Inside the Beast's Castle

Chapter 13--To Sleep Brings Unwanted Dreams

The game.

I counted to ten, then twenty, then thirty, breathing in and out on each number like Joshua had said to do years ago. With each count in the thirties, I made an image in my mind of things that calm me, then let it go as I breathed in or out. With the last count, I summoned up my favorite picture that was in my old house-- a picture of my mother with my father, smiling at each other lovingly.

Slowly, I let my breath out. I hadn't had a nightmare like that in a long time. I touched my cheek and felt tears dripping down my chin. Instead of wiping them away like usual, I let them fall. I sat on the edge of the bed quietly, counting. I was trying to keep all of the images out of my head. When I'd counted a minute, sixty times, I got up shakily and grabbed the candle on the desk next to my bed. It was probably the middle of the night. I didn't trust myself to stay in my bed, and although I wasn't tired, I was not completely sure that I wouldn't fall asleep if I stayed. I fumbled for the candle, only being able to see by the small sliver of moonlight that crept its way into the room.

When I got the candle lit, I slowly moved toward the door, careful to not make any noise. I tried the door handle and found it locked. Frustration chewed at me as I put the light down softly and searched my hair for a pin. When I found what I was looking for, I carefully put the pin in the lock and turned, wriggling it around as I did so. After a few minutes, I heard a satisfying clink of the door unlocking. I quickly picked up my lantern and walked out. It suddenly occurred to me that I had no idea where I wanted to go. The thought of the piano room crossed my mind, but it also drove me away. I didn't need any more reminders of my mother than I already had floating through my mind.

I turned to the left and trod directly down the hall and around the corner until I came to a bigger door directly in front of me. It was shaped like a dome, with rectangular divets cut into its aurelian surface. Two bronze lion heads each hold a copper ring at the center of the entryway; both rings as high as my head. I grasped the ring closest to me and pulled. A low creak resounded down the hallway, making me freeze in my tracks. I listened, trying to hear the sound of anyone coming to me. Nothing. Breathing in deeply, I pulled the door the rest of the way, leaving myself enough room to slip through the narrow gap I left myself. I grabbed my pin  I used to pick the lock earlier and shoved it in between both doors, securing the fact that I could get out of the room.

I picked up my candlestick again and held it up in front of my face, casting light further into the room. A gasp escaped my lips. Bookshelves lined the burgundy walls, book stacked on all of them from floor to ceiling. Deep green carpet covered the floor, following the small set of stairs to a seating area with two velvet chairs sitting next to each other and a crackling fireplace in front of them. The ceiling was glass, so the moon's rays gave light to the library.

"You can see the stars," I whispered. The sky was speckled with stars, both big and small, as far as I could see. I stood still in amazement, feet planted in the middle of the room. Finally, the lure of the books dragged me out of my trance. I walked over to the seating area and sat in one of the velvet chairs carefully, scared that it would break. I sighed as I got comfortable. It was like a poofy cloud.

"How are you supposed to get to the books on the top shelf," I wondered aloud to myself. "Is there a ladder in here somewhere?"

No sooner than the words left my mouth, an oak ladder appeared at the bookshelves. I glanced around to see if anyone was near me, but there was no one. A thought dawned on me as I got up from the chair.

"A guide to the books in here would be nice too."

A soft flump resounded from the chair I had just gotten up from. I smiled and turn. A large book with a wrinkled cover was laying on the seat. I quickly flipped through the old, worn pages of the reference book to see what I could grab. The 'magic' section caught my eyes quickly, and I turned the pages to the start of the chapter. Only three words took up the whole page.