Mario The Music Box (Fanfiction)

Chapter 22: The Hatred And Sadness That Binds Us

                    They parted their hug, and Anna looked at Riba.

                    "Help? What do you need help with?" Anna asked with a gullible expression. Riba sighed in exasperation.

                    "You're aware of Mario, right Anna?" Anna froze, looking down a bit. She answered in a small voice,

                   "Yes...." Riba then nodded.

                   "So, you haven't killed him yet?" Riba asked, curiously. She started to twiddle with her fingers.

                   "I.... I thought he could be the one to stop Alice, along with Luigi, but..... I didn't know Alice would stab Luigi like that......" she muttered quietly. Riba shook his head, placing his hand on her head.

                  "It's alright Annabelle. You have nothing to worry about. You don't have to worry about killing him. I have a plan in mind where we will soon earn the respect that we deserve," Riba said, with a small smirk. Anna widened her eyes.

                 "Really? How......?" she asked. Riba chuckled again.

                 "How else sweetie? Becoming a king of course."
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                 Mario swallowed hard, and traveled up the stairs, gripping his lantern tightly. He was aware that he was completely unprepared for the horrors that awaited him, but nonetheless, he tried to calm his nerves. He then surveyed the second floor, bedroom doors decorating it. He walked up to one of them, pushing the door open. He looked around, hoping to find any clues, something that could be linked to the curse here. Maybe something that could help dispel the curse placed here. He then noticed something strange in the corner. It was too dark for him to see, so he raised his lantern, which illuminated that spot. There was something round there, that seemed to be covered in a mess of hair. It appeared to be a small girl who was hunched in the corner, unmoving. Mario's breath then got caught in his throat as he started to tremble. 

                She was red. 

                He tried to walk back slowly towards the door, but since irony was painfully cruel, he unwittingly stepped on a loose wood plank that composed the floor. A loud Creak! echoed throughout the room, and Mario cursed himself, gritting his teeth.

                'Stupid house! It's so run down, it puts old cottages to shame!' he thought angrily. He then suddenly heard nerve-wrecking laughter that shattered the space in the room. It creepily made its way into Mario's mind, and he looked around in fear, looking for the source. He then gasped, remembering the little girl he had seen in the corner. He glanced at the corner she had been in, but it was empty. He blinked, looking around in a panic. The laughter suddenly stopped. He slowly turned his head and looked through the doorway. The girl was a few feet away from him, and she had a knife clenched in one hand, with a doll clutched in the other. She had a ghastly face with two dark pools for eyes and a long white dress, which was tattered and dirty. She had an eerily smile, full of teeth, which could send someone running.  He immediately screamed, and unintentionally threw himself backwards towards the ground.

                "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!" His luck had obviously run dry, because as he lost control of his nerves, his arm flew backwards as he fell, and that was the hand that was holding the lantern. The lantern flew out of his hands, and smashed against the wall, glass shards flying everywhere. The flame inside went out as soon as it shattered, and his butt hit the floor hard. There went his only light source...... He looked back up at the girl and she started to laugh again, her laughter piercing his ears. She then sprinted at him with full speed. Mario's instincts kicked in, and he quickly jumped the side, dodging her attack. She quickly got back up, and didn't even waste time as she ran at him again. He dodged again, going towards the doorway. Adrenaline was pumping through his veins, as he had narrowly missed a knife stab, and quickly ran out. Unfortunately, he didn't make it too far, before the girl had already pounced on his back with inhuman speed. He grunted with a yelp, and tried to twist his body, as he landed on the floor. She was now on top of him, and she had the knife to his neck. Mario was able to hold her off, but his strength was starting to give away. He tried using his free hand to dig around in his trousers for the knife that he originally had, but his eyes then widened with sheer terror, as the truth hit him like a tidal wave.