You crawl into the darkest corner of the cell, away from the cold iron bars. With your hands still trembling, you put the pile of rotten straw aside. Behind it, there was a small hole hidden behind a crumbling brick block.
You start digging. Your nails scratch the damp soil and old cement that has become mossy. The pain starts to feel at your fingertips, but the adrenaline keeps you moving. Every falling rock splinter sounded like a loud bang in your ears, making you occasionally turn your head towards the cell door, afraid that Bela or her siblings would return.
Crack!
You managed to pry a large boulder. Behind it, the hole turned out to be wider than you might think—a narrow gap that led to an ancient escape passage or perhaps a castle sewer. The air coming out of the hole felt very foul, but at least it was flowing air.
Suddenly, from the direction of the outer hallway of the cell, there was a very heavy footstep sound. DUM... DUM... DUM...
Not Bela's light footsteps, but Lady Dimitrescu's massive footsteps. The sound of the friction of his sharp claws on the stone wall sounded very close.
"Pocket... Where are you, little mouse?" his voice echoed, sounding very calm yet deadly. "I forgot to tell you one thing... I hate it when my toys try to hide."
The oil lamp in the hallway began to swing, creating a giant shadow of the woman on the front wall of your cell. You only have a few seconds before he gets in front of the bars.
Me : *pretend to sleep and cover the hole with straw*
With lightning-fast movements, you pile the rotten straw back onto your digging hole. Your heart is beating so fast, as if it wants to jump out of your chest. You immediately lie down on the straw, close your eyes, and adjust your breathing to sound as regular as a person who is asleep in extreme fatigue.
Kringgg...
The sound of a large key rubbing against the iron bars is heard right in front of your cell. The very strong smell of rose perfume stung your nose, overcoming the stench of the room.
"Oh... look at her," Lady Dimitrescu's voice sounded very close. You can feel his massive presence standing behind bars, staring at you from top to bottom. "Sleep so peacefully in the middle of a monster's nest. Either you are very brave, or you have really given up on your fate, Zak."
You hear the sound of his long nails tapping on the iron bars. Teng... Teng... Teng...
"It's a pity," he muttered, his tone sounding a little disappointed. "Though I just wanted to take you to my observation room. The blood taken while the subject was awake and frightened... It feels much more 'alive'."
Suddenly, the sound of another, lighter footsteps approached. That's Daniela's voice.
"Mom, Miranda has arrived in the main hall," Daniela whispered. "He wanted to talk about... 'ceremony'. He's waiting for you."
Lady Dimitrescu snorted angrily. "The old lady has always ruined my pleasure. Alright, let this rat sleep for a while. Make sure this cell is locked tightly, Daniela. If he's gone when I get back, I'll hang you in this dungeon instead."
"Good, Mom," Daniela replied in a slightly trembling tone.
Lady Dimitrescu's heavy footsteps slowly moved away, followed by Daniela's light footsteps. The atmosphere was quiet again, leaving only the sound of water droplets falling consistently.
You open your eyes slightly. The hallway outside your cell is now dark and quiet. You know this is your only chance before the "ceremony" they were referring to begins.
Me : *I continued the excavation and managed to get out*
You move as fast as lightning. With the rest of your energy, you get rid of the straw and crawl into the narrow hole you just dug. The air inside is very stuffy, smells of wet soil and dead rats, but you don't care. You crawl on the rough ground, ignoring the stinging in your elbows and knees scratched by the stones.
After crawling for a few meters, the hole ended up in a small room that appeared to be an old wine storage room that had collapsed. The pale moonlight enters through a small gap in the ceiling, giving you a little illumination.
You're out! You're now on the outside of the castle's back wall, right on top of a steep cliff. Down there, a dark and misty forest awaits you. The cold night wind hit your face, feeling very refreshing compared to the stench in the cell earlier.
However, your escape isn't over yet. From a distance, inside the castle, you hear a scream of anger so loud that it rattles the windows.
"WHERE'S THE RAT?! DANIELA! BELA! LOOK FOR HIM!" It was Lady Dimitrescu's voice. He already realized that your cell was empty. Soon, the humming sound of thousands of flies began to be heard from the tall windows above you. They're looking for you from the air.
Me : Hiding in an outdoor shed: There is a small wooden building where garden implements are stored near the castle walls.
Without wasting any time, you sneak into the small wooden warehouse. The wooden door creaks softly as you close it tightly. Inside, the atmosphere is pitch black and stuffy, full of the smell of rust, dirt, and weathered wood.
You curl up behind a pile of old burlap sacks and some big, dusty hoes. Your heart is pounding, as if the sound can be heard all the way out.
Bzzzzzzttt!
The buzzing sound approached. Through a narrow gap in the wooden walls of the warehouse, you can see the light of an oil lamp carried by one of Lady Dimitrescu's daughters. It's Cassandra. He flew low above the ground, surrounded by thousands of his restless black flies.
"Pocket... I know you're not far away," Cassandra whispered, her voice sounding very close behind the wooden wall where you were hiding. "The smell of your fear is left in the air... like the scent of fresh flowers."
He stopped right in front of the barn door. You hold your breath, even afraid to blink. You can see the rusty tip of his crescent scratching the ground outside.
"Mom is so angry, Zak," he continued with a creepy chuckle. "If I had found you first, maybe I could have hidden you here... and drink your blood little by little every night so that Mother will not know."
Suddenly, Lady Dimitrescu heard a shout from a distance, "CASSANDRA! DID YOU SEE HIM THERE?"
Cassandra snorted in annoyance. He kicked the barn door hard—BRAKK!—but luckily the door was held back by a pile of wood behind it so it didn't open wide. He didn't check further for fear of his mother's wrath.
"Not yet, Mom! I'll check the cliff area!" shouted Cassandra as she flew away.
The atmosphere was quiet again for a moment, but you knew they were still patrolling around here. Inside this warehouse, near your feet, you see an old map lying on the floor and a fairly heavy iron crowbar.