The Massacre Mansion

Chapter 21: Sunday?

     Twists and turns, darkened hallways, dead ends, names and curses along with pounding footsteps, and a single thought was what had awaited Kadince and I as we raced through the pathways. The image of Mark's heart being held by the bloodied Olivander wouldn't leave my mind. It tortured my head as I forced my legs to pump faster. We had to find a way out soon, or at least lose Olivander. Kadince has to get out. She's all I have left.
      Attempting to quiet the sound of my shoes hitting the cement flooring, I took a few random turns. Figuring that I had somewhat lost Olivander, I slowed down to a quick walk while an exhausted Kadince came into my peripheral vision. Pulling her closer to me, I bent down to her ear.
     "How are you doing?" I whispered as quietly as possible. All that seemed to escape my lips was a small breath of air, but she appeared to understand because she nodded her head signifying she was okay, or at least as okay as anyone could be in this moment.
    "I think I know a way out. It would be very unlikely that one of these paths would lead to the front door so I think we'll have to take another route, ok?" I whispered once more. She nodded again as I straightened back up to my original height.
     "One more thing...take your shoes off," I softly told her. A confused face met mine as I took my own off.
      "They make more noise then if we were to be walking barefoot, and they might also be able to trick Olivander into thinking we went another way," I explained. Seeming to except that answer, she pulled her own shoes off.
      Walking once more, we came to a fork in the hallways. Moving over to the left side, I placed my shoes in a distressed way as if I had fought to quickly get them off and Kadince did the same. We then moved to the middle pathway, assuming if Olivander suspected anything he would think we chose the path farthest from our footwear.
    The halls appeared the same save for a single candle that rested on the ground as if someone had placed it there in a rush. A few cobwebs had formed on it, signifying that it had been there for quite some time. Picking it up and wiping it off, I noticed it was lavender. The candle showed use since the candle wick was blackened, and the wax had melted down the sides. A small match lay near where I had picked up the candle. 
     "Come on, (Y/n). We need to go. There's no time for examining everything!" Kadince complained as quietly as she could. She began tugging on my arm as I looked past her to see a white silhouette.
      "Light the candle, little one. The flame will point you in the direction you wish to go," the female I had grown so acquainted with spoke. 
     "How?" I inquired before I realized now wasn't the time to ask questions. 
      "Simply trust me. There's no time for explanations," she stated as she faded away once more. Why couldn't she have just guided me herself? New questions plagued my mind before I noticed Kadince's worried glances. Grabbing the match, I struck it against the wall and lit the candle.
    "He's going to see the light, (Y/n)! Put it out, please," Kadince begged.   
   "It's going to help us, Kandi. Trust me," I said before staring into the flame. It appeared to be leaning forward. Motioning Kadince to follow me, we walked down the hallway again. Eventually we came to two turns, left or right. While we were walking, the flame had been slowly leaning more towards the right causing me to believe Claire had been correct. Taking the right path, I continued watching the flickering light.
      "Where are we?" Kadince pondered aloud as we reached a wall.
     "Hopefully our destination. Now hush, Olivander could be anywhere," I reminded her before pressing the wall. It revealed a small opening leading into a familiar bathroom. A small piece of paper was on the sink precisely where I had left it, and a horrible stench filled my nostrils.  The smell was also familiar. Glancing at the drawn curtain, I saw blood pooling around the floor. Pinching my nose, I stepped into the room. 
        "What's that horrible smell?" Kadince asked from behind me.
      "Death," I answered simply while averting my gaze once more to the bloodied floor.
        "What?" She asked in disbelief.
      "It's exactly what I said. That foul scent is blood," I explained my original answer. Looking over my shoulder I saw my sister cringe and scrunch up her nose.
        "Oh," She said in disgust as she looked to the curtain covering the shower. Her face morphed into one of concern.
      "I wouldn't recommend looking behind it. It'd be best just to get going. If Olivander goes back to his cameras he'll find us," I told her before she got any ideas. Looking to the ground, she huddled closer to me. Moving towards the door, we walked out of the horrid place into the small library from before. I had already put the flame out and placed the candle on the counter.
       Moving around the table in the middle, I proceeded towards the window. This was possibly the only way out, but I didn't want to stick around any longer to find another route. I'd lost too many in the past five hours. Huh, five people in five hours. A small giggle left my lips before it morphed into a louder chuckle that then turned into full blown laughter. Bending over and clutching my stomach, I realised I had lost it.
      I felt a small hand on my shoulder as I looked up with tears in my eyes from pain or laughter, I didn't know. Concerned, ice blue eyes stared into my own as I eventually calmed down. The tears then morphed into sadness as the situation once again hit me. I brought my hand up to wipe the salty tears from my vision before Kadince pulled me in for a hug. Quickly pulling away, I composed myself.
       "I don't have time to cry about stupid misfortunes. We need to go," I said while wiping the remaining tears away.
        "But where?" She questioned.
        "Through that window," I stated while pointing at the slightly ajar glass.
         "What? How? We could die from this height!" She exclaimed.
        "Do you want to live? Cause I guarantee you won't if we stay here," I told her. She opened her eyes to say more, but soon closed it. Walking closer to the window, I looked as close to the mansion I could. Pushing the glass out more, I stuck my head out the window. Fresh air hit my face as I inhaled the scent of an oncoming storm. Closing my eyes, I relished the moment for a second before reopening them. There was a small ledge a little ways down. If we landed on that first, we could make it to the ground without getting hurt too badly. Getting back into the room, I turned to Kadince.
        "You have to land on the ledge beneath us. Then we can get safely to the ground," I told her. She showed understanding before coming to me.
        "I'll watch you go down first," she replied.
        "No, I'd like you to go first. That way I'll know you make it out. What if Olivander came the second I got down and took you away? I wouldn't be able to live with myself," I explained to her while placing my hands on her shoulders, my (e/c) orbs staring into her own.
      "Do you promise I'll be ok?" Her blue eyes sparkled. I nodded my head with a small smile attempting to reassure her. She glanced into my eyes searching for any doubt before sighing. Her form moved to the now half-open window as she pushed it the rest of the way. Upon doing so the frame gave away causing the glass to fall to the grassy ground. It landed, shattering into little bits while Kadince gulped. Bracing herself, she moved to a sitting position on the ledge. Carefully watching her, she pushed off and a thud soon followed. Rushing to the window, I saw that she had successfully landed on the ledge and looked up to me. She sent me a thumbs up before moving to a sitting position on that ledge as well.
       An arm wrapped around my waist as I released a surprised shout. That same metallic stench filled my nose as I began to struggle against the male's grip.
      "I found you, my love. Please, stay with me. I'll treat you right, you know I will. Don't fight me. I've forgiven you for your cruel words," Olivander said, nuzzling his nose into my neck. A wet substance stuck, making me cringe. 
      "Let me go! I don't want to stay here! You've killed all of my friends! I need to save Kadince!" I yelled at him, struggling even more. His grip tightened as he bit into my neck causing me to release a cry of pain.
       "Now, now, my dear Little Lady. You'll learn to love it here just as you'll learn to love me. I'm prepared to let Kadince live if you only stay here," he whispered sweetly into my ear, moving his lips back down to the crook of my neck as he bit it more gently. I was utterly disgusted. His words processed in my mind, and I realised Kadince could be saved, but at the price of my freedom.
        Halting my struggles, much to Olivander's joy, I focused on thinking of any loopholes. Kadince was probably down there right now wondering what had happened. I couldn't leave her alone. She was too young, she wouldn't be able to get out. That's why he said he would let her live. It had to be. 
       "Your skin is so soft, my sweet," he mumbled into my neck. I felt the vibrations from his words as my cheeks reddened. He may be a psycho crazy lunatic, but he was still a very attractive male. My mind went into a chaos once again. Part of me thought it was all hopeless at this point and I should just give in, but the more rebellious side wanted me to fight until my death and get the hell out of here. Needless to say, I had to do anything I could to save Kadince so I chose the latter.
      "You're right, Oli....I should stay here. You would love me and treat me right, and I probably will love you along the way," I spoke as if I just realised it. He seemed to be surprised because he halted his attack on my neck.
      "I knew you'd see things my way, Sweetheart. We didn't even have to do things the hard way," he murmured lowly into my ear," It really would have been a shame if I had to kill your sister, but you do love her more than me. At the moment at least, but let's put all that behind us, shall we?" He questioned while twirling me around to face him. I gazed into his blood stained face. He must not have thought hygiene was very important at the time. Gazing up into his eyes, I noticed they had lessened in insanity and seemed more caring. 
     "Yeah," I answered quietly. He smiled before giving me a peck on the lips, leaving remnants of blood behind. Close to gagging, he pulled me closer. Quickly going over my rushed plan in my mind, I sprung into action. Moving back enough to allow my leg room, I brought my knee up to injure him. Instantly succeeding, he released his grip. In all his years of this past time, he must never have had anyone retaliate. At least not that way. Using my time carefully, I rushed to the window and sat on the edge. 
       Being the slightly caring person I was, I glanced over my shoulder at the male I had left in pain only to see him mere inches from grabbing me back. Eyes widening in fear and surprise, I was startled. This sudden surprise caused me to lose my balance as I began falling. Olivander quickly reached out to grab my arm, but missed causing me to continue my fall. I tried to locate the ledge, but it zoomed past me. I heard Kadince in the background screaming for me as well as Olivander, I even heard a crack of thunder in the distance.
      "Don't worry, I've got you," The wind seemed to speak in my ear as my descent slowed. It felt as if two arms had grabbed a hold of me and was gliding down with me. Before I reached the ground, the unknown force had put me upright so I landed on my feet. Glancing around curiously, I heard the wind laugh, but it was so....familiar. Kadince was staring at me with her mouth agape in shock, and Olivander was staring at me above with a similar expression.
     "Wha....never mind. Let's go, Kadince. We have to make it back by 6. I don't think we have much time left," I shook the strange event off quickly. I was alive and that was all that mattered at the moment. Kadince came back to reality and frantically nodded before she tried running, only to start wincing. 
     "What's wrong, Kandi?" I asked her, immediately rushing to her side while Olivander yelled at me from up above, but his voice was being swept away by the increasing winds.
      "The glass. I landed on it earlier. I'll be okay though. Just don't worry about it," she said, trying to attempt a weak smile towards me.
       "I don't think you're ok...." I trailed off.
       "I'm fine. Come one, we need to go. Don't let me slow you down," Kadince said, attempting to run once more. After seeing her struggle for a few moments, I suddenly grew determined. She would get out of her alive. She'd live a long, full life if it was the last thing I made sure of. Moving to her position, I braced myself and picked her up. My muscles strained, but her skinny body luckily didn't weigh much.
       "What are you doing, (Y/n)?" The ginger questioned.
       "Making sure you get out of here safely, and this is the quickest way. Now please, stop struggling. It'll make this harder," I told her. She stopped squirming and it broke into a jog. Running full speed was difficult with her, and I needed to save as much energy as I could to hold her up. A light mist began falling from the sky, obscuring my vision. A ball of blue light appeared in the drizzle so without any other sense of direction, I followed it. At one point I could have swore I heard footsteps behind us, but I shrugged it off. The rain had gotten harder, leaving Kadince and I drenched.
         "(Y/n)...." a voice seemed to speak in my ear. It wasn't like Olivander's, or Mark's, not even Claire's. It was a voice I thought I would never hear again. I had to be imagining it.
​​​​​​       "Little Lady...." the voice trailed off yet again. The blue orb seemed to grow brighter. My legs needed a break, my lungs were burning, and my muscles had strained about as much as they could. Letting Kadince go, I leaned against a nearby tree. Squinting into the heavy downpour, I saw the orb again. It seemed to be bobbing up and down, growing larger. Inhaling large gasps of air, I noticed Kadince had taken to pulling shards of glass from her foot.
       "(Y/n)....can you see me?" that familiar voice asked. Knowing I had nothing to lose, I glanced around. The blue orb seemed to be morphing into a humanoid figure. A tall, blue-tinted silhouette formed. It had no features yet, but I'd know that figure anywhere. He was a part of my life for sixteen years.
      "Cas........Caspian?" I asked in disbelief. Wrinkles formed around the cheeks of the spirit's head making me conclude it was smiling. The head bobbed up and down quickly. Another, more distinguished figure appeared behind him, hands on his shoulders.
      "Yes, little one. Your good friend Caspian here decided he wanted to help you, even in the afterlife. He's such a good man, I wish I had someone like that around for me when I was young, and alive," Claire said with a happy smile.
      "(Y/n)?" Caspian asked once more, his smile growing even larger. Features began to form now. His strong nose formed, then his plump lips, followed by his ocean eyes that stood out among the pale blue color of his skin. His dark brown hair returned, now tinted blue as well. Even though my feet ached for a rest, I rushed towards him with a large smile painted on my face. Tears of joy had filled my vision before I realised wouldn't be able to touch him causing me to stop before him.
      "It's alright, (Y/n). If you had a strong connection with someone before death, you should be able to interact now as well," Claire's sweet voice informed me.
      "Really?" I questioned. Before she had time to answer, Caspian had scooped me up in a hug. Giggles left my lips as he twirled me around. Wrapping my arms around his cold form, I pushed my face into his chest.
    "Uh....Sis...are they real?"Kadince questioned, breaking me out of my happy daze. Putting me down, I answered.
     "Yes, Kadince. Yes! They're both real. This is Claire, she's been leading me everywhere previously," I said, enthusiastically pointing towards Claire. 
      "Hello, little sister of (Y/n)," Claire greeted her while giving a small wave. Kadince stood, dumbfounded.
      "And this....this is Cas!" I exclaimed, throwing my arm around the male. He wrapped an arm around my waist as I snuggled into his side with that same huge smile on my face.
       "But, that's not possible. They're dead!" Kadince pointed out.
       "We're ghosts, Kandi. It's completely possible," Caspian replied.
       "Can I touch you?" Kadince asked in a daze. Claire and Caspian laughed at the younger girl as Caspian outstretched his arm. Kadiance gingerly placed her fingers on his arm before pulling them back and staring at them.
         "You're so cold," she stated causing them to laugh again.
        "As much as I hate to cut this beautiful reunion short, we should really get going. Olivander is on his way, and he's close with that," Claire said very seriously.
        "Oh," I said. Casting my face downwards. I had been so happy, but it had to end at some point.
        "Let's go then," Kadince said walking to my side, still wincing. I moved to pick her up before Claire moved in  front of me.
       "I'll carry her. You need a break," she stated.
       "How? I thought only ghosts with a connection could make contact," I recalled.
        "If I focus very hard I can maintain a faint connection with the living," she explained to me. Kadince sent me a cautious look before I told her she could be trusted. Allowing herself to be picked up, Claire held her close as if she was her own child. Walking beside me, I held Caspian's freezing hand.
      After what seemed like a short walk, we ended up back at the Crimson River. Memories of all my friends came flooding through my mind as I squeezed Caspian's hand tighter. His blue eyes looked down at me in pity before he wrapped his arms around me. I had missed the male's touch. I never realised how much I loved being in his hold while he was living. Oh, the things I took for granted.
      "Well look what we have here. My Little Lady, and her little bitch of a sister. How will you get out of my grasp this time?"  The smooth voice of Olivander seemed to yell above the raging storm overhead. My head whipped around to the source of his voice as I stated in horror. He held a knife once more and a dangerous air surrounded him.
       "Just let us go, Olivander! I don't love you, and I never will! Please, go home!" I shouted at him in desperation.
       "Not without you," he said before springing at me. Caspian pushed me out of the way and Olivander landed in a small patch of mud. When he stood, he seemed even more pissed off then he originally was.
       "Claire, please. Take Kadince and get her to safety. Then you will have successfully freed a girl from your son's grasp. You can move on. Leave me here," I yelled at the angelic ghost. She sent me a sad smile before moving to Kadince.
        "NO! I'M NOT LEAVING YOU! LET ME GO!" She protested. Kadince struggled in Claire's grasp before breaking free and running to my side. She wrapped her arms around me in a death grip as I hugged her back.
        "Kandi, please. You have to go. I promise I'll see you again. Just please, go with Claire," I told her, bending down and kissing her forehead as her saddened blue eyes filled with tears.
         "I love you, Sis," she said.
         "I love you too. Now go," I told her as she released me and ran for the bridge, following close behind Claire. Caspian pushed me once more as Olivander went flying past my previous spot.
          "Now it's just me and you, Olivander. Come and get me," I snarled at him. 
          "Gladly," he replied. I turned on my heel and bolted through the trees the moment I heard his answer. Zig-zagging through tall, wooden trees, I heard him close behind. Forcing my legs to move faster, I continued to run through the trees.
         "You can't run forever, my darling! I will always find you!" Olivander shouted into the day. This pushed me even further until I came to a clearing...that held the mansion. I couldn't go back in there. The door stood wide open, but I couldn't do that. It would be so easy to hide there. He'd never expect me to walk back into it, but I couldn't bring myself to. Caspian appeared before me.
         "You can't stop here, (Y/n). You have to keep running," he said, placing a cold hand onto my drenched shoulder.
         "I can't, Caspian. I'm trapped. There's no way out," I said through clenched teeth. A look of pity crossed his ghostly features once more, before he pulled me in for a hug. Holding me close, he stroked my wet mass of hair. I pulled back, shivering, and looked into his orbs. Reflected a little ways away was Olivander. A scared look crossed my face before Caspian pressed his lips onto mine. Calming feelings rushed through my body as I pressed deeper into his lips. This was one kiss I felt as if I had waited my whole life for. After a few moments, the cold sensation left my lips causing me to open my eyes. Caspian was gone once again. A single tear left my eye as I waited for Olivander to reach me.
        "Why hello again, Little Lady. You've been awful mean to me lately. I think....you deserve a punishment this time. I've forgiven you too much," his voice seemed to echo in my mind. I felt the tip of a blade press into my back.
        "I'm sorry. I never meant for any of you to die. I'm so sorry," I muttered while I felt Olivander move all my hair to one side, pressing his lips to my neck once again. I didn't know why he had such an obsession with doing that.
        "(Y/n), when I press this blade into you, I want you to scream for me. When it hurts, of course. I only want to hurt you for your punishment, not excessively, only slightly," he said softly into my ear. 
        "Why not just kill me? Why use a knife if you only want to do minimal damage?" I questioned softly. I didn't want to live like this. 
        "Because I still want you alive, my angel," he answered as if it were obvious. "Are you ready?"
        "Please, just kill me," I pleaded. He seemed to stop his actions, then pull the knife away.
        "I....I can't do that," he replied, moving away.
       "Why not? You had no trouble killing everyone else," I stated, rage returning.
        "You're different," his silky voice replied.
         "No I'm not! I'm just like the rest of them! A poor, miserable person on this puny planet! Just kill me too!" I shouted, spinning around to face him, fury burning in my (E/c) irises. 
​​​​​​        "I'm not going to kill you! Calm down!" Olivander shouted back. I lunged at his knife, successfully catching him off guard. With the knife now in my possession, I pressed it to my throat.
       "If you won't then I will," I said, pressing deeper.
        "No! Please, (Y/n), you don't know what you're doing. Put the knife down, darling. Please, I love you," he said with a caring look. I almost scoffed at his words. 
        "I never wanted to hear those words from you! Funny how the tables have turned, isn't it? Now I'm the one with a weapon, but I don't want to kill other innocents. I want to kill myself," I stated with a smirk, pressing deeper, this time breaking skin. A tear seemed to escape his pale purple orbs as he gazed at me.

         "(Y/n)...please, don't do this. We can be happy. I won't kill anyone ever again-" he got out before I cut him off.
       ​​​​​"What does that matter anymore?! You killed all my friends! And you would have killed my sister!" I shouted. The knife went deeper into my skin. I was beginning to feel light headed.
     ​​​​​​"(Y/n)....wake up," a different voice spoke. His lips were the ones that moved, but it wasn't his voice. Staring confused at him, I tilted my head.
      "What?" I asked.
      "Wake up, (Y/n). None of this is real. You're dreaming," that feminine voice spoke.
       "No, no, you're lying!" I yelled at him. I pressed the blade further into my flesh, but I couldn't feel it. I dropped the knife in horror, gazing at my hand. Pinching my arm, I felt no pain. I pulled my hair, nothing. Shook around my injured arm, not even a flinch.
       "Wake up, (Y/n). You have a very important day today," that voice spoke again. I couldn't believe this. All around me the world began to fade to black. It had to be the blood lose. I must have grown numb to the pain. I fell to the ground as I heard Olivander laugh and the world faded away into a blinding white.

     "Wake up, (Y/n)! Wake up!" someone shouted while shaking my body.
     "Wha.......what happened?" I groggily asked. The blinding light burned my eyes. 
      "You....you don't remember?" a different voice asked.
      "All I know is that I passed out at the Massacre Mansion....Massacre Mansion! Where's Olivander?! Where's that murderous bastard?!" I shouted, all my thoughts rushing back to me.
      "Olivander? Dear, there is no Olivander...there's no Massacre Mansion."

"You haven't been outside this asylum for twelve years."

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       HELLO THERE ONCE AGAIN!! There's my final plot twist for ya! There's only one chapter left. What's gonna happen? Until next time, my dear pandas