Inside the Beast's Castle

Chapter 13--To Sleep Brings Unwanted Dreams

"Mama?"

Heat from the flames made waves come up from the ground. A few sparks flew around like lightning bugs.

"Mama, where are you?"

I was in the entryway of the house, shouting for my mother. Father and Joshua were outside. They got out when the men came in. I ran down the hall to my bedroom to see if Mama was there, hiding in my favorite hiding place. My birthday present, a silver necklace, bounced up and down on my chest as I ran.

I looked in my room, careful not to touch anything. Black clouds of smoke rose up from the flames, making me choke.

"Ma-- mama? Where are you?"

A high-pitched scream filled my ears, and I ran to my parents' bedroom. Wood panels started to fall down from the sides my house. Panic crossed my mind as I realized that I need to leave. I couldn't leave without Mama, though. A stuffed lamb with soft pink bows adorning its ears lied on the ground with flames engulfing it, making it turn to ash. My favorite toy. Tears started creeping down my face. I ran into my parents' room.

"Mama!" I started, but stopped quickly. There were five men in there with black masks on, gathered around my parent's wooden bed. The smallest of them grabbed me by my collar before I could flee.

"Looky here, boss. We got another one."

For some reason, I got stuck on that voice. It was so familiar.

The apparent boss poked his head up from the other side of the bed. His mask crinkled, giving the illusion of a sick smile

"Girly, you shouldn't be in here. Don't you know not to go back into burning buildings?"

He got up and slowly walked to me, flicking something in his hands as he did. A dark stain ran down the front of his shirt. I coughed, choking on the flames.

A wet hand touched my cheek roughly. The man's face was close to mine, his yellow eyes reflecting the fire behind me.

"Lemme go! I want my Mama!"

All the men laughed. The boss took out the thing he was playing with earlier and flicked it some more. It was a small, foldable knife. Blood shone on the sides of its silver surface. He held it menacingly in front of my face. I tried to move back, but I was held in place by the guy who grabbed me.

"Should we let her see her mama, boys?" the man shouted. An off-sync chorus of 'yeah's' responded. Two of the masked men smacked their hands together.

The bigger man grabbed my hand, hard. He pulled me to the other side of the bed. A heap of something lied on the floor, sprawled out in a shape that is not humanly possible. Its brown eyes were open and staring into oblivion with a glazed over look about them. Tendrils of brown stringy stuff  fanned out from the round shape that the eyes are on, clumped together by dried blood. Its clothing was half-way torn off and covered with holes; the torn pieces wrapped in a ball under what would be the things legs. Small, thin pits lined its stomach, with red liquid seeping through the holes. The way the thing was bent it looked like a limp doll. A dark red liquid pooled out from around it, making a misshapen circle. My eyes widened when I figured out what it is.

It wasn't a what, or an it.

It was my mother.

*****

I woke up in a cold sweat, bunched underneath my covers. My breath caught and caught again, and as much as I wanted to, I couldn't move. I needed to get up. I found feeling in my arms and legs and bolted out of bed, running my hands through my hair frantically, trying to calm myself. I bent down and put my head between my knees, then straightened up again, then bent down. Every time I blinked I saw my mother. Every move I made I saw her killers. I wasn't in control of my own body. I moved around the room, needing to scream but unable to, needing to cry but having no tears, needing to close my eyes but unwilling to. I couldn't even breath. I sat on my bed and bury my head in my hands, then fell onto my back.