Chapter One: The Beginning of the Nightmare
~Acta Est Fabula~
Chapter One: The Beginning of the Nightmare
Octavia awakened with a start. She clutched her arms close to her breast and glanced around wildly. The tension she felt was unbearable, as her surroundings were not what she had expected them to be. She was confined to a large cage that was situated in the center of a dank and gloomy basement. She had a quick look around the room and became horrified by what she found throughout. The walls were lined with chunks of semi rotten flesh that hung haphazardly on rusted hooks, and various butchering instruments lay askew all over the floor. The knives were filthy and coated with old blood stains.
After averting her eyes from that horror, the girl glanced down to discover that she was naked much to her surprise, with nothing more than a filthy silk sheet to conceal her. The white laced choker with a light pink bow on its center she wore around her neck, was the only thing they hadn't removed that belonged to her. The girl's violet eyes drifted towards a large, stained wooden table situated at the very center of the room. Rotten hunks of unidentified meat were laid out on top, waiting to be prepared.
Am I going to be cut up?
She shook the bars of her prison violently, but to no avail. The girl hung her head, crestfallen. Insanely loud footsteps suddenly came lumbering down the basement's shoddy stairs. Octavia jerked up her head, and thinking quickly, pretended to still be unconscious. She held her eyes tightly shut as she heard the stranger approach her confinement. They twisted the lock and Octavia heard the door slowly creak open. Were they going to kill her, or set her free?
It placed a massive hand inside and reached for her thigh. Lightning crashed outside and lit up the entire room through the singular small window. Revealing the stranger for an instant.The deformed creature reared up, and with a startled cry, fled from the room. Once the area had become quiet again, Octavia opened her eyes and sat upright. Immediately, she eyed for the door. It was still slightly cracked open.
That creature forgot to close my cage!
Without hesitation, Octavia exited the cramped cell, thankful to be able to get out and stretch her legs again. As the girl enjoyed her freedom, she didn't realize that she wasn't the only person in the room. Two eyes gleamed from underneath the meat cutting table. The rest of the figure was completely masked in shadow, so it couldn't be seen in its entirety. Octavia timidly approached as she tried to get a better look. Without warning, and a menacing growl, a flash of something white zoomed over her head and vanished up the staircase, leaving Octavia to fall backwards giving a panicked cry.
Amidst all of that ruckus, she noticed a stray leather collar just a few inches away from her on the floor. She reached out a hand to pick it up, and inspected it further to find that it had a name stamped on the front of it in gold plating. She read it aloud, "Hewie." She wondered at it for a moment, then proceeded to set it back down again and climb to her feet.
I need to get out of this horrible basement!
Octavia nervously made her way up the same stone steps that the creature had taken, and found herself outside, finally leaving that horrid basement behind for good! But she wasn't safe just yet.The outdoor path reeked of desolation, and various withered plant life and gnarled trees lined the sides. They closed her in, making forward the only place left to go, and she detested every minute of it. Ravens that were perched among the lowest branches of the trees gave a melancholy hark as she passed them by, causing her to jump with fright. The only thing keeping her composure contained was the gentle glow of the setting sun overhead. But unfortunately, that would soon disappear. A large stone mass slowly eased into view and Octavia realized that she had been confined to a basement that was adjacent right next to a massive stone castle.
Where am I?
She eyed the structure with unease, it looked terribly uninviting from her perspective. But with the swift setting of the evening sun eating at her thoughts, she had no choice but to climb a few more set of stairs and enter the castle through the patio door. Her fear of the dark was much more serious than the eeriness of the castle. She found herself to be inside of a quaint, though also quite large bedroom suite. As she neared the bed, she noticed that fine clothes were lay out as if someone had expected her arrival. She felt slightly disturbed, but nevertheless decided to wear them.
It beats wearing this dirty old sheet...
But before she could, a strange feeling stopped her. Octavia's spine tingled and the hairs on her neck began to rise. She turned to see a tall and elegantly shaped woman, watching her through stoic silver eyes from right across the room. Octavia could only stand completely still and eye the stranger with silent terror. She definitely exuded an air of creepiness, but even Octavia couldn't deny that she was also incredibly beautiful. It was almost, unearthly. Her metallic violet colored hair was done up in such a regal manner, with delicate curled ends on both sides that hung past her shoulders. She wore a cobalt blue dress with gold trimmings of fine design, complete with a long white laced apron. Though it appeared to be blotched with some dried blood and grime on the ends, much to Octavia's displeasure.
She walked towards the girl rather stiffly. It was an incredibly unnatural and awkward gait, almost robotic. She gestured to the clothes on the bed. "I've prepared some clothes for you, Miss," she said. Her voice was like cold stone and lacking any traces of emotion. Instead of thanking her, Octavia could only ask questions.
"Excuse me, but where am I exactly? And how did I get here?" she asked the maid rather nervously. Her response was silent. She appeared to be in another state of mind. An impressive portrait of a stoic looking man hung next to the suite's cheery little fireplace, and this was what the maid was focusing on.
"Yes, Master. I will make sure she stays comfortable," she spoke to the painting on the wall. Octavia was beginning to feel even more unnerved.
Is she mad?!
The woman bowed respectfully, then stiffly made her way past Octavia and headed for the door. But the girl was determined to get some answers first. "Wait!" she pleaded, and the maid stopped dead. She never turned around, but Octavia knew that she had finally gotten her attention. "Who are you? And, where am I?"
Her second question remained unanswered, as the woman only uttered, "Daniella," very deadpan, and left the room. Octavia just stood and eyed the closed door for a moment, clearly irritated.
Well, she was certainly helpful!
Once her aggravation had subsided, she eyed the clothes on the bed again. She had almost decided to keep the stupid silk sheet on, but they were just too lovely to refuse. The entire ensemble was of a Victorian design. The shirt was creme white in color, with a square collar and long puffy sleeves, and brown cuffs embroidered with a white laced design.
A beautiful sapphire brooch was encrusted into the center of the fabric, placed just directly below the neckline. It was encircled with a delicate, black bordering that made the brooch appear even more vibrant in color and in luster. The bottom of the shirt was designed in such a way, that it resembled an intricate snowflake. The back of the shirt appeared to be open, with a blue ribbon criss-crossing downwards to form a bow-tied lace, which prevented the shirt from possibly ever coming loose. The design was similar to that of a corset.
The skirt was layered with a dark purple color on the top, and a translucent metallic purple folding on the bottom layer. The skirt looked knee high, and rimmed with floral accents. A pair of plain black stockings were laid out next to the skirt, and beneath those lay a pair of copper brown boots with zippers on the sides. They too also sported a similar floral design. The heels were black on the underside, and only about an inch high. The entire outfit was just spectacular and suited Octavia's tastes exactly. And so relenting, she began putting them on.
It wasn't a very pleasant procedure. It felt as though someone, somewhere, was clearly watching her. Because of its Victorian nature, the clothes fit just a little too tight around the mid-section. However, she decided that it was tolerable. Octavia took some time and admired herself in the mirror for a second before quietly easing open the door to begin exploring.
I'm sure they won't mind if I poke around here for a bit.
She set her sights on the door across the hall from the suite. It led her to another long hallway with an impressive piece of architecture at its center. Five expertly carved pillars stood firm, keeping the structure from crumbling to dust from a nasty fall.
As extravagant as it all was though, it had clearly seen better days. There were several cracks in the stone and a thick blanket of ivy crept up from the outside. Octavia peered over the railing and had a nice view of a little garden down below. It had all the essentials like gardening tools and several species of flowers, but the trees especially caught her eye. They had all been cut and shaped with such care and skill. One of them resembled a unicorn, its pose noble and elegant all at once.
I wonder who is the one responsible for all of this beautiful work?
But her joy was short lived. She turned to continue her journey down the hall and spotted a messy splatter of blood on the last pillar. She gave a quiet shriek and backed away hastily.
Why is there blood here?!
Her mind spun with possibility. She then decided that it was best to keep going and forget what she had just seen. This mentality was working quite nicely, as she focused on the length of the hall. Another door was at its end to the left, next to another impressive painting on the right. This one was of a young woman lounging in a distressed position, and looking over at something that Octavia could not see.
I wonder what it could be?
Her curiosity came to a halt when something shot past from the right corridor, scarcely just missing her face. She fell back surprised and eyed the object that had just been thrown. It was a bisque doll. She could see that it was once very beautiful at one time or another, but now it was covered in filth and it's hair was matted and tangled. The delicate blue dress it was wearing was close to being torn in half, the stitches loose.
A hulking shadow cast on the wall in front of her, and she panicked as it came closer. What turned the corner, frightened her even further. The figure was in plain sight now, hulking over her. She immediately recognized him as the creature from the basement she had been confined to earlier. She was never able to get a good look at him before, and now she wished that she hadn't looked at all.
He was a man of an overly hulking stature and his back carried a grotesque deformity. The spine appeared to be bent upwards, forming an unsightly rigid hump in his back. His teeth were rotten, and others were either broken or missing. As for his untidy mop of light brown hair, he possessed very little of it. His beady black eyes grew to the size of dinner plates once he finally noticed her, he obviously wasn't very intelligent, considering that Octavia had been in plain sight for quite awhile.
He giggled stupidly as he reached out for her, his eyes focusing on the place between her legs. Octavia refused his advance and quickly returned to her feet. The man giggled once more and he gargled out something that sounded like, "My dolly!" Octavia didn't find that so amusing. Just what did he intend to do, play with her as if she were a toy? Not waiting to find out, Octavia began running back to the suite.
Octavia certainly wasn't the most athletic girl you could find, and she was nearly out of breath by the time she had made it back to the entrance of the suite. Her delicate frame wasn't exactly built for such strenuous activity. Without hesitation, Octavia flung open the door and slammed it shut behind her. She was panting furiously and her mind was racing with desperate thoughts on how to escape from this hideous creature. The girl knew he would be arriving at the door shortly, and she really didn't want to wait around and see what he was going to do. She eyed the bed and quickly scrambled to get underneath it.
Please don't let him find me here...
She made it just in time before the hulking menace burst through the door. Octavia was terrified, but she remained quiet and never moved a muscle, as she watched him from her hiding position. He was lumbering around the room stupidly, looking for her. "Where is you?!" he spat distressingly. As he kept on searching, he continuously grunted some more and even stopped for a moment to sniff grotesquely as if he could locate her by scent.
"Good smell," Octavia thought she had heard him say. Could he smell her lavender body lotion perhaps? Eventually, he finally seemed to just give up and exit through the patio door. At last, it was quiet again. But Octavia remained put for a few minutes more, just to be safe. When the coast really did seem clear, she crawled out from under the bed and left the suite again. This time, she was able to reach that door at the end of the long hallway without any interference. By the looks of it, this appeared to be an alchemy room. She had read about alchemists once before in some books from Twilight's library, and knew that some still existed throughout Equestria. Thinking about Twilight and all of her friends made her feel even more homesick than she already was.
I miss my friends. I must find a way to get out of here!
Nothing else seemed to be of any interest in this room, so she exited through a new door and found herself outdoors again. It looked like another patio, but this one seemed off. There was a set of stairs leading down into another small garden, but it wasn't finished as the steps only went halfway.
This place just continues to weird me out.
It appeared that the only way down was to descend a rickety old ladder that someone had carelessly placed up against the wall below her. Octavia sighed and made the cautious climb down to the ground floor.
This garden was a serious downgrade compared to the other one that Octavia had seen earlier. Most of the plants were dead and everything else seemed decrepit and just falling apart. A once charming little park bench was now split in half, and the small well that was situated in the garden's center had a crooked brown roof that was missing quite a few of its shingles. Two doors greeted her at the end of the area. After trying the left one first, it appeared to be locked and required a key of some kind, but the other to the right was accessible. Once opened, Octavia swore that she could hear the feint tinkling notes of a piano coming from somewhere inside the vicinity. Indeed, she was correct. Another door with a fantastic archway above of two lovers dancing with their hands clasped together, contained the sound she sought.
The room itself was just as beautiful inside as it was on the outside. Such elegance! The walls were the loveliest shade of creme and the trim was meticulously, and so intricately carved in the most imaginative floral shapes. For once in this place, Octavia didn't feel so frightened or uneasy. The tone of this room's interior exuded such a welcoming fragrance, that it reminded Octavia a little of her own home. Her eyes glittered hungrily at the sight of the instruments she found all over. A massive harp, violins, a cello (her signature instrument), and many others were scattered about the room here and there. The sound of the Grand Piano continued on from above and she eventually recognized the piece that was being played.
That's Liebestraum No. III, by Franz Liszt, I believe. Whoever is playing must be exceedingly talented.
Octavia craned her neck up to try and see the pianist, but with no luck. The person could not be seen from the ground floor as the piano was placed on a raised platform, possibly leading to even more rooms. Octavia could only wonder. As the music continued with a seemingly added fervor after each passing minute, Octavia spied a glinting object from across the room. She walked towards a red chaise sofa to discover a small silver key resting on an antique table right in front of it. As she reached out to pick it up, the piano gave a loud clang. Octavia jumped a mile out of her skin and almost ran out of the room. But somehow, she stayed put.
"I see you have finally awakened, Miss," came a voice. It was most definitely male and he spoke in a most eloquent manner. Since he was on the platform up above, Octavia could only stare blankly up at the marble ceiling. She was beginning to feel frightened again, yet she somehow still mustered enough courage to speak up to the mysterious voice.
"Wh- who are you?" she asked. The voice merely laughed for a second in response. It was a harsh and unsettling chuckle. Octavia had a feeling that this stranger could be potentially dangerous too.
"I've been wanting to show you something for quite some time," he began. "Pull away that sheet behind you." His tone was imperative. Octavia feared his wrath if she didn't comply, so she readily obeyed him. She approached the sofa again and hesitantly eyed the concealed figure sitting there. How did she miss this the first time? She slowly pulled away the sheet and then honestly wished that she hadn't afterwards. It was a life size wooden carving of herself, but that wasn't the worst of it. Her belly seemed to be bulging, as if heavily pregnant. Octavia wanted to vomit. The voice laughed again, as if he could sense her discomfort. "You will be mine, Octavia!" he announced, laughing wickedly. Then he was gone. Octavia felt lightheaded as though she were about to pass out, and her mind was racing with too many thoughts to contain all at once.
How did he know my name?!
She felt vulnerable and incredibly unsafe, knowing now that he desired her. She of course didn't want anything to do with him, whoever he was. Now she was too afraid to even sleep, fearing that he would come looking for her soon. Not finding this room so particularly welcoming anymore, she briskly took her leave. Slamming the door shut, she made her way back into the garden and faced the locked door to the left. Now that she had obtained the key, she could finally unlock it and continue her search. She gently inserted the key into the lock and opened the door. Two weeping figs that guarded the entrance beyond the threshold, greeted Octavia as she quietly stepped inside. Finding herself to be in yet another hallway, Octavia almost
What is it with this castle and long halls?
She entered another door to the left and was greeted with the savory smells of various meats. She saw that there was meat currently being prepared on a cutting board and dried meats hanging on hooks with garlic necklaces to accompany them. Beyond the shoddy wooden counters was a quaint little stove and a smudged up sink.
This must be the castle kitchen.
Knowing that, she knew there had to a cellar around somewhere. As she scanned the room, some china in an antique cabinet caught her attention for a brief moment. They were so well polished that they sparkled with a radiant whiteness, (It sort of reminded her of Princess Celestia.) Come to think of it, she noticed that most of the castle was completely devoid of any dust, with the exception of a few rooms it seemed. Someone obviously gave this entire castle a punctilious and daily regimen of intense cleaning.
Could that maid be the one responsible for such scrupulous behavior?
She didn't have the time to ponder over that thought too long, and quickly snapped back to the task at hand. It seemed as though her intuitions were correct, and that there was indeed a cellar tucked away in a quiet little corner near the counters. The stairs creaked loudly with every step she took and Octavia prayed that no one would come to investigate. Despite almost everything in the castle being quite clean, the cellar was one of those exceptions she had thought about. It was as dusty as they come and riddled with cobwebs, a few were even occupied. The girl scanned the cramped room and noticed many shelves of canned goods and wine, lots of wine. She read a few of the labels and marveled at the many varieties that were being displayed here.
Someone's quite the connoisseur.
She spied a map sitting on a small table near the back, the flame of candlelight dancing merrily from side to side, illuminating its creased surface. It was a map of the castle! She studied it carefully for a brief moment, but decided not to take it with her, for it was sloppy and unintelligible. She left the cellar, clearly feeling disappointed with her find. As she made her way past the counter once more, the creature suddenly popped up from behind it. He leaned into her, breathing his rancid hot breath into her face. Octavia crinkled her nose in disgust. The girl wanted to run, but she was too petrified to move. The monster lurched forward suddenly, growling and gurgling out more nonsense.
Octavia screamed and fell backwards. He giggled as he swung his great arms at her, desperately trying to touch her. Octavia shouted a warning, "Get away from me!" and scrambled to her feet. She returned to the hall, slamming the door intensely shut behind her. Of course, that didn't stop the monstrosity in his tracks, he simply just reopened the door and gave chase. Octavia hastily tried to retrace her steps and had almost reached the door to the garden again, when a familiar voice thundered out a domineering command, freezing Octavia right in her tracks.
"Exire, Debillitas!" he bellowed. Octavia looked back at her pursuer with a feeling of relief. At first the creature grunted and huffed, reluctant to spoil his 'fun,' but in the end, he had no choice but to heed his master's command. He slowly turned away from Octavia and skulked back into the kitchen, only glancing back at her once. Now that the monstrosity was gone, 'He' finally came into view. Octavia was able to see him at last, and he definitely wasn't a friendly looking sight. He was a very tall and wore a dark brown cloak with a large hood to conceal his face, so all that could be seen of him was his unsettling blue eyes. "I am Riccardo, keeper of the castle, he announced eerily." "Miss Octavia," he began, as he took a few bold steps toward her. She stepped back in response with her head lowered like that of a frightened animal.
"Please, I just want to go home," Octavia pleaded, clearly distraught. Riccardo chuckled darkly.
"But Miss, this is your home. You are the next heir to inherit this castle." What?
"Please, there must be some mistake, I've never even been to this place before," Octavia cried.
"You must be exhausted," he observed, while also completely dodging around the girl's doubt stricken answer. Octavia staggered, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "Are you alright, Miss?" Riccardo asked as she began to fall. "Please, rest upstairs." Then he smiled, It was so unnerving. The girl sighed, and proceeded to collapse just as soon as those words had escaped from his lips.
She awoke to find herself back in the suite, laying on the bed as she desperately tried to remember how she even ended up in this hellish nightmare of a castle in the first place. But her memory remained fuzzy, and that really frustrated her.
That gentleman must have carried me to bed.
The very thought made her shudder, though she appeared to be unharmed, for now anyway. It was now completely pitch dark outside, and Octavia had a dreaded feeling that she was going to be trapped here for quite some time. How she so desperately wanted to go home!
I must be dreaming, this has to be a dream!
She sat upright in the bed and wept.
*Whine.*
The sound of something whimpering in utter distress, allowed her to dry her tears for awhile, and pique her curiosity again. Getting up from the bed, she walked over to peer out of the large three pane window. Pressing her hands gently against the glass, Octavia searched carefully for the strange sound. It was dark, but she could just barely make out a squirming white figure in the distance. It was definitely a living creature judging from the shape, and Octavia went outside to investigate, her concern for the crying animal abolishing her fear of the darkness for a time. She descended the patio steps and beheld the still figure of a white dog being confined to a gnarled old tree in the backyard. A wire was enclosed around his neck, cutting deep and creating many bloody wounds. Octavia was horrified as she knelt beside the poor animal.
Who would do such a horrible thing like this?! The poor thing, there's so much blood. So many cuts...
She spoke softly and stroked him before she attempted to remove the thick wire. At last the dog was free and he eyed her gratefully. She smiled and urged for the dog to escape before someone else could capture him again. His intelligent brown eyes acknowledged her words with great understanding, and he hesitantly left her. Once again, Octavia was alone and in the dark. She began to regret sending the dog away, but it was too late now. She slumped back to the suite feeling hopeless and almost didn't notice that the creature was back, and now currently sitting on the bed. Her weak legs gave way again as she fell to the floor petrified.
"Why can't you just leave me alone!?" she demanded. He giggled and burbled something that Octavia couldn't make out, and then he too was on the floor. At first, he seemed to be copying her like it was just a game of some kind, but then his eyes grew hungry again as he tried to touch her in between her legs for a second time. He might have been successful, had it not been for the bark that stopped his perverted attempt.
The white dog had returned, barking and growling menacingly at the creature. He in turn, seemed to be getting very angry at the dog, and completely ignored Octavia for a moment. Rearing up to his full height, the monster growled his own wretched warning. Octavia could only sit there and eye them both desperately. Not knowing what else to do, she issued a plea for the dog to attack. He obediently did as he was told and wrapped his powerful jaws around the creature's gigantic hand in a vice grip. Howling in pain, the monster turned and fled from the room, cradling his injured and bleeding hand. Octavia hurriedly rushed over and shut the door tight, then slumped back down to the floor with a relieved sigh. She was safe again, for now.
"Thank you, for saving me," Octavia spoke to the dog. She eyed him warmly and offered a hand to him. "Come here boy, come here", she beckoned softly." The dog ambled over and licked her face gently. Octavia laughed and said, "What's your name?" as she was petting him. She suddenly remembered the collar she had found in the basement with a name stamped on its gold plating. "So you're Hewie." she said, as matter of fact. "Well hi there, Hewie." Hewie barked contentedly in response.
Octavia no longer felt so alone now, and was more determined than ever to find a way out of this place. She opened the door and began her journey anew. Hewie followed close beside her. He was determined to keep the girl safe from harm, as thanks for saving his life. With her hopes restored, Octavia and Hewie descended the grand staircase next to the suite that led to another door at the bottom. They didn't know what lied beyond it, but nothing could hinder them now. Octavia looked down at Hewie warmly and smiled.
We're getting out of this nightmare together!
To be continued...