Harrington's Journal

Chapter 7: December 10th - Escape

                  

December 10th

I never thought that escape would be quite challenging. In the past few days, I've been listening intently on the twins and when they usually leave their home.

I sighed and placed my hand on the front cover of Albari's diary. I now know that he was the one who killed the oldest son. That explains why he was found with his chest opened and his heart gone, right in front of the forest, near the manor. That still does not explain how these creatures came into existence, but instead, how a human became a monster in spite of his love for his children. I should no longer stay here, my life is being weighed by a scale that was tipping to the side of death.

It was that time when I finally prepared for my one and only chance to escape. When I scrapped my hands along the tools as Ryla dragged me into this room, I managed to pick up a few thin tools, just small enough to fit through the lock. It was about time to put my lock-picking skills to use. I've been practicing when I was living with a family who were blacksmiths and my step-brother was, well, gullible but competent when it comes to locks. I twiddled and turned the tools until they were in the right place, and using another, I fit it into the hole and twisted, hearing the door making a satisfying 'click'. I grinned and opened the door wider. There were no twins ahead but groaning patients. Grabbing Albari's diary and shoving it into my bag, I made no hesitation to step out from the room.

During this time, Ayla and Ryla were probably going out for a short walk or hunting and won't be coming back about fifteen minutes later. This was all the time I needed. If I ran back in the same direction I came here, I might come across them again.

Sneaking into the laboratory, I grabbed a fine knife and attached it to my belt whilst making my way towards the door that led up to the basement. Near the door was the man, who continued to remain alive. He was brutally beaten, his skull battered in and his chest took in more scars than before. I do pity this man and so I went up to him, trying to open the handcuffs that had him suspended from the ground.

"Ah human...," he croaked. "I'm surprised that you're still...alive."

"I'm even more surprised to see you still breathing," I replied with a smile, doing my best efforts to comfort him. "Don't worry, I'll get you out."

"I'm jealous, Harrington. You were treated as if, what do you call it in human language? Vampire is it? That's right, a vampire prince's bride."

I ignored his comment and finally set his left arm free from the wall then proceeded in removing the other. What stopped me were the voices coming from behind the door. The voices were Ayla and Ryla's.

"I don't think I-"

"There is a tunnel that leads out from the laboratory to the outside. It's right there behind those cages. But first, you are going to get me out. Now!" 

I shook my head and stepped back as I heard the voices growing louder.

"I'm sorry", I said and ran for the exit.

Behind me, I heard the door slammed open and Ayla shouting at Ryla to chase after me. I could hear his feet pounded the stone floor. When I entered the tunnel, it was dark and narrow. Ryla had trouble squeezing at the entrance and I eased my way through the darkness. I reached at end of the tunnel and I could barely see the ladders in front of me. I climbed up till I reached the hatch. I pushed it open to the gloomy but welcoming forest that laid behind. Although, not far behind me was the backyard of the house. I then quickly closed the hatch and sealed it by shoving a stick into the hasp like crossbar. I sighed in relief, but was surprised by a low, husky voice that whispered into my ear.

"Found you," whispered Ayla.

With her feet, she swept me off the forest floor and I landed hard on my back. Before I had the chance to get up, she came on top of me and her fingers snaked around my neck. I gasped for air as she clenched her fingers over my throat.

"I had a chance!" she roared, shaking me as if I was a rag-doll. "This was my chance to make Ryla and myself human. You are just like him. Abandoning us for your own personal gain, but I won't allow it. Not this time. Not again. Not a third."

"Ayla," I croaked. "Your master...he loved you!"

"Really? Do you really think that knowing about my master would change anything? His diary is a lie. He did not love us. He wanted what we have and he did not deserve it at all. And this time, I'm going to make sure that you won't move as I will be placing your body in ice."

My hands held onto Ayla's wrists as she tried to put me unconscious. I threw my arms desperately, my fists aiming at her face, and when it did hit my mark, I lifted my knee and threw her off. I quickly stood up, feeling the air going through my lungs once again. Ayla slowly got up, looking at me with the eyes of her master's and her own.

"Ayla! Why ish tis door not openin," shouted Ryla from below as he banged his fist against the hatch.

"Not now you pathetic piece of meat!" exclaimed Ayla.

Ayla charged at me with fury in her eyes, eyes that were filled with hate and sorrow. With her newly attached beastly fingers, she tried clawing me. I quickly evaded her blind attacks, but I won't be able to dodge her for long, as my stamina was draining quickly. She lunged forward, I stepped back but tripped over a root. Damn my clumsiness! I raised my arms forward to stop her from bitting my face off. Her stiches pulled and her skin stretched as she opened her mouth.

"I've forgotten what human tastes like," she snarled with a sickening grin. "It's been so long."

She leaned down ever so closely. I reached for the knife attached to my belt and rammed it up into her chest, directly into her heart. Ayla's eyes widened and stared down at the knife through her chest. I scrambled back and regained my footing. Ayla looked from the knife then to me. Black blood oozed out between the blade and her skin.

"No...I can't die...I'm immortal...," she murmured. "You can't...kill me...I have...unfinished work to...complete." Ayla fell back and laid on the forest floor, motionless; her eyes stared into the ceiling of the forest.

"I guess you are not immortal at all," I muttered and took a step back. "Now, you can see your master in hell, sick creature."

I turned and ran into the forest, away from the house, away from where I came in. As I ran, I smile carved onto my face. At this moment as I was running, I was thinking of, oh how much more I wanted to see from this world. It was far from over, very far from it. But what kept me smiling for a long time was that, I wanted to see faces like Ayla's when I stabbed her. It was, priceless.

Within the deep and dark forbidden woods, I heard a loud wail piercing through the air like a gunshot. I figured that it was Ryla, who had found the dead body of his sister. I knew that Ayla hated her master; I do not think she would ever want to revive him. Telling her the truth will not change anything either. Nor her brother would understand. I never found Dr Brenhin's body; I assume that the twins ate his body.

Resurrection, immortality, murder, were conducted within this forest. To even extend the link between other worlds to the human world, how is this possible? Is it because of the storm that brought Dr Brenhin here? Likely? Maybe so.     

I've found out that Ryla contains the heart of the oldest son, the son who was murdered. But, I do not feel so guilty when I left that man behind. The man who comforted me next door, as I was held as a prisoner for the twins. All I could remember was the painful look he gave me as I tried to free him. He was a beast...after all. But, what would've happened if I did free him? We could've been friends. He would've shown me around and even take me to his home. However, I doubt it. I doubt it. He would eat me; use my flesh for stew. Besides, nothing is to be trusted in this forest, ever.

I've ran for enough and just twenty minutes ago, I rested. Right now, I am continuing to write in the dark. However, something ahead of me is making my body tense and uneasy. As I stare at it, it leaves me in sheer, cold terror.

Harrington. H