08-15-2013, 03:30 AM
Nightmare leaves the room and the powers that be behind his anger finally subsiding. He must find his Apprentice and quick.
The Powers had made it quite clear what he had to do but he didn’t agree with it one bit, he still had faith in The Apprentice he wasn’t going to destroy the man he had created.
His original plan was to hide The Apprentice, removing him from the sight of the powers telling him to avoid the castle at all costs. The powers are smart though, they would see through that plan and if they did Nightmare would be receiving the same treatment that the powers would like him to punish The Apprentice with. That wasn’t an option, Nightmare had worked to damn hard for the powers for them to just turn there back on him because of this young man Nightmare felt he had saved.
There was no way though that Nightmare could find it within himself to rid the world of his friend and apprentice. Maybe it was time to unmask the apprentice, they powers have never seen his face they wouldn’t know, would they?
Of course they would, they have seen his face during his induction ceremony. ”Come on Thomas think.” Nightmare thought to himself using his real birth name that he has never admitted he never forgot during his induction ceremony like he was supposed too. Maybe this is why Nightmare is trying to save his apprentice; He can see a lot of himself within his friend. Nightmare like his Apprentice has not fully moved on from his previous life but has been the known as the greatest Night-Demon of all time.
He continues walking through the halls of the great castle thinking of his and his apprentice’s next move. First though he needs to find his apprentice before the powers work out that he may not do as they wish and move in and do the job themselves. ”He better have stayed in the Demon chamber. The demon chamber is a room where the only people allowed to enter his the current night-demon and whomever he grants access too, even the powers are not permitted in this room without the permission of the current night-demon, which as we all know is Nightmare.
Nightmare had sent The Apprentice into this room knowing there was probably no way back for him in the eyes of the powers and that Nightmare himself would have to destroy him, he knew he wouldn’t be able to do this and that the powers may attempt the destruction of The Apprentice themselves, they couldn’t do that as long as he remained in this room.
Meanwhile inside the demon chamber.
The Apprentice stands and stairs out of the barred window looking out into the mist and darkness, the stones that represent each and every one of the Night-Demons victims that were unable to be saved from their evil ways litter the gardens below.
Inside the room it is cold, it is always cold no matter what the weather, and the news paper cuttings line the walls with the news articles of all the stories of the subjects of Nightmare’s missions.
The Apprentice searches the room looking for his clipping, he can remember something’s about his past and that he was one for Nightmares victims. He walks around the room looking closely up and down the walls to see if he can spot anything that he recognises.
After checking all for walls he sits at Nightmares large wooden table in the corner of the room. It is hard looking for an article on yourself without knowing who you really are. The Apprentice had lived in this mask for as long as he can remember, it may have only been a short time but during his induction to the order of the night-demon the memory of his previous life had been removed, at least some of it. Nightmare had said that he had not changed, he was still the arrogant person he was before, The Apprentice didn’t feel like he was being arrogant; he just wanted to prove himself to Nightmare and the powers. Yes it was a mistake but he wasn’t being arrogant.
The Apprentice looks around the room and remembers he could see his reflection through on the glass through the bars in the window. Maybe if he looks at his own face he will remind him of something’s from his previous life and why Nightmare had been so disappointed in him disobeying his orders.
He moves over to the window again and stairs out, he can see his reflection he can see the mask he had been made to wear for what seemed like forever. He was distracted slightly from his reflection when a giant bird of prey landed on the window ledge outside; he stood and just looked at the giant bird until it eventually flew away. Leaning in closer he finds his reflection again adjusting his position to get the best light. Slowly reaching up he unties the string on the back of his mask. He then begins to pull the mask up over his head.
Crack!!
There is a crack of thunder and flash of lighting just as The Apprentice pulls the mask off of his head and drops it on the floor. The lighting lit up the room and also made it very easy for the apprentice to see who was staring back at him. Who he was, or at least what he looked like.
He quickly gets to work running around the room looking at all the paper cuttings on the walls and even the crumpled up ones that have obviously been of no use to Nightmare and he had disposed of them in the corner of the room on the floor.
He suddenly stops in his tracks when a cutting catches his eye. He reaches up and takes it from the wall. The image on the paper is not the best quality but he takes over towards the window so he can compare it with himself. He looks at his reflection again and then back to the paper, it was definitely him.
The Apprentice takes the paper cutting over to the desk in the corner and turns on the lamp, he sits in the chair and begins to read over the article that accompanied the image of him.
Back to Nightmare.
Nightmare is still walking through the castles large hall ways trying to ensure he reaches The Apprentice before the powers do. Although they are forbidden from entering the demons chamber the more that Nightmare thinks about what they had said it wouldn’t surprise him if they had and were waiting for him to get there so he can suffer the same fate that The Apprentice had.
He exists the hall way and heads outside into the courtyard. It is much quicker cutting across the yard than it is walking around the castle however cutting across the courtyard can prove a dangerous task. The powers are often seen walking these grounds. He doesn’t want to be spotted he wants to get The Apprentice and get out of here before the powers realize.
He eventually reaches the door on the other side of the courtyard and twists the gargoyle shaped door handle and opens it up. He quickly looks up and down the hall way before making his way to the left and then up the stairs that are on his right.
This steep circular staircase leads up the highest tower of the castle where the demon-chamber sits at the top. As he climbs Nightmare tries to push from his mind the thoughts of what the powers may do to them if they are caught.
The walk up the stairs seemed endless but eventually he reaches the top and the door to enter the chamber. He opens it up and takes a step in. The Apprentice is sat at the table unmasked with a piece of paper in his hand. Nightmare quickly looks towards the wall and his fears are realised when he can see the space where the paper cutting once was.
The Apprentice looks round and jumps slightly when he notices Nightmare in the room. He looks down to the cutting and back up to Nightmare once again who takes a step closer to the room.
”Is this me?”
”Yes my apprentice that is you. Your drinking problem had gotten out of hand and your arrogance was growing rapidly to the ugly stage of self obsession. This is why I cam and found you on that rooftop in Vegas, to save you from yourself. Your soul needed to be cleansed and your outlook on life changed. It was only after I had met you I could see the potential in you as an apprentice that is why I chose you. The fighting spirit you showed was remarkable for a man who had just been struck down by a night-demon.”
”But who was I?”
“You were a musician and professional wrestler.”
”Your Name was Chris Macbeth.”
Macbeth looks up towards Nightmare with sadness in his eyes.
”Come, we have to get out of here. Now!”
To be Continued...