Creatures

The horror of everything that she saw inside the castle was mentally and energy draining. She was losing her strength to cope up with everything that's happening around her. But she must not lose her sanity or else she will never be able to find her way out of the maddening castle.

She will just lie down, calm her jittery nerves, and shut off her eyes for the time being. She needs to save what's left with her energy because she had a foreboding feeling that what's gonna happen ahead might be more sinister than her situation right now.

She will try to live as long as she could...

She wanted to get out of this castle alive and in one piece!

She closed her eyes and think of what exactly happened to her sister?

If she's still alive, where is she now?

"Where are you sister?" she murmured hoping to establish telepathy with her elder sister. But she knows that it's impossible to establish contact with her because she and her sisters were just mere mortal beings. Right at this very moment, she wished she had a supernatural power or any type of magic that can help her get out of the castle alive.

This castle was inhabited by powerful beings and terrifying deadly creatures, not a place for a powerless being like her.

It dawned on her that the castle was designed to slaughter and devour anyone who comes inside through the door.

Now that she thinks of it, those 100 workers that were hired to be the castles housekeepers, were they hired for the sake of feeding those hungry creatures deep in the pit? Or they have some other uses for those mortals? Deep inside she was still hoping that Ivy is still alive and was just trapped somewhere in the castle.

Once she can get out of the net she will try to find her sister, maybe she was still alive and just hiding nearby waiting for a rescue.

Even if her mind is telling her that it would be impossible to be alive with the kind of situation that she encountered in the castle, she still refused to give up.

While her eyes were closed, she didn't see a figure jumped into the net, out of nowhere.

The net bounced under the heavyweight almost catapulting Kate above. She holds on to the net and met the eyes of an old woman, sporting white hair and white eyebrows, emerald green eyes, and pale skin. She was wearing a black flowing robe that falls down her knees.

"Oh! I was wondering what my magical net has caught this time?" the old woman grinned in delight.

Kate was ecstatic to find a woman inside the castle. "Grandma! Please help me! Please get me out of this castle!" she begged her.

The old woman's eyes twinkled. She went to Kate's side and began sniffing at her. "You smell so nice, my dear!"

A dark glint gathered around the woman's eyes.

"If I will save your life, what will you give me in return?" the old woman asked.

Kate's eyes wandered on the old woman's long sharp nails. "I will do anything you want me to do. As long you get me out of her," she starts crying.

"Oh, don't cry my dear. You look so pitiful. My heart bleeds if I see a beautiful young maiden crying in front of me. Hush now, stop crying," granny said.

Kate continues crying. She desperately wanted the old woman to pity her. Between the terrifying creatures below and the gathering of the black shadowy creatures above her, the old woman seems less scary.

The old woman smiled while looking at the young maiden.

Kate stopped crying for a moment. "Is this net—yours?" she asked.

"Yes, my dear. I specifically made this to catch..." her voice trailed off.

"To catch what—?" Kate inquired.

The old woman shook her head. "Nothing dear. Come, let me hold my hand, I will take you to my place."

Kate did not hesitate to hold the granny's hand desperate to leave the horrifying place.

"Now close your eyes, and never open them until I tell you to do so, okay?"

"Yes, I will obey everything you say," Kate replied and shut off her eyes as per granny's instruction.

She felt granny grabbed her right hand.

Suddenly Kate heard a whizzing sound, like a gush of a strong wind that passed by. Then she felt that her feet landed in a hard ground for a few seconds. Without opening her eyes, she can feel that she was no longer confined in the net.

She can't open her eyes unless the old woman will tell her to do so.

She can still feel the warm hand of the woman pressed into her palm.

"Granny, can I open my eyes now? Did we already arrived at your place?" she asked excitedly.

"No...no...no...not yet! If you open your eyes now you are going to die!" the old woman warned her sternly.

"Why? What's wrong, granny?" she asked in alarmed. "Are we going to fall into the pit where those scary creatures live?"

"Nah, we are now floating above the land of the giants. You can find all types of giants here. Giant worms, giant grasshoppers, giant ants, a giant mosquito, scorpions, and many others. They are everywhere."

"Oh my God!" Kate covered her mouth with her free hand trying hard not to scream in fright.

She kept her mouth shut trying hard not to make any noise. She doesn't want to alert the scary giants. She's nearly going crazy just thinking about them. Her stomach was tensed with fright.

"Are we still far from your place, granny?" she whispered. Probably the only time she will feel safe is when they will reach granny's place.

"Shh, we still need to pass through the lands of the goblins. Don't ever open your eyes. They are everywhere, they can detect your mortal aura. I managed to envelop you in my magical illusion. What they see now with me is another old woman that looks just like me. They will never suspect that you are a mortal being. As long you don't open your eyes, everything will be alright," granny said in a reassuring tone.