A Dangerous Secret Revealed

Chapter 3

Grazilda led us to a underground tunnel, a hundred feet below the school. Eveything was dark and dirty in here, as if no janitor ever came to clean it.

"You mean...They're ALIVE?!" I cried out in disbelief.
"Yes," She said, looking a little guilty. "I just...said that they're dead so you won't worry anymore."
"Oh..But then what are we doing here?" My voice echoed through the long tunnel.

"Let me explain," Grazilda said and continued walking. "One of these tunnels leads us to a room. I kept my sisters alive by putting them there. I came here everyday to give them food and water. Students became suspicious - they wondered why I was coming down here multiple times in a day. A few saw me, and even questioned about why I always went alone. At first it was alright. But then it got worse. Everyday students - and even teachers would come knocking on my door and would ask about it. No one knew I was keeping my two evil sisters underground. If I did, they would be scared and never come back...You see, the fake memories I put in their minds were...kinda scary. Anyway, I hired a small troll, well, he was actually my pet before, but he's grown bigger. I hired him to keep an eye on my sisters, to give them food, so that students would stop questioning me about it. My troll pet went to the market once a week to buy food for my sisters. For years and until now, I never visited them after hiring the troll. Of course, I gave some rules for the troll to do: If ever there was a problem, he would just ring the chains and metal that would only be heard in my office. So...maybe there IS a problem...Maybe." She said nervously.

We walked a few more right and left turn. The long tunnel ended when a small room came to view. Grazilda walked even faster. But there was something wrong. The room was completely dark, no light, not a single candle in sight - meaning no one was there.

Grazilda opened the bar doors as quickly as she can, and started panicking. I snapped my fingers to create a torch in my hand. Finally there's a sourse of light. But Grazilda barely noticed it, she was busy muttering to herself.
"There.." She started. "They're not here. They're not here!" She started walking in circles, pacing in the room.
"They've...escaped?" I asked.
"Yes! They did! No no no...This is bad. How could they have escaped? Trolly was there and he guards like a --

Grazilda's sentence was cut when her hands trembled as she pointed to something which looks like an old...ragged blanket knitted together to form clothing. It was like a sack of cloth, if you ask me.
She gasped, then hurried towards the blanket to inspect it.
"Look, Catherine!" She said to me.
"What about it?" I shrugged. What is the big deal??
"Don't you see it?" Grazilda cried out and grabbed the torch to show me. "There's blood! And this is Trolly's clothes!"
Oh...

"Then...then...Who's killed him? Who made chain and metal sounds?" I felt my stomach drop to the floor. Something was seriously wrong now. If not Trolly, then who?
"I don't have an idea. Maybe it's - "

"Me." A dark, low voice growled.

Who was that..?
Grazilda turned her torch in every direction, to see whose source of voice that was. But we didn't see anyone. I snapped my fingers for my own flashlight and helped Grazilda find...But no one was there besides us.

Suddenly, I felt cold, clammy hands touch my elbow. Surprised and somewhat scared, I turned quickly and came face-to-face with a...person. Well, a hag. No offense, lady. The lady put her hands down from my elbow. Having long brown hair, wrinkled skin, bony fingers, and a wry, creepy smile, who wouldn't be scared of that witch? I sighed of relief, but Grazilda tensed up even more. Why?

"E-Ellie?" Grazilda squeaked.
Ellie laughed, but it seemed sarcastic and a forced out laugh to me. It was an inhuman sound. None of us spoke or made sounds for a moment. Then my flashlight slipped out of my hand. Such a soft sound became like a loud bomb explosion in the room. I picked it up awkwardly.