Curse the Curse... not me...
Three
The rest of the day I just stood at the bars, my arm out through the cage, tears rolling down my face. Nyack was gone. Whether he was alive or not, I did not know. When the sun began to set, I brought my arm back in and sunk to my knees. Then, something hit me. Something should’ve happened. It wasn’t relevant to the fact that Nyack was taken off, but it was still quite odd. Jonathan hadn’t come down with the food yet. Where was he? Oh well. Not that I needed it. I sat there for many hours, trying to figure out what any of this had to do with anything. Why was Nyack banished? Why hadn’t Jonathan come down yet? How long did I have until the time of pure light? When it was dark, I heard the door open. I sprung to my feet. Someone came up to my cell. They wore a cloak. The hood was up. Their face was covered in shadow. I peered into their eyes.
“Jonathan?” I asked.
“The jailer from hell, yes.” He whispered, looking around and behind him, making sure that we were safe.
“What are you doing down here? You could’ve been killed!”
“I’d rather be killed than be held responsible for another’s death.”
“So Nyack’s still alive?” I asked, my heart jumped. If Jonathan knew where he was…
“Only just.” He drew the key from his belt. “Now come on, you’ve only got a matter of time before they find out.”
“You should join The Cursed. You’re too kind to be a human. You’re too kind to work in this place.” He laughed quietly.
“I am a human. Your legion wouldn’t let me join, not in a million years. Now come on!” He said, opening the door. I came out and got to the bottom of the steps. Jonathan didn’t follow.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“No, I’d rather not. I’ll keep the guards distracted for a while. Just keep going forwards; then go down the first set of steps on your right. That should lead you to Nyack. The key is in the cloak.” I nodded as he tossed it to me. I went halfway up the steps. I turned.
“Thank you, Jonathan.” He smiled.
“The jailer from hell!” He said. I put the cloak on and pulled the hood up. I advanced up the stairs, closing the door quietly behind me. I slid forwards, running my hand along the cold metal railing. It soon dipped down to my right. It led down to a blue-black pit. I hesitated to go, but I went down any way, denying my instincts. The steps were steep and thin. Chains ran from down the wall on my left. A rank smell came from below me. A strong, hard smell; something all too familiar. Blood. My pace quickened. I didn’t like this place. I soon came to the end of the steps. I looked around. There were many doors. Any of them could’ve led to Nyack, since he was all of them to the humans. The doors had symbols above them:
Traitors
Thieves
Murderers
Smugglers
Cursed… that was the one. I ran into the door, twisted and turned and I soon came into a room. Nyack was hanging lifeless and pale on the wall. Chains held his wrists up and his feet were chained back too. I ran over to him. I put the back of my hand up against his face; he was as cold as ice.
“Nyack…” I said, waiting for a response.
“Raven…?” He asked, half opening his eyes and looking up. “Goodness, aren’t I glad to see you…” He said. He sounded like he could barely breathe. It seemed like the only thing keeping him up were the chains. I was just happy that he was still alive. I gave him a gentle hug.
“Thanks the gods you’re alive.” I said, drawing the key from the cloak pocket. I pressed it into the locks binding his hands, then his feet. Nyack could barely stand. I put my arm around him. But soon, I got scared. I heard footsteps coming from the steps far off.
“Wha… what is it?” Nyack said, noticing the fearful expression on my face.
“Footsteps.”
“Uh oh. I think it’s time to leave…” He said, straightening up.
“There isn’t time! They’re down here already!” I said, panicking, I got this far, but what if I didn’t get any further?
“Then what shall we do? We can’t stay down here!”
“Talking about it won’t help! Find a place to hide!” I said, looking around frantically. I soon heard a voice from behind us.
“HEY! Who are you?” I was thankful that I still had my hood up… perhaps I could lie and…
“Why I’m the…” I said, thinking of something to say.
“Of course! You must be the executioner!” One of them said. My eyes grew wide. Yes, I could disguise myself like that, but that would mean I would’ve had to kill Ny. One of the men tossed me a pistol while the other pushed Ny up against the wall. I fumbled with the gun. I didn’t want to even have it in my hands, yet alone use it. I put up my arm. Not bothering to aim. Hesitating to do anything.
“What are you playing at? Shoot!” I didn’t want to. I was so angry with them. I was angry with myself. It was night and the moon shone through the window on the ceiling. The light hit me hard and I turned round and shot. One of the men fell to the ground. I threw the pistol to the floor and snarled at the other. I ran towards him, lashed out and scratched at his neck. I slashed and snapped and hissed like some sort of beast. I was unstoppable. I killed all humans. They deserved to die. I needed their blood. I didn’t stop attacking until he fell to the ground too, giving one last scream before he died. Blood lay on my hands. I grinned. Blood. I turned around saw another human. I growled and bared my teeth.
“RAVEN! STOP!” He screamed, eyes wide. His voice brought me back to my senses. He was panting in fear, glancing to my hands and back to behind me. I looked down and screamed. I was standing in a pool of blood; all of it down my clothes and my hands were drenched in it. I looked around and saw two bodies on the ground, one horribly mangled and the other bleeding furiously. “Raven, what on… why now?” Said Nyack, shivering, pushed up against the wall.
“Never mind,” I said, shaking, the time was very close. “Let’s get out of here. We are not safe here anymore.”
“Were we ever safe?” He said, running towards the exit, straight past me. As if he didn’t want to be in the same room as I, avoiding me as such. “We’ll go to the forest. We’ll go to the house we always go to. Just… just don’t do that again.” He said. He was looking at the floor, shaking his head.
“But the cursed own that house!”
“We’ll find a way.” He said, looking back. He ran back into the room and picked up the pistol. “Best keep this with us.” He said, pocketing it. I wiped my hands on my trousers and walked out of the room, Nyack alongside me. As soon as we got out of the dungeon, we heard voices from inside the building. We ran outside and someone caught up with us. Fear gripped at my throat for a couple of seconds, but I was relieved to see that it was Jonathan running next to us. We turned a corner and stopped to catch our breath.
“What… are… you… doing… here?” Asked Ny in between breaths. We heard a ringing come from around the corner.
“No time, the alarm… run!” He said, setting off again. We both followed. He then suddenly stopped. “I have no idea where we’re going. You two best lead!” Ny and I both nodded and ran into the forest to our right. We had to clamber over a fence but that wasn’t much trouble. We ran and just as we thought we would collapse because our legs were so tired, we saw a small house through a tangled mass of trees. We all smiled. That feeling of warmth, that small amount of chance… that was the very definition of hope.
“Jonathan?” I asked.
“The jailer from hell, yes.” He whispered, looking around and behind him, making sure that we were safe.
“What are you doing down here? You could’ve been killed!”
“I’d rather be killed than be held responsible for another’s death.”
“So Nyack’s still alive?” I asked, my heart jumped. If Jonathan knew where he was…
“Only just.” He drew the key from his belt. “Now come on, you’ve only got a matter of time before they find out.”
“You should join The Cursed. You’re too kind to be a human. You’re too kind to work in this place.” He laughed quietly.
“I am a human. Your legion wouldn’t let me join, not in a million years. Now come on!” He said, opening the door. I came out and got to the bottom of the steps. Jonathan didn’t follow.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“No, I’d rather not. I’ll keep the guards distracted for a while. Just keep going forwards; then go down the first set of steps on your right. That should lead you to Nyack. The key is in the cloak.” I nodded as he tossed it to me. I went halfway up the steps. I turned.
“Thank you, Jonathan.” He smiled.
“The jailer from hell!” He said. I put the cloak on and pulled the hood up. I advanced up the stairs, closing the door quietly behind me. I slid forwards, running my hand along the cold metal railing. It soon dipped down to my right. It led down to a blue-black pit. I hesitated to go, but I went down any way, denying my instincts. The steps were steep and thin. Chains ran from down the wall on my left. A rank smell came from below me. A strong, hard smell; something all too familiar. Blood. My pace quickened. I didn’t like this place. I soon came to the end of the steps. I looked around. There were many doors. Any of them could’ve led to Nyack, since he was all of them to the humans. The doors had symbols above them:
Traitors
Thieves
Murderers
Smugglers
Cursed… that was the one. I ran into the door, twisted and turned and I soon came into a room. Nyack was hanging lifeless and pale on the wall. Chains held his wrists up and his feet were chained back too. I ran over to him. I put the back of my hand up against his face; he was as cold as ice.
“Nyack…” I said, waiting for a response.
“Raven…?” He asked, half opening his eyes and looking up. “Goodness, aren’t I glad to see you…” He said. He sounded like he could barely breathe. It seemed like the only thing keeping him up were the chains. I was just happy that he was still alive. I gave him a gentle hug.
“Thanks the gods you’re alive.” I said, drawing the key from the cloak pocket. I pressed it into the locks binding his hands, then his feet. Nyack could barely stand. I put my arm around him. But soon, I got scared. I heard footsteps coming from the steps far off.
“Wha… what is it?” Nyack said, noticing the fearful expression on my face.
“Footsteps.”
“Uh oh. I think it’s time to leave…” He said, straightening up.
“There isn’t time! They’re down here already!” I said, panicking, I got this far, but what if I didn’t get any further?
“Then what shall we do? We can’t stay down here!”
“Talking about it won’t help! Find a place to hide!” I said, looking around frantically. I soon heard a voice from behind us.
“HEY! Who are you?” I was thankful that I still had my hood up… perhaps I could lie and…
“Why I’m the…” I said, thinking of something to say.
“Of course! You must be the executioner!” One of them said. My eyes grew wide. Yes, I could disguise myself like that, but that would mean I would’ve had to kill Ny. One of the men tossed me a pistol while the other pushed Ny up against the wall. I fumbled with the gun. I didn’t want to even have it in my hands, yet alone use it. I put up my arm. Not bothering to aim. Hesitating to do anything.
“What are you playing at? Shoot!” I didn’t want to. I was so angry with them. I was angry with myself. It was night and the moon shone through the window on the ceiling. The light hit me hard and I turned round and shot. One of the men fell to the ground. I threw the pistol to the floor and snarled at the other. I ran towards him, lashed out and scratched at his neck. I slashed and snapped and hissed like some sort of beast. I was unstoppable. I killed all humans. They deserved to die. I needed their blood. I didn’t stop attacking until he fell to the ground too, giving one last scream before he died. Blood lay on my hands. I grinned. Blood. I turned around saw another human. I growled and bared my teeth.
“RAVEN! STOP!” He screamed, eyes wide. His voice brought me back to my senses. He was panting in fear, glancing to my hands and back to behind me. I looked down and screamed. I was standing in a pool of blood; all of it down my clothes and my hands were drenched in it. I looked around and saw two bodies on the ground, one horribly mangled and the other bleeding furiously. “Raven, what on… why now?” Said Nyack, shivering, pushed up against the wall.
“Never mind,” I said, shaking, the time was very close. “Let’s get out of here. We are not safe here anymore.”
“Were we ever safe?” He said, running towards the exit, straight past me. As if he didn’t want to be in the same room as I, avoiding me as such. “We’ll go to the forest. We’ll go to the house we always go to. Just… just don’t do that again.” He said. He was looking at the floor, shaking his head.
“But the cursed own that house!”
“We’ll find a way.” He said, looking back. He ran back into the room and picked up the pistol. “Best keep this with us.” He said, pocketing it. I wiped my hands on my trousers and walked out of the room, Nyack alongside me. As soon as we got out of the dungeon, we heard voices from inside the building. We ran outside and someone caught up with us. Fear gripped at my throat for a couple of seconds, but I was relieved to see that it was Jonathan running next to us. We turned a corner and stopped to catch our breath.
“What… are… you… doing… here?” Asked Ny in between breaths. We heard a ringing come from around the corner.
“No time, the alarm… run!” He said, setting off again. We both followed. He then suddenly stopped. “I have no idea where we’re going. You two best lead!” Ny and I both nodded and ran into the forest to our right. We had to clamber over a fence but that wasn’t much trouble. We ran and just as we thought we would collapse because our legs were so tired, we saw a small house through a tangled mass of trees. We all smiled. That feeling of warmth, that small amount of chance… that was the very definition of hope.