It was later that night, where the manor was completely dead and not even the vermin was chirping.

At such a late hour, it was no surprise that Alice was irritated when she woke up to the call of nature, groaning as she fumbled about her nightstand until she found a matchbox and lit the candelabra on the stand.

From there, Alice groggily stood up. Her blonde hair was frizzy and stuck out in all directions, and her nightgown was ruffled from turning in her sleep. After taking the candelabra, she yawned as she approached the door, heading for the restroom (the room to the right of her own). She entered and came back out a few moments later.

"Maybe milk before bed was a bad idea," she murmured, as she walked back to her room. She reached for the doorknob, pausing to yawn again.

‘Creaaa…’

Alice flinched, looking back with haste.

There was nothing behind her, and the place went dead silent.

Alice gulped nervously, cautiously stepping forward. She still saw nothing, nor did anything react to her movement. Looking left and right, she scanned the area. Maybe it was just another patient, or a stray mouse scampering about?

In the end, Alice just turned to go back to her room.

‘Creaaaaaaa…’

As a second creak sounded, she was but even more on edge.

Her eyes narrowed. “Hello? Who's there?"

No response.

Alice stepped into the main room, as it wasn’t far from her own room. She stopped when she could see the staircase that led to the first floor. She peered over the railing, looking down. There was no one on the curved staircase below.

She turned around, but found no sign of someone being on the third-floor staircase. The gate was still closed and locked, and there was not even a flicker of light, or the slightest creak.

Am I imagining things?

Things seemed terribly quiet and still, but as Alice stopped moving, stopped talking, and stopped thinking altogether, she began to hear quiet murmuring, unnerving her even further than she was. Still, she decided that she would need to investigate if she were to sleep soundly.

She slowly began to creep toward the source of the sound, which she realized was coming from the opposite end of the Boy’s Corridor.

Who on earth would be up at this hour?!

Alice stopped between the first two doors in the hallway. Here, she pondered. Would it really be wise to inspect this? And of course, what could be in the manor besides a patient? It seemed unlikely that something concerning would be there, but knew she wouldn’t sleep if she just left it alone.

Alice took a deep breath and continued forward. She figured that it was probably Warren, setting up a prank to be pulled off tomorrow morning, and now it was a matter of Alice giving him the honor of pranking two people; whoever ran into the trap he set, and herself for getting so scared. Now she was tempted to turn around. Even so, she decided to see what he was up to, really. Maybe she would save someone from getting spiders or frogs dumped on them.

But that's when Alice saw the figure.

Her candle's light only hardly showed it; something in the back-left corner of the hall, mostly hidden behind the plant. It jerked randomly, looking like a mere shadow among the blanket of darkness it was in, and no one would be able to tell what it was or what it was doing.

Alice gulped, nervous, but continued forward anyway. She got as close as she could, but kept as much distance as she could, ready to run away.

Her hand reached out, about to graze the figure…

“Wha-”

Suddenly, it snapped and jerked back. Alice clasped a hand over her mouth to mute the small scream she emitted.

Warren was in front of her.

Frustrated and flustered, Alice clenched her fist. "Dammit, Warren, you scared the life out of me!"

"Shhh!" Warren hissed. "Shut up or you'll ruin it! And how was I the one that scared you?”

Alice rolled her eyes, but also noticed Warren tying a wire about the base of the urn-like pot that the plant was in. The wire ran from here to the wall on the opposite side of the door, where Silas was trying to look innocent as he held the opposite end of the wire in place. His dark nightwear and nervous silence had prevented Alice from noticing him until now.

"What are you doing?" Alice interrogated.

Warren sighed, "Since you discovered us, I suppose we can tell you.” He smirked deviously. “When our poor victim wakes up, he'll find himself tumbling to the ground. Not only that, but the wire will release my little friend."

“My friend,” Silas argued. “I caught the damn thing!”

“Alright, our friend,” Warren insisted.

While the boys bickered, Alice sighed with a disapproving expression. She glanced up, knowing that Warren had lots of 'little friends,’ he even once put one of the chickens in someone's wardrobe. This current prank, however, seemed to incorporate a rodent of sorts, likely a rat or mouse. A non-lethal trap was suspended from the ceiling, and the wire-system made it clear that enough pressure would open the trap. As if utter humiliation weren't enough, the two pranksters simply had to add some panic to the situation.

"How did you get the trap to hang from the ceiling?" Asked Alice.

“A makeshift hook,” Warren explained. "And Silas doubles as a step-ladder.”

"Not my face, which you didn't understand," Silas grumbled.

Alice laughed at the thought. She checked the door, trying to pinpoint whose room it led to.

Looks like Soloman's in for a bad morning.

Alice yawned. "Alright, I should get back to bed. Goodnight, you two."

"G'night, Alice," Silas responded, while Warren only nodded.

With that, Alice started the walk back, instantly reminded of how tired she was. However, she made it only halfway through the corridor before a small gust had blown out her candle's flame. Just like that, she was left in pitch darkness.

"Dammit," she muttered.

Alice had left her matches back in her room, as well, so now it was a matter of using the walls and her own hands to guide her. She walked right, until her extended hand found what felt like the frame of a door, probably the second door of the hall. She stopped here and looked forward. The silhouettes of everything were just hardly visible; the plants, walls, and the gate and blocked staircase. She continued forward.

However, she was stopped just as quickly.

‘CREAAAA…’

"Warren?" She glanced over her shoulder. "Silas?"

Nothing. She could see the two boys continuing to do their work in the distance, though, either of which were so focused and quietly communing that they hadn't even registered her call. Still, it was them, most likely, as the sound of creaking made her find them in the first place.

Alice dismissed the thought and glanced forward, trying to find the staircase and any obstacles in her path. She took one step before, again, noticing something strange.

Now she couldn't see at all. Nothing but pure blackness was in front of her; total pitch consumed the environment, leaving not even the shadowy silhouettes to see.

Alice glanced over her shoulder again, but couldn't see either of the boys, or anything but the same blackness. She uneasily set down the unlit candlestick, then stepped forward slowly. Her trembling steps did not carry her far, but she got to where she thought would be the entry point of the hallway, with the main room before her. She could still see nothing, no matter how hard or little she looked.

Why is it so dark? I don't like it...

Figuring that she was seeing things, Alice tried to ignore it and continue.

'Creeeeeeeeeeeeee...'

The sound made Alice stop in her tracks. It was just too much for her, and she didn't want to move at all. Something here was clearly not right.

Alice began to hyperventilate. If she turned, what would she find? If she stayed, would something find her? And where to run, of course. She couldn't see anything, much less where her bedroom door was. And what if this was all just her imagination- she was a patient at a mental home, and she was already having trouble trying to convince people she was stable. If she cried out, who would believe? Who would listen? Who would care?

But then, what now? What could she do on her own?

Alice took a deep breath, then hesitantly turned around.

"It's not real," she murmured. "It's not real. Just find your room and..."

Alice's heart skipped a beat as she saw what had been behind her. In the distance, probably at the opposite end of the corridor, she could see a silhouette. A large man, it seemed, and Alice trembled at the sight of something dripping from his hands. His neck cracked in a sickening manner as his head rigidly cocked and turned, his bleak gaze eventually locking itself on her. Those horrid eyes; to Alice, they looked like some sickly orbs made from spider’s web.

Wh-What on earth...But...those damn rings- it can't be!

No one moved. Alice trembled and whimpered. The man only stared at her oddly, his heavy breathing audible even from this far away.

"P-P-Please..." Alice whimpered. "P-Please, leave me..."

Nothing.

Stop staring like that! Leave me alone!

Alice took one step backward.

The second this happened, the man took a sudden, rigid step forward. Seeing this made Alice only more tempted to stop. However, she forced herself to take another step, and the man echoed her movement again. It seemed like one step carried him for meters, while Alice only moved an inch.

Alice began crying. "P-Please stop. Just leave me, please."

Nothing.

But just as suddenly as this all happened, the man charged at full speed.

Alice choked on her own scream as she saw him coming, immediately turning to run. But it wasn't working. She didn't move, while the man only got closer.

Closer, and closer, and closer.

Each stride carrying him closer.

Alice cried for him to stop, but he didn't.

Terrified and shaken, Alice broke down. She fell to her knees, digging her nails into her skull.

"Just leave me alone!" She spat. "Please, I beg of you! Leave me!"

Alice felt a large hand grab her neck and slam her against the wall. His grip was slippery from the oily substance on his hands. When Alice looked down, she was not anymore settled when she realized that this substance was crimson red. The two rings on this hand made his grip all the more agonizingly uncomfortable.

What happened next was what made her break.

"You think you can get away from me, you little bitch?"

Those words. Those simple words caused her to hysterically lash out.

"No! No! Get away, don't do this! Leave me! Leave me!"

"Alice!"

This other voice, one far more familiar, made Alice pause. She took a frightened, sudden glance forward.

Candlelight was illuminating a small section of the manor. Warren was in front of her, his hand on her shoulder, while Silas stood dumbfounded behind him. Both of the boys looked surprised and confused. Even Trancy was standing in a doorway on the opposite wall, a lit candlestick in his hand.

Alice looked down. She was against the manor’s wall, in the main room, and shaking violently. She heard voices and stirring, but not enough to draw her attention from anything but her recent thoughts.

What...What just happened?

"Alice, what is wrong with you?" Warren interrogated. "Why are you acting crazy?"

"Th-Th-The..." Alice stammered. She blinked hard. "You didn't..."

"Try speaking English," Warren insisted.

“Easy, Warren,” Silas warily spoke. “She’s really spooked.”

Alice had to force the words out. "Th-The man, for pete’s sake! The man w-with...with the rings, and the blood!”

Warren seemed confused, his brows furrowed. "What are you talking about? Alice, there's no one else here, nor is anyone bleeding. What are you talking about?"

"You didn't..."

Silas sighed, "Maybe it was some kind of nightmare."

"While she's still awake?" Warren argued.

Trancy remarked, "It's a bit of a drastic assumption, but perhaps a hallucination?"

"No one's hallucinated since Silas lit the fireplace," Warren insisted. "Not to mention, what would have made her hallucinate? There's nothing here."

Alice had heard enough of this, and she was still shaken by what she saw. It took its lasting effect, too.

Every detail in this present scene became irritating, her hypersensitivity making her want to retch. The dim light blinding, the low voices deafening. Even the way Warren had his hand on her felt like it was shooting flames throughout her arm.

Alice panicked, breaking free with haste.

Still shook, she quickly ran back to her room, while it was still there. She almost slammed the door shut, being sure to lock it, and broke down as she leaned against it. She fell to her knees and began sobbing.

Why...

Through her sobs, Alice murmured, "What does it mean?"