The Angel and the Monster
Chapter 2
The cold downpour had Rachel soaked to the bone. She didn’t know how long she’d been walking, but the trees were starting to all look the same. Still, she pressed onward as there was nothing else left for her to do, hoping to reach the castle she’d spotted in the distance.
Rachel shivered, wrapping her arms around herself while trudging through the trees, bushes and roots. The ground was wet and muddy, making her footing slippery and unstable. Her ankle throbbed with every step. She couldn’t get images of what’d occurred out of her head, the thick river of blood pouring from Dr. Danny’s empty eye socket, the outrage on the same villager’s faces that she’d frequently saw on her trips to town, their words echoing in her memory… With the chaos raging in her mind, her vision had become distorted and blurry as she watched her feet trudge on through the mud.
A few more steps and she found herself in a narrow clearing. It was a worn path, long overgrown and almost unnoticeable from how much of it had been reclaimed by the forest. It probably used to be a road at some point, but it likely hadn’t seen a carriage or travelers in ages.
She followed it for a time, her legs feeling as if they were about to give out. But she kept walking numbly, ignoring her discomfort to take another step and then another. Her mind had been so clouded that she hadn’t noticed until she looked up that she’d made it, and her mind made its resurface to reality.
Through the black silhouettes of leafless trees, a massive structure of stone and towers extended upward towards the dark, gloomy heavens. The dim blue glow of moonlight shined down on it, causing it to glisten in the rain. There was a low rumble and the sky flashed as if it were angry, briefly illuminating the massive spread of the castle.
As she approached, she was stopped by the wall that surrounded it and prevented entry. Rachel struggled against the wrought iron gates which had been locked with thick chains, but they were now hanging loose and unsecure. Perhaps she wasn’t the only person to have stumbled upon this castle. With that knowledge, she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. It was too heavy to move, but there was just enough slack in the gate that she was able to wrench it apart for her tiny body to squeeze through the gap.
Her boots sloshed in the shallow but unavoidable puddles collecting in the path between the gates and the grand castle entrance. The wooden double doors towered over her, heavy and intimidating. She pulled at them, straining and grunting with effort. Even using all her might, they barely budged, but luckily, she didn’t need too much of a gap in order for her to slip inside those doors as she did the last. After working at it a little longer, she was granted entry. The thought occurred to her that entering a castle such as this one should be much more difficult, but… perhaps not, if it was abandoned.
Or perhaps it was more likely that the monster that resided there merely wanted intruders to come in, so that it could prey upon all the unsuspecting wanderers or fugitives like herself that dared seek shelter there.
Water pooled at her feet as she stepped further in and took in her surroundings. There was a long rug inviting her inside, a table near the entry with a clock and an unlit candlestick, and a large staircase but not much else.
The air inside the castle wasn’t any warmer than it was outside. She was thoroughly drenched and cold from the storm still raging just on the other side of the stone walls around her. Her blonde hair was matted to her face with droplets of water rolling off the ends. She shivered and shuttered uncontrollably, her voice a trembling echo as she called out into the vast openness of the castle entry, “H-hello? Is anyone there?”
Just then, she caught a glimpse of a shadow flying past her. “W-wait, I…” She frantically pursued the figure into a dark room but stopped short. There wasn’t anyone in there. A childlike laughter echoed around her, but it was impossible to pinpoint where it was coming from. She was beginning to wonder if the place was haunted. Still, she called out again, “My name’s Rachel Gardner. I need a place to stay,” she pleaded, “Please, I was forced to leave my village and I have… nowhere else to go.”
A creak from behind her made her spin around to face whomever was there.
“Of course, you’re more than welcome to stay,” a young boy’s voice responded from the darkness.
She felt a tinge of relief, easing a tension in her body that she hadn’t realized. Even though she couldn’t quite see the owner of the voice, she knew someone was there only a few feet in front of her. Thunder rolled outside, followed by a bright flash that allowed her a brief glimpse of the mysterious boy she was speaking to.
“I’ll give you anything you want,” he added. “if you agree to live here forever.”
‘Forever’ her mind echoed, recalling Dr. Danny’s similar proposition. An involuntary shiver washed over Rachel at those words, a silhouette finally emerging from the shadows. It was a boy with a brown rounded mask over his head, strangely resembling a jack-o-lantern with cutouts for his eyes and mouth. He was wearing overalls with a red scarf around his neck and work boots. The heavy-duty gloves over his hands completed the look, which was awfully strange attire to be wearing indoors.
“You could be really happy and comfortable here, I promise.” The boy coaxed. He was a bit creepy, but he wasn’t all that menacing she decided. Rachel stood in place unfazed, as the ghoulish boy approached her with a shovel in his hand that she only just noticed. He leaned in, but she didn’t flinch or shy away, giving her the opportunity to notice his emerald eyes accented by freckles and small locks of red hair from the holes cut into his costume. “I’m Eddie. Would you like some tea?”
A little taken off-guard by his blunt invitation but simultaneously grateful for his hospitality, Rachel took a moment longer to nod her head in agreement to the suggestion.
“Follow me!” he beamed happily, leading her into what would’ve been a cozy study, if it weren’t so worn down. She wondered how he could see so easily in the dark, relying on only the light shining in from the windows. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the large sofa that looked like it had been gorgeous and expensive in its day with how luxurious and intricately it was made. Although now, it was ripped and tattered and covered in a layer of dust as were all of the furnishings. When she sat down, she learned that it was still very comfortable though.
Rachel did as she was instructed and watched the boy light some sconces and then start up a fire in the fireplace. The light of the embers danced against the shadows of the dim room in an eerie way. The heat flowing into the room was pleasant, washing over her chilled pale skin. More thunder rumbled from outside.
“The master doesn’t like fire so it isn’t often we get to use the fireplace,” Eddie explained, “But don’t worry, he hardly ever leaves his floor these days. And we can’t let you catch sick in those cold wet clothes, now can we?”
“The master?” She echoed uneasily, “There are other people that live here?” she questioned, though she shouldn’t have been as surprised as she was. It was a vast place; What were the chances of a huge castle such as this one being occupied solely by one little boy? Still, there hadn’t been any signs of anyone else’s presence the whole time she’d been there. On top of that, Eddie seemed exceptionally lonely and desperate for companionship.
“Oh yeah,” he responded to her question nonchalantly, “There’s the master, me, Cathy, Gray… There used to be more, but we’re all that’s left. You don’t have to worry about them; they don’t have to know you’re here. I’m keeping you for myself.”
In spite of the nature of his unsettling words, he was very casual about saying them. Rachel shook them off easy enough. The alternative was sleeping out in the wilderness of the woods, with the wind and rain, waiting to be eaten by wolves. The promise of food, shelter, and company no matter how peculiar, seemed much more agreeable. Afterall, she’d been described as such herself, plenty of times before.
The boy finished tending to the fire and stood, addressing her again with an excited grin. “I’ll go put on some tea now and prepare some snacks for us. You can lay your wet clothes by the fire to dry.” With that, the boy named Eddie disappeared from the room.
Rachel rose from the sofa to relieve herself of her outer garments heavily weighted with water, laying them on the wooden floor nearby that was close enough to dry them out but far enough away that they’d be safe from catching fire. She began to second-guess her actions, realizing that her white under-gown was now see-through. She glanced around for the boy wearily, but came to the conclusion he was too young to look at her inappropriately. With that reasoning, she was able to relax again.
He returned with a serving tray of food she’d never seen before and a teapot with two teacups.
“So, your name’s Rachel, huh? I’ll bet we’re going to get along great.”
As the time passed, Eddie nearly talked her ear off, but she merely nodded or grunted occasionally in acknowledgement or gave one-word responses which, to her relief, seemed sufficient enough to appease him. Eventually, the storm had died down while they’d been casually visiting. When her belly was full and her hair had mostly dried, the boy offered to give her a tour of the castle.
“And this is the banquet hall.” Eddie informed as he led her through the large room of long tables with dusty candelabras on them. Some of the chairs were toppled over and it looked like it’d been long deserted. A beautiful chandelier hung from the center of the tall ceiling. There were antlers over a fireplace, unlit torches along the walls, and swords were mounted in a decorative fashion and hanging over the archways, blades angled towards the doors as if they were an art peace. Suits of armor stood on each side of the doorways with sharp lances.
Eddie showed her two ballrooms, lots of sitting rooms, an armory, halls of bedchambers, the pantry and kitchen, servants’ quarters, and a chapel. She’d tried to memorize the layout of the castle but there were so many rooms and staircases, she’d quickly lost count and her sense of direction.
As they passed by yet another staircase and Rachel’s eyes drifted upward to a mysterious final story to the manor...
“That’s the master’s floor. You can go anywhere you like, except up there,” Eddie explained as they passed by and noticed her interest. “No one is permitted there, aside from Gray. Those that disobey, well… They’re never seen again.”
“What’s on the master’s floor?” She dared to ask.
Eddie’s expression sobered to address her sternly, annoyance invading the tone of his voice at her persistent inquisitiveness. “Trust me, there’s nothing up there worth seeing.”
“Why doesn’t he ever come down?” She wondered aloud.
“Ugh, who knows!” Eddie groaned incredulously, and fell into a heated rant. “Gray brings him everything he ever needs, so he has no reason to. He basically stays in his room all the time. I mean, he definitely isn’t a people person after what happened to him. I’m just glad he isn’t skulking around down here with those hideous scars of his; It ain’t pretty. At least he has enough decency to cover ‘em up. He’s got a huge temper and is super annoying. You’re better off never meeting him. Not to mention, he doesn’t give a crap about anything.” Eddie passionately complained, “Do you see this place?! It used to be beautiful but he let it deteriorate into this! That guy wouldn’t know beauty if it smacked him upside the head! I mean, really! But don’t worry, I’m gonna show you the best room in the whole castle. I just know you’ll love it… It’s got a great view! And there’s-”
So the tales were all true, she mentally marveled in disbelief. She’d only be able to fully believe in it if she saw the cursed prince with her own eyes.
But that brief window of opportunity was quickly closing as Eddie began urging Rachel away from the alluring stairway, but while the chance still presented itself, she let her eyes investigate further. It was noticeably darker up there. The small section of the wall she could see above was unnaturally slashed and a large decorative mirror on the wall was broken with shattered glass littering the floor where a worn rug laid, soiled by a suspicious-looking red stain that looked like it’d been there forever.
Curiosity began to get the better of her, igniting a spark of intrigue not so usual for her. She’d been tuning out the rest of Eddie’s ranting, though she could still hear his voice vaguely in the background. By this time, Eddie had wondered a bit off-topic to brag about the lush gardens he tended to on a daily basis during the warmer months and the graveyards behind the manor that his family had managed for generations. While that was also fairly interesting, her true interest was still lingering on the mysteries of the floor above.
“Hey, aren’t you coming?” He’d turned, eyeing her expectantly.
She nodded, reluctantly sparing one final glance before catching up with him. He continued showing her more of the castle, ending up in the throne room when a thundering voice interrupted them, echoing loudly through the halls.
"Hey, twerp! Where the fuck are you, you little shit!"
"Oh no," Eddie's eyes went wide, darting around frantically as if trying to find a place to hide. "He's coming! We can't let him see you. Quick, follow me!"
"I know I heard voices, just who the hell ya talkin’ to?!” Came another shout, “I know you're here, brat! Ya got some fucking balls, building a fire in here! I know it was you!”
Ignoring the master's threats, Eddie took her arm and urgently lead her out of the room and down the hallway. They heard the loud crashing of furniture and things being destroyed as they fled. She stumbled a little, struggling to keep up with Eddie with her hurt ankle. They abruptly stopped in front of a large gothic painting of a weeping woman with a crown of dead flowers. The picture took up a good portion of the wall, towering well over Rachel's head. She was confused as to why they'd stopped, until Eddie grabbed the side of the thick, intricately crafted frame and pulled on it hard, releasing one side of it from the wall to swing open. It turned out to be a secret door only disguised as a painting, leading into a dark passage without any source of lighting. Rachel stared a minute in awe before he forced her inside, glancing around as he did so out of paranoia.
"Don't worry, I'll get rid of him and come back for you. Stay here and hide until I say it's safe to come out." With that, he closed the painting door and she was plunged into darkness.
Rachel shivered, wrapping her arms around herself while trudging through the trees, bushes and roots. The ground was wet and muddy, making her footing slippery and unstable. Her ankle throbbed with every step. She couldn’t get images of what’d occurred out of her head, the thick river of blood pouring from Dr. Danny’s empty eye socket, the outrage on the same villager’s faces that she’d frequently saw on her trips to town, their words echoing in her memory… With the chaos raging in her mind, her vision had become distorted and blurry as she watched her feet trudge on through the mud.
A few more steps and she found herself in a narrow clearing. It was a worn path, long overgrown and almost unnoticeable from how much of it had been reclaimed by the forest. It probably used to be a road at some point, but it likely hadn’t seen a carriage or travelers in ages.
She followed it for a time, her legs feeling as if they were about to give out. But she kept walking numbly, ignoring her discomfort to take another step and then another. Her mind had been so clouded that she hadn’t noticed until she looked up that she’d made it, and her mind made its resurface to reality.
Through the black silhouettes of leafless trees, a massive structure of stone and towers extended upward towards the dark, gloomy heavens. The dim blue glow of moonlight shined down on it, causing it to glisten in the rain. There was a low rumble and the sky flashed as if it were angry, briefly illuminating the massive spread of the castle.
As she approached, she was stopped by the wall that surrounded it and prevented entry. Rachel struggled against the wrought iron gates which had been locked with thick chains, but they were now hanging loose and unsecure. Perhaps she wasn’t the only person to have stumbled upon this castle. With that knowledge, she wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad one. It was too heavy to move, but there was just enough slack in the gate that she was able to wrench it apart for her tiny body to squeeze through the gap.
Her boots sloshed in the shallow but unavoidable puddles collecting in the path between the gates and the grand castle entrance. The wooden double doors towered over her, heavy and intimidating. She pulled at them, straining and grunting with effort. Even using all her might, they barely budged, but luckily, she didn’t need too much of a gap in order for her to slip inside those doors as she did the last. After working at it a little longer, she was granted entry. The thought occurred to her that entering a castle such as this one should be much more difficult, but… perhaps not, if it was abandoned.
Or perhaps it was more likely that the monster that resided there merely wanted intruders to come in, so that it could prey upon all the unsuspecting wanderers or fugitives like herself that dared seek shelter there.
Water pooled at her feet as she stepped further in and took in her surroundings. There was a long rug inviting her inside, a table near the entry with a clock and an unlit candlestick, and a large staircase but not much else.
The air inside the castle wasn’t any warmer than it was outside. She was thoroughly drenched and cold from the storm still raging just on the other side of the stone walls around her. Her blonde hair was matted to her face with droplets of water rolling off the ends. She shivered and shuttered uncontrollably, her voice a trembling echo as she called out into the vast openness of the castle entry, “H-hello? Is anyone there?”
Just then, she caught a glimpse of a shadow flying past her. “W-wait, I…” She frantically pursued the figure into a dark room but stopped short. There wasn’t anyone in there. A childlike laughter echoed around her, but it was impossible to pinpoint where it was coming from. She was beginning to wonder if the place was haunted. Still, she called out again, “My name’s Rachel Gardner. I need a place to stay,” she pleaded, “Please, I was forced to leave my village and I have… nowhere else to go.”
A creak from behind her made her spin around to face whomever was there.
“Of course, you’re more than welcome to stay,” a young boy’s voice responded from the darkness.
She felt a tinge of relief, easing a tension in her body that she hadn’t realized. Even though she couldn’t quite see the owner of the voice, she knew someone was there only a few feet in front of her. Thunder rolled outside, followed by a bright flash that allowed her a brief glimpse of the mysterious boy she was speaking to.
“I’ll give you anything you want,” he added. “if you agree to live here forever.”
‘Forever’ her mind echoed, recalling Dr. Danny’s similar proposition. An involuntary shiver washed over Rachel at those words, a silhouette finally emerging from the shadows. It was a boy with a brown rounded mask over his head, strangely resembling a jack-o-lantern with cutouts for his eyes and mouth. He was wearing overalls with a red scarf around his neck and work boots. The heavy-duty gloves over his hands completed the look, which was awfully strange attire to be wearing indoors.
“You could be really happy and comfortable here, I promise.” The boy coaxed. He was a bit creepy, but he wasn’t all that menacing she decided. Rachel stood in place unfazed, as the ghoulish boy approached her with a shovel in his hand that she only just noticed. He leaned in, but she didn’t flinch or shy away, giving her the opportunity to notice his emerald eyes accented by freckles and small locks of red hair from the holes cut into his costume. “I’m Eddie. Would you like some tea?”
A little taken off-guard by his blunt invitation but simultaneously grateful for his hospitality, Rachel took a moment longer to nod her head in agreement to the suggestion.
“Follow me!” he beamed happily, leading her into what would’ve been a cozy study, if it weren’t so worn down. She wondered how he could see so easily in the dark, relying on only the light shining in from the windows. “Have a seat.” He gestured to the large sofa that looked like it had been gorgeous and expensive in its day with how luxurious and intricately it was made. Although now, it was ripped and tattered and covered in a layer of dust as were all of the furnishings. When she sat down, she learned that it was still very comfortable though.
Rachel did as she was instructed and watched the boy light some sconces and then start up a fire in the fireplace. The light of the embers danced against the shadows of the dim room in an eerie way. The heat flowing into the room was pleasant, washing over her chilled pale skin. More thunder rumbled from outside.
“The master doesn’t like fire so it isn’t often we get to use the fireplace,” Eddie explained, “But don’t worry, he hardly ever leaves his floor these days. And we can’t let you catch sick in those cold wet clothes, now can we?”
“The master?” She echoed uneasily, “There are other people that live here?” she questioned, though she shouldn’t have been as surprised as she was. It was a vast place; What were the chances of a huge castle such as this one being occupied solely by one little boy? Still, there hadn’t been any signs of anyone else’s presence the whole time she’d been there. On top of that, Eddie seemed exceptionally lonely and desperate for companionship.
“Oh yeah,” he responded to her question nonchalantly, “There’s the master, me, Cathy, Gray… There used to be more, but we’re all that’s left. You don’t have to worry about them; they don’t have to know you’re here. I’m keeping you for myself.”
In spite of the nature of his unsettling words, he was very casual about saying them. Rachel shook them off easy enough. The alternative was sleeping out in the wilderness of the woods, with the wind and rain, waiting to be eaten by wolves. The promise of food, shelter, and company no matter how peculiar, seemed much more agreeable. Afterall, she’d been described as such herself, plenty of times before.
The boy finished tending to the fire and stood, addressing her again with an excited grin. “I’ll go put on some tea now and prepare some snacks for us. You can lay your wet clothes by the fire to dry.” With that, the boy named Eddie disappeared from the room.
Rachel rose from the sofa to relieve herself of her outer garments heavily weighted with water, laying them on the wooden floor nearby that was close enough to dry them out but far enough away that they’d be safe from catching fire. She began to second-guess her actions, realizing that her white under-gown was now see-through. She glanced around for the boy wearily, but came to the conclusion he was too young to look at her inappropriately. With that reasoning, she was able to relax again.
He returned with a serving tray of food she’d never seen before and a teapot with two teacups.
“So, your name’s Rachel, huh? I’ll bet we’re going to get along great.”
As the time passed, Eddie nearly talked her ear off, but she merely nodded or grunted occasionally in acknowledgement or gave one-word responses which, to her relief, seemed sufficient enough to appease him. Eventually, the storm had died down while they’d been casually visiting. When her belly was full and her hair had mostly dried, the boy offered to give her a tour of the castle.
“And this is the banquet hall.” Eddie informed as he led her through the large room of long tables with dusty candelabras on them. Some of the chairs were toppled over and it looked like it’d been long deserted. A beautiful chandelier hung from the center of the tall ceiling. There were antlers over a fireplace, unlit torches along the walls, and swords were mounted in a decorative fashion and hanging over the archways, blades angled towards the doors as if they were an art peace. Suits of armor stood on each side of the doorways with sharp lances.
Eddie showed her two ballrooms, lots of sitting rooms, an armory, halls of bedchambers, the pantry and kitchen, servants’ quarters, and a chapel. She’d tried to memorize the layout of the castle but there were so many rooms and staircases, she’d quickly lost count and her sense of direction.
As they passed by yet another staircase and Rachel’s eyes drifted upward to a mysterious final story to the manor...
“That’s the master’s floor. You can go anywhere you like, except up there,” Eddie explained as they passed by and noticed her interest. “No one is permitted there, aside from Gray. Those that disobey, well… They’re never seen again.”
“What’s on the master’s floor?” She dared to ask.
Eddie’s expression sobered to address her sternly, annoyance invading the tone of his voice at her persistent inquisitiveness. “Trust me, there’s nothing up there worth seeing.”
“Why doesn’t he ever come down?” She wondered aloud.
“Ugh, who knows!” Eddie groaned incredulously, and fell into a heated rant. “Gray brings him everything he ever needs, so he has no reason to. He basically stays in his room all the time. I mean, he definitely isn’t a people person after what happened to him. I’m just glad he isn’t skulking around down here with those hideous scars of his; It ain’t pretty. At least he has enough decency to cover ‘em up. He’s got a huge temper and is super annoying. You’re better off never meeting him. Not to mention, he doesn’t give a crap about anything.” Eddie passionately complained, “Do you see this place?! It used to be beautiful but he let it deteriorate into this! That guy wouldn’t know beauty if it smacked him upside the head! I mean, really! But don’t worry, I’m gonna show you the best room in the whole castle. I just know you’ll love it… It’s got a great view! And there’s-”
So the tales were all true, she mentally marveled in disbelief. She’d only be able to fully believe in it if she saw the cursed prince with her own eyes.
But that brief window of opportunity was quickly closing as Eddie began urging Rachel away from the alluring stairway, but while the chance still presented itself, she let her eyes investigate further. It was noticeably darker up there. The small section of the wall she could see above was unnaturally slashed and a large decorative mirror on the wall was broken with shattered glass littering the floor where a worn rug laid, soiled by a suspicious-looking red stain that looked like it’d been there forever.
Curiosity began to get the better of her, igniting a spark of intrigue not so usual for her. She’d been tuning out the rest of Eddie’s ranting, though she could still hear his voice vaguely in the background. By this time, Eddie had wondered a bit off-topic to brag about the lush gardens he tended to on a daily basis during the warmer months and the graveyards behind the manor that his family had managed for generations. While that was also fairly interesting, her true interest was still lingering on the mysteries of the floor above.
“Hey, aren’t you coming?” He’d turned, eyeing her expectantly.
She nodded, reluctantly sparing one final glance before catching up with him. He continued showing her more of the castle, ending up in the throne room when a thundering voice interrupted them, echoing loudly through the halls.
"Hey, twerp! Where the fuck are you, you little shit!"
"Oh no," Eddie's eyes went wide, darting around frantically as if trying to find a place to hide. "He's coming! We can't let him see you. Quick, follow me!"
"I know I heard voices, just who the hell ya talkin’ to?!” Came another shout, “I know you're here, brat! Ya got some fucking balls, building a fire in here! I know it was you!”
Ignoring the master's threats, Eddie took her arm and urgently lead her out of the room and down the hallway. They heard the loud crashing of furniture and things being destroyed as they fled. She stumbled a little, struggling to keep up with Eddie with her hurt ankle. They abruptly stopped in front of a large gothic painting of a weeping woman with a crown of dead flowers. The picture took up a good portion of the wall, towering well over Rachel's head. She was confused as to why they'd stopped, until Eddie grabbed the side of the thick, intricately crafted frame and pulled on it hard, releasing one side of it from the wall to swing open. It turned out to be a secret door only disguised as a painting, leading into a dark passage without any source of lighting. Rachel stared a minute in awe before he forced her inside, glancing around as he did so out of paranoia.
"Don't worry, I'll get rid of him and come back for you. Stay here and hide until I say it's safe to come out." With that, he closed the painting door and she was plunged into darkness.