Chapter 11: Choose

The Drusselstinian and Peter were trapped in the torture chamber. The Drusselstinian knew that there was a way to open the door somewhere: a spring, a catch; something, anything. However, as the heat bore down on them and the mirrors reflected the illusory forest back at them, they began losing their sanity. The one most susceptible was Peter, since he was not used to such illusions.

The Drusselstinian made Peter touch the mirrors and the tree, showed him that it was all a trick. "You must tell yourself you are in a room. Once we get out of this room, we can stop the Red Sultan and save Penelope," said the Drusselstinian.

This comforted Peter for a short while. He was able to keep a level head and forget it was an illusion. For a time, that is.

They heard sounds that one would expect to hear in a forest, saw the scenery somehow changing. The Drusselstinian knew it was all a trick, yet… It was difficult to keep a level head here. The mirrors showed cracks in star formations, obviously from previous tenants trying to escape. But, when they heard the sound of rain and saw a river, they ran to the river. Their parched mouths reached for water, but it was not there.

When all hope seemed to be gone and they were considering ending their lives, the Drusselstinian found the catch by chance. A small black nail protruding from the floor was their escape. With a little effort, a trapdoor opened and they fell into a cellar. There were barrels all around them.

"This must be the water… or the wine," surmised the Drusselstinian.

Grateful for relief, he pulled out his knife to uncork one of the barrels. However, upon uncorking it, it was not water nor wine that fell out. It was gunpowder. The Drusselstinian flung his lantern backward in a panic and they were sent into darkness.

They heard sinister laughter and cries from above them. "We have to get back. Penelope is surely in danger," said Peter. The Drusselstinian nodded. They found a way back into the torture chamber, which was now dark and cold.

They heard voices from the other side of the wall. "Peter!" Penelope's voice.

"Arzt!" Perry called to the Drusselstinian a nickname that had been given some time ago. Arzt meaning 'doctor' in Drusselstinian.

"What's going on?" asked the Drusselstinian.

"He's making us choose. He told us there's enough gunpowder to blow up the whole opera. If Penelope doesn't go with him, he will kill us all," said Perry.

They heard Penelope's helpless sobs and Perry comforting her. "I didn't choose this," she said.

"You should have never known me. I should have never made myself known to you. I should have just let you be with Peter, then we would all be happy," said Perry.

"Perry… that's not true."

They all seemed shocked to hear that. "Wh-what do you mean? Look at me, Penelope." She didn't say anything else. Perry took off his mask. "Look at me! I'm a monster! A horrible, hideous, ugly monster who has murdered, cheated… lied. You deserve better than me."

Something echoed with Penelope when he said that. Something that made her all the more resolute in her decision. "We are getting you out of this, Perry. We're all getting out of this. Together. I'm not scared anymore." She took his hand, his dead hand, in hers.

He broke into tears and she cried with him. He held her close and she didn't pull away. Time was running out though. The Red Sultan would return and would want to hear her decision. If she chose to stay with Perry, everyone in the opera would die. If she chose to go with the Red Sultan, they would all live… but Penelope would have to become his bride.

The Red Sultan returned at five minutes before midnight. "Let's make this interesting. Penelope, look into the chests over there," said the Red Sultan. He nodded to two ebony chests on the dresser. Upon opening the chests, two figurines raised upon platforms within the boxes. In the one box was a grasshopper made of polished jade; in the other box was a scorpion made of polished copper. "Turn the scorpion and you shall all be saved and you will become my wife. Turn the grasshopper and, well… this grasshopper hops very high, very high." His laugh was sinister. "I will come back in five minutes for your answer.

When he left the room, Perry and Penelope went into near hysterics. "He's lying! He has to be! Why would he simply tell you which one saves us? What's the point in that?" asked Perry.

"Perry's got a point. I say they're both explosion switches," said the Drusselstinian.

"For goodness sake, Penelope! Choose one! Please!" said Peter.

"Penelope…" said Perry.

"Yes?" asked Penelope.

His eyes and hand went to his coat pocket. Penelope reached into the pocket and pulled out a key. It was the key to the torture chamber! Penelope unlocked the chamber and let the Drusselstinian and Peter out.

"Now, get out of here and let me handle this," said Perry.

"No, Perry-" said Penelope.

"This started with me, now it must end with me. I am sorry, beyond words, I am sorry once again for getting you into this. I… I hope you can forgive me."

"There's nothing to forgive if I don't regret anything."

Perry looked shocked to hear that (or as shocked as someone missing most of their face can look). "Penelope… this is no place or time to say this, but-"

"Time's up! So… the scorpion hasn't been turned and the grasshopper hasn't been turned. Well, then, I guess the grasshopper is your choice then…" said the Red Sultan. Penelope stepped in-between him and the boxes.

"Swear to me, on your perverse love for me, that the scorpion is the one that will save us," said Penelope.

"I swear it, my darling," said the Red Sultan. Such a sickly sweet tone from someone with murder in his eyes.

Penelope turned the scorpion. All at once, they heard a sound like rushing water. The lake was rising! It was rising into the cellar and drowning all the gunpowder. It started flowing into the room and it was only when the Red Sultan reached past Penelope to turn the scorpion once more that the water stopped and slowly began draining. The water level had reached all of their ankles and might have surely kept going otherwise.

"Good decision, my sweet. Now, let's go," said the Red Sultan. He grabbed her arm and began dragging her away.

"Penelope!" Peter and Perry called out to her in unison.

The Red Sultan pulled out a pistol and said, "Don't follow us," before leaving the room.

Two more chapters to go! Please keep reading and reviewing, thanks :)

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