Castle of Illusions Chapter Nine - Mary and Jade

Castle of Illusions Chapter Nine - Mary and Jade

Chapter Nine: Mary and Jade

Mr. Keener walked down the hallway listening carefully for the screams of the
Children that would please him, and please him it would. The man he was was cold as the
Winters night and as sly as a fox. Well you saw how he created the imagery of a father
figure in him, one that most surely would have the kids in his hands.

He had a toothy grin on his face, his eyes squinted and his boney hands locked
together, the skin turning white from his tight grip. There was no sound to be heard and


this disturbed him greatly. Turning around he went to check on them to make sure that
they did not find a way to flee the creature he had called Mary, and in a caring, sweet
voice he called out their names like a mother would call for her child to come in for
dinner.

"Jacob, Crystal, James, Joey, Bobbie ... Are you guys all right? It seems so
quiet in there-"

The den was lit by the fires flame which danced inside its concrete home. And
on the walls the shadows of the children danced with the flame, and in Jacob's hand he
held Mary tightly over the flame, smiling with pleasure as a kid would when he had found


his long lost toy or stuffed doll.

Charles face went slack with horror as he watched his Mary dangle above the
flame, whipping her tail back and forth trying to escape from the boys clutches. She
squealed when the flame would singe its tail.

Bobbie twisted the hem of Crystals skirt in his hand, his eyes watering from the bright
light and biting down on his bottom lip he shuddered with fear as he looked into Mr.
Keener's dead eyes.

"So, this is why you are so quiet? Playing with my pets over an open fire?"

He walked and talked, his arms held out and palms going up and down to show that


he wanted some sympathy for the creature, trying to get Jacob to see differently about
Mary. For Mary was his love and he would protect her until the end and when he saw Jacob


lower her down towards the flame even more, Charles screamed along with Mary as though
he were catching fire too.

"I beg of you Jacob Miller, Mary doesn't know any better that's why I keep her
confined in a glass case. You need to understand-"

Jacob cut him off with a laugh of difference, and bringing Mary closer to the
flame he snickered, but it was drowned out by Mary's squeals and Mr. Keener's screams.
The fire danced in his eyes with fury and hate, he wanted to kill the creature along
with Mr. Keener who had deceived him and everyone else in the room. He did not deserve
any sympathy from them, no it would not be that way. Jacob felt merciful and would see
to it that punishment would be delivered.

"If you were the fatherly figure you thought you were, you would have told us
where you were. Well where were you then?"

Mr. Keener looked from Jacob to Crystal, Crystal to James, and James to Joey who


had his thumb shoved in his mouth and was in the process of being sucked on.

Bobbie stepped forward, still looking into the eyes of Charles with the up most
interest. Bobbie had a feeling that Mr. Keener did not deserve to be treated like this
and wanted to help him in anyway he could.

"Father."

It was a relief to here that word used, it meant that all hope wasn't lost
because one child still was under his full control, and Charles gave Bobbie a big,
yellow toothy grin that could only be something so sinister.

"Oh Bobbie Sanders, I was only going to go to the washroom when I felt something


disturbing, you know that feeling when you get when something doesn't seem right?"

Bobbie nodded his head in acknowledgement, and smiled cheerfully and said with
glee to the others as he turned around, his eyes closed tightly.

"See I told you guys that Mr. Keener wasn't-"

Jacob uttered a blood curdling scream as Mary managed to arch her body up and
plunge her teeth into Jacobs hand, causing him to drop her to the floor and almost into
the fire. She slithered away towards Charles when Crystal took a dash forward to keep
the creature from escaping but Mr. Keener looked into Crystal's eyes and said softly.

"Mary has learned her lesson Crystal Steward, so I highly doubt she will be
returning any time soon. You see, she was afraid when the lights went out and knocked
her container over, I heard the sound of glass shattering and immediately connected it
with Mary."

crystal nodded slowly as she looked deeply into the eyes of Mr. Keener, and she
felt as if her soul was being stolen from her, as though something had plunged a cold
hand into her body and grasped a hold of that spirit inside of her. She shivered
suddenly and looked away from Charles and towards Jacob with confusion.

"Maybe it was all an accident Jacob, I mean I did hear a crash-"

"That's what he wants you to think Crystal! Don't you understand? Don't you see
that he is playing you like a Marionette?"

Crystal shook her head, her palms placed against her ears as voices flooded into


her head, telling her that it was all wrong that it wasn't right here. They told her to
run away, to flee the castle and get as far away from it. She screamed with agony as she


shook her head furiously.

"ENOUGH! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY OF IT!"

Jacob and James stepped forward to aid Crystal in her moment of sudden panic. It


was shocking and frightening to them, but more to Jacob because he had experienced
sudden panic when Mr. Keener was bringing him to his home, but his panic was not as
uncontrolled as Crystal's was.


Mr. Keener watched with the most interest, his eyes never leaving Crystal's, for

he knew what she was hearing, what she was experiancing. She was feeling her soul being

ripped out, piece by agonizing piece. Charles smiled with pleasure knowing that he had

captured Crystal and soon she would become his.

Mary had managed to escape into the darkness of the hallway, and no one noticed.

She slithered her way with swiftness, gliding almost as she headed towards Mr. Keener's

bedroom where her home would be waiting for her. She let out a hiss as she reached the

bottom step of the stairs, and with a leap she made her way up to the top floor, her

tiny muscular legs flailing in mid air. They were like springs, when she landed they

pushed in and released to allow her to leap into the air like a frog.

Charles exited the Den to go find Mary, he knew that she would be making her way

to his bedroom so she could turn in for the night. So many events have happened that

day, it was beginning to wear her out, he thought.

Back in the Den Crystal was looking at James and Jacob as if she has never seen

them in her life, and with her palms placed on her waist she said.

"Who are you two?"

James looked at Jacob with fright, has Crystal lost her mind? Doubt it. But what

if she did?

"Crystal, it's us. James and Jacob, don't you remember. I walked into this place

with you."

She laughed throwing her hand into the air and keeping one hand on her waist.

"I'm not Crystal hun, the name is Jade, better remember that."


Jacob looked at James, he was scared and knew that Mr. Keener had split Crystal

into two people, a split personality. James only wondered where Crystal was, and worried

for her well being. He wanted her back, and soon. For she was a girl who he had come to

like and wanted to know more about. He yearned for her in other words.

Joey tugged on the hem of Jacob's shirt.

"What is it Joey?"

In a low voice that a mother would recognise when her child has done something

wrong, he said.

"Bobbie went after Mr. Keener."

Fear surged through him as those words rung through his head, and Jacob headed

towards the hallway when someone grabbed a hold of him and turned him around. He was

looking into the green eyes of Jade, she looked lost.

"Look Jacob, I just wan'to know ... WHERE THE HELL AM I?"

Jacob lowered his head in spite of himself he said with shame.

"I don't know that Jade, but what I know is that I shouldn't have taken that

route to school, it only caused trouble for me. Now I am in a stone fortress held

captive by an old man who thinks he's the father of us. It's been hectic all day and

also confusing, but it doesn't matter as long as everyone is all right and safe

together."

Joey screamed at the top of his lungs like a child having a temper tantrum, his

fists were clenched tightly.

"I TOLD YOU, BOBBIE IS GONE OFF TO FIND MR. KEENER! BOBBIE IS GONE!"

Jade looked down at Joey and got to her knees so she could be at eye level with

him. Placing a hand upon his shoulder and looking into his eyes she said with a mother

like voice knowing that it could calm the boy down, for Jade didn't like it when

children would scream.

"Joey we are going to go find Bobbie, everything will be all right."

Mr. Keener reached the top of the stairs, his hands on his knees he glared at

his bedroom door and said.

"Mary you know better than to scare our guests like that, now please come out

and lets go back down stairs so we can have a proper introduction, we don't want to have

you placed over an open fire again, now do we?"

This was true, having seen his pet nearly thrown in the fire place had made

Charles fear Jacob but also hate him even more because he knew what Mr. Keener really

was, and that was something he didn't want anyone to find out because he knew that if

that had ever occured that his true identity would be revealed, his powers would be

lost. No more fatherly figure image for Charles, and he didn't want that.

The door opened to Mr. Keener's bedroom and a lady walked out in a scarlet ball

room dress. She was five foot five, long sandy blonde hair that met the middle of her

back, it was wavy. Her eyes were an emerald green and her skin a pale white. There was a

freckle at the left corner of her mouth. Her lips were red with lipstick and her eyelids

a deep red. She smiled as she walked out and held out her hand to Mr. Keener.

"Come on dear Charles we don't want to keep them waiting now do we? We have to

make a proper introduction."

Mr. Keener straightened himself, fixed his hair and grasped a hold of her hand

with pleasure and suprise.

"You are gorgeous Mary, drop dead gorgeous."