CHAPTER 1: Echoes of Darkness
All that was heard was the drops of water leaking from the ceiling. The wind pounded against the windows, and howled through the halls. All light to enter was quickly lost in the darkness, unable to ever repel its necrotic grasp. Shadows seemed to reach out and hug every wall, bookcase, box and barrel it could grab. There seemed to exist no entity that could withstand the crushing atmosphere of the darkness. Even cockroaches were ever in a hurry to hide in tight spaces. There was a time, however, where the halls were filled with noise and life, and more importantly, light. The anterooms and chambers once housed an old Prussian baron, who seemed to live past a hundred years. No one was certain of his age, as he had no friends, rarely went abroad, and secluded himself in unknown areas of the manor. Stories of him were told by grandparents to children, stories about how the baron has seemed to remain the same age for decades, almost like he was immune to time itself. Even the most curious children never dared to try to find out more, because they heard that trespssers were never seen again.
One day, carriages stopped going into the manor grounds. Servants seemed to stop keeping the property, and it slowly began to become an overgrowth. Some had said that screams were heard just a few days before the place went dark, but there was no proof. No one dared enter the manor for fear of... well, no one is quite sure. Something about that place repelled people like positive magnets. The manor sat like that for years, slowly becoming more decrepit and somehow more creepy than it always was. Stories were sometimes told of the baron's disturbing hobbies and experiments, which lead to the creation of terrifying theories about what happened to the place. Legends and myths arose over the years, yet still no soul dared to enter.
"Here's the place, boys."
"Chee, it looks scarier than I imagined... Are we sure about this?"
"Relax, Charmie, this place has been deserted for a hundred years. And from what I've heard, no one has ever entered to pilfer all that old baron's loot! This'll be the easiest money we've ever made."
"Now Vector, don't you have some encouraging words for our little buddy?"
"Eh? Here's your encouragement: We'll never have to work a day in our lives again! Ah ha ha!"
Vector the alligator, Charmie bee and Espio the chameleon had recieved word about and old estate that had been abandoned, but was known to be full of treasure. At the discovery of the news, they left a cartoon trail of dust behind them as they ran at mach speed to reach the destination. They had all spent their lives living from job to job, never really managing to hit it big and take a vacation, so of course they jumped at an opportunity this grand.
"This is it, where we strike big. I can feel it." Vector beamed.
They passed through a narrow alcove of shrubbery and trees that were obviously overgrown, as Vector's large frame had trouble shimmying through the leaves and twigs. Once passed the green, the courtyard laid before them, it's bushes, walkways and fountains all looking about a million years old. Every surface had moss of vines in every which way. If it weren't for the colossal architectural masterpiece that stood towering before them, this would look just like another part of the forest.
"This building is beyond anything I've ever seen before!" Charmie gawked. "I can't believe people stayed away this long. Although it's still scary, I can't ignore the beautifulness."
"Beautifulness? Is that a word?" Espio questioned.
"Hey, quiet!" Vector whisper-yelled. "Don't move!"
The three stood frozen for 5 seconds before Espio broke the silence.
"Uh, why?"
"Hmpf. I thought I heard something." Vector exhaled.
"If something was around, I'd know. There's no fooling these ears." Espio boasted.
The trio pressed onward to the massive stone gate. It stood 15 feet tall, and 6 feet wide. The gate looked as if it could stop a siege, but fortunately it wasn't entirely closed. The door was left slightly ajar.
"Look here, the gate isn't fully shut." said Espio
"Good thing, too. Thered be no way for us to get in if it was locked. Heh, heh, fate is on our side!" Vector cackled.
"Aw, man, I was hoping it'd be locked tight..." Groaned Charmie.
"You shut your yap, bee. You'll thank me soon enough!" Vector boomed.
Vector grabbed the large gate and heaved, but the gate was much heavier than it appeared.
"Ah, this thing is too heavy! Gimme a hand, Espio!"
"Perhaps the hinges are rusted." Espio guessed.
The two pulled the gate with all their might, and managed to widen the opening enough for all three to fit inside.
"Well, boys..." Vector smirked, as the broad entranceway layed before them. "Who's ready for some fun?"