"There are more dead people than living. And their numbers are increasing. The living are getting rarer."
_Eugene Ionesco
The sounds of the faint footsteps echo through the dark blue hallway… slowed and taking its time, enjoying the moment of being a predator. Eyeing with pleasure at the helpless prey crawling towards the only door it can see as the predator step forward with a… creak.
Creeeak… The obnoxious nerve racking floor creaks followed by a thud that pounds and makes my heart race every time the sound seems to get nearer and nearer to the door of this room. Each time the floor creaks, I would panic, trying to find somewhere to hide. The dissected limbs of one of the guests had already occupied the small room or the closet in the middle. It doesn't seem like there would be any other trap doors around.
There are some old boxes laying around the corners and a window on the left with two long red curtains… creeeak… That's not good, the sound is getting near and something's coming, though I don't know what. The sound continues then finally stops, just on the other side of the door. Then it slows in to a long creeeeeeeeeeeak and the door bursts open, slamming onto the other side of the wall with a BANG!
A person whom I recognized as a guest falls through the door and into the room, panting and coughing up blood. A figure comes up from behind the panicked guest with the same blood stained ax that I had witnessed. I couldn't see anything clearly for I was hiding behind the long red curtains, silent and never daring to move even an inch. The ax was raised and followed by shrieks, screams, and cries of pain.
I tightly cover my ears, not wanting to hear anymore of this dreadful ear-piercing scream. Still I couldn't help but make out the words of "stop, please! Somebody… help me please!" But I'm no help. I'm too weak… I can't do anything!
The scream finally stops and the guest stop struggling. I cover my mouth, trying to keep myself from screaming out loud. I'm a coward. I'm so selfish.
He didn't have to die. Things might've been different if I were to step out from behind the curtain. The figure starts to search with its newly stained ax. For what, could it be for me? He opens the door to the middle room as the bloody limbs fall out and crumble on to the floor next to the other guest that was killed just now.
The figure then gathers all the limbs together in its arm the drags the other body out of the room, leaving a long trail of blood… 'Two down, eleven more to go…' I sat behind the dark red curtains for how long? Hmm… I don't know anymore maybe for about twenty minutes or so.
Unable and still not daring to move, I stayed like a solid statue, like a shell without a soul and doze off but not completely asleep for I realized that I still have to be cautious. With my head buried into my arms, my eyelids half closed into my silk sleeves, I thought of Sebastian. I called him but he didn't come. Of course, it is easy for a person to get lost in this mansion; Sebastian is not a person, he is a demon.
A demon that is perfect and cunning to the point where this maze should be like a child's play to him. I risk my pride in the end and quietly whispered his name as the slaughtering took place, but he didn't answer and he didn't come. Is it because I'm not the Ciel whom he always mentioned so thoughtfully, so full of pride? I can't help but feel a tiny bit of jealousy at the bottom pit of my stomach. Nausea starts to build up inside me as I remember, and notice that single trail of blood on the floor.
Strange… I should already be used to all this blood and gore. After all, I was a part of my father's experiment. I remember those times too well, including the last conversation I had with him… in my cell. I asked him, "Why are you doing this, father? To mother, how can you still smile?"
He eyed at my weak form and at my naive ness, then replied, "how ironic… I can ask your mother that same question. How can she still smile when she had you? You, being 'her' daughter should know why I'm doing this"
"But… don't you love her?"
"…Love? I have no idea what you mean"
I have no idea what I meant myself at that time. The thing that never existed from the start… not for me. "Well, this memory kind of motivates me," I said to myself, as I finally stand up. I walk out from behind the curtains and towards the one and only door, which leads to that blue hallway from before, stepping over that trail of blood.
When I'm out in the hallway, I choose another door next to the one that I just came out of. That door leads to a complete different hallway where you can barely see anything since there is not one window or light at all. The hallway is made of cement and woods. I should choose a different door that leads to a lighter place.
But before I could, I hear another footsteps sound from the next door, so I quickly run into the dark hallway. The door opens and a dark hooded figure steps outside and starts to notice the echoing sound I made while inside that dark hallway. Then, the lights come in from behind as I start to run faster than I ever could –for the lights must be coming from the outside as the hooded figure opens the door to this hallway. - The figure starts to chase after my footsteps sound.
Despite how I could barely see anything at all, I kept running and that's all I can do. I should've brought my Rosery with me. Why am I'm so stupid? Then, I bump into a wall in front of me.
I turn left and right to just to realize that this hallway leads to nothing. The only way I can go is back, which is where the hooded figure is coming from… including the sounds of gunshots. Looks like he's carrying a gun this time.
