Black and White: The Untold Story of the Last Slenderman

Present~Part 12

The knight and I continued down the lengthy passageway for a very long time. The farther we went, the less and less cells we saw. It gave me the chills to see the weakened faces of prisoners who might've been trapped in the dark dungeon for decades and more to come. A few appeared curious while others snarled. Some didn't even look past 10 years old. Finally, I resorted to not even glancing at their withered faces and focused on what was ahead of me. 

It was all darkness, minus the glowing flames of the candles lining the hall. The shadows danced around us in harmony, and a part of me felt very content in the dark realm. A few rats scurried by multiple times and I could sense the knight's fear. He certainly didn't enjoy his work. I thought about trying to speak to him again, but decided against it. 

The knight led me up a few stairs, and we were greeted by a large oak door. Literally greeted. 

"Hellooo," The door wailed. "Identification to pass to the Hall of the Dead!" 

Rhinestones decorated the border and a large 'X' was indented in the center. The jewels glittered of many colors, and although some were faded due to my present state, they were hypnotizingly beautiful. A part of me wanted to rebel and tell the Door that he was a lovely door, but I didn't get the chance. 

"Xavier Charles," The knight saluted behind me to the door. "Knight Cadet of the 18th Cabin with prisoner #1119." 

The door made a noise that resembled a chuckle. "To the Higher Court, I see." 

Knight Charles nodded vigorously, and the door began to creak open. I had no idea what could've been controlling it, for I saw the diamond studded knob turn as though it was being twisted; but no one was to be seen. The knight nudged me from behind and I walked us through the talking door.

This hallway we stepped into was different. It was wider with a red carpet that stretched all the way down the hall. Chandeliers lined the ceiling but they were dimly light. The interior was quite old fashioned and I wondered if maybe that was Dracula's style.

Then again, he was centuries old. 

I admired the walls now that there were no prisoners to stare at me with their soulless eyes. Very antique paintings hung with symmetrical order hung on the walls and every so often there'd be a small coffee table with a vase of roses. The farther we went, the more often I thought I saw human figures slide into the walls, and once I thought I heard the giggling of a girl along side us. Knight Charles must've read my mind. 

"This is the Hall of the Dead." He explained in a low voice as we continued walking. "Dracula keeps the spirits of those who were succumb to his fangs here." 

I nodded in thanks, but there were chills rushing down my spine. The hall had an eerie aura making me uneasy. A familiar spirit who stood near a coffee table got my attention. She had messy, stringy blonde hair that went to her shoulders and her shirt fell off of her shoulder. She was gazing into oblivion with her head tilted toward the red carpet. I knew this woman and I pushed a gasp down into my throat. I tried to avoid looking at her face, but I knew what I'd expect. 

She'd have a sullen face that had once been beautiful. 

It had to have been Elly, Dracula's target when I had unknowingly ran into him in the forest one day. She had screamed at my sight, but she was so loaded on drugs she hadn't bothered to take it as reality. As the knight led me past the spirit, she jerked her head up but when I met her eyes I saw that they were still dilated and hazy. 

She had died stoned and would now haunt stoned for the rest of eternity. 

I wondered if she even knew she had died. 

Although the Hall of the Dead was a long stretch, it was shorter than the hall in the dungeon. We soon came to another over-sized door, but this one was immense and reached all the way to the ceiling. There was no doorknob. The door's design was similar to the door from the dungeon, but this one held a symbol that I recognized all over. A large, bronze 'X' marked it and it shimmered with golden flecks. 

The knight began to recite a code that I could not understand, and the doors opened slowly. It creaked and jolted open. Knight Charles untied my bonds, and whispered something he obviously had to memorize into my ear: 

"If you dare to turn back and escape, the ghosts of the past will be at your throat. Do not be hesitant to make your way into the presence of the Higher Court, and please be sure to bow once you are standing in front of King Dracula." 

He gave me a shove, but when I whirled around he had denigrated into thin air. I took a deep breath, and bravely trudged into the courtroom. Whatever lie ahead would not only determine my fate, but Ally's as well.