Skeletons

Chapter 13

"What do you want to bet that this is the actual screaming staircase."

I look around at the group. They all look apprehensive.

"It couldn't be. Could it?"

"Maybe. Fairfax certainly loves a surprise. No wonder he did so well in show business."

"Let's go."

As we begin our descent down the staircase, the wind whistles around us. I feel another pulse of energy flow through my body, and I get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"I'd say that the likeliness of this being the actual one is just about as good a chance as seeing George walking around the house with no trousers."

Lucy whimpers.

"So very likely then."

"I don't appreciate that comment."

"Oh, shut it, George. You know I'm right."

Through our hushed conversation, I can hear a deep chanting fill the stairwell. It's Latin. That means it's got to be the monks.

"Mors Gloria. Salvete Satanas. Mors Gloria. Salvete Satanas."

It repeats over and over again. I come to the realization that this is in fact the screaming staircase.

"Wait a minute. George, Lucy, Kat, hold on. I think I might have figured it out..."

"This is it."

"This is the screaming staircase."

Lockwood puts his hand on my back, urging me forward.

"Go! Get off it now."

He didn't have to tell me twice. We all break into a run, trying to get off of the staircase as fast as possible. Lockwood's hand doesn't leaves my back even as we step off the last step. The chanting continues, and it's slowly growing in volume.

"What are we going to do? It's over."

"George, shh. I can't think when you're freaking out."

"Oh, so it's okay for you to freak out in the red room, but I can't freak out down here."

"This is where they died."

"Wow, great findings, Sherlock-Wait, sorry I get snippy when I'm nervous."

The chants are getting louder, and now I can see the ghosts of the monks coming down the stairs toward us. I hadn't noticed them before. No wonder George was freaking out.

"George and Kat, find the source. Luce, help me ward them off. We need to buy some time."

"What do you mean, find the source? There's literally nothing in here!"

"There's got to be something, George. Pick a place and start looking."

While I'm searching, I feel an energy pulling me toward the back wall. I shake it off and continue looking, coming up empty.

"Oh, it's the Fittes kid."

"The Fittes kid is not the problem. Come on. Kat, come help us. We need to buy George more time."

I go to help them, pulling out my rapier. I start swiping at all of the monks within my reach. All of the sudden, my hand goes limp and the rapier slips from my grasp. I feel that same pull from earlier, beckoning me to the back wall. It's almost like I'm in a trance. I can't stop myself from going back there. I look down to see that it's a well.