Tell Me A Story

Chapter 12: A Warning

   Anna opened her eyes gently, as if waking up from a good night's sleep. My eyes were watering and I realized that I hadn't blinked for some time. I was way too engrossed in the story.

   Her eyes followed to my face and we looked into each other's faces for a while. Her face wore a look of gratification, as if she'd done her role well.

   I was waiting for her to continue. The curiosity in me was getting the better of me; I was yearning to learn what Amelia had seen in that room. What was that called again, In Cubiculo Magicas?

   Of course, no palace would be a palace until it hosted a secret chamber. A room, the very existence of which was unbeknownst to the majority.

   I'd already run a hundred wild guesses in my mind as to what Amelia might have encountered in that chamber.

   A magical book that spoke of dark magic? A pile of carcasses of human beings?

   Honestly, the list was endless.

   Anna sighed as she turned away from me, and started walking.

   "So what did she see?" I asked out loud, since it appeared to me that she'd no desire to continue.

   She halted and turned to look at me again. "That's all I know. Now follow me." It was an order, not a request.

   What did she mean? She didn't know the rest of the story? But then, how had she found out this much?

   The story Seth had told me that night surfaced in my mind. It hadn't made any sense and Anna had told me to forget whatever he'd told me.

   But somehow, Anna's story convinced me. I really believed her despite the fact that she turned a little (maybe more than a little) weird whenever she narrated the whole thing. But I could actually feel the whole story unfolding before my eyes when she'd narrated the story.

   Call it her storytelling skills.

   "But Anna - " I stopped midway, because there was no Anna. She'd walked away and I didn't notice it as I was lost in my world.

   "Anna!" I called again as I started.

   The corridor turned into a hallway, which was even longer than the corridor. It was darker, due to the absence of windows, and doors lined the walls on both sides, in an alternate manner.

   Just as I was about to push open the door nearest to me to check whether she was in there, Anna stuck in her head from the other end of the hallway, and motioned me to follow her.

   I quickly went after her, not wanting to miss her again. When I rounded up myself in the corridor she was, I saw her observing something on the wall curiously.

   I caught up just behind her and followed her gaze to the wall.

   At first, I couldn't see what she was looking at. And then I saw it. A streak of blood.

   It was dark in color, so dark that it was obvious that it hadn't appeared there the other day. It seemed like somebody was stabbed in here.

   "Any explanations?" I asked, hoping she knew how it had come there.

   "No," she said. "Let's go to the dungeons."

   I didn't open my mouth to object, simply because I knew she'd be going in there anyways.

   There was a set of stairs that spiralled downward at the end of the corridor. It ran along the wall and seemed to be going forever down. I followed her all the way, my head spinning a little as I turned every now and then.

   At last we reached the end of the stairs and just because of how dark the place we'd stepped into, I could tell that we were in the dungeons.

   The place was literally immersed in darkness that I could barely even make out Anna's silhouette. Watching her move in the caliginous atmosphere twisted several knots in my stomach. As I watched her, her contour faded out and I could make out nothing. A moment later, I couldn't even hear her footsteps.

   "Anna!" I called out into the darkness and my sound echoed throughout the place, giving me the creeps.

   I swallowed hard and put a step forward.

   "Anna!"

   I called out louder this time and the intensity of the echo increased as well. Everything was so silent that the beating of my heart and my quick, short breaths were clearly audible.

   It took a moment for my petrified mind to register that the sound of  breaths I was hearing were not mine. I mean you couldn't feel your own breath on the back of your neck, right?

   I knew that the next look-what-she-did-to-me ghost had come. I pulled in a long breath, waiting for those words to be whispered into my ears.

   But instead, whoever it was behind me, dragged my left hand suddenly, gripping it in theirs. And then a hot, searing pain ran across my arm. I felt a sharp, pointed object snaking across the length of my arm as they carved something on my skin. A cry of pain escaped my mouth.

   There was a warm sensation running down my hand as they let it go. I clutched my arm with the other hand, my face narrowing as I turned. I waved my other hand in front of me, but it didn't hit anyone.

   My hand was burning wildly and tears welled in my eyes.

   Bright white light flooded the dungeons all of a sudden, making me squint my eyes. I raised my left hand to cover my eyes as well and as I did so, I felt that warm sensation trickling down my elbow once again. I slowly opened my eyes, letting them sink into the change in the atmosphere.

   "You're hurt!" Anna squealed as she made her way to me. Once near me, she took my hand in both of hers.

   I looked at my arm and was not surprised to find blood. But what surprised me - and Anna as well - was the sentence that was carved on my skin.

               Only 6 more nights to go