Day 7.

It’s still so dark. So.

Cramped.

Tight.

No room to move or make a sound.

My chest hurts.

So do my arms.

It’s too tight in here.

But, the walls have quieted down a bit. The whispers aren’t quite so loud. The scraping sounds of the claws of those creatures in the hallways has quieted down. I think it might be safe soon. Maybe even now. Maybe I could leave now.

NO. It’s a trick. Don’t trust it. They’re trying to lure you back out. Wait some more, they’ll let up eventually. Ah. I guess that makes sense. Back to waiting again, I guess.

.

I hope they leave soon.

Day 8?

Day 9?

I don’t even know how long it’s been. My legs hurt. My back hurts. My arms hurt. But I dare not move. I’m too scared. Too

PETRIFIED.

Help me. Please.

.

After a while, I felt the air lighten again. It’s not quite so heavy now. And I could see those dim gaslights go on again from inside the closet. So, I crawled out. Well, as much as I could with my incredibly sore limbs and stiff joints. And. 

Haha.

It’s.

This place.

This place looks like it’s been torn apart. There are scratch marks all along the walls, the floor. And inside the scratch marks. 

There’s.

No.

Nope.

No way.

I must be hallucinating.

I must be.

Wake up.

WAKE UP.

WAKE

UP

There’s no way the walls are

BLEEDING.

It can’t

Be.

I.

NO.

I DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT IT.

I DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS.

I

HAVE

TO

GET

OUT.

NOW.

RIGHT.

NOW.

I grab the key from my pocket, the one I found but haven’t tried yet, and run out into the hallway.

THIS ONE WILL WORK.

IT HAS TO.

I run through the hallway, not caring to check for the creatures to see if they’re still roaming, not caring to stay far enough away from the paintings. I can feel their icy gazes pulling me in. Reaching out like tiny ice-cold fingers, grabbing me, pulling me close.

But no.

I can’t stop now.

Because I’m going to find the key this door goes with.

AND I’M GOING TO GET OUT.

I run around, up and down the hallway, trying every door I can find, twice.

IT’S NOT WORKING. 

WHY ISN’T IT WORKING.

IT HAS TO WORK.

IT HAS

TO.

PLEASE.

No.

No.

NO.

NO.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO N O NO NON NO NO NO NO N O N  O  N   O.

It doesn’t work.

Useless. Just like the other one.

Just like everything in this godsforsaken place.

.

There’s no other way.

I have to.

I have TO.

I HAVE TO.

Hands shaking, I pull the key out of my pocket.

That one.

That FCKING ONE.

That leads to THAT room.

Legs equally as shaky, I walk over to the door and open it again, laughing at the irony.

Of course.

OF COURSE.

This was The Only Way.

NO.

I was never going to escape this place if not LIKE THIS!!

I laugh as I lift the body, laying it to the ground with an almost mournful respect.

Almost.

But soon it won’t be needed.

I’ll be free.

Free.

FREE.

I take the bloodstained rope the body had hanged from and slip it on, tightening the knot to fit my own neck as I laugh even harder. 

No.

And

EVEN

LOUDER.

Louder than THOSE

BLASTED

WALLS.

SEE?!!???

I”M LOUDER THAN YOU NOW!!!
YOU CAN’T GET TO ME ANYMORE!!!!!

I’VE 

WON!!!!!!!!

no

I laugh one last final breath as I let go of the rope, a smile permanently fixed on my contorted face as the world around me goes dark.

But it’s not the walls’ darkness anymore.

No.

ITS

MINE.