--Chapter 2--

When I finally came to, I was in a dry place on top of what I thought to be Rikuu's back. It felt warm as I lay there thinking to myself, what just happened? I moaned as I attempted to move my arms. My body is normally weak on rainy days so I prefer to be in bed.

"Hey, I think she's waking up." said Rikuu.

"Is she ok?" said Suki.

"Ugh… where am I now…." I moaned.

"The closest shelter was this abandoned church a fourth of a mile away. It is a bit demolished but it was the only place near here. The house was too far to go to for now. You passed out so I carried you here." Rikuu replied.

I looked around to what looked a lot like a rundown haunted house. It was old, smelled of musty books, and everything was covered in dust and cobwebs. This is the last place I want to be... even if it's the only place within a mile… I carefully got off of Rikuu's back with diffuclty and slowly walked down the center walkway.

"Where did Suki go? I just heard her." I said.

"She went off to explore the big gaping hole to your right. She left about 5 minutes ago. You were trying really hard to wake up."

I didn't even notice the hole at first… I must be really tired. Suki should be back in about fifteen minutes. So I'm not going to use up what little energy I have worrying. I walked down the walkway more and saw a large cross at the front. It was beautiful… hand carved with highly skilled detail. I wanted to touch such a beautiful piece of art… until I noticed something on the floor. I got closer to see what it might be. When I could see clearly what it was, I screamed.

"What's wrong Lulu?!" shouted Rikuu.

In utter horror, I fell to my knees and put my hands up to my face as I began to cry. Rikuu arrived when he saw me crying and saw what made me fall. It was a young girl who was about the age of 14. She had brown and white hair. She wore a strange outfit I had never seen before so she must not be from around here… but the one thing that scared me the most was that she was chained to the floor.

Her arms, legs, feet, and neck were bound to the floor by a series of chains. She was out cold on the hard church floor and was completely helpless. I felt the urge to get the chains off her and take her to a hospital. I slowly got up and walked over to the small pile of rubble and found a rock. Rikuu helped me walk over as he also grabbed a rock and he helped me down to my knees. I struck to chains with the little energy I had. The pain in my arms increased with each and every strike against the chains.

"I'm going to go look for Suki. Here, catch." said Rikuu.

As I turned toward him, I reached out to catch a metallic object I wasn't sure of.

"It's a flash light. You are going to need it in case we're here a while. There doesn't seem to be any lighting in this place." said Rikuu.

I felt around for the switch when it suddenly clicked on. I guess I found the switch… I must look like an emotional wreck right now...

"Lulu…If I am not back in thirty minutes I want you to call 911 or something and get out of here. Even I am not sure what is through the hole that Suki went through." he said.

I just nodded as I sat on the floor still crying. I watched him leave and thought if he would ever come back. We had no clue about this place so they could get lost at any second… or worse. I looked to the girl in chains as if she had the answers I needed.

I began to cry as I thought what her life may be like. She was probably scared to death when she got chained up… wait. Wouldn't she have dust or something on her if she was here a long time? Her face still has color and… I heard the slow pumping of a heart from her chest. She's alive! I've got to get her out more than ever now. I wonder how I will do that…

I searched around the church through the debris and ruins and found nothing. I went back to the girl and sat by her side. She looked as if she was in severe pain before she was bound to the floor. I examined the chains and found that… they went through the floor?!

"What the heck… if they go through the floor… then they are connected to somewhere else. But what I want to know is where the heck is that?!"

As I pondered this, I remembered how Rikuu and Suki were underground in who knows where. I had to find out where this went and it had been almost thirty minutes.

"I might as well go check on them… I mean they've go-… hmm?" I said.

I noticed a large case next to girl chained to the floor.

What could that be? I really shouldn't go through her stuff… but I have no choice. I need some answers.

I carefully opened the brass buckles on here brown case. It was jammed shut so I had to work at it a bit, but I finally got it open. What I saw was not what I expected to be in a fourteen year old girl's case. Instead, I saw a large folded up spear the size of Rikuu. Which I might add is pretty tall…

I had no clue how to use a spear, but I had no other option. I simply picked it up as it clicked together to form the full spear.

I was determined to find my friends and help this girl. My grip tightened on the spear as I thought of what could be happening down below me. I was terrified… but there was no way I could be a coward at a time like this.

Just as I began to walk toward the hole, I heard a loud roar come from deep below. My heart stopped as I thought about Rikuu and Suki. I burst into a full sprint toward the hole and tried to think of what to do. As far as I knew, they could be stone-cold dead. I almost threw up at the thought of my older brother, Rikuu, being dead. I came upon a flight of stairs as I almost fell down to the bottom of them. The spear was hard to carry as I ran down the endless staircase. For the future reference… never carry a spear down the stairs.

The stairs ended with a large gaping hole that ended with a dark void. I halted just barely to where I could stop myself before I fell. I held my spear as if it was the only thing stopping me from dying.

I started the brutal climb down to the bottom of the dark chasm by using the spear as a hold as I constantly stabbed it into the wall. By the time I had done it for my sixth time, my spear came loose and I lost my footing as I began to fall uncontrolably.

My life felt as if it was ending… I had no doubt in my mind that I wasn't going to die. The wind just kept rushing past me as if they were things I should have done before I died. There is so much saddness… so much regret... suddenlly I heard the sound of a roar nearby. My mind continued to flash with distant memories that I once knew. Tears flowed from my eyes like rain began to fall again on my face. It hurt so much to try and stop the tears… I just knew the ground was getting closer to me.