Chapter 30
Before heading for the manor, Arthur and Hat Kid took a moment to dry themselves off and rest inside Subcon Village. They also ate two sandwiches each to regain their strength. When they were ready, they exited the village and returned to the bridge at the intersection where they helped the minions get rid of the bone cage.
"Alright... there's the bridge leading to the manor," Arthur said, looking at the warning signs in front of the bridge that clearly advised to stay away for seemingly good reasons. "I can't really say I'm looking forward to this... but it's gotta get done," he added anxiously. Hat Kid nodded, also feeling anxious about having to go to the manor. Nonetheless, they had to go there and retrieve whatever was in the attic of that manor.
Relucantly, the two children crossed the bridge, and they could already feel the cold air of the snowy area that stood before them. Suddenly, spiked vines rose around them, causing the duo to jump in surprise; and in a matter of seconds, dark clouds surrounded the area. The Snatcher emerged from the ground with his usual ominous grin.
"AHHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FOOOOOOOOOOooo... oh wait, it's you two?" he said, trailing off after seeing it was Arthur and Hat Kid. The two children sighed in annoyance. "I was kind of expecting a new victim to step in my traps. I've already taken your souls and everything. Are you even working on your contractual obligations right now?" he asked with an annoyed and impatient expression.
"Well, what do you think?" Arthur asked irritated.
"I'd say you've gotten a tad lazier, kiddo," the Snatcher retorted with a smug grin.
"Whatever you say," the young boy muttered as he rolled his eyes.
The Snatcher sighed in annoyance and said, "Listen. Don't take it personal, kids, but stay clear of my traps. There's only so many times my voice can handle yelling like that. You're taking the experience away from other people."
"Then next time, put a sign in front of your traps. Maybe we'll see 'em then," Arthur retorted with an unamused look, crossing his arms.
"Or you could put glasses on too, kid," the Snatcher said annoyed, crossing his arms as well.
"Sure, whatever," Arthur muttered, waving his hand dismissively. The soul-stealing shadow shook his head in exasperation and continued speaking.
"Anyway, what was I saying again? Oh yes! Stay away from my traps, yadda yadda yadda... You both get the idea," he said. An idea then popped in his head and he grinned maliciously. "Uh, but since you did step in my trap, I might as well extend our business endeavors!" He cleared his throat and shouted, "FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLS!". He then waved his hands in a ghost-like manner as he said in a ghost-like voice, "You've stepped into my forest, and now you both must pay the price~!" Hat Kid laughed in amusement at the impression, making the Snatcher grin widely in satisfaction. Arthur simply rolled his eyes and sighed in annoyance. The Snatcher then snapped his fingers and a contract appeared in front of the children.
"Here's the contract you didn't sign before. You know the drill! Put your names on it and stuff!" the soul-stealing shadow said, grinning enthusiastically. Arthur and Hat Kid sighed in annoyance. Yet another contract added to the pile... Oh well, it's not like they had much of a choice. The duo approached the contract, and like the Snatcher said, it was the one where they have to deliver packages to 10 minions in Subcon Forest. They signed their names on the paper, and the Snatcher stamped it before making it vanish.
"Good! This one should be a breeze! You're taking all the contracts away from the newbies, though, which is really rude when you think about it," the Snatcher said with a fake offended look. "Whatever! I'm off! Smell you later, kids!" he said gleefully, before mischievously adding, "Well, if you're both still alive by then, that is," sending a chill down the duo's spines. After that, he vanished into the ground, leaving the children to their task.
"This pecking guy..." Arthur muttered angrily. He sighed and said to Hat Kid, "Come on, let's move."
With that said, the two children made their way into the snowy area as snow gently fell around them. Because of the cold temperature, they wrapped their arms around themselves as they walked through the snow. They were walking through an abandoned village. The houses were old and had a few cracks on the walls. However, the most visible detail was the numerous large thick icicles going through the doors, windows, chimneys, and even the roofs. Arthur and Hat Kid couldn't help but wonder who used to live here and what happened to this village for it to reach this kind of state. Nonetheless, they tried to stay focused on the task at hand, which was to find the manor.
"I could really use a jacket right now," Arthur said, shivering from the cold a little, as he rubbed his arms in an attempt to warm himself up. Hat Kid nodded in agreement, also shivering and rubbing her arms.
They eventually arrived in front of some sort of large entrance surrounded by very large thick icicles and frozen trees, and some warning signs were also placed in front of it. The entrance was blocked off by purple galaxy-patterned trees. The children also spotted a floating bell, similar to the one they saw in front of Subcon Well.
"I recall the Badge Seller saying something about purple objects acting the opposite of the green ones. Let's try that up," Arthur suggested. Hat Kid nodded and pulled her umbrella out, before hitting the bell with it. The sphere around the bell grew larger until it passed the purple trees, dematerializing them and making them translucent. The duo were able to walk through the temporary-translucent trees.
They then found themselves inside an icy cave with another bell, two green platforms, a purple one, and an ice wall standing in their way. Using the bell and their Dweller's abilities, they managed to use the platforms to make it to the top of the wall. After that, they had to pick up a cherry bomb and carry it to a Dweller on top of an ice block by jumping from block to block to blow up another ice wall blocking their way. And finally, they solved a puzzle including green platforms and a cherry bomb they used to blow up the last wall and progress.
And after going through a broken gate, they arrived in an open area with a frozen lake. On the other side of said lake, they finally spotted what they were looking for...
"Here it is... The Manor," Arthur said, staring at the shadowed, ominous, and snow-covered manor atop of the small hill. All lights were shining from all 3-4 floors. There were ice spikes on the roof and on the sides of the manor, a stairwell leading to the entrance at the front, as well as two headless statues with angel wings and a vase in their hands at the bottom of the stairwell.
"I'm already getting a bad vibe from this place. If even the Snatcher and his minions don't want to go there, there must be a good reason for it... Hopefully, if we're quiet and quick enough, we won't meet whoever or... whatever lives here," Arthur said anxiously. Hat Kid nodded, also feeling nervous and uncomfortable. The sight of the manor itself already gives off an eerie atmosphere. Neither of the two children were looking forward to going inside... but they had to go there to complete their contractual obligations. And who knows, maybe there is a Time Piece in the attic. The twelve-year-old boy sighed and relucantly said, "Well... let's do this, I guess...".
The duo walked up the stairs until they reached the entrance of the manor. Arthur turned the handle of the double door, but it remained shut tight.
"Locked. Let's try the back. Maybe there's another entrance or something," the young boy suggested.
The two children walked down the stairs and began making their way around the manor to find another entrance. However, they didn't notice that one of the headless statues suddenly came to life and began running after them. Arthur and Hat Kid stopped walking when they heard footsteps coming fast behind them.
"Do you hear that?" Arthur asked Hat Kid with a confused expression, receiving a nod from the girl as a response. They both turned around and their jaws dropped in shock and horror as they saw the statue coming for them. "Holy peck! RUN!" the twelve-year-old boy shouted in panic.
Arthur and Hat Kid quickly took off running with the statue chasing them. They eventually made it to the back of the manor and spotted a cellar door nearby. Thank goodness, a way in! When they approached it, the cellar door suddenly opened on its own, causing the children to jump back in surprise.
"What the hell...?" Arthur asked confused. He then looked behind him to see the statue getting closer to them and his eyes widened. "Come on, move!" he shouted as he urged Hat Kid inside.
When the two of them got in, Arthur quickly closed the cellar door before the statue could get them and locked it by pushing the plank down on the lock. The young boy backed away as the statue banged on the door from outside to try and get in.
The two children could only wait anxiously as they heard the constant banging on the door from the statue that desperately tried to get in, without success. After a few seconds, the bangings stopped and the duo could hear footsteps going away, meaning that the statue had enough and left. Arthur and Hat Kid both sighed in relief.
"Phew... that was close," Arthur said, earning a nod from Hat Kid.
The two of them walked down the stairs and found themselves in a large flooded cellar dimly lit by candles, with barrels and bottles of wines stacked around. Water was submerging half of their bodies and some thick icicles were on some parts of the walls as well. There were also metal chains on the wall, mostly used to lock your wrists and keep you hung against it.
"So much for staying dry," Arthur grumbled in annoyance, looking down at the lower half of his body that was submerged in the water. He sighed and said, "Well, we're in. Hopefully, nobody heard us come in. Let's try to get to the attic, but let's be careful... we don't wanna run into the owner." Hat Kid nodded in agreement.
They began walking forward in the cellar, but they froze when a voice spoke from behind.
"Hey, newbies!" the voice said. Arthur and Hat Kid jumped around in surprise, but they relaxed when they saw it was just one of the Snatcher's minions.
"Wow, geez! Listen, we would appreciate it if you don't sneak on us like that!" Arthur said annoyed through gritted teeth. The minion rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"Heh, sorry about that. Anyway, boss told me to remind you both, uhhh... you signed that paper about not using your hats while in the manor," he said nervously.
"Wait, what?" Arthur asked as he and Hat Kid gave the minion surprised and confused looks.
"Yeah. Don't use them. Thanks," the minion said, before running out of the cellar.
"Hey, wait!" Arthur tried to stop him, but the minion was already gone. He then looked at Hat Kid and extended his hand out, before firmly saying, "Give me that contract."
The purple-hatted girl did as she was told and removed her hat, before taking the contract about the manor out and giving it to Arthur. The young boy unrolled it and read it. He found a print in a very small font underneath the terms section that said 'Usage of hats is not allowed inside the manor.' He formed an angry look and gritted his teeth.
"That's a joke, right? We can't even use our abilities inside the manor?!" he said furiously as he shoved the contract back in Hat Kid's arms in frustration, causing her to let out a small "Oof!". The young alien checked the contract as well and her eyes widened as she also found the unexpected rule on it. She doesn't remember seeing it before. Did the Snatcher add the print after they signed their names on it? Well, that's certainly not a very nice to do! The Snatcher is so mean!
"I'm getting tired of that ghost pulling tricks on us. Let's get this contract over with so we can get the hell outta here," Arthur muttered bitterly. Hat Kid nodded as she placed the contract back in her hat and put it back on her head.
The duo walked up to a double door at the end of the cellar, but it was locked. They decided to look around for the key and entered a small room in the cellar. They found a yarn between two barrels, as well as the key on top of a shelf, and grabbed the both of them. They returned to the double door and unlocked it with the key, before proceeding up the stairs.
The two children arrived in a dimly lit hallway with three doors and a window at the end of it. A long purple carpet, blue wallpaper, and wooden furniture were all nicely placed. There was also a cracked mirror on top of a dresser, and an ice statue of a strange creature next to the door. The statue looked... oddly realistic though, which made the duo feel uneasy. The place was quiet. Too quiet... and the atmosphere was eerie too.
"I don't like this... Let's try to keep quiet around here," Arthur whispered anxiously. Hat Kid nodded, also feeling anxious.
The two children walked as slowly and as quietly as they could along the hallway. However, the wooden floor suddenly creaked under one of Hat Kid's footsteps.
"WHO'S THERE? WHO DARES ENTER MY HOME?" an echoing female voice shouted from a nearby room as a lightning flashed outside the window. Arthur and Hat Kid both yelped and fell onto their backs in surprise, crawling backward in fear.
The hallway seemed to envelop itself in darkness. Footsteps could be heard coming from the farthest door down and the doorknob slowly turned. The door then opened, and a figure came inside the hallway as the room became more dark. To the children's horror, it was an inhumanly tall, hunched-over shadowy figure of a woman with thin arms, clawed hands, long messy hair, a crown, and a ragged and torn dress. Her form was constantly shifting smoke and her eyes were glowing red.
Arthur and Hat Kid formed terrified looks and their jaws dropped at the sight of the monstrous woman. Not wanting to get spotted, they quickly got up and darted off to the nearest door, going through it and silently closing it right before the figure looked in their direction.
"Wha... what in the hell kind of monstrosity was that?" Arthur whispered in an extremely scared and panicked tone, keeping his body pinned against the door to block it in case the woman went after them. After a few quiet seconds, he slightly pushed the door open to take a peek, and he spotted the shadowy woman walking down the hallway with her back turned on him. He then quietly closed the door and whispered to Hat Kid, "I don't think she saw us yet... and I certainly don't wanna wait around for her to find us. Let's get outta here." The purple-hatted girl nodded quickly with a terrified expression on her face.
The two children looked around the room for a way out. There were a few bookshelves, an ice statue of a Dweller next to a dresser with a small cracked mirror above it, a cracked frame of a prince and a princess together, and a piano in the middle of the room. The duo then spotted a green book on top of a bookshelf with some sort of key inside it. Perhaps it could be used to unlock one of the rooms inside the manor. If they can reach it, they could hold onto it to unlock said room. Hat Kid tried to jump up and grab the book, but it was way too high for her to reach. Arthur cupped his hands together and offered her a boost instead. The small girl placed her foot in his hands and he lifted her up as high as he could. But even with the boy's help, she was still unable to get her hands on the book.
"That's not gonna do. Let's find something else," the young boy whispered as he quietly lowered Hat Kid back on the floor. His eyes then landed on the piano and it gave him an idea. "If we can raise the top cover of this thing, we could gain some extra height and maybe be able to reach the book," he suggested. As he examined the piano, he noticed a keyhole on the side of it. "Looks like we need a key to raise the top cover. Let's try to look around for it... quietly," he whispered, seriously emphasizing on the last word.
The began searching around the room for a key as quickly and as quietly as they could. The last thing they wanted was to make a ruckus and get caught by this monster. Who knows what she will do to them if she catches them here and now? They surely didn't want to find out. The duo didn't find the key here, so they decided to go look in the other room instead and found themselves in a kitchen. Hat Kid looked in the fridge and found a key with the handle shaped into a treble clef music note, probably the one to be used on the piano. She took it, then she and Arthur went back to the piano and used the key on it. The top cover opened up after that. Hat Kid smiled and climbed up on the bench to get on top of the piano.
"Careful, this doesn't look very-" Arthur's sentence was interrupted when Hat Kid stepped on the cover of the piano and it suddenly slammed down under her weight, creating a loud noise and making both children flinch. "... sturdy," he finished his sentence with a grimace.
"Uh oh..." Hat Kid said with a fearful look.
"Ready or not, here I come~," the woman's voice echoed in the hallway. Then, the door to the kitchen in the other room was heard opening. She was coming... Arthur and Hat Kid looked at each other with scared looks.
"Hide!" Arthur whispered in panic. Then, he and Hat Kid quickly looked around for a hiding spot. Although, the only one available was under the piano. With no other choice, they crawled under it and remained still as darkness slightly filled the room.
The woman entered the room and looked around. Arthur and Hat Kid both trembled as they anxiously waited, silently hoping that the shadowy lady wouldn't find them.
'Please don't check under the piano, please don't check under the piano...' Arthur repeated in his head as he felt his anxiety kicking in. He prayed to the lord that he wouldn't start hyperventilating here and now, because the heavy breathing would likely give their position away.
After a few stressful seconds, the woman huffed and exited the room through the kitchen door, returning in the hallway. The darkness dissipated from the room, returning to its original luminosity. Arthur and Hat Kid sighed in relief, before carefully crawling out from under the piano and getting up to their feet. They took a moment to breathe and recover from the stressful moment.
"That was close..." Arthur said as he let out a huge breath. Hat Kid nodded, breathing heavily as well.
The two children looked up at the book with the key inside and noticed it was now on the verge of falling from the shelf. The tension from the slam of the piano must have caused it to slip somehow. It gave Hat Kid an idea: if she creates a similar noise with the piano, then perhaps it will cause the book to fall from the shelf, and then all they will have to do is grab the key and run out of the room before the old scary lady comes here. It was risky, but it was the only option they had at the moment.
With her plan in mind, Hat Kid climbed back on the bench, then onto the top of the piano.
"Hey, w-what are you doing?" Arthur asked in an anxious whisper. Hat Kid ignored him, and she began jumping repeatedly on the piano, trying to make it break and create a loud noise similar to the one before. The piano's legs made a creaking sound, causing Arthur's eyes to widen in horror. What the hell is she doing?! She's going to get them caught!
"No! Don't-" the young boy tried to stop her, but too late. The piano's legs broke under the small girl's constant jumping, creating a noise louder than the one from before. Thankfully, it was enough to make the book fall from the shelf, causing it to open on impact and revealing the key. An echoing and ominous giggling was heard in the hallway, and the kitchen door opened once again with darkness filling the room, meaning that the shadowy lady was coming again.
Without wasting any more time, the duo grabbed the key and quickly exited the room just as the woman went into the kitchen. They dashed down the hallway and entered the door where the woman originally emerged from.
"Dammit, Hat Kid! I nearly had a heart attack back there! Next time you have a plan, tell me about it before pulling something like that!" Arthur hissed angrily.
"Sorry," Hat Kid apologized as she rubbed the back of her head. Arthur shook his head and sighed.
"Come on, let's move before she comes back," he said.
They walked through the room, which was some sort of rec room with a pool table, a dartboard, a bar with stools, and a red couch. There were also two ice statues in the room: one of an elderly man sitting on one of the stools at the bar, and another one of a Mafia man standing next to the pool table. Both statues were cowering in fear in their positions.
Arthur and Hat Kid were clearly disturbed by how realistic these ice statues looked like and how many of them there were around the manor. The duo shook their heads at the thought and reached a double door that appeared to be locked. Using the key they grabbed from the book before, they unlocked the door and went through it, walking up the stairs to the second floor.
They arrived in another hallway, and the duo's eyes widened in horror as they looked at the walls. The wallpaper was green and torn, with scratch marks all along the walls. It was extremely eerie and unnerving, which made the two children shudder.
They walked to the corner of the hallway, passing near another ice statue as they did, and reached another double door. They attempted to open it, but it was locked too.
"Oh great, locked too... Well, let's try to find the key quick. Hopefully, the piano mess will keep that monster busy down there for a while," Arthur said.
Without wasting any more time, the duo started searching for the key. They went around the corner of the hallway and they found a note on a small table. They decided to read it, thinking it might give clues on where to find the key or even the origins of this... monster.
The note said 'I'm sorry about your hair, my prince. I just wanted our lengths to match! ...and color... and curl... you look wonderful!'. Arthur and Hat Kid looked at each other with a disturbed grimace. The way this note was written and the topic of it were definitely... creepy. Sounded like some kind of obsession from the writer here... They shook their heads and decided to keep looking for the key.
They got to the end of the hallway and found a chest next to another ice statue of a Mafia man. They opened it... no key, but they found a yarn inside, which Hat Kid took.
After that, Arthur and Hat Kid went through the nearest door. They were now inside what looked like a child's room. There was a baby crib, some toys, an armchair, a train set similar to the relic they found back in Dead Bird Studio, a giant teddy bear, a yellow and purple gift box with three red balloons attached to it, two other ice statues, a cracked mirror and a painting of two headless persons on the wall. The wallpaper was blue and also had scratch marks all over it. There was also an horse toy that was... rocking back and forth on its own. Creepy... Nonetheless, they searched around for the key, but they didn't find it here either.
They went into the next room and found themselves in another bedroom. There was a queen-sized bed with royal red sheets and a canopy with golden threads, a large closet with two doors – one was open, the other closed – a vanity with a red felt stool, a wooden nightstand with a candelabra, a large wooden desk with a bench, a wooden dresser, and of course an ice statue. Needless to say, the red wallpaper had also scratch marks all over it. The two children figured it was the shadowy woman's bedroom.
"That key better be in there..." Arthur muttered under his breath. He really wanted to reach the attic and get the item they were supposed to retrieve as fast as possible so they could get the peck out of this cursed manor.
The two children immediately started searching around the bedroom for the key. During their research, they found a diary and a couple of notes on some of the furnitures. They took a moment to read them in order to see if they held any sorts of clues on the key's whereabouts and possibly the story behind the shadowy woman.
They started with the diary. A lot of the pages have been torn out, but three pages still remained intact. They read Page 13.
'Why? What have I done wrong? In his letters he talks about her. A 'tutor'. He says he loves me. But SHE sees him. I get letters, and SHE gets his time. He is MINE. Once his studies are finished I will have him back.'
Well, looks like that lady was love-obsessed. That might explain a few things, including the note in the hallway. The duo turned the pages and read Page 48.
'Dear diary,
Today my prince left to begin his studies. He will be so far away, and for so long. He has promised to write. He won't forget me, will he? His beloved princess?'
So... she used to be a princess? Makes sense, considering the crown they saw on her head. And apparently, she was in love with a prince too. They wondered what happened to him... Definitely nothing good from the looks of it. They turned the pages and read the last one that was still readable, which was Page 73.
'He is coming back. Just one weekend. A short holiday, from HER. I will convince him to stay. I CANNOT let my love leave again.'
Well, sounds a little melodramatic. The two children felt kinda bad for the prince who was unfortunate enough to be her lover. They closed the diary, and then read the other notes in the room – not before finding a relic that was inside a chest, which was another toy cow with a tin foil on its head.
The notes talked about different topics, yet extremely similar to the things written in the diary. And they perfectly summed up everything the two children learned about the woman so far, with more details. The first note said that the princess' mother had a bit of an accident and therefore the princess got crowned as a queen, but she complained that her prince couldn't call her 'his princess' anymore. The second was actually a letter sent by the prince himself, saying that his time at the Academy was hard but he was progressing quickly nonetheless. He also stated that he had been getting help in study from one of the tutors. However, the rest of the letter was ruined and torn when the tutor's name was about to be revealed – which started with 'Lady'. The third was about the princess complaining that her prince was enjoying his breakfast 'far too much', and she decided to forbid beacon in the house as a result. And the last one was about the princess wishing she could just chain the prince inside the cellar just to keep him forever.
Arthur and Hat Kid formed disturbed expressions after reading all of these notes. That princess was clearly insane and obsessed with a prince she loved. And judging by the last note, the prince probably paid the price of her insanity. They felt a bit sorry for him, even though they lacked proper empathy due to them having no souls. Aside from her obvious love-obsessed tendencies, the notes also revealed important informations about the princess: her name was Vanessa and she got crowned as a queen at some point. Therefore, they figured that her full name was Queen Vanessa. A crazy and love-obsessed woman, and no doubt a yandere too – which might explain her hostility towards the two children, aside from them sneaking into her home. Though, it was still unclear how she ended up in her current... scary, shadowy and demonic appearance.
"Are we playing a game~? You hide... and I'll seek," Queen Vanessa's voice was heard coming from the hallway, causing the duo to flinch.
"Looks like the piano distraction is over... Let's hurry up and find the key before she comes," Arthur suggested in a nervous whisper. Hat Kid nodded anxiously.
The two children continued looking around the room, but no trace of the key either. It wasn't until they looked up that they spotted the key on top of the bed's canopy, slightly sticking out. They groaned in frustration. Seriously, why do keys always have to be out of reach in this damn manor? Arthur tried to boost Hat Kid up again, but unfortunately, it was too high to reach.
"Again?! Geez..." the twelve-year-old boy whispered in a frustrated tone, placing Hat Kid back on the ground. He sighed and said, "Well, let's find something to bring it down, I guess."
While looking around for something to help them bring the key down, they returned in the child's room and Hat Kid's eyes landed on the balloons attached to the gift box. That gave her an idea. This time, she made sure to tell Arthur about her plan by pointing at the balloons, then at the key in the other room. He shrugged, figuring it was the only option they had at the moment. Hat Kid untied one of the balloons and brought it back to Queen Vanessa's bedroom, stopping under the spot where the key was sticking out. She let the balloon go and it flew up, touching the key in the process. It managed to move it slightly, but not enough for it to fall. Bummer...
Suddenly, an hissing sound was heard, causing the duo to look towards the source of the noise. Their eyes widened in horror as they saw the balloon float right on the lit candles on the candelabra. Peck! If it pops, it's gonna make a ruckus! Arthur moved forward to grab the balloon before- POP! Too late.
"... Peck," Arthur swore with a grimace.
"Are you in there, little ones~? I'm coming~."
Arthur and Hat Kid both gasped after hearing Queen Vanessa's voice. They could hear footsteps approaching the bedroom's door. Here she comes... They had to find a hiding spot quickly. The two children then looked at the open closet and quickly went in it without a second thought, before closing it.
From inside the closet, they heard the door to the bedroom open and they could feel the presence of the same darkness that engulfed the place whenever Queen Vanessa was around. As they anxiously waited for the shadowy queen to go away, Arthur's anxiety suddenly kicked in and he began hyperventilating. Oh no no no no, not here! Not now! The young boy tried to cover his mouth to quiet down his breathing, but to no avail.
Hat Kid was beginning to panic as she watched Arthur trying to calm himself down without success. If this keeps going, Queen Vanessa will hear him and they will both get caught. She had to do something to help Arthur calm down, and that's when an idea came through her mind. She gently wrapped her arms around the boy, pulling him into a comforting hug. Arthur flinched in surprise, but he eventually relaxed in the hug. His breathing slowly decreased, and eventually it quieted down. The twelve-year-old boy returned the hug by wrapping one of his arms around Hat Kid and holding onto her arm with his other hand, while the girl continued hugging him.
The two of them remained like that for a while, hoping that the shadowy queen didn't hear them. Eventually, they could hear the bedroom's door open and close again, and the darkness disappeared, meaning that Queen Vanessa left the room. The two children both sighed in relief, then Hat Kid released Arthur from the hug, before the two of them walked out of the closet.
"I, uh... thanks..." Arthur quietly thanked Hat Kid uncomfortably, yet genuinely as he rubbed the back of his head. The young alien simply smiled at him in response.
"Is... is scary old lady gone?" a voice suddenly said in a whisper, startling the two children. They frantically turned to the source of the voice, but they relaxed when they saw it was just a Mafia man nervously peeking out from behind the second door of the closet.
"Oh hey. You've been hiding in there too?" Arthur asked in a whisper. The goon nodded nervously.
"Y-yes. Mafia been lost in forest for days with other fellow Mafias, and we found big manor. Then, Mafia encountered scary old lady and saw her turn fellow Mafias into ice statues. Mafia got scared, so Mafia hid in closet," the Mafia man explained in a quiet and terrified tone. Arthur and Hat Kid's eyes widened after hearing that.
"Wait... she turned your friends into ice statues?" Arthur asked quietly, clearly horrified. The Mafia man nodded with a terrified look.
"Yes. Mafia saw her grab fellow Mafias, then they slowly changed into ice statues," the goon explained, shuddering at the thought of his Mafia comrades turning into ice statues. Arthur and Hat Kid looked at each other in shock.
So that explains the presence of ice statues all around the manor: they were victims who got caught by Queen Vanessa and were turned into ice by some sort of magic she creates. That would probably be the sort of fate that awaits the both of them if they get caught by the shadowy queen. The duo shuddered at the thought.
"All the more reason to get outta here as soon as possible," Arthur said to Hat Kid, earning a nod from the latter. He looked at the Mafia man and said, "Listen, we're trying to reach the key on top of this bed to unlock a door, but we're not tall enough. Can you give us a boost or something?", pointing up at the key. The Mafia man stared up at it, then at the closet he was hiding in, before shaking his head no.
"M-Mafia too scared to come out... Mafia would rather wait in closet, while you try to get key," the goon said cowardly, trembling in fear. Arthur glared at him. Really? He would rather wait and let them do all the work by themselves instead of helping them? Coward.
"Fine then, we'll do it ourselves... Make your bed here and lie on it if you like," the young boy grumbled angrily. He turned to Hat Kid and said, "Come on, let's go fetch another balloon," before he started walking back to the child's room. Hat Kid gave a disappointed glare to the Mafia man, before following Arthur in the other room. After she left, the goon closed the closet to hide back in it.
After the two children returned in the child's room to grab another balloon, they noticed something different about the painting of the headless persons on the wall. Now, they had a head each, although they both lacked a face. However, what was even more strange was that the hair styles were similar to Arthur and Hat Kid's. It was very unsettling, but they chose to ignore it and focus on the task at hand.
They untied another balloon from the gift box and returned to other room, before letting go of said balloon under the key again. It moved a little more and was now on the verge of falling off. Although, it still wasn't enough.
"That's a joke, right?" Arthur whispered in frustration. He then noticed the balloon floating towards the candles again. "Oh no, you don't!" he said, pulling the balloon back to stop it from popping off. However, he said it a bit too loudly. Realizing his mistake, he gasped and covered his mouth, letting go of the balloon in the process, while Hat Kid formed an anxious look.
"I'm coming~, I'm coming~."
After hearing the queen's voice, the two children ran back to the child's room before she entered the room, completely forgetting that they left the balloon behind. Shutting the door behind them, they hid under the crib and waited in case Queen Vanessa came inside the room. Suddenly, they heard a loud noise and a scream coming from the queen's bedroom, causing the duo to flinch. Then, a popping sound was heard in the room. Startled, the duo looked at the gift box and to their horror the last balloon had popped off somehow.
"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me..." Arthur whispered in frustration. Now they had to use something else to make the key fall.
They remained hidden for a few seconds, waiting for Queen Vanessa to come inside the room. Surprisingly, she never came. Quietly and carefully, the duo crawled out from under the crib and tiptoed to the door. Arthur slightly opened it and took a peek inside the bedroom. He saw Queen Vanessa exit the room with something in her clawed hand... it was the key! How did she- Arthur then facepalmed as realization hit him. The balloon. They had left the balloon in the room and it must have made the shadowy queen see the key. Things just went from bad to worse...
He then felt Hat Kid tug on his shirt, causing him to look back at her with a confused look.
"What?" he asked. Hat Kid had a troubled and scared expression as she pointed at the painting on the wall. Arthur looked at it and he formed a horrified look. The persons looking like him and Hat Kid on the painting now had creepy red smiling faces and they both had a Dweller's mask in their hands, making it look like they were removing it just to reveal their creepy faces. That was eerie as hell.
Arthur remained quiet for a few seconds as his eye twitched, before saying with a troubled look, "No comment. Come on, let's go." The two children went back in the bedroom and their faces suddenly grew pale. "Holy hell..." the young boy said with a horrified expression.
The closet they hid in earlier was now knocked over, and right under it was an ice statue of the Mafia man they talked to before. It looks like Queen Vanessa eventually found his hiding spot and he paid the price as a result. Despite how tragic this goon's life ended, neither Arthur nor Hat Kid really felt bad for him; one of the reasons was because of their lack of souls, and the other was because the Mafia man refused to help them.
"Well, I guess that's proof of what he said. We're dealing with an highly psychotic, deranged and love-obsessed monster that turns people into ice statues. Would have been nicer if she went into an ice-selling business for mojitos instead," Arthur said nervously. Hat Kid looked at him confused. What's a 'moh-he-toes'? Before she could ask, Arthur continued speaking.
"Anyway, I have good news and bad news... The good news is that the key is down. The bad news is... well... that monster has it," he said in a nervous tone. Hat Kid's jaw dropped after hearing that. "Not sure how we'll get it back, but we need it to unlock that door, so... let's go find it, I guess," he said with a shrug.
Relucantly, the two children exited the bedroom and returned in the hallway to figure out where Queen Vanessa went with the key. While looking around, they heard a shower running in the room to the right side of the hallway, and steam was coming out from under the door. Was she... taking a shower right now? Well, if she left the key in the room with her, maybe they had a chance to get it back while she was busy taking a shower. Hopefully, they won't have to see her naked, because that will certainly end up in their nightmares...
The duo tiptoed to the door, then Arthur proceeded to open it with a trembling hand. He slightly pushed the door open to take a peek inside the room. It was a small clean bathroom filled with steam. Sure enough, the shower was running and it was closed by a curtain. There was also an ice statue at the corner of the room and there was something written in red on the the mirror next the shower. It said, 'My prince has gone.' Something told Arthur that it wasn't greasepaint though...
Through the steam, the twelve-year-old boy spotted the key on top of the toilet lid on the other side of the room. He looked at Hat Kid and nervously pointed at the key to show it to her, causing her to grow a fearful look. Well... if they wanted the key back, they would have to sneak past the queen while she takes her shower. It was a bad idea... but they had no other choice.
Arthur took a deep breath and was about to go in there when Hat Kid stopped him. The small girl pointed at herself to tell him she would rather do it herself. The reasons were because of the boy's anxiety and also because she didn't want to see him get turned into an ice statue if he gets caught. She would rather take the risk herself than losing her friend. Arthur mouthed the words 'Are you sure?', receiving a nod from Hat Kid. The young boy sighed, before mouthing the words 'Be careful.'
Taking a deep breath, Hat Kid began to tiptoe towards the key. When she was halfway, a lightning suddenly flashed outside, revealing the silhouette of Queen Vanessa in the shower behind the curtain and causing Hat Kid to flinch in surprise. She looked at the shower, worried that the shadowy queen noticed her, but thankfully it didn't seem like she did. She sighed in relief and continued tiptoeing towards the key. Eventually, she managed to reach the key and she grabbed it.
Suddenly, the shower's curtain opened and Queen Vanessa reached out to grab the towel nearby, but she stopped herself after noticing Hat Kid, causing the latter to gasp in fear. The two of them had a staring contest for a moment...
"Uhh... hi?" Hat Kid said with a nervous chuckle.
Darkness filled the bathroom as Queen Vanessa suddenly let out a frightening shriek and attempted to grab the small girl. Hat Kid screamed, barely dodging her, and ran out of the bathroom as fast as she could.
"OH CRAP!" Arthur shouted in panic as he stepped aside to let Hat Kid through, before slamming the door shut.
The duo ran down the hallway as fast as they could, making a beeline for the locked double door. Hat Kid quickly put the key in the keyhole and turned it, unlocking the door. Queen Vanessa then barged through the bathroom door and let out another screech, before chasing after the two children. Arthur and Hat Kid gasped and quickly went through the double door, slamming it shut behind them. Hat Kid quickly used the key to lock the door and prevent Queen Vanessa from following them. She and Arthur took a few steps back as they heard the queen bang on the doors repeatedly in an attempt to break them down.
"I don't know how long it'll keep her out, so let's get out of here!" Arthur said in panicking tone, before he and Hat Kid ran up the stairs.
After going up the stairs, they finally found themselves in the attic. There were boxes lying around, cobwebs at the corners of the room, a table with a candelabra on it, a closet, an armchair, and a chandelier with lit candles hanging on the ceiling. At the end of the room was a chest under a large window. The two children ran towards it and opened it. Their eyes widened after checking the content. There was a Time Piece inside, which Hat Kid proceeded to grab.
"You were right, there was a Time Piece here after all. Now let's get out of here before-" Arthur's sentence was cut short when a loud breaking noise was heard coming from downstairs. In a matter of seconds, Queen Vanessa entered the attic and let out a screech after spotting the duo at the end of the room, before running towards them.
Panicking, Arthur looked at the window, then he pulled out his crowbar and smashed the glass with it to open up an exit for them. Not even caring about high it was, he and Hat Kid jumped off the window before the shadowy queen could grab them. The two children screamed as they fell downward. Thankfully, the snow softened their landing. After quickly recovering from the fall, Arthur and Hat Kid got up and ran off with the Time Piece in hand.
Meanwhile, Queen Vanessa was standing behind the now-broken window, watching the two children run away from her manor. She let out a frustrated and high-pitched roar that echoed throughout the whole area, while the duo continued running and disappeared out of sight in the snowy fog.
A/N: Hey everyone! Well, that wraps up the totally-not creepy, nightmarish and horror act of Subcon Forest, Queen Vanessa's Manor (although it's not as bad as a lot of horror games I saw, thankfully). I know that a lot of you have been longing to see this act come in my story though, so I hope you all liked it. Oh, just a little heads up, if you're all wondering about the Toilet of Doom contract, don't worry. I have a little set up in my head to trigger the act in my story. You'll have to wait and see after the mail delivery thingy. ;)
Anyway, time to answer a few... oh wait, no, that's actually a lot of reviews! ^^; Ahem, anyway! Let's get to it!
To pokemonsora01: Yeah, she's terrifying. Thankfully, when I got the game and played it, I was already used to it because I watched playthroughs of AHiT before. So it didn't bother me as much. ^^; And as you could see in the chapter, Arthur's anxiety didn't like that at all. Good thing Hat Kid was there for him.
To Mad King C: Yeah, even without their souls they still care about each other, and even in the manor they still did. It just comes to show that friendship can never be broken when strong enough. ^^ And you'll soon see about the rest in the upcoming chapters. ;)
To Rub37: Yup, and this chapter summed it all up pretty well.
To O: Arthur and Hat Kid aren't really ones to use someone's tragic past to torture someone mentally or tease them. And besides, I'm planning to do the Time Rifts after the Snatcher's Boss Fight only.
To HexoSpikeZ: Yeah, I'm also used to this act. Well, thankfully no one got frozen here, even if the duo were close to it near the end. As for the souls, I'll stick with what's in the game and the duo will only get their souls back after the Snatcher's Boss Fight.
To G: You'll have to wait and see. But I can guarantee you that Arthur isn't the kind of person to do something like that. At least, not in a malicious way of any kind.
To Jolteron: Indeed. Even if they don't have a soul anymore, they still have a strong bond. It just comes to show that friendship can never be broken when strong enough. ;) Also, Hat Kid mostly did this because of the mischievous part of her personality, and without her soul that side just reveals itself more than usual. XD And yeah, the Snatcher is... well, mostly traumatized by Vanessa because of... you know what. XD
To Typeunmasked and Crab78: Nice! XD
To PatoMayo: Yup, and the chills were real. QwQ
Alrighty! That's all for today, folks! See you all in the next chapter!