No Way To Escape | Novel

CHAPTER 60: THE RITUAL

As I was about to rush to the backyard, I saw Ruth again; at the door, with her hand rested on the jamb. She had a bland look over her face. I wanted to walk down to her, take her hands into mine and thank her for helping me against their ruler. To tell her that I would try my best to repay her trust upon me. She wanted the freedom as badly as me; or perhaps, worse. Though pale, still her face looked so cute and adorable. I couldn't believe that just some minutes ago I had seen her in a gross condition.

I stood there blankly, staring at her face with the container in my hand. Her eyes were fixed upon mine. But then my perception started warning me. She's a part of The Warwick's. She's a part of the curse. The Devil's men are using her to allure you. It was all justified. I had to believe it. Nothing was more important than our goal now. Not even a small girl who had died years ago; and even if she had been alive she would be my grandma's elder sister's age. She shifted her gaze at the half-opened window. So did I. I could hear Father Richard grunting and digging the earth outside. As I looked back at the doorway, she was gone.

I gave out a sigh of relief and as I moved further, she appeared suddenly before me. I stopped and held on to the canister more tightly, trying not to make it fall. She had an innocent look over her face. Her eyes went down. 'Oh Edward... Opportunities can be so sinful sometimes', a monstrous voice spoke out of her. I was just staring at her, petrified, expecting her to leap at me any moment. The sweat over my eyes was starting to blind me in accordance with the darkness.

She didn't leap. She just raised her head up and gave me a grin. 'Still a mile left', she said and then disappeared as I blinked my eyes. I looked here and there in haste, while trying to hide the cure behind my back. No, you can't snatch it from me. You can play with my dreams, you can harm me, you can arrange this blood-game out here at your paradise... But I won't let you fuckin' snatch it!

Casting aside the fear of being dominated, I limped forward and crossed the doorway out to the hall. Nothing happened. The door to the backyard was through the living room past the hall. It was right in front of my eyes now. Just some yards to make a limping run for.

Juddering my injured leg, I prepared my run when suddenly the door to the backyard creaked. I thought it was Father Richard but then he came up from the digging site, perspired, and holding the spade in his hand. And then the door started swaying along its bolts. It was going to close.

'Oh, no, no, no, nooo....'. I ran towards the door; so did Father. The pain all over my body were screeching out to me. I had put in all of my left-over effort into my body. But as I was about to reach it, the door slammed shut itself and got locked. I crashed onto the door and slammed my hands at it. 'Liam, boy, you okay? We need to open this', Father asked from the other side.

'Yeah, Father. Let me try'

I kept the canister down, just by my side, and started banging and throwing myself on the huge door. It went on like that before I shifted to kick it and its bolts though my good leg. It didn't seem to budge; really hard for an old building like this.

'Fuck... Father, you must go. Just carry on with the digging. I'll make my way through'. He affirmed and I heard his footsteps running away before he started grunting and digging. He seemed more in haste now. I was feeling sorry for him to make him do such a hectic job at such an age.

Turning back, as I looked down, I found the canister missing. I yelled out in anger and started searching for some other way outside. I limped down to the front door and tried to open it. It was locked too. Getting back to the backyard door, I started pushing myself against it again, but to no avail. I checked on some windows nearby but all of them were jammed. I smashed the glass pan of one window and tried to make my way through, but it was too narrow for me.