Chapter 7

"Woah Rosie! Don't you have any sense of preservation?" He grabbed her arm to hold her back, looking at her incredulously.

"Stairs just appeared before us Scorp! Aren't you just curious where it goes?!"

"Curious? I'm freaked out Rosie! And there's no way in hell I'm going down there. Have you not watched any horror films?! It always goes badly for the stupid white kids who goes head on to battle!"

"We are not going into battle Scorp! We're just trying to see what's down there!" She tried to argue.

"Right… because a trunk with stairs is just the most normal thing isn't it? And it's just common sense to explore ain't that right?!" He badgered.

"Fine you stay here if you're that much of a wuss!" Rose almost leaped inside the trunk but Scorpius still held her back. "Ughh, you're impossible! Can we just get… I don't know a weapon maybe? What if there's a zombie down there! Or… or an ostrich."

"You're afraid of an ostrich?" Rose asked eyes wide, lips twitching in disbelief. "Laugh all you want! But people are afraid of some things!"

"And yours is an ostrich?!" She sounded skeptical, Scorpius not really surprised she's poking fun at him.

"Oh come off it! Just get something will you!"

"Fine mister! Let's go find something to scare big birds away." Rose teased that just made Scorpius scowl nastily. She could hear Scorp mumbling away from her about long necks and hard beaks and she just shook her head at his idiocy.

They looked around the attic and Scorp found an old golf's club while Rose is holding her Pop's Cricket paddle. They warily went inside, Scorp entering before her. The stairs were made of wood, and it was more like a make shift ladder upon closer inspection. Once descended Rose looked up to see that the opening was a bit farther now and they could barely see inside the trunk.

It was like one of those magical trunk where it seemed smaller on the outside but was actually spacious inside. Well, unlike those trunks this one seemed to go deeper. At the fourteenth step, Scorpius counted, he finally reached the landing. The sound of his shoe hitting the floor surprised them both. Stone pavement was beneath them, and as Scorp rest both feet down, the trunk suddenly closed and the twins were trapped in a dark room.

… … …

Thank god Rose thought, they had their phones with them. They decided to use hers first since it had the most battery percentage. Scorpius tried to push the trunk open again but it seem that it wouldn't budge anymore. They've left the pendant on the trunk as well as her mum's box. At least they had their phones with them. Rose decided to explore first since they had no choice in doing so before calling anyone for help. Both their phones had signals on them so they weren't as alarmed.

Walking a bit further, the stone flooring also expands to the walls. Rose thinks their adrenaline has kicked in because none of them has freaked out over the fact that they were once in the attic and the interior of the trunk is physically impossible.

"The flash is not helping, it's still quite dark in here. We just need more light." Scorp said, and as if someone heard them torches on the walls suddenly lit up, lighting up a path for them.

"This is like the Chronicles of Narnia… maybe we are in some kind of a wardrobe experience." Scorp tried to converse, perhaps to ease his tension. Rose was tight lip because she felt like something might jump out of thin air and scare them. At least they could still breathe properly, but she notice the fire on the torches were not moved by any breeze. As if they were magically lit.

The further they walk, the more Rose think something was wrong. Her previous bravery was waning, and as if sensing her anxiety Scorp held her hand. A few more walking had both of them exhausted. The day was her most adventurous, and even with even Scorpius' active life he was also getting tired.

Rose almost suggest to take a break and sit down first but Scorp suddenly notice a door at the end. The two walked briskly, hands still clasp together until they met with a large ornate stone door. It looked like as if it was made of marble and was very old.

"It's locked." Scorp realized. There were no handles actually but the door wouldn't budge as well. Scorp was almost tempted to call for help and was about to fish out his phone from his pocket but Rose stopped him suddenly. Pulling at his arm to get his attention, Scorp followed her arm pointing at something above them.

There were wordings marked on the edge of the door, in the same flourished penmanship he saw in the book of poems Rosie showed him. They were alphabets but he couldn't make out the wordings, he concludes it was probably in another language. The door also had many of those creeping vines they keep seeing, only this time the flowers are missing. But they seem to be drawn towards the middle, where a protruded pin was placed. Aside from the door, nothing else was special. All the floor, walls and even the ceiling were made of stones and he had a sudden flash of fear that the walls might cave in on them.

"Do ceo levantáronse bágoas carmesí." Rose read. She thinks it might be spanish, carmesi does translate to crimson but she wasn't sure. It was Scorpius fast thinking to use the translator of his phone and both were still relieved that there were still some signal though a few bars lower than from the foot of the stairs.

It translated to 'Crimson tears rose from the sky.' And even with their wit and astuteness, they couldn't decipher what it could mean.

Scorp was ready to give up and dial their friend or possibly Camilla, but Rose didn't want to give up. Something was itching at her brain and she felt like with just a bit more time she could solve the door's riddle.

"Crimson tears rose from the sky…" She mumbled to herself. Scorpius left her to herself and tried copping out himself, checking what else they've brought with them. So far he still had his wallet with him and had a half pack of gum with it. He also has some of the napkins from their previous take out and a packet of white onion sauce. He thought if they had to survive with just those things, they wouldn't last a day or two. He checked his phone once more to check if they still had some signal and had messaged Camilla and Jackson. He also sent a message to his Aunt that he might not be coming home that night. He wanted to watch some videos online or even play a game but he was trying to save his battery. Suddenly he was jerked from his position with Rose jumping up and down.

"I think I got it!" She said excitedly. He stood up as she starts saying the words again.

"I can't believe I didn't realize it…" She started. "Crimson tears… it's asking for something red, and the rose from the sky is clearly my name. Or even ours - rose our floral name and sky…"

"Scorpius and Lyra as in the constellations!" He finished for her and she bobbed her head in excitement.

"So it's asking something from us?" She nodded again. "Something… red?" She suddenly looked unsure and faced the door once more.

Rose fingered the sharp protrusion in the middle. It was like a pin of some sort and she had this great feeling that she needed to prick herself with it. She didn't bother telling Scorpius of her findings, she had a feeling he would greatly disagree. So before he could even protest he took his hand with hers and together, she pushed his finger on the needle at drop of his blood was nicked from him.

Scorpius shouted alarmed and automatically sucked on his wounded finger as he glared daggers at her. Rose didn't mind him that much and just followed suit, pressing her finger as well.

Once both their blood was smeared on the door, it swung open. And before they could even get excited that it worked, the door sucked them in. Like a portal of vacuum, forcing both their bodies inside. The light from the halls extinguished and the door slammed shut.

Scorp felt like he was falling, like that time when he fell down the playground. He could see at the corner of his eye Rose was descending as well, and as if time slowed down he saw the door above him closing shut, and at the front of that door now were beads of crystal.

He first heard a loud thud before he himself felt his back bounce on the surface. He barely had to worry about Rose before he succumbed to unconsciousness. The last thing Scorpius saw was an ornate crystal chandelier, the rectangular base frame holding it closed with a bang.