As the flame pierces the dark of the basement of this old, forgotten castle, I yearn for an answer. What is making that noise? I have been woken up every night since I walked into this castle I’m renting for the week. Why does the noise wait until I’m about to fall fast asleep? Why can’t it simply wait five more minutes so I can ignore it? I know the listing said not to go into the basement, but I honestly would rather lose my security deposit than one more second of sleep. I originally found torches in the basement to be a bit overkill, but I can see how well it fits the aesthetic! If this noise would just go away, I’d probably give this place a five star review. I can hear the sound keep getting louder and louder, until I can finally make out the type of sound. It sounds like metal slamming against stone, but there are also scratching noises that follow. I couldn’t hear the scratches from upstairs, but they sound quite rapid. The closer I get, the more intense and layered the sounds get. All I could hear at first was a loud “BOOM!”, but now I can even hear some whining. Those definitely sound like dogs! I run down the hallway towards the whimpering. When I walk in, I am appalled. There are at least fifty dogs down here, amongst other animals. Some are utterly emaciated, while others are ill-proportioned. There are possibly hundreds of animals in this cellar! I try to call the local police, but I can’t get any service down here. I decide to leave the house to try. Once I make it outside, I call the police. “Hi! I’m staying at this castle out in Brookesville. Can you send someone over? There’s a lot of animals here being treated cruelly!” The operator responds “The castle in Brookesville… Harrison Castle?” “That’s the one!” “There will be a squadron there shortly, ma’am!” I thank the dispatcher and decide to grab my belongings and leave as soon as the police get here. I run to my room to pack my stuff when the door closes and locks behind me. I knew I was in danger immediately, so I tried any exit I can find. There’s bars on all the windows, anchored to the bricks. I grabbed my sturdiest suitcase and tried to break the bars. For a building that’s stood for over a thousand years, the construction is surprisingly sturdy. Without warning I faint, waking in a cage of my own with a collar around my neck. The tag says “Subject #A353”, but the material feels foreign. It glows in the dark room, allowing me to see just slightly past arm’s length. When I try to remove the collar, I feel a pain everywhere I can only describe as “needle skin.” Pushing my face into the bars of the cage, I use it to look around as much as I can see. I can see the edges of what looks like more cages, but I can’t tell what’s in them. The air is silent, almost mind-numbingly silent. There’s this weird lock on the front of the cage, but touching it sends an intense burning to my hand. Without any other options, I try to go to sleep, but I am awakened with sounds once again. This time, I can hear what they are. They’re other humans! I can’t end up here forever; I’d rather die trying. With a quick pull, I yank on the tag on the collar, breaking it off. Is the collar safe now? I tug on it to find that it isn’t, so I try jamming the tag into the lock. There’s a small spark, but both are still functioning. I keep trying. Eventually, the tag gets brighter, melting the lock in the process. My reflexes finally catch up, and all the blisters start to form on my hand. It’s intense, but I think I can manage. The newfound brilliance of the tag illuminates more of the room, revealing many animal skeletons, each in a cage. I find many eating utensils on the floor, deciding to touch it with a spoon. The two metals fused, making a knife from this super hot tag. I’m gonna make it out of here…