Leave This House

Day 5 - A Trap and a Song

Becca stared in disbelief at Solomon. He nodded. "He is right, I am afraid."

Becca pocketed the key. "Okay," she said, after taking a deep breath. "Because there is only three of us left, we can all hide very easily around the house. So, I think we should all go together to unlock this cabinet."

"Can I say one thing?" Solomon asked. Becca bobbed her head. "I think one of us should check on the TV stand downstairs."

"Why?" Corbin said. "What's the point in that?"

"We haven't really checked it out yet and I think you could crouch and hide by it if you need to."

"Then we'll all check it out after we unclock this cabinet," Becca said.

"No!" Solomon said sharply. Becca raised an eyebrow. "I mean," he said hastily," That is unnecessary. We send Corbin only." He wiped his mouth and coughed a little.

"Why not send you?" Corbin said. "You clearly have some idea of where you want to look."

"You broke my nose," Solomon said. He looked at Becca with a sad look. "Please?" She thought for a second. "Maybe we could do that. We might get out of here faster that way. Corbin, you will go downstairs to examine the stand and Solomon and I will unlock the cabinet. No arguments."

Corbin finally gave in, even though he didn't agree with the plan whatsoever. "Alright. Do we go now?"

"We'll wait until we know for sure where Granny is."

"I might have a better idea," Corbin said.

***

Becca and Solomon were waiting in the car. They watched Corbin from the back window. Corbin held a framed picture that had hung by the stairs in his hands. He took deep breathe then flung it into the sauna. He turned right around and ran to the Lockerbie near the bottom of the stairs leading down into the garage. He closed the door as quietly as he could and waited. He had only counted to 36 before Granny came running down the stairs. She walked past the locker and the car and headed right into the sauna. Corbin opened the locker and jumped to the sauna and closed the door behind her. He pulled a board down to lock her in.

Becca and Solomon came out of the car and stood by Corbin, large grins plastering the their faces. "She's trapped," Becca said in awe. She high fived Corbin. "Nice work!"

Granny banged on the door answer screamed at them. They could see her through the small window on the door. She glared at them and yelled something. Solomon cocked his head and cupped a hand by his ear. "What was that?" he asked. "I couldn't hear you with this locked door between you and I."

Becca laughed and Corbin gave a small chuckle. "We better go up," he said. "We don't have to be as careful with her down here now."

"Will you go to the TV stand?" Solomon asked him. Corbin sighed. "Yeah, I will. Seems pointless but whatever."

"Go look around and then we'll come get you," Solomon said. "Just wait."

"Yeah, fine," Corbin said, waving a hand. The three of them marched up the stairs and separated at the landing, Solomona nod Becca heading for the tunnels upstairs and Corbin into the living room. 

Corbin walked through the nearly empty room with the desk and I to the living room. The TV was tucked away inthe corner, sitting on a stand with a few shelves.

He crouched down and looked for anything important. He ran his hand over a VCR and a sheet of dust turned to powder, finding its way up my nose. Other than that, there was noting here. He wandered the room, searching closer in the couches and in China cabinets. Finally he collapsed into a an armchair, sending more dust into his nose. He sneezed a few times then settled down, waiting for the other two.

It was silent in the house, apart from old house creaking and moaning. He got comfy in the chair and leaned his head back into the cushion, grateful for this time to rest his eyes.

He didn't even know if he fell asleep or not but his eyes shot open at the sound of a voice.

"I felt a Funeral, in my Brain, and Mourners to and fro, kept treading—treading—till it seemed, that Sense was breaking through—"

Corbin shot to his feet and looked for a place to hide. He finally crouched in between the TV and the wall, heart pounding. Not her. Please, not her.

"And when they all were seated, a Service, like a Drum—kept beating—beating—till I thought my Mind was going numb—"