When the man spoke these words, Bianca fell on her face and knees. Her matted mane gathered in clumps on the floor. Her heart was wrought with terror. Tiny pins and needles poked at her skin as a slow lump crept up her throat. This cannot be true. Things like this just did not happen.
There was no way she could fathom being locked in that stone tomb with that strange man forever. Maybe she was dreaming. Yes, that must be it. And if she was, she wanted to awake from the terrible nightmare immediately!
The man laughed devilishly as his lips curled up in a bow. "Bianca, Bianca, dear sweet Bianca. I do hate to see you cry. Your crying signifies ignorance. So please allow me to clear some things up for you. Look into my eyes. My dazzling green; immaculate eyes."
Bianca didn't move. Yet pressed her face into the cold concrete floor, where her tears gathered into miniature pools. "No", she whispered. "I cannot look upon your face. I'm too frightened! This is more than I can bare."
Mr. Charlie's brow wrinkled with anger. "You cannot look at me!" he shouted. "Cannot look at me? Why you little self-centered, self righteous conniving little twit. How dare you judge me when I am of your own making! I was fashioned by your hands! Like a spider spinning its web. You formed me into existence! You made me! You created me!"
Grabbing her by the head, he wound his hands around her dark locks; forcing her head back; commanding that she stare deep into his eyes. Bianca cried all the more. She kept her eyes closed. The mans icy presence made her skin crawl. His evil aura illuminated all the more now that he was touching her. He felt cold and brisk like ice. Void of anything living; empty of anything good.
"Look into my eyes. Least I grow angry and pluck yours out like little brown marbles!" he hissed.
Bianca's eyes flung open. She didn't want to look at him. But she knew he was angry and God only knew what he'd do to her if she wasn't obedient.
"Yes! Yes! Now that's better. Stare into my eyes. My glowing green eyes. Admire the workmanship of your handy work.
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Don't you find me beautiful? Do you enjoy the icy touch of my skin?" Bianca was mortified; enveloped in fear; wrought with terror. She didn't want to answer the strange man. He was hideous; wicked: a walking nightmare! In her wildest dreams; she never would have saw him. How could he insist he was a product of her own making? She wasn't perfect. But she wasn't that bad either: was she ?
His skin was smooth yet extremely pale like he'd been covered with liquid chalk. His lips were pink with a row of white teeth peeking from behind. His bushy eyebrows resembled to orange caterpillars. He stroked Bianca on the side of the face with the back of his hand.
"Yes, Yes that's it." he cooed. "No need to fight the inevitable Bianca. Accept your fate. Release your will and dreams of returning home. You haven't been a very good girl and now the universe has released you to me. Your end has come. Perhaps sooner than you'd imagine."
Bianca's teared strained eyes impaired her vision. She was glad. She couldn't bare staring at the man any longer. He petrified her. He horrified her. She wanted him to release her from his icy grip that made her flesh crawl but she accepted his embrace; too afraid to implicate signs of rebellion. "Why do I have to stay here? Why won't you let me go home? Why do you say I created you?"
Mr. Charlie released his grip and stood.
Reaching inside his pocket he took out a silver clock. It dangled in the air as soft ticking sounds echoed from its metal chambers. Bianca slid back on her hands and feet. Letting out a huge sigh of relief. She was glad the man released her.
"All life; all things have an expiration date. A day of reckoning; if you will. Some people are aware of this, therefore they try to make each day count. They try to live their lives peacefully; as humble as they know how. Helping others; loving others. Respecting others. And there are the people like you Bianca. The bullies of the universe. The oppressors; the tormentors; the hell raisers. With the time you have been awarded; you did nothing except raise me; worship me; nurture me."
Bianca's eyes widened as she looked on in total bewilderment. Mr. Charlie was really getting on her nerves. Speaking in riddles: patronizing her when all she wanted was some answers on how to get the heck out of there. She cleared her throat "Sir, please. I don't understand what you are talking about. All I want to do is go home. Please just tell me how to get out of here and I will be on my way."
A sinister smile graced Charlie's lips as his brow wrinkled with frustration. With one quick leap like a giant panther he lunged at Bianca, wrapping his hands around her throat; pinning her against the wall. "You don't get it! You just don't get it! Do you little mocking bird? You are not leaving here! You will never leave here! You will never go home because you are dead!
Dead! Dead! Dead!
Dead as a door nail dead!!! I am your master! Your eternal tormentor! Your everlasting curse! You are here because you chose to be here. When you were alive; you were an abuser; a tormentor; an oppressor; a demon! You took pleasure in other peoples pain; and one day; your actions caught up with you. Your time expired. Your victim killed you. It was an accident of course. But I'm glad you're here all the same. I've been waiting to meet you. To share with you; all you've created me to be. I want to share with you what you always gave the rest of the world!"
Bianca sniffed violently as her nose filled with mucous. Now she understood. The picture was coming into focus. She knew she was not the most compassionate person in her life. And during her time on earth; she really didn't care. She deemed others weak or soft. In her mind, she was the strong one. And anyone who didn't allow her to rule; had to feel her wrath. Truth be told, when others were happy; they annoyed her.
After all, she didn't have a very happy life; so why should they? Why should they laugh, play and prance around with glee; when her life was everything but those things. It wasn't fair and there was no way she was going to stand for it. She decided to teach everyone a lesson. Life was unkind to her so she decided to be less than kind to everyone else. That's the only way she survived it all. That's the only way everything made sense.
The only thing she didn't count on was the creation of Mr. Charlie Pumpernickel. He was her evil deeds that came back to haunt her. Like a rooster coming home to hatch; Mr. Charlie was a monster of her own design; and she was terrified of what she'd created.
Tucking the silvery watch back in his vest, Mr. Charlie winked at Bianca. After licking his lips mischievously, he turned slowly disappearing into the shadows from which he'd emerged. Bianca grabbed her temples sighing with relief as huge beads of sweat poured down her brows. This can't be real. This can't be happening her mind reasoned as she laid her head against the cold wet slab.
The sound of slamming doors echoed throughout the castle; rumbling like iron vaults. She trembled with terror as sinister whispers lingered in the shadows speaking in some language unknown to her. Bianca stared blankly; drawing her knees close to her chest. The mans words echoed in her head like ringing bells. 'This is purgatory! You will never escape! I am a beast of your own making!'
She shuttered. And at that very moment. She genuinely regretted every mean deed she'd ever released into the universe. But it was too late. As the strange man stated; judgement was set and she would spend an eternity paying for it! ~~
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