Attempted Departure from the Castle

The Attempted Departure from the Castle is the Wright family’s first movement away from the place that has frightened Glynis Wright. As the carriage leaves the courtyard, the family’s relief is palpable, but Glynis’s backward glance and lingering fear show that departure does not immediately erase the castle’s hold on her.

Preparations and Fear

By morning, Edric Wright is already lifting May Wright into the carriage. Ovidiu, the guide, and the driver check the horses and harnesses while the luggage is loaded. Glynis and Antoinetta Wright hurry across the courtyard, and Glynis gives the decrepit castle one last dark look. Antoinetta takes her hand and reassures her that they are leaving.

Glynis’s fear has been sharpened by a nightmare. After waking curled beneath the covers, she ran to a looking glass to inspect her throat. It was smooth except for tiny insect bites on either side, but the dream had made those ordinary marks seem more disturbing. She admits that she had feared she would never get away. Edric answers the fear with action, firmly lifting her into the carriage.

The Carriage Leaves

Glynis settles into her seat, arranging her long coat, scarf, and skirts as Antoinetta climbs in. The gray morning air stings Glynis’s cheeks, and her eyes brighten with the excitement of leaving. To the family’s relief, Prince Vlad does not come down to see them off.

May fidgets with her bonnet while Edric shuts the carriage door, enclosing the family inside. He sits back with a sigh of relief, and Glynis tucks her hand into his. The horses carry them forward, their hooves clapping against the courtyard flagstones, before the carriage slowly turns away from the castle. Edric pats Glynis’s hand, and the gesture comforts her.

Relief and Lingering Unease

Even as the carriage moves, Glynis struggles not to look back at the crumbling façade. She concentrates instead on Antoinetta, whose face appears younger and more beautiful now that the strain has faded. The family’s departure brings a visible easing of tension: Antoinetta is too relieved to scold either daughter, and Glynis feels the excitement of escape. Yet the final glance at the castle and the night’s frightening visions leave the moment shadowed by what the family has endured there. The scene makes departure both a physical escape and a fragile emotional reprieve.