Arisu [ #JustWriteIt - Horror - Complete ]

Chapter Eight - A Most Beautiful Cage

"The little boy's trust was true.
But,
An awful crash came out of the blue."

Heavy knocks on a brass bell; five gloomy chimes through the silent night.

Within the heart of a solitary room, a flickering slit of blood red began to glow.

All he saw was scarlet and russet checkers, as if he'd been shrunk down and held over a chess board by his ankles. Was it real? Was he still asleep?

It took some time for his disoriented mind to deduce that what he saw was part of an extravagant ceiling design.

The fog of confusion was cleared away by a flood of recollection. Missing children. Menacing monster.

Running.

Falling.

Where was he now? A room that he'd missed the first time? How dreadful it must've been for him.

More of the elaborate design became visible to him as his nighttime vision sharpened. Checkers and leafy vines, depictions of centuries' old fairyfolk, masterfully painted over a domed ceiling.

The centrepiece was an intricate mosaic artwork of a rabbit sitting by a chess board, constructed from the point of view of someone sitting opposite - presumably its opponent.

Coryn moved on from the rabbit rather quickly; its stare and scarlet-ringed eyes were unnerving.

Disturbingly.

The curvy walls were painted over with masterpieces too. One was a beautiful lakeside dock, another a flower surrounded by whimsical swirls.

So many works of art, all hidden away in such a strange place. The amount of questions they raised were staggering - not least of all, who'd painted them.

He felt sluggish as his own physical condition flared to attention. When he concentrated on moving his head, he was struck with a severe bout of motion sickness.

A little too nauseous for comfort, he kept still, if only for a few minutes.

The mosaic rabbit was still staring down at him with those peculiar eyes. Don't think of that! He scolded himself. It may be eerie, but it's just colorful stone!

The motion sickness had come, and now it went. He was able to sit up, having been lying across a rather soft recliner seat.

His hands were bound apart by some kind of restraints. They weren't rough on his wrists, but they were quite sturdy.

Coryn's strength was no match for them. He pulled, tugged, twisted and shook. Alas, they wouldn't come undone.

N-No! I ca-can't move! I can't stand up!

His breathing became sharper.

He forced his sight towards the walls, forced himself to examine the details of another painting to keep himself from coming undone at the seams.

A leaning coconut tree, dipped towards the idyllic water of a lagoon. The trunk was lanky, full of smooth ridges, breaking into vast yellowing leaves that fanned out like a peacock's plumage.

Better.

So much better.

He swiftly took control of his breathing, slowing down the influx of air that was being forcibly yanked into his lungs.

Stopping yourself short from falling over the very edge of hyperventilation was no easy feat.

A bitter reminder to himself that, no matter how much he claimed to have recovered, the memory still taunted him with its cruel hand, tucked away beyond his reach.

Coryn leaned back, dragging the restraints along the reclining chair's arms. His hands hung underneath them, dangling below as if they'd been hanged by nooses.

A rumble from the outside world managed to slip through the walls.

A storm was approaching.

Well, it held to meaning to him. A storm wouldn't change anything. He'd be caged in here, in the oddly shaped room, with the lasting sound of lightning lashing the earth for company.

If only I had my grimore... Or a knife...

His chest heaved up from a halfhearted sigh.

Could he ever atone for the danger he'd put his little brother into? And what about Alice? She'd been gullible enough to believe that he was capable of vanquishing anything.

Carefully avoiding the gaze of the rabbit, he sat back up. Restless from worry - unwilling to plunge back into nightmares if he got too comfortable...

~*~*~*~

I know you're awake.
You took an awfully long time.
I'd love to know your nightmares.

But there is a little business I must attend to first.
Don't worry; someone special is keeping eyes on you too.

Now if you'll excuse me...

[Even though I'm the author, I feel pretty helpless to change the character's plights sometimes. Do you enjoy my story? Does it give you those little chills? With love, from Phantom.]