It was dark and cold and with every step Shilo's boot sloshed into a different puddle. Every so often water would drip from the walls or the ceiling. Along with the sound of dripping water came Shilo's accelerated heartbeat. It wasn't her actions that set her on edge, but rather her father's instead. Her pace was quick and silent, as to not witness said actions.
The journey to her mother's tomb always seemed to be laborious one. It was fear-invoking, though fear was something she felt quite often. When she reached the end of the hall, she placed a pale hand over the stiff doorknob and entered the tomb. Removing her gas mask, she made her way to the stone casket. Shilo dragged a finger across the words "Marni Wallace", which stirred up collected dust. She sat down, making herself comfortable and proceeding to let out a sigh.
"Hello, mother," Shilo said to no one. She didn't expect a reply. She wasn't even speaking in an effort to communicate with her mother. She was speaking to speak, and her choices were limited.
"As always, you and I are just where we belong-confined inside a cage." Though she couldn't deny her mother was constricted more so than she. "I'm beginning to think the voices in my head don't even want to talk to me anymore."
She leaned back against the stone wall, closing her eyes. Her imagination never ceased to bring vivid, eccentric, and often gruesome images into her mind. In the middle of one of her daydreams, she heard sirens approaching. The ringing noise seeped through the bars in the windows and echoed through the small room. Curious, Shilo made her way to the opposite door, which led to the streets. She paused before opening; a gloomy and nervous feeling filled her body. Rarely did she leave the boundaries of her home, and when she did her unlucky nature shone through.
Shilo shook her head, as if to shake the nerves away, and cracked the door only enough to peek outside. As soon as her eyes adjusted to the night, she fell forward suddenly, then felt a push back inside. In the abrupt chaos, she heard the door shut. Looking up, she saw a familiar figure looming over her.
"Hello." The words left Graverobber's lips as if he didn't just push her through the door and invade her mother's tomb.
After a few seconds of recollection, Shilo replied, "What are you doing?"
"Working." He had a smug look on his face.
"Don't tell me…the sirens are for you?" It was hardly a question nor an assumption as much as it was a statement, Shilo didn't doubt it for a second.
Graverobber ignored the question. "I saw your door crack and said to myself 'oh, how nice of the kid to offer her help' and so I find myself here."
"You can't, I mean…if they follow you here." She paused, weighing the pros and cons. "You should probably leave."
"Relax, kid, they didn't see me." He patted her head before walking further into the small room. "Just give me a bit and I'll be out of your way."
She let out a defeated sigh, knowing she owed him for helping her out once. "Fine, you can stay."
AN: Hello. This chapter is a setup for a story I have in mind, so it's not lengthy. I'll be posting the next chapter soon, where I'll delve into the characters some more. Thanks for reading.