Midnight. The Tower of the Raven Wives on the Violent Rise, Island of Ayyergsoun, Coast of Ireland.

“Hello? Brandon? Brittany? Someone? Anyone?”

Peter had never been so frightened or confused in all his life. He had woken up ten minutes ago with a sprained ankle, a splitting headache, and a pale man standing over him who had introduced himself as Count Hauss von Zarovitch, Lord of Ryutonos.

“No mortal has ever returned from here alive” said the Count. “But you might be the first.”

The Count had then told Peter he had a fifteen minute head start before the “snakes.” Peter knew what a snake was, but he figured that these snakes were probably different. So here he was, in a small room with tapestries depicting people being swallowed by monstrous wolves and bats, in a tower with about fifty floors and a thousand rooms, each with its own little version of Hell on Earth. He went over the supplies in his backpack: a flashlight that was in his hand, a crowbar, five candy bars, and a fifty-meter-long rope. He munched on one of the candy bars as he walked through a passageway lined with enormous stuffed bears, shining his light, looking for someone.

Then he heard a scream from upstairs.

He turned, flew down the passageway, flung open a door, jumped back as hundreds of spiders with bodies as big as his fist flew at him, slammed the door, opened another to see stairs, and ran up them to whatever was waiting beyond.

***

Brittany had heard the scream too. It sounded like it was two, maybe three floors below her. She turned, sure that she had seen stairs behind her.

SLAM

She jumped and gave a small shriek as Peter arrived up the stairs.

“PETER?”

“Brittany?”

“Did you hear those doors slamming?”

“That was me. Did you scream?”

“No. Why did you slam the door?”

“Spiders. So who screamed? Where’s Brandon?”

“I’m right here.”

Peter and Brittany turned in relief to see Brandon walking toward them.

“Did you hear that scream?” he said.

“Yeah. Was that you?” said Brittany.

“No mate. It sounded like Peter to me. Poor fellow can hardly scream anymore.”

Brittany giggled as Peter glared at them and massaged his throat.

“So it was you then, was it?” asked Brandon.

“Was it what?”

“You. Screaming.”

“Like I already told Brittany, no!”

Brandon looked puzzled. “Well, it wasn’t me. I was just down the hall in a room with old test tubes. Hard to tell, but I think they were blood.”

Brittany frowned. “I was just in there. I didn’t see you.”

There was a small beep from Peter’s wrist. “It doesn’t matter. We have to move.” he said.

“Why?” asked Brittany.

“Snakes.” said Peter.

“Snakes? Wha-?”

Brittany broke off as a hissing sound came from the floor, and they found themselves face to face with a snake.