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“There you are.” Shane finds Hayden sitting down by the river. “You didn’t show up today.”
Hayden is staring into the water. “Forgot.”
Shane settles by his side. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Hayden shrugs but Shane knows better.
“Is it Jackie?”
Hayden’s expression shatters. “Shane,” he breathes out, sounding utterly devastated, “they asked for her.”
“Oh no. Not Jackie.”
Hayden shudders. “It’s all over.”
“Where is the letter?”
Hayden hands it over without a word.
Shane reads the letter carefully, then reads it again. “They’re not asking for her specifically,” he observes, a plan already beginning to form in his mind.
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“You can’t take Jackie’s place,” Hayden says firmly.
“Try me.”
Jackie places one hand on Shane’s arm. “Sweetie, I appreciate the gesture but this is insane.”
Shane shakes her off and continues packing up his belongings into a satchel. “Better me than you. You’ve got a good thing going on here.” He gestures between her and Hayden.
“You are not disposable,” Hayden protests.
Shane avoids Hayden’s eyes. “Perhaps not. But I’m not letting them take Jackie away from you.”
Jackie starts crying. Hayden steps close to her, wiping the tears away with his thumbs.
Shane’s heart clenches, his resolution unshakeable.
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His parents are just as shocked as the rest of the town when he tells them that he has volunteered himself to switch places with Jackie.
“You are marching to your death!” His mother cries out.
Shane raises up his chin. “You can’t stop me. It’s my duty now.”
“Yuna, please,” his father says. “Let the boy go.”
His mother’s eyes are brimming with tears.
“I’ll miss you both,” Shane says softly, stepping in close to give his parents one last hug.
His mother clings to him, sobbing.
Shane lets her.
Maybe it’s the last memory she’ll have of him.
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The castle is supposed to be in the middle of a dense forest.
Shane glances up at the winding path ahead of him and curses.
This is taking way too long.
The sun is already beginning to set.
His progress is slower than anticipated. The mountainous terrain is proving to be a bigger challenge than Shane thought.
The shadows grow longer. He chances a look over his shoulder. The path back to the town is obscured by trees. Unrecognisable. A shiver runs down Shane’s spine.
He’s chosen his path, now he has to move forward.
There is no going back.
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The forest grows oddly silent the further Shane walks. By the time he sees the stone roofs of the castle, daylight is waning quickly.
Shane pulls his coat tighter around himself. It doesn’t do much against the cold gusts of wind.
The sky is tinted purple. A snowstorm could be there any moment. Better hurry up and face whatever dangers are hiding inside of the castle.
In front of him, the tree line stretches out and disappears into the darkness.
Dry leaves crunch underneath Shane’s feet.
The tall walls of the old castle seem to go on forever.
Nightfall settles.
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Shane is stumbling his way through the darkness. The wind has really picked up now, icy cold and sharp.
He’s shuddering and the stillness of the forest all around him is giving him the creeps.
He can’t reach the entrance to the castle. There are no maps, only old wives’ tales.
No one would even know there was a castle if it wasn’t for a letter sent every year to one of the nearby towns, demanding a daughter to be delivered to the castle to meet her doom.
Suddenly, a wolf howl pierces through the night.
Shane hastens his steps.
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The wolves are turning out to be a problem.
At first they’re hesitant to draw near but as the night grows darker, they seem to realize he has no means of defending himself against all of them and become bolder.
They keep him in sight, daring to approach closer and closer. Their eyes gleam from the shadows, watchful.
Shane’s heart is beating madly in his chest as he struggles forward, wondering if he’s about to meet his end.
Inevitably, one of the wolves steps into his path. Then another and another, until they’re blocking the way.
Shane goes perfectly still.
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The wolves are snarling and snapping their jaws at him and Shane stares ahead into the darkness, unmoving. The urge to run is almost overwhelming but there’s no outrunning them. They’d hunt him like a prey.
He’s not ready to die. If it happened in the castle, it would have at least been meaningful. His life for Jackie’s.
He never thought he’d be torn up by a pack of wolves in the woods before even stepping one foot inside the cursed castle.
Suddenly, a lone figure peels itself away from one of the trees.
It’s a witch.
A goddamn witch.
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The witch strides to him in slow, unhurried steps. Shane watches her walk right through the pack of wolves, watches the beasts part way and quiet down, obeying her like well trained hunting dogs. She pays them no mind, eyes focused on Shane.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the witch grunts.
“I got lost,” Shane stammers out.
The witch scoffs. Her clothes are tattered with weather, her cloak seems to be sewn together from various animal skins. “On your way to where? Speak!”
Shane gulps. “I’m here to find the castle.”
“You’ll only find death,” she says in a creaky voice.
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“I didn’t mean to trespass,” Shane ventures. Either she helps him or the wolves will get their dinner. “I was trying to get inside the castle.”
The witch closes the distance between them, eyes sharp, hair wildly twisting in the wind. “You’re not lying,” she observes.
Shane knows better than to lie to witches.
The witch reaches out and grabs his chin. “And what do you want to do, once you find the castle? Steal the treasures?”
“No!”
She dips his head back, peering into his eyes. “Why are you here?”
“I was summoned by a letter from the castle.”
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The witch finally lets him go and takes a step back. “You?” She sounds incredulous.
“Yes,” Shane insists.
“They were supposed to send a girl!”
“The letter didn’t specify,” Shane retorts. When the witch doesn’t react, he adds, a little affronted, “I’ve read it thrice.”
For a moment the witch is silent but then she throws her head back and lets out a howl of laughter. It’s an awful, wailing sound that has the wolves snapping to attention and joining in with their howls.
Shane feels the air shake with the vibrations of the guttural sounds.
The witch keeps cackling.
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“Very well,” the witch says once she’d done laughing at him.
Shane is shivering all over and it’s not just the sharp wind that’s the cause. “Can you tell me how to get inside the castle?” As an afterthought, he adds, “Please.”
“I suggest passing though this gate.” The witch steps aside and waves her hand.
Shane is absolutely positive there isn’t any gate.
“Go on. Bleed.”
Shane looks at where she’s gesturing, not seeing anything but the smooth, impenetrable stones of the castle’s outer walls. When he glances back at the witch, she’s gone.
The wolves are gone too.
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Shane shuffles his feet, uneasy.
After a moment of indecision, he grabs his knife, nicking his hand just enough to make it bleed before placing it on the stone walls in the spot the witch indicated.
His hand meets empty air.
“Oh,” Shane breathes out in surprise and takes a step forward.
The air shimmers around him. Finally, he sees the entrance to the castle before him.
A heavy iron gate opens up upon the barest of touches. The creak is ominous.
Shane raises up his chin. Better him than anyone else from the village. Better him than sweet Jackie.
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Shane enters the courtyard and is greeted by utter silence.
He looks around, expectant, because this nightmare of a castle surely can’t be used to receiving many visitors. His sudden appearance here must have drawn someone’s attention. Not to mention all that noise that preceded. Shane shudders again, getting goose bumps just remembering the cackling witch and the wolves’ howls.
But all is quiet at the castle. The windows are dark, there are no candles lit inside. No smoke from a fire. No movement.
Chilled to the bone, Shane clears his throat. “Hello? Is anybody here?”
He receives no reply.
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Shane raps his knuckles against the wooden door to the castle. No one comes out to greet him.
Shane shuffles his feet, the cold beginning to seep into him. He knocks again, louder, even more impatient.
It starts snowing.
Shane curses under his breath.
Steeling himself, he tries the door handle. It’s not locked. Shane pushes against the front door with his weight, forcing it to open inwards.
The hallway is spacious and completely devoid of any signs of life.
“Hello?” he hollers into the darkness, listening to the echo of the word as the sound travels through the castle.
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Shane ventures further into the castle and the front door falls shut behind him.
“Hello!” He shouts out for the third time. “My name is Shane Hollander. I’m here because of the letter,” he states.
They knew he’d arrive. Well, Jackie was supposed to arrive but still, the complete emptiness of the place is just as chilling as the weather outside.
Shane’s eyes slowly adjust to the darkness inside of the castle. Many doors. Many portraits. Not a single fire burning anywhere. The castle looks almost abandoned.
He slowly shuffles his feet along the hallway until he finds a staircase.
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The old stairs creak as he walks up. He isn't going outside in the heavy snowfall, he's going to stay the night. Maybe morning will bring more answers.
Shane is going to find a room, ideally with a bed, warm blankets and a fireplace where he could try lighting a fire before going to sleep.
The first floor opens into another endless hallway.
There is a sudden noise. Shane looks in the right direction just fast enough to catch a glimpse of movement, a dark shadow against the darkened hallway.
Shane goes very still. He’s not alone here, after all.
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Heart beating madly in his chest, Shane squints his eyes, trying to find the source of the noise.
The hallway is quiet again. The castle guards its secrets well.
Then, a floorboard creaks somewhere close to Shane’s left.
Shane doesn’t wait, bolting to the right of the staircase, grabbing the first door handle and throwing himself inside, slamming the door shut behind him and collapsing against it. There is now a heavy wooden door between him and whatever creature was out there.
Shane presses his ear to the door, listening.
The only sound he hears is his own ragged breath.
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Perhaps it’s the castle settling in for the night, creaking and groaning and making Shane act like a scaredy cat.
Shane forces out a long, slow breath and turns away from the door, observing the generously spaced room he’s stepped into.
It’s a bedroom. There is a window opposite of the door, a big four-poster bed to the left. Shane crosses to the window and peeks outside.
No one in the courtyard. No tracks in the still falling snow. Nothing followed him inside.
A fire springs to life behind him.
Shane shrieks out, startled.
The flames illuminate an empty room.
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Haunted. The place is surely haunted.
Shane sets down his satchel and crosses the room, watchful eyes inspecting every corner, every shadow.
The fire appears ordinary. Warm and crackling. Yet, it’s clearly magical.
Shane pokes at the fireplace. He starts to calm down when nothing jumps at him. In the light provided by the fire, he takes in every detail of the room.
The carving of the armchair, the intricacy of the bed canopy. A wardrobe. He pulls it open to reveal beautiful dresses.
Well, he is not wearing that.
Shane sighs, settles on the bed and contemplates his fate.
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As the night progresses, Shane grows tired, hungry and sleepy. No more sounds come from the castle, no one accuses him of trespassing.
Shane fishes out some bread and cheese from his satchel, sitting at the table, wishing for a warm meal instead.
The moment he thinks that, food appears out of nowhere. Shane jerks his hands away, almost knocking over a cup of red wine.
He eyes the offered magical dinner literally served on a silver platter. Unlike his dry bread, it smells absolutely delightful. Roasted quail with forest mushrooms.
He takes a bite. Then another.
It tastes divine.
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The moment Shane finishes the wonderfully filling meal, the dishes disappear into thin air.
“Called it,” Shane mutters under his breath. The castle is cursed to its very stones.
He settles for the night, climbs into the bed fully clothed, ready to take off the moment the castle tries turning its magic against him.
The fire in the fireplace goes out.
In the pitch dark room, Shane closes his eyes, evens his breath, bracing for an attack that may not come.
It’s an excruciating wait.
He’s so tired after travelling to the castle, that eventually, he falls asleep for real.
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Shane bolts upright when he hears an awful, wailing noise.
It takes a second to register it’s coming from outside. A dying shriek. He leaps to the window, eyes searching the tree line beyond the castle walls.
The shrill sound is abruptly cut off. An unnatural silence settles over the forest.
Then he sees movement.
In even, fluid strides, something huge and dangerous comes out of the trees.
The creature is dragging its prey along. Probably a deer. It’s too far away and too dark to be really sure.
Shane is barely breathing, horrified at the sight of the creature.
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It’s monstrous.
Despite its hulking size, the creature moves quickly over the grounds. Shane stares. He’s never seen anything like it before. There are huge paws and sharp fangs.
Suddenly, it stops, tilting its head this way and that before turning to look right at the castle.
Shane ducks down, crouching bellow the window, terrified that the creature might have spotted him.
It hasn’t.
Only muffled sounds of the creature devouring the deer come from outside. Bones crunching, teeth snapping.
Shane feels sick to his stomach.
He stumbles away from the window, shaking.
He doesn’t fall back asleep that night.
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When dawn breaks, Shane is still lying wide awake in the bed, ears straining to hear the abhorrent creature prowling the castle grounds, on a hunt for its next meal.
Food appears on the table again, summoned by Shane’s mere thoughts.
Shane feels nauseated just looking at it.
He gives the breakfast a wide breath and goes to the window. He peers out, half expecting to see the creature standing there, looking right at him. But there isn’t anything. If it wasn’t for an imprint in the grass, Shane would have never guessed what scene took place there last night.
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As quietly as he manages, Shane sneaks down the staircase and back to the castle entrance.
The castle gate remains closed.
Shane feels a shiver run down his spine.
It’s not like he expected the castle to just let him in and out as he’d please but the knowledge that he is now a prisoner here fills him with dread.
He barely knows anything about this place and the little he does know is deeply unsettling.
Shane tries to push against the gate again. It doesn’t budge.
Probably for the best.
He shudders to imagine running into the creature outside.
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“Leaving already?”
Shane doesn’t scream out loud at the sudden voice but it’s a near thing. He spins around. There is no one there.
“Eyes up here,” the voice cackles.
Shane gasps when he spots the source of the voice. It’s a raven perched on a tree branch above his head. A talking raven. Right. “Hello?”
The raven gives him a judgemental look. “You’re not a girl.”
“Err, no. I’m Shane,” he offers.
The raven eyes him critically. “Didn’t they ask for a girl?”
Shane smirks. “They didn’t. They asked for a child.”
The raven takes off without another word.
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“Don’t mind him!”
Shane almost jumps out of his skin when another raven he hadn’t spotted before hops closer, perching at eye-level. Shane does his best not to think too much about that sharp, sharp beak so close to his eyeballs. “Oh, hello there.”
“Hi, Shane.”
“Hi,” Shane he echoes. “What’s your name?”
The raven ruffles its feathers. “I’m a raven.”
“Yeah, I know. But like, do you have a name?”
“I’m a raven.”
“Right.”
“You’re new.”
“Yes.”
“Are you enjoying the castle?”
“Something like that,” Shane mutters.
“Have you seen the lake?”
“There’s a lake?”
“Come. I’ll show you.”
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Guided by the Raven, Shane makes his way past the castle gardens and down to where a beautiful lake is nested on the edge of the forest.
“Wow,” he breathes out, mesmerized to see the dark surface of the water shimmering in the gusts of wind.
“Beautiful, right?”
“Yeah,” Shane agrees. “Pity it’s too cold to swim.”
That gives the Raven a pause. “You can swim?”
Shane folds his arms. “I’m not a witch.”
“No, you’re not.”
“The lake is really beautiful, thanks for showing me. I didn’t notice it before.”
“Wait till it freezes over,” the Raven croaks excitedly.
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“It’s not like I can leave the castle anyway.”
“You can’t leave, Shane,” the Raven croaks, alarmed.
“How do you know my name?” Shane asks.
Silence.
“Do you also know the witch? The wolves?”
More silence. He looks up. The Raven is already gone.
Shane wishes he asked about the creature prowling through the night.
He collects a few pebbles from the shore, throwing them along the lake’s surface, watching the stones bounce and leave rippling circles where they skip above the water.
Shane will be here to see ice form on this lake.
The finality of it feels binding.
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Darkness settles over the grounds sooner than Shane would have expected. He hastily returns to the castle, choosing to stay in the same room as the previous night.
Once again, fire springs to life and food appears on the table. Shane is hungry. His measly lunch comprised of a handful of beech nuts collected near the lake.
Hesitant, he takes a bite of the offered meal.
This time, the castle offers him fish in a sauce that tastes like honey and spice. Shane closes his eyes, exhaling lightly and reminding himself that his imprisonment could have been going much worse.
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Shane is woken up halfway through the night. Winds picks up, howling, rattling at the windows, creaking in the roof above, whining through the halls.
Unused to the sounds of the castle, he finds it downright horrifying and can’t go back to sleep.
He hovers by the window for a while, watching as it starts snowing. The grounds slowly get covered by snow. Occasionally, the gusts of wind blow so sharp that they uncover the cobblestones beneath.
The creature is nowhere in sight. Probably found itself some warm hole to hide in.
There are no tracks in the shifting snow.
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Morning arrives with a loud knocking on the front door.
Shane stumbles downstairs, apprehensive.
“Finally! I thought I’d freeze my hat off before you opened!”
It’s the witch again.
Shane blinks but the woman is still there.
“Oh. Hello again.”
The witch shoots him a glare. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”
Shane waves her in, watching as the witch marches right into a large hall and settles herself into an armchair near a fireplace that immediately springs to life.
With an impatient snap of her long fingers, a warm cup of steaming tea jumps right into her hand.
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“Come sit with me,” the witch says, sipping her tea.
She summons another cup. At the witch’s imploring gaze, Shane sits down and picks it up. It’s not boiling hot like he’d expected. Instead, it’s pleasantly warm as he curls his fingers around it.
“Thank you.” He says, hoping he won’t change into a toad with the first sip.
“How have you been settling in?”
“The castle feels… welcoming.” In its own way, Shane adds in his head.
“Good, good. Have you met–” The witch suddenly cuts herself off.
A creak from somewhere above them.
The witch grimaces. “Never mind.”
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“I’ve met the ravens,” Shane offers.
The witch waves her hand, dismissive. “Don’t listen to them, they’re idiots.”
“One of them showed me to the lake.”
The witch sighs. “Of course you’d like the lake.”
“Something wrong with it?”
“It’s made of tears. Tears of despair. Be careful not to add to it, too.”
Shane can’t tell if she’s joking or not. “I’ll try?”
She snorts, finishing her tea just as a cacophony of wolf howls sounds from outside. “I need to go. I’ll see you next week.”
“Okay?”
She pauses before she leaves. “You should check out the library.”
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“The library?”
The witch raises her eyebrow. “You know how to read, right?”
“Yes, of course,” Shane splutters.
The howling outside intensifies as more wolves join in, stronger and growing in urgency. The witch gives him a sharp look. Her eyes are like the lake; blue, almost green. “Then read.”
With that, she’s gone. The infernal howling quiets down moments later.
Shane spends the evening exploring the rest of the castle. Many doors remain shut when he tries to enter but many more rooms open. Some beautifully decorated, some barren.
He leaves the library for last, just to be contrary.