"The locals say this place is haunted," said Vila.
"Don't be a fool. There are no such thing as ghosts," was Avon's response.
Then why are you looking nervous too, thought Vila.
The two were making their way carefully along a dark corridor. It was so dark that their hand torches barely made any difference. There were many statues along the passageway; some were of people and some were of domesticated animals. When the light from their hand torches reached the statues, it threw menacing shadows across their path.
Some of the statues were so realistic that they almost seemed alive.
Blake had sent Avon and Vila on a scouting mission to find the source of a distress beacon signal.
Vila reflected how unfair it was that whenever there was somewhere unpleasant to be scouted out, Blake always sent the two of them down.
"If this was Freedom City or Space City, I bet it wouldn't be us down here," remarked Vila.
"Of course not," said Avon. He was having the same thought.
As the hand torches played across the walls and floors, it revealed a white substance. Avon reached out and touched the wall. It was hard and had a fine, almost chalky texture.
Feels like limestone, thought Avon. He knew that many ancient buildings on Earth were made of this material. This building reminded him of pictures he had seen in various historical books. There were even ancient handles on the doors.
Odd. Our hand torches should be providing more light against a white surface.
Avon was getting an uneasy feeling. It had nothing to do with ghosts or apparitions of any kind.
They continued walking; their senses were on heightened alert. It was eerily quiet.
"There isn't anything here," said Vila after they had searched almost the entire building. "Let's go back."
"You may be right, Vila."
That almost makes all of this worthwhile, Vila thought to himself. Avon didn't often say that to him.
"There is one last door," said Avon. He reached his hand towards the handle and opened the door. The light was on inside. Avon drew his hand gun before they entered.
There was another human statue inside the room. At least, it looked like all of the other statues which lined the corridors; until it moved. It was a man with a chalky white complexion. Like the limestone walls.
Vila dropped his torch.
"Ahhh, gentlemen," the man greeted them. "Have you come to join my collection?" he asked.
His voice sent shivers down their spines.
"Avon, let's get out of here!" Vila said just as Avon tapped on his teleport bracelet.
"Jenna, bring us up now!"
The two men's forms shimmered and disappeared just as the chalky complexioned man was about to press a button which would have activated a paralyzing field.