Descent
A/N: I give up, I admit it… I give up on the drabble 'restrictions' and will continue this in story format. Thank you all for the wonderful reviews and PMs; your encouragement means the world to me.
And a special mention to Mikiya, who poked me in a very creative, awesome way. Please, don't hurt the poor hostage! I'm begging you. *falls to her knees, weeping*
Chapter Three:
Four hours earlier:
We are heading out of town, straight to the mansion where Sammy believes the voodoo rituals take place, and I try hard not to think "Bad Moon Rising" blasting out of the speakers is a bad omen. It stirs up terrible memories nonetheless…
Even though the windows are open, I still feel uncomfortable in the relatively high temperatures of this beautiful late spring day. It's nothing in comparison to the excruciating summer heat out here in the South, but still.
Sam checks his notes one last time while we're getting closer to our destination. Despite incessant rumours that the source of sudden, gruesome fatalities lies inside those ancient walls, there's nothing too remarkable about this stately home. Except maybe that back in the day the wealthy family residing in this place actually had a fine reputation among citizens and former slaves alike. On the other hand, experience taught me most people are hiding awful things or little affairs of this and that. Secrets so dark, not even friends and neighbours suspect anything or dare speak up. If they lived to tell the tale, that is.
Wordlessly Sam points down a narrow gravel road and I follow his lead into a small forest to hole up my baby in the shadow beneath the trees. Nothing like a cool car when we're driving back home. After doing a quick weapons check, just to make sure, I hand Sam the duffels from the trunk and we're ready to go, heading to the manor by foot. No need to announce our presence prematurely. Supposedly the witch already killed ten people who crossed her from the township eight miles over. So understandably, neither of us cares to find out what she might do to strangers – or worse, hunters who came to gank her.
oOo
Walking with all senses alert, it still takes a while before it hits home full force that there are no other movements or sounds anywhere in this area. We stop dead in our tracks and listen intently for a moment. It's the first sign that something might indeed be wrong around here. It almost seems as if the local wildlife learned to avoid this place. Great! Even the animals are smarter than we are. Or maybe everything is poised for the gigantic leap… Anyway, it's not going to be pretty. It never is.
A few minutes later, with only the large garden between the mansion and us, we both feel a chill creeping into our bones and I doubt it's from the clouds darkening the horizon now. Someone or something is watching us and the air smells charged, like right before the strike of lightning. So much for a surprise visit.
There is no choice but to cross the final yards although they offer no cover whatsoever. These killings have to stop, no matter what it takes – and if their cause is inside the manor, we have to get in. Turns out my worries we might not reach the back door in one piece are unwarranted. It's not even bolted, which, besides saving us the few seconds it would have taken us to pick the rusty lock, sets off all kinds of warning bells with Sam and me. We share a glance, Sammy nods, gun in hand, and I push the door open, very, very slowly.
The low sound of the aged wooden door moaning in its hinges is unwelcome but expected, and whoever is awaiting us will be aware of our entrance now. I turn to Sam, mouthing 'caution', pointing my own weapon ahead and sneak into the house first. He follows immediately after I give the room a quick once-over, and mere three steps into what appears to be a huge kitchen, the door bangs shut behind us, the walls rattling with the sheer force of it.
We spin around but there is nothing behind us. Sudden gust of wind? I don't believe it myself; so the two of us turn our attention back to the room instead. The chill intensifies all of a sudden. Prepared, we fasten the hold on the gun handle, ready for whatever might come through the entrance across from the garden door. Five seconds pass without any occurrences. Ten. Twenty. Thirty. After another minute spent unmoving, exhaling the breath we didn't even remember holding, we relax slightly and proceed cautiously toward the hall.
Then, stepping through the door, I vaguely sense a change in the strange vibe radiating off the foyer. A blur of movement to my right, Sam screaming a warning, and something solid hits me square in the face. I'm pretty sure I hear a gun shot before everything goes dark.
To Be Continued…
