Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Thirty One

Delilah turned to Tom, "what does that mean?" He only glanced at her before walking towards the wall, lifting a hand he lightly traced the letters with a finger.

There was something, he just didn't know what.

Closing his eyes, he splayed out both his hands and pressed them flatly to the wall. After a minute or so, his eyes snapped open. "It's vibrating."

Cautiously walking forward, she too raised a hand. At first she couldn't feel a thing, it just felt like cold stone, but the more she concentrated the more she could feel the slight hum.

"Well, we know something is behind it. Considering the door and message. But what does the message mean?" Her thoughts poured out of her mouth, anything to distract herself from seeing the faux image of her beaten brother.

She couldn't help herself, however. "Tom," she began. He hummed a response as he brought out his wand, searching for any means of an explanation. Did it mean literal bloody hands, or figuratively? With 'knowing the weight' he supposed it'd be more metaphorical, however did the door possibly require actual blood to open?

"What was that? Why did I- why did it make me see Harrison?"

"Who?"

Her teeth gritted, he wasn't even paying attention to her. Delilah scolded herself, it was clear he was trying to figure out how to open the door. Nonetheless she couldn't help the frustration as well as adrenaline pumping through her at the moment.

"My brother."

"Oh right, him."

"You forgot?" The disbelief in her voice made him whirl around and he pointed his wand absentmindedly at her since it was in his hand. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm trying to get us through. Make yourself useful and run tests on the door."

He tried to ignore how she flinched with his wand pointed at her, but he had a million things running through his mind at the moment. She looked like she wanted to smack him.

With that, he turned his back and continued to run his hands along the walls, muttering a series of spells. Clenching her jaw, Delilah tried the doorknob, just to see, but of course it didn't budge.

"And I'm not sure," Tom muttered, though the damp curved walls of the cave made his voice seem louder. "It was most likely a security protocol. Whatever you see, a vision or something of the like, and if you're able to overcome it that grants you access to the door."

She thought over this, and it made sense. But then why would there be another step of defense they had to go through? What was so important beyond that door? What would've happened if she stepped into that black void?

Looking back at the words, she repeated them constantly inside her head. What sort of sins was it referring to? Most likely the death of someone, considering the person who opens the door has to have blood on their hands.

"Tom," she began again, her voice timid. She didn't know if she wanted to ask this, but she knew she had to.

"We've both... how do I word this?"

Curious, he dropped his hands and looked at her with an expectant glimmer in his eye, urging her to continue.

Rubbing at her eyes she continued, "we've both taken a life before, if I'm correct." He raised a brow and her and became tense, he's never told her about his father.

Delilah quickly realized this and hurried for an explanation, "the girl who died in your fifth year, in the bathroom."

Right, that.