Chapter 2

Letting out a pained and angry moan, Poison slowly sat up. Brushing her green and black hair out of her face, she began to look around. She was still by the lake, but something seemed different. The air was still cold, but this time there was a slight smell. It was along the line of rotting vegetation and wet fur. A loud squeak to her left made her jump. It was a large rat. It stopped, stood up on its hind legs, and sniffed.

Poison could see its wet fur and beady eyes as it stared at her. Well, she thought. That accounts for the wet fur smell.

"Shoo!" She waved a hand at it. "Well, go on." It squeaked once more, and then ran past her.

"Stupid thing." Standing up she pulled out her 'borrowed' sliver pocket watch. The yawning rat's skull snarled up at her before she flipped it open. The hands had stopped at 12:00. "Damn thing, nothing I steal ever works" she shoved it back into her small pocket. Bending down she picked up her bag and Stick's camera. Looking it over, Poison could see that it was ok. "Thank god. I didn't want to have to explain to him, 'I broke your camera when some thing across the lake knocked me out.'" She began to talk to herself to fill in the pressing silence. "When some white thing…." Her voice trailed off and she looked back out on to the lake. She shuddered then turned and began the long walk back up the stairs and ramps.

She was about halfway up a ramp in the fourth cellar when a trapdoor opened up under nether her. Poison only had enough time to grab the edge of the hole. "Fuck!" Looking down she saw water then looking behind her, she saw the lid began to slide close.

Gritting her teeth she swung her legs back and forth until she hit the closing lid. The force of the kick pushed the lid back and gave Poison time to scramble up and lay panting beside the hole. Hearing a thud, she lifted her head to she the lid slam close. Letting out a curse, she saw that her black bag was caught. Climbing to her feet, she took a hold of the wall and pressed her foot back on it. Immediately it slid back. Quickly she grabbed the bag before it fell down into the water below.

"This is crazy. It's like a deadly funhouse." She looked around and this time carefully made her way back up the ramp.

By the time she had made her way to the door she had first went though to get to the cellars, she had avoided two more trapdoors and four lassos. She had rather liked the lassos though. Placing her hand on the doorknob, she faintly heard people talking on the other side. How long was I out?

Shrugging, she turned the knob and pushed the door open. Her bright green eyes widened and her jaw dropped. For walking around in front of her were women in long old-fashioned dresses, and men in top hats and tails.

"What the hell happened down there?"

People closest to her turned to face her, and their faces mirrored her own. Poison knew what they were seeing. They were seeing a tall, leggy teenage girl. She looked down at herself and slow grin came over her face. She was wearing a very short pair of cutoff jeans with black fishnet hose. She had black leather low-heeled boots that came to mid calf. Her shirt was a black tight tank top that was held together with safety pins. She was also wearing her much beloved black leather trench coat. In her ears were tiny skulls. Her long black and green hair was piled and spiked on top of her head. Poison's pale skin glowed faintly in the dark doorway.

A few women gasped and screamed, while some of the men just stood there with there mouths agape. Her grin got wider as she saw the affect she was having with these people. Poison blew them a kiss as she saw some red and blue dressed guards began to hurry toward her. She let out a chuckle and slammed the door closed just as they reached her. She sprinted back down toward the cellars. Behind her, she heard the door open and she dived into a corner, wrapping her black coat around her. She heard them pass speaking in French.

It wasn't ten minutes that they came back. Using her high school French, she deciphered bits and pieces.

"If she indeed…down there… she'll…get… lost… " Their voices dropped, "or …kill…her…"

Rolling her eyes, Poison walked out from behind her hiding place. Lost? She had already been down to the cellars and back. Even surviving the 'traps'. Looking back at the door, she knew she couldn't go back out there yet. So, she went to the only place she knew at least somewhat and would be safe.

XXXX

An hour or so later she stepped down from the ledge and onto the loose rocks and sand that surrounded this part of the lake. She jabbed the touch that she had picked up on the way back down into the ground as far as it would go. She looked around staying close to the torch. The light did almost nothing as she tried to peer into the darkness. Shivering, she sat down in front of the torch. It almost reminded her of the camping trips her parents used to take her on. She smiled as she remembered her past parents. They had died two years ago and she still missed them at times. Wiping a small tear way, she yawned and stretched out onto the hard gravelly ground using her bag as a pillow. It was a long time before she fell asleep.