………………………………………………………………………… Chapter Three: LOCKS UNDER WATER. They open their eyes, and now see a complete different place. There’s no more, pretty white castle and red roses. They’re trapped in a dungeon, encaged in a squared black metal cell, it’s small and placed in the middle of the room. All four walls are made of black stone and water drips between the cracks. It’s empty and morbid, the atmosphere is cold and can give one goose-bumps. There’s only one set of stairs, going upwards in the corner of the room, and a hole in the wall as a door. Faint light escapes from both exits. The cage is locked and the ceiling is too high. Randy looks at Gale as he tries to figure a way out of this cage, the bars aren’t spaced enough and the door is secured under lock and key. “What do we do now?” Randy asks quietly. “Uh- Wait I guess… We’ll figure something out.” Gale says and pulls Randy’s arm down as he sits against the bars. Randy sits beside Gale and leans his head on his shoulder, sighing loudly. “You scared?” Randy whispers, trailing little paths with his fingertips on the stone floor under him. “About what?” Gale lifts his arm that’s not under Randy, up and grips the bar over his head. “Finding our ‘way back’?” Randy clarifies. “It shouldn’t be too hard.” Gale responds, more than confident. “Only, I can’t recall how we died, and we were together,” he continues and turns his head to Randy. “Me either,” Randy tilts his head towards Gale and gives him a small kiss. As Randy pulls away, he sees a small puddle of water coming closer from the door. It expands and quickly covers the floor. “Gale...” Randy eyes the puddle to indicate Gale. “Wha-” Gale pauses and looks at the puddle that’s quickly spreading towards them. They both stand to their feet at the same time and back away against the cage’s bars. “Okay, now we might be in trouble,” Gale mutters. The water reaches their feet and floods the whole floor. They look back and see the water rise up as it touches the wall. “Fuck.” Gale steps to the door and takes the lock with one hand. He tries to break it free, somehow, but it’s too big and solid. He shakes it and jerks the door. Randy stands beside him and looks around to find something they could break it with. The water reaches to their ankles. “Ah, fuck this is cold!” Gale curses and looks down at his feet. “Shit!” He looks over his head to look if there’s something he can do with the ceiling. “Gale.” Randy yells out of fear, he nudges him and points to the door where a light appears. It comes closer and a man comes forth, his steps splashing in the water. He looks old and too thin, his face is aging and his hair is between black and gray. He’s utterly expressionless and walks towards the cell. Gale wraps his arms protectively around Randy and they slowly back away. The man raises his hand and shows them a set of key. He purposely drops them with a clink to the ground and goes back up the stairs, stepping very slowly till he’s out of their sight. They swallow hard and rush towards the keys on the floor. Gale kneels in the water and reaches between the bars to grab the keys. He takes them and stands up close to Randy. He looks at the set of keys; there must be about thirty different keys. The water keeps on flooding the chamber, almost reaching to their knees length. “Which one Rand?” Gale struggles with the keys in his hands. Randy takes them too and picks one. “Try this one.” Randy holds one of them up to Gale. He takes it from Randy’s hand and goes to the door. He reaches with both hands out and put it in the lock. He tries one, but it doesn’t fit. “It doesn’t work.” He tries with another one but then again it fails. He feels the cold water reach above his knees. Randy kicks the bars and nervously looks around the walls. The water is up to the thigh of Randy’s shorter legs. “Hurry Gale.” He softly begs as the water freezes his skin. Gale chooses one key after another but they never fit in the lock. Randy grabs two bars with both hands and waits for Gale. As the water rises, it feels colder and colder. It quickly reaches their waists. Dark and terrifying water surrounds them. They’re scared something might come out of the water, not knowing what else can happen when you’re dead. Gale struggles once more before the water reaches the height of the lock. His hands are under cold water. Making it harder to keep the keys firmly as the motion in the water shakes his grip. “Fuck...” Gale curses under his breath when the water reaches his chest. The water is practically black so he can’t see anything below. “Why,” He pauses. “Aren’t any of them getting in that damn lock?” He presses his lips together and takes another key between his fingers. Randy swallows hard. “Gale-” He cries and watches Gale. The water’s up to Randy’s shoulders. He’s standing on the tip of his toes, stretching his neck out. “Fuck!” Gale curses loudly. “No, please don’t tell me you dropped them.” Randy looks at him with his eyes opened wide. Gale doesn’t wait and plunges his head in the water and swim down to the floor. He tries opening his eyes, it’s blurry and it stings. Vision in the water is too dark. He closes his eyes and reaches far over and taps his hand on the floor in different spots. When finally he touches the key set with his fingers, he grips them and swims to the surface. He catches his breathe heavily and brings the keys to the surface. “Pick one.” He indicates Randy. Randy makes a random pick and lets his body float in the water, kicking his feet to stay at the surface as much as possible. Gale takes the one Randy chose and swims once more under the water to put it in the lock. He lifts his head to the surface to breathe and inserts the key inside as steadily as he can. “Come on.” Randy gasps, the water’s up to his chin. “Gale!” He cries and swallows, almost out of breathe. “I’m f-trying-” The key fits the lock and he turns it. The lock quickly opens and Gale lets go of it, pulling the lock out of its hole. He pushes the door open and helps Randy to swim out. He goes after him and swims to the surface of the dungeon. They both take a deep breathe and swim towards the stairs. Gale follows Randy to the steps. The water feels heavy in their clothes. They walk through another door and find themselves in an empty room, equally dark and same style. There’s no furniture and no light; only a small door that brings them outside to the streets, where a warm and comforting color dimly shines in an alley. ……………………………………………………………………….