Alternate 2020

Episode 4: The Nether (6)

It was dark. The mansion gave off an ominous feeling.

*Drip*

*Drip*

*Drip*

The sound of my blood dropping on to the cold, hard floor rang in my ears as it dribbled down my arms while we ventured deeper into the mansion. I squinted my eyes as I look into the abyss; I could not see anything.

Sam pulled out his phone and turned on the front flashlight. He shone around and then aimed it straight into my eyes.

I blocked the light, with my free hand, and said, "Hey, stop that."

"Get your phone out and turn on the flash as well," he demanded arrogantly.

"Move the light first!"

He shifted it away. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and turned on the flashlight while aiming it towards the ground. I slowly adjusted the angle of my phone as the bright light danced around. The checker-styled, black, and white marble slabs covered the entire floor. It expanded out and towards the hallways on either side.

"Hey Sam," I began to say. "What's your battery level of your phone at right now?"

"10 percent."

"Hmm... mines at 15 percent. Shouldn't we converse it?"

"I guess so..."

"Let's use your phone first." I turned off the flashlight and placed it back into my pockets. Reaching out my hand I said, "I'll hold it. Give me it."

"No."

"Why?"

"I'll hold it. Now let's go."

"...fine."

Sam hovered the light in front of us as we looked in surprise. There were two staircases on either side of the big space we were standing in. It curved outwards and up towards the second floor with white, stylish railings on the edge of it. In the centre, a white, porcelain statue was portrayed. The flashlight reflected off the smooth surface of it and blinded me slightly.

"Wow... this must have been... expensive..." I muttered.

Sam continued to change the direction of the light. "Let's go and get your arms wrapped first."

"Yes..." I thought for a moment and then said, "Let's go right."

We headed down the right hallway as we treaded on the red carpet. The golden patterns on the edges reflected the nobleness of the mansion.

Sam halted and turned his head up looking at the walls. "Painting..."

I looked in the same direction as him. "I'm not even surprised anymore. Statues. Painting. Who built this place?" I asked rhetorically.

"Some rich kid, probably."

I looked down at Sam. He said that sentence as if he was not a kid himself.

The blood continued to drop from my arm and blended into the carpet.

"We should hurry, Sam."

"..."

"Let's check the rooms."

Walking up to the door, Sam passed me his phone and he unlocked the first room.

* * *

Beyond the door there were wooden tables and furniture placed neatly as the light, from the artificial sky outside, shone on it. The bookshelves were stacked with books of different sizes, like a staircase. The smooth, wide table sparkled a little; there was a bottle of ink and quill placed elegantly on it. The drawers on the sides of the table gave off a yellow glow as Sam's flashlight hit it.