Page 97 of Ethereally Tainted

“There’s no time.” Hastily, he grasps my arm, speaking in a rush as he pulls me to the other end of the corridor.

The crowds of people swarm around us as we move forward, their shocked and fearful stares are directed at us as I stumble along, unable to process the events transpiring around me. Grey keeps me going, urging me forward. I have no clue how he managed to track me down or how he made it here, but my only thought is our effort to escape. We need to flee before it’s too late.

He grabs my hand, and we sprint together toward another door, his shoulder crashing into the wood and making sure we’re in the clear.

“How are you even here?” My voice is thick with emotions, all the draining feelings I’ve felt the past few days without knowing where neither he nor I am.

As we race to the other door, both of us struggle for breath.

“They opened the doors to the men’s quarter one day earlier. That gave me time to roam around,” he struggles to say. “I found this hidden backdoor where guards and staff pass through.”

His voice is strained, the stress palpable as he races to the end of the corridor with his hand still grasped in mine. Not uttering a single word, we sprint until we eventually arrive at the door he mentioned.

The door is a hue of orange that is much lighter in color, composed of two double doors with handles that extend along the entirety of the doors like two railings. Grey and I consciously ignore the warning, but it is plainly visible to all in an apparent crimson color. On the door, the words ‘Staff Only’ are written in bold and conspicuous font. The words don’t mean anything to me.

Grey quickly pushes down the bars on both doors, and they easily slide open, unlocked, making me question the security at this location. As the doors open, I feel my lungs open up, and the tightness in my chest ease away. A feeling of dread pervades my mind, but I push it aside as I focus on Grey and make sure we get the fuck out of here.

In fact, this place is even sicker than Grimhill Manor ever was, and I cannot stay here a second longer.

Just as Grey expected, the door opens to the outside world, and a wave of wind sweeps through us, giving me goosebumps all over my arms. We flee in haste, his arm firmly around mine as we distance ourselves from the nightmare-inducing house.

A blanket of white covers the land as snowflakes drift down from the sky, slowly embracing the cold air.

I’m thankful I put on a long sleeve dress and tights earlier as it provides me with some heat. Grey and I are wandering through the snow when I feel the cold ground beneath my feet, and I notice his jeans and hoodie. His outfit is far more relaxed than the what the women are forced to wear.

“What now?” I ask him, trying to ignore the chill that runs down my spine.

His gaze is full of longing and desperation, and his eyes tell a story of heartbreak that is painfully obvious. “Now we go, looking for a way out.”

I slowly nod in agreement, and we keep on our path. Even after four days, the building behind us still looks just as impressive and imposing as it did upon our arrival. Its Gothic architecture makes it appear like a giant castle. Yet, I cannot bring myself to turn my gaze back toward it and acknowledge it any further. Now that the past is behind us, it is time to erase all of these memories from my heart and focus on the new opportunities ahead.

The dense forest surrounding us swallows the morning light, leaving a dark and eerie feeling. The sun hides behind dark clouds that promise to bring more snow than what is already blanketing the forest, and I tightly hold on to Grey’s arm as we traverse the snow-covered landscape.

I don’t know how long we walk, we keep moving forward without any particular goal. The only goal is to escape because there’s no chance I would stay here and relive the horrors I did at Grimhill Manor.

The snow falls in thick flakes, blanketing the Gothic castle of nightmares in a layer of white.

We’re free to wander and explore the open world, and that feeling of liberation is all that matters. All that remains is focusing on the future and ensuring we survive.

“Look there,” Grey whispers, as if afraid to disturb the silence that has fallen upon us in the forest where not a single sound can be heard except the howling of the wind.

Looming in front of us is another building constructed from brick and stone in various beautiful colors. It is the same architecture as the castle-like building far behind.

“Fuck,” he curses out loud, and what’s in front of me makes my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach.

A massive stone wall situates far away from us, encompassing us and the forest. Under a turbulent and stormy wind, trees swing and fog sits like a thick cover on the environment, guarding the wall. The dread overwhelms my entire body as I realize that this is all part of the mind games they have been playing with us. Arthur Grimhill and Emilio Ricci want us to suffer. They wanted us to believe that we had a chance at survival. Rather than leading outside the dollhouse, the backdoor for staff leads to a forest with an imposing wall that’s too high to climb.

A feeling of dread and unease overwhelms me, and the panic I’m experiencing is unlike anything I have ever felt. This feeling of being trapped has never been as bad as it is now.

“Fuck, fuck!” I shout into the distance, not caring if someone hears me because it’s just a matter of time before they realize we’re gone.

As the snowstorm intensifies, the wind cuts through us like sharp blades, and the snow pelts us with ever-increasing force, leaving us with no other choice but to make a decision.

“The safest thing now is to take shelter in the cabin and wait out the storm.”

“And let’s hope for the best,” I whisper, but the wind is so strong that my voice is nearly drowned out.

The chill in the air causes my body to shiver and my hair to leave the warmth of my neck as the cold takes it into its grasp. Walking side-by-side through the freshly fallen snow, Grey nods in agreement beside me, and together we make our way toward the building ahead. The structure of the building is exquisite, and it resembles a small cottage in the middle of a tranquil forest. Despite this, I still feel my heart racing and paranoia set in, as I know they can locate us at any time. We aren’t safe and probably never will be.

---