Who's Ben
Chapter 4: Where's 10?
"Well," 7 started. "I think we've searched long enough. There just isn't anything else here." She stared into the closet she found 10 in and sighed. "Why was he even there?"
"I can't really say." 9 answered as he came to comfort her. "But, I'm sure the Creator had a reason. If we keep looking, we're bound to find something." He pointed to the next room. "Who, knows. Maybe 10 has already found something deeper in."
"Oh, 10! I completely forgot about him."
"What?" 9 asked, confused.
"You're right. We should go see if he's found anything yet." She grabbed his arm and tugged him towards the doorway. "Oh, wait. 3! 4!" The duo jumped at the sound of their names. "Come on. We're going to search deeper in." 3 and 4 scurried over to join them and they all trekked into the depths of the house.
The sunlight from the jalousies in the lab slowly diminished as they traveled toward windowless rooms. Soon, they were in complete darkness. They used 3 and 4's eyes as flashlights as they continued.
"I wonder how 10 is doing," 7 whispered. "How did he get through here by himself?" She stepped closer to 9, and closer to the twins' light.
"I'm sure he's just fine," 9 stated pithily. "He couldn't have gotten too.....," the group stopped as they reached a colossal room. ".....lost?" There were hallways and doors leading off in every direction. The lights from the eyes of 3 and 4 poured over the room, revealing more paths snaking through the house. "This building is definitely a lot bigger looking from the outside." 9 said, trying to add a bit of humor to the situation.
"This isn't funny, 9!" 7 stepped in front of him as she spoke. "10 is probably lost somewhere in there." She glanced around at all the possible halls to take. "There's no way we will find him... He was our only clue." The twins stood by her, attempting to cheer her up, all the while sending disapproving glares at 9.
"Well.....," 9 finally started to say. "No use standing around here doing nothing. Let's go look for him." He laid a hand on 7's shoulder. "We'll find him." They started down the first path, into deeper darkness.
Hours passed and still there was no sign of 10. The team was discouraged by their lack of progress as the headed for the second hall. They tried every door and checked in every box, shelf and container. Nothing. They followed the path further, abiding by the walls which turned contiuously left. "Our we going...," 7 hesitated, "... in a big circle?" She finished her sentence as they emerged into the Room of Halls again. "Dammit! They all lead back here! It's all one big trick!" She pounded the wall to vent her anger. "We'll never find him."
"He has to be somewhere," 9 stated as he approached her. "He couldn't have just disappeared." He hugged her intimately as he spoke. "We'll find him." A long silence came over the group as they stood in the opening of the next hall. "We'll keep going until we find 10," 9 continued. "He's one of us now and we can't leave him behind."
Suddenly, the room began to flash. 9 turned to the twins, who were standing in the center of the Room of Halls. Their eyes were flickering and they were pointing at something on the floor. 7 and 9 ran to them and realized what it was that the twins had found. It was a rug. A very small rug, thrown in the middle of the room as if to hide something.
3 and 4 took the initiative and each grabbed one side of the rug. They slowly lifted it, exposing a small, rusty hatch. 9 tugged on the handle, and opened the metal door which uncovered a rickety staircase. It spiraled down into the basement. So far down that they couldn't see, even with the help of the twins' eyes. "You think he might be somewhere down there?," 7 asked as she turned to the twins. They nodded faintly, focusing on the darkness.
"It's settled then," 9 said sternly. "That's where we're going."
