What Ifs and Whatnots

Riann seethed all the way back to the castle but Arianna’s fear was too strong and she couldn’t find a sustainable foothold to take over. The journey was quick; Red practically flew over the ground with an inhuman grace that only fanned the flaming mixture of fear and rage within my lifeless body.

The gates shut with an insidious clang and all too soon the large oak doors slammed behind us. My listless green eyes watched the dark parquet floor quickly move below Red’s strides. I couldn’t tell where he was taking me, but it was most likely to be the dungeons again. I closed my eyes briefly, tears burned in my throat but I refused to let them fall, the break out may have been unsuccessful but he was not going to see me cry. With this new determination Riann found her foothold.

“Let me down.” I let her take over; her voice was stronger than anything I could have mustered. She spoke quietly but forcefully, however, Red paid no heed to her demand. “Let me down!” She strengthened her tone, kicking up the volume a few notches. Soon she would start fighting him. We turned another corner and Riann lost it.

“Let me down!” She yelled arms and legs flailing in all directions as she tried to wriggle out of the demeaning position. But his arm didn’t move, not even to get a tighter grip and his skin was harder than an averages man’s.

When Red finally put me down I held my tongue and turned my back to him. Somehow I figured that the heavy panting I could feel on the back of my neck wasn’t due to exertion on his part. My own heart hammered against my chest as Riann started to calculate distances. The windows were a short sprint away, they were a dangerous choice because I didn’t know if they lead to the grounds or a balcony or indeed anything at all, though most ballrooms had something outside them. However, the door was a bit further away and I’d have to get past Red which wouldn’t be easy. If the fire hadn’t been lit that would have become escape option number three. I didn’t want to try the servant’s passages from this room as I didn’t know them well enough and it would be too easy for Red to slip in a different door and block my path.

“What did you think you were doing?” He growled behind me, sending my pulse rocketing out of control and I was suddenly glad that I wasn’t facing him, the fear would have far too easy to read in my eyes. I remained silent as he fumed behind me, he was the lord of the castle and I was at his command, how dare I try to escape after all he had done for me, his rant earned an inelegant snort from me and Red paused.

“You’ve been free to do whatever you want-“

“Around the house yes, the gates were still out of bounds weren’t they? I know what a prison is no matter how well it’s decorated-“ I retorted before I could stop myself.

“Then you’ll know you’ve been treated better here than any other.” He snarled over me. I decided to stop talking, gritting my teeth with the effort. It annoyed me that he was right, most of the times that I’d been locked up before all I’d had was unwanted attention from disgusting, putrid old perverts. However, here I’d made friends and Red had pretty much left me to my own devices. But I was still a prisoner, he was still my captor and I was still going to escape.

Riann jumped at the chance to take over again and I willingly stepped back as she spurted into a sprint towards the windows. A low snarl rumbled from behind, Riann didn’t look back she just kept on running. The heavy thuds of his footsteps stopped but my heart didn’t soar with relief as my body twisted. I skidded on the smooth floor, throwing my hands out to catch myself and propel my body forward to dash even faster to the doors.

My actions were met with an ear-splitting roar that made the chandeliers above me clink ominously but I didn’t spare them a second thought. My sole interest right now was running as fast as I could. I had to get away from him. In the future I would look back and curse my idiotic single-track mind. If I had taken a couple of seconds to look up then I would have seen what stopped my escape. However, my eyes were fixed firmly on the door. And then a dark red blur. And then the hard, muscular chest of my captor as I ran straight into his waiting grasp. Once again his arms closed around me like two thick bands of iron, talons dug into my upper arm as his claws curled around my neck. He forced me to look up at him and it seemed I was gazing into the fires of hell.

Minutes passed but it felt like years. The air was still between us as I stared at his perfectly grotesque features, the horrific snarl twisting his deformities until he was barely recognisable. Even the greatest artists could not have imagined such a horrific sight; it was as if I was facing the very Devil himself. Every thought went out of my head; I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak and couldn’t think.

“If you continue in these futile escape attempts you will force me to lock you up again.” He growled, the claws digging in to emphasise his words. When I gave him no answer his eyes narrowed but the fires dimmed as he suddenly blinked. With a low snarl he released me and I fell back onto the floor. I continued to stare at him as he turned and began to walk away.

“Why do you keep me here?” I yelled out after him, suddenly finding my voice once again. He paused and half turned back to me.

“Because I can.”