Opening my eyes when light finally broke through the window, I saw the fire was out, unzipping the sleeping bag, and scratching the back of my head. That was the best sleep I have ever had; my body and mind were overwhelmed by everything that happened last night as I smelled food, making me quickly remember that I was the only one here. Standing up as I followed the smell, I opened a swinging door and looked around. It was the kitchen, and a plate of eggs and bacon sat on the island countertop. Making me look around as I didn't see anyone, I walked into the kitchen, looking at the food. "Eat it." His voice said next to my ear, making me jump.
"Why would I eat it? It's too strange and smells of a trap." I said, making him laugh. "If they wanted to do something to you, they would have done it while you were sleeping like a baby. They wouldn't waste time making you food just to kill you, plus I feel like they mean you no harm." He said, making me think for a moment, he had never put me in a bad situation before. I picked the orange juice and took a sip making my eyes widen, that was some good ass orange juice as I pulled up a stool and sat in front of the plate eating it. The food was the best I have ever had. The eggs were fluffy and juicy, and as I ate them, I swear tears were about to flow out of my eyes.
"That was the best meal I have ever fucking had," I said, standing up and pushing the stool in. As I turned to reach for the dishes, they were already gone, making me shake my head. Either this place is insane, or I am insane; there isn't any other way of looking at it. Walking out of the kitchen and looking at the stairs, I walk up them. It was light, and all the curtains were open, making me wonder why I didn't hear any of this. Perhaps he was right; I was in such a deep sleep that I hadn't heard a thing. As I reached the top of the stairs, I looked to my left and noticed a long corridor.
"That doesn't look normal to me, how about you?" I asked him, and he chuckled. "Nothing is normal with me, Bennet." He said, making me sigh as I started to walk down the hallway and reached the first door. Opening it, a burst of icy cold wind rushed in, so I closed the door and leaned against the wall. Trying to figure out if I had seen what I thought I had seen, getting off the wall and opening the door, getting blasted with cold air again. "Yeah, that was the top of a mountain," I said, looking at the hundreds of doors, making me gulp. I didn't dare open any of the others, as I wasn't sure if I would let something in next time. As I kept walking for what seemed like hours, I encountered a four-way hallway, looking left and right, seeing more doors than ahead, but no more doors, only a long hallway leading ahead.
I decided to go forward, wanting to see what was at the end of this hallway. As I walked, I could hear the creaking of the wooden floor. A sign that this hall had been traveled a lot, as the floorboards were more worn out than the other places in the mansion. Reaching the end, I noticed an Old giant Oak door with the Hollowmere crest on it. Placing my hand on it to push it, only for the sound of metal gears starting to turn and move as the door lifted up, revealing a stone stairway heading down. I noticed a torch on the wall lit, prompting me to pick it up as I stepped onto the stone stairway, for a chilling gust of cold wind rushed from below, accompanied by the sounds of screams.
As I started walking, the door closed behind me, and I looked back at it before looking forward and walking down the path. Screams of men, women, and children echoed throughout the stairwell as I hit the first platform with a door as the stairs kept going. I debated on going through the door or continuing down. "I have time to explore more, not like my father or mother will care that I am gone. They hadn't been home for over five months anyway." I said, pushing the door open as I closed my eyes because of the light coming from the room. As I opened my eyes, my mouth dropped. "Well damn, you don't see that ever." He said with a whistle, and I stepped into the room.
Gold bars going of for as far as they eyes could see, jewels and art works that I knew would back museums lose their shit. "Well Bennet, you can get any woman to fuck with this much money. After all, they are whores by nature." He said, chuckling wickedly as I rolled my eyes, not that he was wrong. As I walked through the vault, it was like a warehouse. Stopping in front of a door labeled "Antiques and Artifacts," I pushed it open and stepped inside. Walking to the first shelf. "The daggers used to kill Gaius Julius Caesar." Read on a gold plate in front of a wooden box with a glass cover.
Moving to the next one. "Archimedes' collection of personal journals." Over a dozen books lay out in a glass case. These would sell for hundreds of millions each, maybe, as I looked down the path. So many shelves, my god, how did they collect all of this? I thought to myself as I kept walking, seeing so many things and names I knew nothing about, some of which I did, and realized just how much of a pivotal role they played in human history. I would kill for the chance to get my hands on any of these objects at a museum. Forty minutes later, I made it to the other end of this warehouse, stopping in front of a door with chains on it with a giant lock with the Hollowmere crest on it as I looked up over the door.
"Dangerous and mystical objects, enter with caution." I read as the voice spoke. "I think it's best not to dig too deep into this place. Not until we find the list of these objects, if they kept them in this good condition, then they had to have kept a record." I nodded. No point in getting myself killed right now, as I turned back, making my way down the path, reaching the door to the stairway, looking at the wall close to the door, and slapping my forehead. The records were on the shelf near the door, which makes sense, as it allows them to find what they want more easily. I walked to the furthest shelf labeled "Dangerous and Mystical Objects," taking the book labeled "Number 1," and walked out of the place back into the stairwell, looking down as screams echoed up.
"Yeah, I will deal with that another time. I want to know what is inside that last area." I said, walking back up the stairs, as I had all summer to explore this mansion, and I didn't need to rush it. As I made it back to the top, the door opened and I stepped back into the hallway as it shut behind me. Making my way down the long hallways, I reached the stairs. I noticed the mansion was dark as I looked at my watch. "How could it be six at night already? Did I lose track of time?" I said, shocked that time had flown by that fast. As I arrived at the room I was sleeping in, I noticed the fire was already lit, along with the candles scattered around the room.
Putting me on edge, I heard a cane strike the floor upstairs, along with the sound of high heels hitting the wooden floor as they made their way towards the top of the stairs. I rushed out and looked up, waiting for them to reach the landing, only for it to stop. The creak of a rocking chair sounded out in the room next to me, not the one I was staying in. As I held the candlestick and walked closer to the room, it was dark. As I entered, I froze when I saw a woman in the chair with a fan covering her mouth and nose.
"I take it you're Medea from the way your eyes look in the painting," I said, making a chuckle escape her mouth. "You are right, young man." A male voice echoed out from behind me as I spun around and met eye to eye with Lazarus Hollowmere.