Chapter 20

Dracula's mocking laughter echoed along with Anna's raging scream. It was so much fun to make her angry; it made her look all the more beautiful. He stepped from the shadows and grinned at her, she raised her fist ready to punch him but he caught it and clicked his tongue at her.

"Such childish behavior, my princess," he said. "It really lowers your reputation." Anna glared at him as she yanked her fist out of his grasp.

"You said I could punch you again once I got through those mirrors," she said. "Obviously you didn't mean it." Dracula laughed and shook his head.

"I thought you knew I was a liar," he said.

"Oh I knew," she said. "I just ignored it." A sly smile spread across the Count's lips. Her comment had given him an idea.

"That's not a very wise decision, Princess," he said. "Because if I lie you won't know if you'll be in danger or out of danger with me." Anna took a step back.

"What do you mean, Dracula?" she asked.

"It will be up to you to tell whether I'm telling the truth or not when I speak," replied Dracula. "If you walk through this maze and defeat it then you will be free to roam around the castle, but not escape it. Am I being truthful, or lying?" Anna was about to reply but he continued. "Here's another one. As you go through the maze you will encounter a number of creatures. Some may harm you; others may point out which way to go. Is that true, or another lie?" Before Anna could reply Dracula disappeared.

'If I were you I would run before my werewolf eats you,' he said in her head. 'That is NOT a lie!'

Deciding it was safe to take his advice on that Anna headed into the maze. She kept hearing footsteps ahead of her and behind her. Dracula certainly hadn't been lying when he said that she would encounter creatures. But she decided it would be best if she didn't meet up with any of them, good or harmful.

Something large and furry jumped onto her back. Anna yelped and pulled it off. It was a creature that looked like a cross between a bat and a squirrel. When it spoke its voice was deep and threatening.

"It's been too long since I last ate," it said. "Give me your flesh so that I will not die! GIVE IT TO ME!"

The creature jumped up ready to take Anna's head off but she ran as fast as her legs could take her. 'Just my luck to not have a weapon!' she thought. The creature leaped into the air with its fangs aimed at her head when a dog that wasn't a werewolf but was far bigger than Anna herself leaped up and swallowed the creature whole.

"Go that way, Mistress," it said. "None of his kind will follow you there."

Anna ran in the direction the creature suggested. There she ran into a large alligator that nearly took off her leg, but was so slow that all she had to do was jump over it and it was no longer a threat. At a fork in the garden a barn owl hooted to her not to go that way unless she wanted to be a lion's supper. After just barely escaping getting carried off by a giant hawk she stumbled and fell against one of the bushes. She used that opportunity to take a quick rest.

While she rested Dracula's laughing voice echoed through her mind. 'Tired already, Anna?' he asked. 'You've only been running around for forty five minutes.' Anna would have tried to punch him again if he'd been right in front of her.

"I'm in less danger running from YOU inside your castle!" she snapped. "Everywhere I run there's something that wants to eat me! This is madness!" Dracula laughed.

"No," he said. "This is a game. And just for fun here's one last lie or truth. If you get up and turn left you'll be out of the maze. If I'm telling the truth then this game will be over. If not, then something will be ready to eat you again. Will you trust me or take more chances in my maze?"

Anna thought it over. With the creatures she'd been running into she was more than ready to take her chances with Dracula instead. He wouldn't try to eat her or feed off of her, at least she hoped not.

With out a word she got up and went left. Her heart pounded in fear. She would either win the game or walk right into her death. She almost hoped that if there was a creature waiting for her that Dracula would swoop down and stop it. But the odds of that happening were pretty slim. She took a deep breath and turned a corner. Her heart jumped into her throat.

Anna had found the end of the maze, but no monster waited for her. Well, no monster that would eat her. Dracula stood there grinning at her in a way that displayed his fangs.

"Well done, my princess," he said with a bow. "Welcome back to being my beautiful prisoner."