Luigi's Mansion

Chapter 19 - Prisoner to Evil

  It was dark.

In every direction, every way, it was complete; and it was deafening. The void was silent, still. It may have held nothing at all; it may have held the universe. None could tell. For an undeterminable amount of time, that was all there was.

   Then, at last, he felt something.

   It began as a dull ache, hardly discernible; but that did not last long. It soon grew, more and more rapidly, into a great ball of pain burning within - followed by an overall feeling of sickness.

   And then there was something else, something even worse; a sharp, biting -

   "Luigi!!" he jerked upright, clutching his dreadful arm. Coming awake all in one instant, he slowly caught his breath at what he had done. Peeling his hand back in horror, he stared at his own crimson-soaked glove.

   Thank all the stars above he was alone.

   When Mario came to, the secret altar was once again empty. It was a welcome surprise, at least as far as the man in the portrait was concerned. King Boo had been in and out as he pleased several times now – each time seeming more stressed than the last.

   That was not a bad thing in itself; but usually the distractions weren't enough. Rather, they only seemed to make things worse.

   Mario had begun to sincerely dread the king's visits. He wasn't sure exactly how many times he'd been knocked out anymore – King Boo took out his anger on him whenever he felt like it, for whatever reason he felt like; even if it had nothing to do with his prisoner at all. That was why the king's wrath was so dangerous.

   Each memory fogged up Mario's vision, reminding him of the terror he could face yet again and again; it was certainly something to be feared. Mario had fallen into a most miserable rhythm: the long grind of captivity between the far-too-often punishments. Each time he woke it was as if into the same old nightmare.

   Now, he let out a wheezing breath and tried to make himself comfortable in his tiny prison. Beyond the dread and the discomfort, there was another component too - what an embarrassment this all was. Look at what they'd done... what they were still doing to him without resistance! This was so wrong... how vulnerable he'd become!

   What would any of his friends think – the princess – if she could see him now? Mario closed his eyes, feeling awful. So then this – this was something of what it must feel like to be kidnapped. What Peach went through often at the hands of Bowser... how did she ever manage to wait so patiently in her captivity?

   Unable to contain himself, Mario slammed a fist on his barrier. Well, Princess Peach had never been treated this unfairly – nowhere near it. Of that, at least, he could be grateful. But he knew the princess was also much more patient and understanding than he was.

   Suddenly he could see her; only that afternoon they had been together, on that beautiful day that seemed a lifetime ago. So far from this; no dark mansions, no eerie forests, and no evil kings. Just the Mushroom Kingdom, bursting with life and color as always; and all had seemed perfect as they took a walk in the fields. Her long, golden hair had shone in the sun, and her blue eyes sparkled when she looked at him and took his hand unexpectedly. Her gorgeous pink gown had been messed in the grass, but of that she cared little; and for a long time the two had relaxed under the sunny sky, watching the clouds sailing by.

   His day had only seemed to escalate when he returned with her to the castle to be told he'd gotten a call from his brother, saying something about a contest... and Mario had bid the princess farewell among well wishes. It was his last piece of heaven before being submitted to this seemingly eternal torment he had fallen into.