Episode 2 - The Caste

That night, I was inside the castle, inside the beast’s

castle. But I’m not there to hunt the beast, I’m there to hunt the Marquis. The

castle was quiet, and you could only hear crickets and owls singing. I don’t

know where the Marquis’s room is, but I was pretty sure he’d be at the top of

this castle. I heard whimpers in a room on the corner of the third floor, the

whines were choking.  I peeked in

curiosity and saw the same woman on the streets, that beautiful woman. She was

shaking and tears in her eyes won’t stop flowing. The old man’s dead image

flashed in my head, it’s no time to be distracted by things like this, I should

focus to take revenge on the Marquis, his castle card was next to the old man’s

dead body, it’s obvious it was his. The marquis room is a gold pretty door. I

loaded the old man’s gunshot in my hand, slowly turned the knob, and went in. The

Marquis, sleeping peacefully in his bed, next to him was his wife’s picture,

the Marquesan. The Marquis truly loved her, even in his sleep he would hug her?

It has already been 15 years since she died, and still, he won’t forget about

her? True love it is. I pointed my gunshot at his head, ready to fire. But

someone went in, it was too late for me to hide. He had this big figure as

Beauty’s prince, the beast! He was startled by my presence and stared at me in

confusion behind the mask. I am pretty sure the guy I saw training the first

time I went to the castle. Same figure and pretty eyes behind the mask. I

wasted no time and rushed to the door he was standing in, he falls on the floor

and looked straight at me as I ran off the halls. I was back outside the

castle, again, but was discontented and angry. I did not kill the Marquis, I

could have done it before running out the room while the man was in a state of

confusion, why didn’t I think about that?! Morning came and I went off the town

to breathe air and think of a much better plan to kill the Marquis. I hadn’t eaten

anything since last night and I only have 200 pennies left, I went to buy

pancakes for the day and bullets fit for a shotgun in case it’s not just the

Marquis who had to kill. It was noisy on the opposite street, I picked a glance at

the subject and saw a young boy, wearing royal clothes and sobbing while the

townspeople surround him. After that, I saw guards hurrying on the streets, it

was obvious they are looking for that kid whoever was the son that is in the royal

family. The guard kept the people and talked to the kid.

“No, I don’t want to go back home! You guys are bad! Uncle

William is gone the morning I woke up, now I’m going to find him!!” The

kid cried.

I saw myself as the kid, I was the same back at home, everyone around me was

the worst. I held my breath.

I was back home in the mountains, lighted up the lamp, and

handed it to the royal kid. “We're going to find for whoever that William of

yours is, after that, you’re going to do the favor I asked for you, deal?”

“Deal!” The kid answered with a big smile on his face. “But we’re going to do

that when it’s very dark, I don’t want others to find me with a kid like

you,”  I said.

“Don’t call me kid, I have a beautiful name of my own. Its

Ralphie!”

“pfft. Do you call that beautiful? It's childish,”

“Don’t bully me, Uncle William said to himself I have such a

beautiful name!”

“Alright, alright, you should rest first before we begin

the search later.”

“Oka” He rubbed his eyes and lay on the cold floor. I

was surprised he didn’t complain about where his sleeping, he must have slept

on the floor many times, but why> Isn’t he a royal son of whoever’s royal

that is?

The full moon was bright as we snuck into the castle.

“Do this place have a ground floor?” I asked.

“Yeah but… I’m forbidden to go down there.”

“Kid you know what more fun and easier to find your

uncle? It’s by disobeying those fucked up rules.” I carried the kid and rushed

to the underground stairs.

The underground was dark as expected, dark and haunting

jail bars.

“How are you sure Uncle is here?” Ralphie asked.

“That’s a secret.” I  knew it because it was obvious the Marquis has woken up when I  pushed the beast on the floor, so it’s

obvious he would think his son is planning to steal and trespass in his room

while hugging his wife to sleep.

There’s this wide jail room under our feet, I searched

down and found a man, alone and his hands tied up with chains.

“That’s Uncle….” Ralphie said with a trembling voice.

“Are you scared of blood?” I asked

“Ye-yeah…. Because blood means death.”

“Dude, blood doesn’t only mean death, it also means

pregnancy- never mind, you should fight your fears if you want to save your

uncle.” I picked the lock and dropped the kid inside, I went in next, and as I

landed, I could feel how my feet hurt, what does it feel for the kid

though> Probably worse than mine.  “You okay?” I asked.

‘yeah IM okay. I can do this.”

Alas… one great kid.

We went closer to William. He was sleeping in pain and

blood dripping from hard whips.

“I-is he okay??” The kid asked tears flowing in his

cheeks and choking.

“I’m not sure kid. Mind helping me break off the chains?”

“I don’t know how to.”

“I’ll teach you, it’s just so easy even a two-year-old

can do that.”

William was a heavy man, though I can’t see his face

because he is still wearing his mask, I knew he was once a center of

attraction. Why is he wearing a mask? Why did the guards not remove it? Or is

he that ugly?

“So… how are we going to go up?” asked Ralphie asked.

“Ah yes… how uncool of  me not thinking

of things like this… you stay here with your uncle first, then I’ll go back

with a ladder, keep quiet okay?”

“Okay.”

I climbed out the bars and searched for ladders. I found

one, not far from the corner, just as I was about to reach it, a group of

guards went down the stairs.

I hid behind the ladder with camouflage on my hood,

black. It was pretty dark anyway, they’ll not see me.

“Hey about we visit that fucker beast again? Hah… I want to whip him again.

Ahahaha”

“Well, where’s the ladder again?”

“Just behind your dumbass.”

“Oh right…”

I was back at the top of the bars, and Richie and William

under it, waiting and looking up at me.

“You’re back!” Ralphie exclaimed.

“Yeah, but with a ladder.”

“You’re so cool you know that?”

“Pfftt, I know thanks.” I opened the entrance and dropped

down the ladder. “Is your uncle awake now?”

“Yeah, not long after you go away.”

‘Good, I’m sure he can pretty climb the stairs alone

right?”

“I think?”

“You go up first Ralphie.”

“Okay”, as he turned back to William, “You go after me

okay?”

His Uncle nodded in silence. Ralphie started climbing the

ladder carefully, his uncle next under him.

“Oh btw, watch your steps, I broke one of them.”

“What? How?” Ralphie asked.

“Well, I used it to hit the guards”, I said while

scratching my head in embarrassment.

“Whoa!! cool!” Ralphie exclaimed.

I saw William turn his head upon me, his eyes as if admiring me and saying

cool. Is it just my imagination? Ugh. if only he’d removed his mask.

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