Beware [COMPLETED]

8. An eternal search

The last rays of light faded as the dark hues strewed in the forest. Leaves crunches and twigs snapped as the two friends walked side by side. Branch after branch was dodged and soon enough, the brick structure of the mansion came back into view, standing in its utmost glory.

Autumn came to a stop and let out a tired sigh. Adam halted right beside her, his mouth turned down into a grim line. Frustration and disappointment leaking through his features.

"Well, that didn't go exactly as planned."

Adam stayed silent for a moment and ran a hand through his hair in discontent. "What are we going to do now, Autie?"

She looked at the mansion and spoke up, "We're going to figure things out, one by one."

Adam gulped down the wave of overwhelming fear that surfaced inside him and nodded with slight resistance.

Both companions disregarded the small graveyard and walked to the front of the mansion. Their hours-long search around the forest had gone down the drain of despair. There was not a single soul present in the surroundings. The small house in Autumn's vision was nowhere to be seen. They both just felt like going around in circles.

They had also looked for any signs or hints other than Talia’s car, but to no avail. The car had been moved to be beside Autumn's with some difficulty.

As the friends entered the house, they felt a new sense of loneliness weighing them down. They had lost three of their friends and now they were all alone.

Once in the living room, Autumn picked up the map, handed it over to Adam and grabbed two torches from their backpacks. They both tried to read the map again in order to find any basement but there was nothing as such mentioned on the map.

It was apparent that the basement was supposed to be some sort of hidden place in the mansion. A place to keep the secrets away from anything containing life. Suddenly, Autumn walked out of the room with her eyes searching, while her mind started piecing out any place to keep a hidden door. She walked around the lobby and pushed every portrait on the wall aside, as if there would be some sort of hidden lever behind them. A small table by the door was also moved to the side- leaving a dust free trail behind- but there was nothing worth her attention.

Nothing except some small insects that made her avert.

“We’re doing something wrong,” Adam commented. He was standing by the stairs, holding the map up.

“What do you mean? What are we doing wrong?”

“The door can’t be inside the house,” Adam stated.

Autumn stared at him blankly, at which he elaborated.

“Think about it, Autie. This is an old house. And most basements back then used to have an outside entrance.”

“The storm doors,” Autumn said.

Adam nodded when his friend spoke up again, “But those also have an indoor entrance, right?”

“They do, but once we find the storm door, we find the basement. And once we enter the basement, we find the door leading inside. It’s better than just trying to find a hidden door somewhere here in this huge mansion.”

Autumn smiled.

A minute later, both friends were walking out of the door. With torches in hand, they walked around the mansion, checking for an old entrance on the ground level. As they passed the graveyard, Autumn shuddered and quickened her pace. The rays from both torches crossed over and over as their hands moved.