I was thankful that I’d spent so many years working out. Even so, my core burned with agony. By the time I made it up to the level of the pipes, my diaphragm was shaking like mad and my arms were one good quiver away from giving out. With a final jerk, I grabbed the nearest pipe with one hand, then the other. Hanging high above the ground, the pounds of chains weighing me down and begging me to let go, I harnessed my ferocity to pull myself up and swing my right leg over the pipe.
I made it.
I scooted myself onto one of the thicker adjacent pipes and lay down for a minute to catch my breath, resting like a bear in a tree.
That was hard.
Sadly, there wasn’t time for more than that. I sat back up and continued with my plan. The iron hook holding up my chains was directly over my head. I inspected it and my assumption was confirmed; it would be impossible to break. No matter, that hadn’t been my hope when I’d climbed up here. I had another play.
I stretched up and grasped the hook with both hands for support. Then I extended my legs, shoved one boot against a thick pipe for resistance and support, and proceeded to ram my other boot against the thinnest pipe within reach where it connected to another. I kicked it again and again and again until the pipes separated. Immediately red water started pouring out from both ends. It cascaded to the floor and began to fill the cell. After a few moments, I realized it wouldn’t be enough. I needed more.
My eyes flicked to the small window on the back wall near the ceiling. It separated my prison from the dense waters beyond. Despite my heavy chains, I managed to crawl over the maze of pipes to reach it. When I was near enough, I braced myself before kicking determinedly against the thick glass. It took a lot—so many kicks, in fact, that I worried I might break a bone before I broke the glass—but finally a crack formed in the window. Four kicks later, and the weight of the water outside became too much for the damage to handle.
Shards of glass spewed inward along with a gushing, window-sized wave. The red water began filling up my cell much more quickly. As it continued, I crawled to the end of the maze of pipes, which stopped nine feet from the top of the staircase and the trapdoor.
I swung my legs over the last pipe, reeled in my chains so they were hanging off it too, then bided my time. It was an oddly peaceful pause as the room beneath me filled with water and I waited for one of the ghosts to return. When the water level reached my boots, Elaine came through the wall, right on cue.
“What in the—” she exclaimed, flailing her arms. “Was the sunset deadline not a quick enough execution? You’re going to drown!”
“Not if you help me,” I said calmly, kicking my feet lazily in the water as it rose to my ankles. “I need you and the other ghosts to cause a commotion. Get the attention of one of the tigermen and get him to come here quickly. But let me know when he’s thirty seconds away.”
“You’re crazy.”
“It’s part of my charm. Now hurry. I know what I’m doing.”
Elaine passed back through the wall. Seeing that the dangling slack of my chains was now fully submersed, I readied myself for the next step.
And here comes another great payoff for all that swimming practice I did in Midveil.
I took a huge breath, slid off the pipe, and plunged into the water. The chains weighed me down, but way less than before. I was able to swim toward the stairwell.
The length of the chains had kept me and any other girl from taking more than a step in any direction. Even if one of the girls had thought to climb the restraints, the distance from where the maze of pipes ended to the staircase was too far to jump, especially when combined with the weight of the chains and the obvious laws of gravity. So, I’d eliminated those issues. Once the water level was high enough, it allowed me to stretch the chains in a horizontal fashion, counteracting their weight and gravity just enough for me to bridge the distance between the pipes and the steps by swimming there.
I felt the pull of the restraints as I paddled, but the plan worked. Soon enough, my hands grasped the highest stair and I pulled myself up. My face broke through the surface and the trapdoor was only a few inches above me. The water level was barely four feet from the ceiling now. I quickly reeled in as much of my chains as I could. Doing so gave me about three feet worth of extra slack to make my next move. I crouched on the stairs and wiped the water from my face.
Elaine’s upside-down face suddenly passed through the trapdoor—and my head. The rush of her ghostly form phasing through me felt like pure ice shooting across my brain.
“Ow, Elaine! Get out!” I cringed and brought my hands to my head.
“Sorry,” she said, floating a few feet away. “I just came to tell you that you’ve got a tigerman incoming any second, so you’d better—”
Only then did Elaine seem to realize where I was and what I’d done. Her expression was priceless—a mix of shock, disbelief, excitement, and admiration.
“You used the water …”
“Yes.”
“You’re brilliant.”
“Also yes. But trust me, you’re not gonna want to see this next part. I’ll meet you up top when I’m done.”
Elaine gave me a solemn nod and disappeared through the ceiling.
I waited. My mind flashed back to Jason in the Mercy Pit. He had killed Gaheris to protect Blue and himself. He had done it because there was no other way.
I knew I had to keep this inbound tigerman from calling out for reinforcements when I jumped him. I also knew that he would not willingly give up the key to my cuffs. A fight was imminent. How it would end was less certain.
The water was almost up to my neck. I heard the sounds of latches and bolts being undone. I swallowed all doubt and surrendered to my instincts. They were all I could rely on now. I had to trust them, and trust that when the time came my heart would steer me correctly.
The trapdoor swung open. A tigerman held it open with one hand while his other gripped a key ring.
“’Sup,” I said.
He didn’t have time to respond. I lunged out of the water, grabbed the tigerman by his belt, and pulled him forcefully into the Chamber. The trapdoor slammed shut behind him. He plunged into the water and I followed. I dove after the creature and ripped the key ring from his fist. Unfortunately, my triumph didn’t last long. The surprise had worn off by then, and with it went my advantage.
The tigerman jettisoned toward me just as I was about to unlock my first cuff and rammed me into the wall. The keys fell from my hand and began to sink. I kicked the creature in the stomach, knocking him away.
I swam to the floor of the Chamber and snatched up the key ring. There was more than one key attached to it, but in a matter of seconds I found the right one, shoved it into the cuff on my left wrist, and unlocked it. The restraint fell away. One down, one to go.
No time for it now though. The tigerman had recovered and was swimming for the trapdoor. He was going to call for help. I put the key ring around my freed wrist like a bracelet and propelled myself off the floor with such speed that I shot through the water like a minnow.
The tigerman reached the top of the stairwell. His head burst through the surface and he began to push the trapdoor open. I emerged right behind him and gripped him by the collar. Taking a deep breath, I yanked him back into the water.
The two of us darted about the Chamber like fighting octopi. We kicked and thrashed and entangled with one another until we crashed against the pipes. The water level was only a foot short of the ceiling now. We were running out of air.
My lungs felt like they were about to burst. I grabbed one of the pipes and pulled myself up. I gasped, inhaling as much air as I could. No sooner had oxygen rushed into my lungs than a hand grasped my leg and dragged me back under.
I stomped the tigerman’s face with my other foot. He let go. He started to reach out for my face, but I lifted my cuffed wrist and slammed the hard metal between his eyes. Then, before he knew what was happening, I wrapped the cuff ’s chain around his n
eck. He thrashed about, but I held on tight while my free hand wriggled the key into the lock of my right cuff. With a final twist, it came off. The moment it did, I pulled away. However, the tigerman managed to snatch my arm with one hand while his other attempted to untangle the chain from his neck.
My head felt like it was going to explode. I only had seconds before my lungs gave out. Instinctively I grabbed the open cuff dangling from the chain I’d wrapped around the tigerman’s neck. With a swift jerk I attached the cuff to his wrist and snapped it shut. Locked. Then I flipped backward, kicking the tigerman and using him as a boost to shoot toward the stairs. My boots pounded against the steps and I pushed open the trapdoor to freedom.
Air hit my lungs like a painful punch and I fell to the carpeted hallway with an exhausted thud. The trapdoor slammed shut behind me.
My heart pounded as my SRB magically dried me off. I wanted to take a moment to rest, but instinct told me to stay alert. Only, that’s when I completely realized that no one was coming after me. At least the tigerman wasn’t. And I knew why. The key ring was still in my hand.
I stared at the keys, then at the trap door, processing what I’d done. My mind went blank. There were no words to express the stillness I felt.
Water was beginning to rise out of the trapdoor. With the window busted open, the red lake would continue to pour through until the rest of Bluebeard Tower was flooded. Little by little, this place would fill with water. And if I didn’t move fast, the innocent girls trapped in here would eventually drown too, just like the tigerman I’d left down there.
“Crisa!”
I jumped up and dropped the key ring. Elaine, Charlotte, Laurel, Colleen, and two other ghosts zoomed over.
“You’re alive!” Colleen said excitedly. “That was amazing! Did you really—”
“I’d rather not talk about it,” I said, awkwardly kicking the key ring away. “What’s the status on Daverose and the other Bluebeards?”
“Daverose and a dozen of his kin are upstairs in the parlor, taking their pre-slaughter drinks,” Charlotte said. “Sunset is in less than ten minutes, which means that’s how long you have before they head down here and realize you’ve escaped.”
“Is the ballroom clear?”
Charlotte nodded.
“Good,” I said. “Let’s go get the girls. This horror ends today.”
I pushed aside my feelings about what I’d done to the tigerman. Lead by the ghosts, I sprinted through Bluebeard Tower. I needed their help. They were right; the architecture of the real Tower was different than the dream version. I passed a few rooms and corridors that hadn’t been in the dream state. For example, at one point I had to stealthily sneak past a grand room where tigermen were weaving red dresses on giant mechanical looms.
We made it to the ballroom and I darted for the stone bed shelf where I’d woken up. My broken choker was still on the floor. I tore a small piece of cloth from my dress and picked up one of the Avalonian glass gems. The electricity of the humongous chandelier overhead sparked liked the fire in my soul.
“I need someplace safe,” I said to the ghosts. “A supply closet, a bedroom I can lock, anything.”
“Out here,” Charlotte said, waving toward the ballroom doors.
We hurried out and made a sharp left turn. Ten feet away was a small door. I threw it open and discovered what I’d asked for—a supply closet filled with mops, brooms, and cleaning supplies. I shut the door and the ghosts came through.
“Good luck,” Elaine said.
“Be quick,” Charlotte added.
“And, Crisa,” Laurel said. “Bring them home safe. I was wrong to doubt you.”
“No, you weren’t,” I replied. “You were being practical and realistic. I’ve just never had the luxury of being either.” I gave her a small smile, sat down, put the glass gem on my lap, then touched it.
Snap.
I was suddenly in the dream version of Bluebeard Tower. The ghosts were gone. My head felt dizzy and my stomach was choppy like the sea, but I stood up and burst into the hall. I needed to gather all the girls and I could think of only one way to do it fast. I headed for the stairs, bolting past confused girls in red dresses. When I reached the third floor, I found a large crank like Darcy had described. I wound it forcefully a few times before letting go. The chime that summoned all the girls to the ballroom for assembly pulsed through the Tower and the pale blue panel lights began to flicker in accordance. I ran and made it back to the ballroom before the last chime rang out.
Ticking clock aside, I couldn’t help but make an entrance. “Nice of you all to join me,” I said as I strode in with my arms crossed.
“Crisa!” Darcy and Shiondre shouted in unison.
“How are you alive?” a girl with blonde pigtails asked in awe. “Shiondre told us you went through the Little Cabinet.”
“Where is Daverose?” a girl with black bangs and thin eyebrows whispered fearfully.
“Is this a trick?” a brunette piped in.
I ignored their questions and strut across the ballroom. “Listen up!” I shouted. “This is a long, weird story with a ticking time bomb for an ending. So pay attention, because I’m only going to give you a short summary. This whole place isn’t real.” I gestured around the room. “You’re trapped in a dream state because of the chokers that you’re wearing. That’s why I don’t have one anymore. The exit to this dream world is a portal disguised as the Little Cabinet. When I went through it my necklace came off. That’s how we can escape. Now come on, there are a lot of Bluebeards on the other side and we need to get out before they stop us.”
I waved for them to follow me, but none of them moved. “What are you waiting for?” I asked.
Some girls murmured worriedly.
“Hey,” I said, marching closer to them. “Don’t you want to save yourselves?”
There was silence for a second then a mousy redhead stepped forward. “That’s not how this works. This isn’t Oz, or Book, or the North Pole.”
I whipped my head toward Darcy. “What’s she talking about?”
“She means this is Camelot, Crisa. Our realm has a certain dynamic when it comes to danger. Only a knight can save us.”
“Present and accounted for. Now I’m telling you, we gotta move.”
The girls still didn’t budge. Their expressions were skeptical.
“You don’t believe me, do you?” I said.
“Well, it’s a bit farfetched,” Shiondre replied. “You expect us to believe that this world that we can see and touch and feel is not real. We’ve all been in this Tower for a while and it appears to be pretty real as far as any of us can tell. How can we disregard what we know based solely on the word of someone we just met? You’re asking us to trust you—a stranger—and go into the one place that our master has forbidden us to go. A place that all of our experiences have taught us to fear and stay away from.”
“That’s what Daverose is counting on,” I argued desperately. “He’s using your fear to blind you. The Little Cabinet in this Tower isn’t a death sentence; it’s a hidden way out. And this is all a dream.”
They still looked doubtful. I wanted to cry out in frustration. There was probably only a few minutes left before sunset. How was I going to prove to them that this place wasn’t real?
My eyes fell upon the side of the ballroom where the ladder out of here resided in the real world. An idea popped into my head. The ghosts said that anyone who was aware of the illusion could manipulate the environment. I was aware of it now. Maybe I could use that to prove what I was saying.
Not entirely sure what I was doing, but sure of what I wanted to do, I held out my hand and concentrated like I did when I activated my magic. The girls must’ve thought I was crazy at first, but after a few seconds the room began to change. It was super trippy. The floor started to ripple; the walls contorted; the chandelier shifted in size; the windows inflated and deflated like balloons. I didn’t know how to manipulate this world in terribly a con
trolled way, but boy did my actions give the girls a show.
After a few more seconds I stopped concentrating and the room snapped back to Daverose’s version. The girls were shocked. Silence pulsed through the ballroom before Darcy stepped forward.
“Lead the way, Crisanta Knight.”
I couldn’t help but smile as I led the full assembly of girls out of the room and toward the Little Cabinet. As we approached, I realized that the passage there was very narrow and it would take a long time for all of us to escape, so I tried the dream manipulation again. This time I focused harder, hoping to produce a more controlled result.
I channeled all of my will and energy into the action I visualized. Sure enough, it worked. The tapestry that covered the secret passage to the Little Cabinet warbled and faded away as we drew near. Then the stairwell behind it shook and expanded in one big burst—transforming from a tiny staircase to a massive one.
Excellent.
We bolted to the bottom of the stairs and funneled into the tiny corridor. I manipulated the environment again, expanding the narrow pass. It was now twenty times its original width and instead of two torches lighting the way, there were at least two dozen. The door at the other end also quadrupled in size. We raced toward it.
I threw the door open by its iron handle and we faced the black void. The portal to freedom was now wide enough for at least half a dozen girls to leap through at a time.
“Don’t touch your choker necklaces once you’re free. The magic is in the glass gems. Just make for the ladder and go all the way up; you’ll see it.” I stepped aside and waved the girls forward. “Go, go, go.”
They filed past, bounding into the darkness and out of sight. When the last girl had gone, I jumped through myself.
Flash.
I was back in the supply closet. Elaine and Hannah were there waiting for me. I stood up and the glass gem in my lap clattered to the floor. When I exited the dream state my real body must’ve stopped touching the magic source. Since the chokers were attached tightly, they burst off violently. This time, my hand must’ve simply withdrawn from the glass gem.
Crisanta Knight: To Death & Back Page 27