Castle of Illusions Chp 7

Castle of Illusions Chp 7

Chapter Seven: Bedrooms and Nightmares

Mr.Keener walked with Jacob Miller with his hands behind his back, and his head slightly tilted upwards. A tune was hummed, a sweet lullaby that was traditional in his family. The tune was mocking bird, a lullaby Jacob's mom sang before bed. Mr.Keener hummed this very tune as they walked the halls towards Jacob's bedroom.

Mr.Keener stopped infront of a door labeled with the number thirty-six, and the words "Bedroom" engraved beneath. Turning the knob Mr.Keener gave Jacob a calm look, his eyes sparkling with the light that illuminated from the torches on the walls.

"I hope your room will make you feel at home, after all that has happened today, it's the most I can offer you."

As the door swung open, and a brilliant light bathed both Mr.Keener and Jacob Miller, to Jacob's suprise, he was stadning at the entrance of one of the largest rooms he has ever seen. The room must have been half the size of a foot ball field. The walls were lined with torches that burned brightly, throwing a brilliant orange light across the floor. The room was full of book shelves, all occupied by leather backs. At the far end was an enormous bed with curtains drawn together, and to Jacob's amazement, he dropped his mouth open in awe. A fire place between the rows of shelves, burned brightly with three logs in its great belly.

Jacob looked up at Mr.Keener, and could not conjure up words as to his amazement and great awe to what he saw. This room was beyond breath taking. It was drop dead gorgeous.

"Wow...Mr.Keener I don't know what to say."

He smiled softly, holding up his hand, his palm opened. "No need to say anything, Jacob Miller, but all you can do is enjoy your stay while you can."

Mr.Keener left the room, and his footsteps could be heard from a far, they left echoes which chilled the air.

As Mr.Keener walked down the hall, Jacob walked towards his bed, and readied himself for sleep. Throwing his clothes aside and grabbing the hem of the sheets, he slipped under and closed his eyes and slept the night away.

He entered the kitchen, peering out from behind the door to make sure no one was around. Than closing the door carefully, Mr.Keener headed over to the pantry and dropped to his knees and peered under. "Roger what did I tell you about trying to kill our guests?"

The leech slithered out from under the pantry, his legs dangling behind him as he left a path of slime behind. Its blood red eyes met Mr.Keeners, and it approached his open palm and hopped on.

"There's my good boy." A smile broke upon Mr.Keener's face as he lifted his palm and looked deeply into the eyes of the leech.

The leech let out a screech, as though it were trying to purr in content.

Mr.Keener began to stroke the thing, humming to it softly as he exited the kitchen, and walked up the stairs and into the west wing.

That night, Jacob had a dream of his mother, she was calling out for him, screaming almost. Engulfed in the fog, Jacob ran around aimlessy, throwing his arms out front as though he were blind. His mother's words ripped through his mind "Jacob! Where are you my boy?" Jacob tried to respond to her voice, but he kept spitting up black tar mixed with blood. "Jacob! Where are you my boy?" Again, he tried to respond, but he spewed up some more tar, and now it began to spill from his eyes and ears. Falling to his knees, he wept heavily, spilling tar all over his white t-shirt. A hand clamped down on his right shoulder, and he was turned around. Behind him Mr.Keener stood above him, smiling that crooked smile. "What's wrong, Jacob Miller?" Jacob looked down at his palms and wept some more tar. Speaking only gargled sounds, Mr.Keener clamped down on his shoulder tighter, puncturing the skin and allowing some black tar to dribble down his arm. "Come on Jacob Miller, speak up now." He began to laugh maniacally, and the leech slithered over Mr.Keener's right shoulder, its mouth opened wide to reveal the set of jagged pearl white fangs. In attempt to scream, Jacob fell over, tar pouring from all his orifices and Mr.Keener's pet leech plunged itself into Jacob's stomach where it laid several eggs.

Jacob sprung awake, sweat falling from his face as if he took a bath in it. The fire burned brightly, throwing a soft glow across the room.

He threw his hands to his face, and felt the soft skin just to make sure he wasn't producing tar. To his relief, nothing came from his mouth, eyes, or ears. Than he lifted his shirt up, and looked down with fear as to what he might see. A leech making a home inside his belly, but there wasn't one. Only his belly button. "That felt a little too real..."

At the same time Jacob was having his nightmare, Crystal had hers too. She was in school, sitting down for an exam with her hands cupped togther. She looked up at her teacher, who was a well built man, stood five foot eight, his golden blonde hair which formed into curls at the bottom. She sighed at his dreamy blue eyes, and imagined being with him in bed as he passed by as he placed her exam on her desk. Crystal's friend, Jazel, who was probably her oldest too, leaned over and whispered "You dreaming there girl?" Crystal snapped herself from the day dream, and looked at Jazel with embarassment. "No, you know, I am just a bit tired." Jazel smiled faintly, laughed and arched up into her desk "And I went to England, met the queen, and came back in one night." Crystal smiled at this, and brought her eyes to her paper. It was totally blank, as white as freshly cleaned sheets. With confusion she shot her hand up, and the teacher walked towards her, his hand falling upon her shoulder, and butterflies formed in her stomach. "Yes Ms.Steward?" Her words were trapped in her throat, she was touched by an angel sent from her own heaven. "Ms.Steward? What can I do for you?" She tried to speak, but words were muffled by a gargling noise. "Ms.Steward are you all right?" No, she thought, no I am not all right. His grasp tightend on her shoulder, and pain bolted through her body. Claws punctured her skin, and blood stained her shirt, and what she saw next made her scream in horror. Spiders began to pour from her mouth. "Ms.Steward, I am afraid I will have to ask you to leave my classroom." She got up, and as she did this her body began to melt, her skin falling off the bones like Jello falling off a spoon. Than something wrapped around her ankle and began to slither up. Looking down she saw an oversized leech making its way up her skirt and burrowed inside of her, it began to lay its eggs.

She sprung awake, also sweating pretty heavily from the nightmare that felt a bit all to real. But wasn't it real? No it couldn't be, she told herself. It was just a silly dream and you know it. But was it? This was the question that disturbed her, because she knew it was just all a dream, but at the same time, she knew it wasn't.

James turned in his sleep, uttering noises into his pillow as he dreamt.

He wandered through the hospital, heading towards his father's room. A nurse rounded the corner, and James headed off after her, shouting "Hey, you, Miss!" But she didn't seem to hear him, she kept running away, down the hall and into the darkness a head, and it seemed to engulf her. He stopped as he witnessed this, and headed into the room by his side, which was marked with the number 131. Shutting the door carefully behind him, James panted heavily from the fear that overwhelmed him, but what his eyes witnessed next made his fear even worse. The room he stood in was the operating room, and on the table was his father. His stomach was sliced down the middle, his intestines hung over the ledges like creepers. His skin went a pale white, his head was missing, and his legs splayed. At the end of the table stood Mr.Keener, who held in his hand a scaple. "Ah, good to join us, James Duberry." He smiled faintly, wiping the blood off the blade and placing it down on the table next to him. "We've been waiting for you." He pushed Jame's dad off the operating table and patted the cold surface "Come on James, your turn." James backed into the door, and shook his head "No...How could you Mr.Keener?" Mr.Keener chuckled, his smile growing wider, his teeth becoming more jagged "Oh, I can do anything I want to Mr.Duberry, and you will find that out pretty quick." James felt something clamp onto his arms and tug away at him. Glancing to his left, he saw two nurses, they were looking in Jame's eyes with hunger. There faces were blank, mouth, nose, eyes, and ears missing. Mr.Keener walked up to James and got down onto his knees, holding the scaple in his right hand. "Now this won't hurt...Well it won't hurt me, but my god, will it ever hurt you?" He laughed maniacally and plunged the blade into his belly and arched it upwards, and from the slit came the leech, it fell to the floor and slithered away, leaving its fresh eggs inside his belly.

James sprung awake, looking around the room as he wiped the sweat from his brow, and in the corner of his eye, he saw those blood red eyes in the shadows.