The Tower

Chapter 11

Hi guys thanks for all the votes and the reads. I really appreciate it. Sorry I couldn't update sooner. This chapter is dedicated to @Jenine-Starling whose advice has been really helpful. Thanks a lot!  Anyway onto the story................... 

The Cachtice Castle. So big. So beautiful. She couldn't help but keep staring at it. They say if you look at something for a long time it loses its beauty but no matter how many times she looked she just couldn't get a hold of the grasp it had on her mind. The longer she stared, the more amazing it got. Just by watching it, she was transported to another world.

Suddenly a hand appeared on her shoulder. She froze. Panic filled her heart. Does the ghost appear outside the castle as well? Then why would they...? A voice put her worries to rest. "My my, Sarah, you must really love this Castle. You've been staring at it for a solid fifteen minutes. Worry not you'll soon get your fair share of time to watch it. You 're going in after all." She quickly spun around and saw Daniel remove his manicured hand from her shoulder. "You do manicure?" She asked sceptically. he laughed. "I have to look presentable. I am the mission director, after all. How could you forget?" He asked innocently as he lifted a strand of her hair and smiled. She pulled it away as quickly as she could and flipped her hair back. "you have way too many titles - idiot, creepy smile, weirdo, tux dude, sending -me -and -Mary -to -death -guy, I forget." She shot back. His laughter just made her more annoyed. A sudden scream interrupting her 'I- have- to- punch- this- guy' thought line.

"SSSSSSSSSSAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH We've been waiting so long for you to arrive.Ever since 1:00 pm and it is 6:00 pm. Can you imagine how boring that is?! They wouldn't let me go back or even out of this compound!!!" whined the little red head as she clung onto Sarah. Sarah laughed. " Good to see you again, Mary. It's only been a few hours. Calm down. Besides going out is the same as going back." the girl smiled sheepishly. " They're mean but nice." Sarah shook her head unable to comprehend her friend's stupidity. She looked up to see Daniel talking to some random red-haired dude. Daniel walked over to the lot and waved them into a tent nearby. " Now that everyone is here, let me give you a small brief on our castle and our mission. Well even though everyone already knows the story of Mrs Elizabeth Bathory I shall still make it my mission to bore you once again with this castle's backstory. Back in the good old days, this building used to be a slaughterhouse for young women. Elizabeth Bathory used to tempt less fortunate women from the village into her tower and torture them to death. From then onwards, this tower has become a Bermuda's Triangle with anyone who goes in never to return alive again. A few months ago, we gained a few disturbing reports about some disturbing happenings such as strange disappearances taking place. These had been going on for a while but escalated recently. At first we refused to believe that there was a ghost in there but later...... we had no choice but to accept it. We sent two teams in. The second one being a few months after the first. That was the one headed by Charlie Lanoff. Communications are very weak in there. It is also highly dangerous to venture in there as no maintenance has been done since the 1700s. The pillars may fall on you so be careful." "It's a shame you aren't coming." Sarah scowled. " I have to be here though I shall be in contact with you the whole time unless communications fail. So now all of you get some rest. You set out first thing in the morning." She felt a tug on her sleeve. A girl. "Follow." She nodded and followed the girl outside. It was already nightfall. The girl walked over to a tent a bit away. "Yours." She pointed at a tent at the end of the line of tents. "Mine." "Thanks." Sarah replied. "Wear in the morning." The girl handed her a black leather suit and walked off. Sarah nodded her head. She flipped open the flap and walked in. Somehow she really liked that girl. Probably because she reminded her of Mary when she had first met her. Look at her now. She flopped down on her mattress and fell back. She curled into a ball and fell fast asleep.

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The walkie-talkie crackled to life.

Hey you! Ready? It seems to work. So worry not I'll be right here." Daniel's voice crackled over it. "I'd feel safer if you weren't there." Sarah murmured."Ha, Ha very funny my Little Fiery One. So now can we please concentrate. Keep this device close to you and do not, I repeat, DO NOT LOSE IT." He growled. Sarah focused on the castle in front of her. The door was bolted tightly. It seemed heavy and was very big. During the first expedition, Daniel had worried that the door would be far too dangerous if moved so he had sent them in climbing but now he seemed to have changed his mind. Mary and Stephone were carefully listening to his instructions. She turned to the bricks and ran her fingers over it. The engravings played under her fingers. It had faded but seemed to spring to life as she touched them. The bricks were cracked as the vines fought centuries old battles against them.

Saaaaarrrraaahhhh.......Sssaaarrrraaahhhh.....

Her hand froze. The words were muffled as though the bricks were trying to speak. She kept her eyes focused on them. I'm dreaming. She thought over and over. But it persisted the sound becoming ever clearer as time went on.

Saaarrrraaahhh....Don't....Trust......Him......

She pulled away. It didn't stop. "Stop! Stop it!" She yelled. Mary rushed over to her. She was saying something. She couldn't hear. Her ears were filled with the sound of the voice. She fell to her knees. "Please..." Mary was shouting. Her name? She couldn't tell. The walkie talkie was alive as well. Tears filled her eyes as she fell to the ground unconscious.

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" She is obviously not fit for it. There is no point in sending her."

"But Stephone, she'll go in regardless."

"Daniel is right. Besides she'll be mad if we leave her."

"She'll cause mayhem if she hears it."

"She trusts her instincts. Not her logic. If she didn't trust them or they didn't tell her to go in, she wouldn't be here. She would be long gone. She wouldn't go so far as to bear with you."

"How would you know?"

"She's my sister, Stephone."

A silence fell over the room. "She'll just be a burden." "Doesn't matter."

"Stop fighting."

The whole group turned to face her. The shocked look on all their faces proved that they all thought that she had been asleep and not overheard their conversion. She turned to Stephone." Though it pains me to say this, you are right. However, even if I am a burden, it won't matter since I am going in so, stop fighting. I have to." She got up from the bed. Don't trust him... She remembered. Amelia shook her head sadly. "If you feel so then go ahead. I won't stop you. Just don't forget your promise." Sarah smiled gratefully. Memories of her mother's tears filled her mind as she nodded."I'm going to take a walk. Since we don't seem to be going in now." She stated as she strode out of the room.

Daniel laughed. "What a stubborn girl! Shall we tell her now?" He asked Amelia. Mary smiled eagerly. Amelia sighed. "Oh well.... I don't see why not. No harm done." She smiled at him. He smiled back kindly. So bits of him is still left, huh? Amelia wondered as she left to find her little sister and tell her the........................absolutely wonderful news.

She smiled to herself as she sped down the hallway to the garden with a feel in her heart she hadn't felt in a long time.

Happiness.