Notes

They were a family. A mother and her cubs. He could see the innocence of the cubs in their purple robotic eyes. They were something before this. A life of happiness and joy stripped away from them to become emotionless and unloved because of something that wasn’t their fault. But the eyes of the mother, the same as the children's, spoke of something different.
She knew what happened that tore her and her children’s life away. She knew and understood what happened to her. He couldn't shake his stare as she ripped, scratched, and squeezed her reptilian metal skeleton through the gap between the bookcase and the storage room. He and his friend were stuck in there, the only exit they had blocked off. There was no way they were coming out alive. The cubs jumped up the bookcase, and cracks slowly formed on the wooden frame. He is sure he can hear the giggle of the cubs as they fall from the bookcase.
Do they think this is a game?
Are they really playing with his and his friend's life?
His heart pounded as an ear-splitting crack erupted from the wall as part of it collapsed. The mother snuggled and squeezed her body more and more through the space as they squeezed against the corner. They closed their eyes and awaited their fate.
Until the sound changed.
From one breaking in to one trying to get out. This time it was a scurry of fear. They opened their eyes to see a large five-fingered yellow hand clasped around the front face of the mother—a hand he somehow recognised.

***
He had a life. A mum and a dad who put a roof over his head and food on the table. Best friends and pals who filled his life with joy and happiness, sometimes accompanied by a bit of drama which was very funny if spectating from afar. But then his life began to crumble when he played the Ghourmon Castle board game.
16th of January 1990. The windows of his dimly lit room are completely filled with darkness as it slowly invades the light. He, Cassie, Peter and Josh were sitting on his bedroom floor playing the board game.
The rules of the board game were simple. One person plays as a ghost as they try to capture you. If the dice rolls you a lucky 6 or a lucky one and the ghost is in the vicinity, then you could win. The last one to survive can place the Epic Boom card killing the ghost. But they had played this for years. It had gotten a little too easy. So they added a twist.
If the ghost kills you, you have to complete the dare of the ghost's choice. And he remembers everything of that night. Every word that was spoken. The loud laughs of enjoyment.
The screams of pain howling at the back of his brain. Maybe he should have known then that something was going wrong. That his life would never be the same again. But he was a teenager. Why should he be scared of some screams at the back of his head? It was probably just all the stress he was under.
That was the excuse that arose in his head to explain the craziness going on in his head. But he knew that it was something…unexplainable.
“Dylan! You with us?” asked Cassie, wearing a beautiful yellow and orange spring dress with matching yellow heels. She knew the perfect way to make him adore her even more with the simple matching of clothes with her physical appearance. Her ginger, curly hair lay softly on the dark orange linings that started by her neck and flowed down her like a river to her shoulders. How the spring yellow colours of her dress, even the colours of the small flowers sparkled across the dress fitted with her white skin.
“Yeah yeah just adoring your beauty.” he said, leaning in for a hug. Her cold skin touched his arm and his hair rose. Goosebumps ignited all across his body when her face brushed against his. They became even more electrified when her hair tickled at his skin as he put his hands around her stomach as they embraced. She kissed him lightly on the neck igniting even more electrical impulses across his body.
“Ay, guys you have company!” shouted Peter, raising his hands in the air as he tried to keep his laughter in. He was unsuccessful as he and his brother burst into laughter. Dylan giggled embarrassingly as Cassie’s cheeks became bright red. “Come on love boy, your turn. You can easily get ‘professional’ at the game and sadly my twin, Mr Josh Bronthaeven.”
“I may lose but I have also sealed your fate Mr Peter Bronthhaeven.” said Josh, putting his fist over the left side of his chest. The brothers liked being at each other's throats and trying their very best to be complete opposites of each other. Peter had worn an oversized red T-shirt with black jeans and red trainers whereas Josh wore an oversized blue T-shirt with blue jeans and blue trainers.
Dylan rolled the dice and rolled a 2. In front of him was Josh; 4 boxes away. Peter was 6 boxes and Cassie was 9 boxes away. Dylan moved his ghost forward closing the gap between him and Josh.
“Ooooh, tension. A slow dramatic build-up. Love it.” he said, giggling to himself as Dylan sniggered. He had seen a play that looked like the winning roll. But he reminded himself it was a game of luck. Peter noticed Dylan’s grin and his smile disappeared as he scanned the board and his eyes bulged.
“As I told you before, brother, I have sealed your fate. It is… inevitable.” said the second brother, as the stress level of Peter bolted up. He began rubbing his chin and you could see the desperation in his eyes.
“It is inevitable.” I repeated, as he slightly giggled “Cassie its your turn.”
“Please Cassie don’t lock me in the corner. Please.” he said, as she scrunched her head like she was actually thinking.
“Hmmmm….”she muttered.
“Please!” said Peter, joining the act. He knew it was inevitable.
“Nah,” said Cassie, rolling the dice. Everybody's eyes bulged in anticipation. The dice slowed.
5. No.
4. No.
3. No.
The dice stopped at 2. She moved her character two boxes forward blocking Peter from escaping the corner.
The last two turns. Josh and Peter Bronthaeven. Josh rolled a 1 and moved forward.
Now it was Peter’s turn.
He picked up the dice and rolled it in his palm. He prayed to Allah, God, Buddha, and Zeus. Whoever would listen?
He took a quick breath and rolled.
A six…
Sic…
Sick…
Sicken…
“Sickening to think of what happened to them in this place. This fortification would have kept their voices quiet. The only downside of building a ghost train here. Did they ever find the bodies?” asked Peter, touching the edges of the hole.
“Yes but no. They know of the area in which they lay but not exactly where they are.” said Cassie, as Peter stood up.
“Huh?” he said, confused.
“The floor caved in taking the bodies with them. If they remove the large rocks hiding their bodies, they could see this castle collapse. They know they are dead and what killed them. That is all they need to wrap up the case and name it an accident.” said Cassie, looking down the cavernous hole in the floor. Dylan kneeled next to her brushing her cheek. She went to go and peck him on the cheek when his face became disgruntled and he leaned in closer to the hole.
“Is that..” started Dylan.
“What?” said Josh, coming from out of nowhere.
“Where’d you go?” asked his brother.
“Seeing if those arcade games work.” he replied.
“Did they?” asked Cassie, turning her head to look at him.
“They booted up and then crashed as soon as they loaded. What you guys looking at?” he asked.
“Scratch marks.” stated Dylan, quick and sharp.
“Scratch marks. Human or animal?” asked Peter, dragging himself across the floor and next to Cassie.
“Not sure. There aren’t any broken nails or anything to suggest it's either.” said Dylan, as Josh bent down and rubbed at the scratch marks.
“Ow!” shouted Josh, as the whole group jolted away in fear.
“What happened?” asked Dylan, leaning in to see the injury.
“Nothing just metal stuck in my finger.” said Josh, pulling a skinny sliver of metal out of his finger. Blood oozed out of the little scratch. Josh wiped it off and stood back up. “Anybody want to go on one of the roller coasters?”
“Sure.” said Dylan, as Peter and Cassie nodded.
They brushed themselves down and made their way down the desolate and ruined rail tracks of the castle. The corridors were creepy and gloomy making the group feel like they were being watched. But it's not possible. Nobody else was here except for them. But they were on a ghost train ride anyway so they continued fighting against their gut that drowned their thoughts of fear and tall black characters that weren’t there.
But Cassie walked confidently like she wasn’t being plagued and drowned by her gut in fear. The boys hoped they had her wits.
They turned down a round corner when they stopped in their tracks.
Bright purple eyes stared at them non-blinking in the shadowed corridor in front of them. Whatever this body was made from or looked like was hidden in the darkness sending an eerie chill down Dylan’s back. This 8-eyed creature took up the whole corridor with just its eyes.
Or where they again, imagine things. These could be lights at the end of the corridor. Not a large creature. He took a step forward as Cassie’s eyes unnaturally quickly darted to look at him.
“What are you doing?” said Peter through gritted teeth. Peter was as still as he had ever been in his life and you could see it. Drops of sweat could be seen on his forehead and his calf slightly shook in fear.
“Calm yourself Peter or when you want to run or walk with that leg of yours, there is a very high percentage you will collapse.” said Dylan.
“Not a good time for health advice when we have something hiding in the shadows probably ready to have me for dinner.” said Peter, grabbing his calf and lifting it slightly. “Do you know what, maybe it is a good time for a health check because I have pins and needles in my calf now. Thanks a lot, Dylan. I’m dead.”
“Cassie? You okay?” asked Josh, as everybody turned to look at Cassie. Cassie’s eyes were locked with the purple eyes in front of her. On closer inspection, these seemed smaller and further away than the larger and closer ones at the front.
This wasn’t a large creature. These were possibly a pack of creatures. But what natural creatures had purple eyes? None the last time Dylan checked.
“Cassie stop delving into a whole different universe and start slowly retreating with us as this pack of creatures, as Peter said, want to have us for dinner.” he said, as Cassie’s eyes blinked in quick procession and returned to reality.
Then just as Cassie opened her mouth the eyes to the right where Cassie had locked onto tilted to the right as if studying her.
Or, as Dylan feared, getting ready to attack.
“Run.” muttered Dylan, as he turned and ran. He didn’t look behind or choose where he was going to run; he just ran and let his gut choose for him. He ran into a kitchen set full of little goblins sticking out of ovens and fridges and cupboards which made loud freaky gurgling noises.
Hopefully, they don’t come alive. His mind wandered to them chasing after him at breaknet speed with those small legs.
He shook his head and looked behind him. Josh and Peter were right on his heels, their eyes full of fear and anxiousness.
Where was Cassie?
He didn’t know but hoped she had made it out alive. He barged into the door and fell into a room full of wires and technical boxes. Peter and Josh came in, their breathing hoarse.
“Shut the door!” Dylan shouted, shutting it with his fear giving him an extra boost. He shut it and dropped to the floor.
He didn’t even try to speak. He just breathed and calmed himself down.
“Don’t know what that was but they are fast.” said Peter, spitting out some of his saliva.
“Where is Cassie?” asked Dylan, leaning against the fence. Peter looked at Josh who shrugged his shoulders.
“Don’t know man.” said Josh, hissing in pain. “I just ran when you said run. Pulled this numpty with me.”
“I wish I knew, Dylan. Just in the moment…” said Dylan, who frowned at Josh “Are you bleeding?”
At a second glance. Dylan could see the small pool that surrounded Josh’s foot. Peter had already lifted it by the time Dylan noticed so he looked about the room for anything that could stop or block the bleeding. He found some kitchen rolls and tossed them to Peter.
“Thanks.” muttered Peter, too focused on his brother.
He found it funny how they hated each other socially but when they needed each other the most, they were there for each other. He didn’t have a brother or a sister to have such a bond with but he wished he did. He had asked his father many times when he was younger whether he wanted a brother or a sister. He wasn’t fussed. He just wanted someone to be there like Peter was for Josh at this very moment.
He thought about Cassie. She didn’t speak much of her personal life. As much as he knew, and that was very few, was that her life was composed of her father and herself at home. Her father was an engineer. In what industry he didn’t know but he paid the bills and got Cassie beautiful clothes every day.
“Dylan, don’t move.” said Peter, as I turned to look at him. “It's behind you slowly drag yourself across here.” said Peter, as I rested my hands on the floor and scooched slowly across the floor. I began to turn to get a good look at the creature but as soon as my eyes set on it’ it pounced away.
They were scared of them. How? Why?
He put his hand up to it and slowly moved towards the creature.
“What are you doing?” said Peter, looking between him and the reptilian-like creature. It slowly moved forward, lifting its front right claw. It tilted its head like it was amazed at what it just did and was analyzing it.
Dylan quickly glanced at Peter who had found some sellotape and put it around the kitchen roll. He shared the same face as Dylan. Comfusement.
Were they not the ruthless pack of killers they assumed?
Were they just as lost as they were in this maze of a castle?
Then using that knowledge, how, why, when, where did these things come into existence? They obviously weren’t made naturally. They were made of a metal exoskeleton.
Exoskeleton.
He recognised that word. His Dad had said the word before.
He didn’t have time to answer his question as the creature pounced at the fence head first. Its fang bit at the fence before pulling back again, confused. It shook its head and retreated with a slight hiss.
“What is up with those things?” asked Josh, shuffling to lean in the corner of the room.
“I do not know. Do you guys recognise the word exoskeleton?” asked Dylan.
“Em…yeah. Josh what was that restaurant everyone was raving about?” asked Peter, rubbing his head.
“Where?” asked Josh, raising his eyebrow.