Lost between realities

Chapter 24

Mr Chair

***

"Go on..." I crawled out of the shadows, interested yet scared.

"Alright then," He strode up to the iron bars, smiling at me in a teasing way. The laser-like red flecks in his brown eyes flashed with mischeif, "I'll tell you everything." He crouched to my level, I move back slightly.

"Tell me then!"

He grinned again, " Soright know, your friend is on his way somewhere. You'll find out exactly what's happening later. I'm not going to go into detail about that. However, you and your little friend over there," he gestured to Pewdie who was muttering to himself in the sleep..or was he awake? I couldn't tell anymore. He was curled up, hugging his knees and rambling things so fast I didn't have time to catch was he was saying except for a manic laugh occasionally. Barrel continued, "you and him are going to come to the ceremony with us."

"Ce-ceremony?" I stammered.

"Oh didn't you hear? The wedding, that girl and I are getting married. This will seal her bounds to the castle, she won't ever he able to escape afterwards, and the best thing is, there's nothing you can do!" He began to laugh, "This time, I win. I win! I win! I win I win I win!" He sang, dancing around, clapping his hands and cackling like the madman he was. Fury mixed with deep sadness built up in my chest, tears filled my eyes and I began to cry again.

"Y-you can't do that! It's not right! She doesn't love you!" I cried, he swung back to face me, grabbing the bars and grinning.

"Who's to say I love her? It's only a little fun..besides, she won't stay long afterwords..I get bored easily."

"Wait..but I thought you said-" Then I finally understood what he was saying, "You wouldn't! You wouldn't dare!"

"Oh, but I would Mr Chair. She won't even realize what is happening until it's too late! That's the beauty of the specific potion I used. She doesn't know you so what's the point in trying to save her?"

"I don't care if she doesn't feel the same but I love her and if she were to die then I would take my own life."

"That, can be arranged."

"Will you spare her if I agree to die?"

"....maybe."

"Give me a straight answer," I growled.

"That would make things boring...I might just dispose of you all.."

"N-no..."

"Just like I did with that other girl, oooh that one was fun. I love the sight of fresh blood," he sniffed the air hungrily, as though imagining the sickening scent, "Mmm...the smell of the red pools...almost metalic...like the smell of coins...the taste is even better.." His smile was so wide that it looked as though he would break his jaw any second. I stared in horror and disgust at him, what kind of person has those sort of thoughts?! I mean, I knew that he had started to go around the bend a little but I hadn't realised how bad it had got until then. Charlotte wasn't safe with this man! Nobody would be! Now we were all going to die and there was nothing anyone could do.

"You're sick..you're a sick, insane man," I spat at him.

"She didn't scream much.." he continued, "it was all over pretty fast, but there was lots of gore...her head was completely smashed inwards, fascinating to observe. A true work of art. She wasn't much use anyway, always trying to go against my plan. She's told that girl too much..."

Once again the feeling of sudden realization hit me. G hadn't been to see me in days..because she was dead. He'd murdered her, brutally by the sounds of it. Tears fell down my cheeks no matter how hard I tried to stop them.

"No! How can you do that! You monster!" I began to sob loudly, laying on my stomach like a baby. In the background Barrel cackled, amused my my state of hysteria.

"Because, my dear Mr Chair, I rule this castle." And he swept away..leaving me mourning yet another of my friends. I wanted to escape, to see the outside world that I had forgotten, that I hadn't seen for years..a whole decade in fact..probably more than that. I was twenty two now...yes, twelve whole  years since I had last seen my home. I was going to finally go home...if I still had one.