough to
activate the wounds again.”
I shuddered with the thought. “Would that happen to me?”
“Only if you try to take the cream with you when you leave.”
I sighed deeply as I watched her move from wrists to ankles.
When she finished the ankles she said “There. In an hour no one will ever
know.”
“Thanks.” I said and watched her stand up.
She considered something for a few seconds and handed me the cream. “Here, so
you can deal with the wounds you don’t want me to see.”
I took the cream from her and smiled weakly. “Thanks.” I said in almost a
whisper.
“If you need to talk about anything, talk to Ricky. He’s a very considerable
man.”
“Even if I want to stay here?”
She sighed and looked at me sadly. “That depends on your situation. We can
deal with visitors. We like visitors. But asking to stay is another thing
altogether. Just talk to Ricky.”
She smiled sadly before she excuse herself to leave. Taking a deep breath
when the door closed, I could feel the lump in my throat tighten. What would
happen if Ricky asked me to leave? What would happen when I returned home? A
thought I didn’t want to think about.
Chapter 4