I stood making a salad for dinner, chopping up all the vegetables. Benny was at his chess board, replaying a game or something. The satisfying sensation of the knife slicing the vegetables relaxed me. It cleared my thoughts.
"Y/n the Tornament is tomorow remember?" Benny looked up.
"Yes I know"
"Have you packed anything yet?"
"No not yet" I sighed.
"Well we best start thinking about it"
After dinner we went out for a walk around the park. The grass was emerald and full of life, the pretty flowers added splashes of colour amongst all the green. Little children ran around playing, kicking footballs and doing all sorts. It was nice to just get out for once rather than being cooped up in that apartment all day. When we got back I had a long phone call with Beth , Benny complained a little about the phone bill but he still let me talk for ages.
"Ugh we dont have toiletries!" Benny groaned.
"It's fine they'll have some at the hotel"
"Yeah, those crappy bar soaps, I'll quickly go buy some, I'll not be long"
"Benny really there's no need it's fine"
"No I'm going, I'll be back soon" he kissed my cheek and left.
I sighed, continuing to pack our stuff and zipped up the suitcase, making it stand upright.
All packed.
My attention was drawn to a little bottle on the floor by the door. It must have fell from Benny's pocket when he left. I went over and picked it up, examining it. It was a bottle of pills but had no description of what they were. It just had Benny's name on them. I placed them on the kitchen bench and shifted my feet.
My heart dropped when I noticed the basement door had a lock on it. Why did he lock it? He must really want to keep me out of there. But why?
Something told me I needed to figure out what was going on. I went up to the door and pulled on the lock, I don't know why I expected it to do anything. It wasn't a key lock, it was a number lock. One of those locks that have a number combination to open it. What numbers are important to Benny?
His birthday.
I rolled the numbers, making it read 1940. I pressed the little button on the bottom but it didn't work.
What else could it be? What other numbers are important to Benny? His first chess tournament win?
My birthday?
I rolled the numbers again so it said 1942.
I pressed the little button and the lock clicked open. It worked! Nervously, I opened the basement door. It was black, I could hardly see anything. I stepped down onto the stairs and slowly disappeared into the dark room. When I reached the floor I could hardly see anything. I reached my hands infront of me, feeling the walls for a light. I felt a switch and I flicked it up, a light brighted the room. It wasn't a very strong light, so it only brightened the room a little, but enough so I could see.
I peered into the room and in the middle was an object. Actually it didn't look much like an object, it looked like a chair. I took a few steps foward and got a closer look. There was someone sitting in the chair. I heard a clank of chains as the person shifted in the seat.
"Hello?" He spoke.
That voice. It was so familiar but I couldn't place it because it was hoarse and dry.
I walked foward closer until I was standing right infront of them. Cautiously, I crouched down looking up at the man. Looking straight into his eyes.
Eyes that I had gazed into before. I knew these eyes. I knew this man. But that wasn't possible. It couldn't be...
"Benny?"