Motionless in Wonderland

Chapter 35: Dog Cages & Propositions

CHAPTER 35: DOG CAGES & PROPOSITIONS

"Please, for the love of all that's holy, tell me that's the exit."

Chris continued to drag his feet a few paces behind the other two; Andy was getting tired and Jinxx was still powering on ahead like always. Did he just never get tired at all?

There was a door up ahead at the end of the hallway; it was still so dark in the hallway that Chris couldn't even tell what colour it was.

"Looks like this' it," Jinxx said, halting at the door and trying the door handle as Andy and Chris caught up. "It's locked."

"Why's every damn door locked?" Andy asked with irritation as he fished around in his jeans pocket for his key. "I hate this."

Chris watched as Andy slotted the key in and they all heard as the door clicked open; Chris breathed a sigh of relief as Andy put the key back in his pocket and Jinxx pushed the door open, going through with the other two.

Chris had never been so happy to see the outside world in his entire life.

The stars shone brightly in the night sky; it looked like it was nearly morning though. The garden stretched out all around them; the door they'd come through was just standing in the middle of the green grass path with no evidence about what horrors laid behind it.

Chris couldn't see any way back to the castle from here; it was all just a massive garden with the castle in the background. He assumed they'd have to go back through the hallways to find their way back; either that or they waited the hour or two until morning.

"It's at the end of this path," Jinxx said. "Looks like no-one's let the Black Dog out tonight; he's still in the halls by the looks of it."

"Someone lets it out into the garden?" Chris asked, slightly appalled.

"Sometimes," Jinxx said as they walked down the pathway, the massive structure of the dog cages visible up ahead. "Why do you think Maria changes her guards regularly? She doesn't trust anyone, even those closest to her."

The three men approached the dog cages, the door wide open; something about this struck Chris as odd. For one, there was currently no sign of Ash anywhere, and it was giving him a rather bad feeling.

It was dark at the far ends of the massive structure; Chris would have hated to see it in the daylight filled with rabid hunting dogs.

"You're right y'know," the three heard from over to their left. "I don't really trust anyone."

The door to the cage swung shut violently, all three looking over and seeing one of the guards locking the gate. Chris looked back to the darkness in front of him, seeing someone step into his vision. Maria gave them all a smile, flanked by at least five of her guards.

They'd been tricked.

"Not as smart as I thought you were," Maria said, walking over and coming to a halt a few paces in front of the three men.

"How'd you know we were heading here?" Andy growled; the darkness got the eerie feeling to it again.

"I'm not stupid Andy," Maria said bitterly. "I knew something was bound to happen eventually; you think I wouldn't notice a distraction when it happened? I know Shadows let you out; he's responsible for releasing Alice too. What'd you promise him in return?"

"We didn't know he was here," Andy said back, his tone equally as bitter. "He didn't say why he was letting everyone out."

Maria looked him over as she spoke.