Chapter 11: A Kiss
"What is he doing here?" Isabelle snapped. Could there be any more disgust in her voice? We watched Daniel until he vanished from view. Letting out a sigh of relief, I turned to Isabelle.
"Let's just get a move on. He's gone for now," I said sternly before heading across the walkway. She clearly didn't want to follow, but I knew she didn't want to be left alone.
When we reached the end of the short platform, I saw that our newest area to explore was called the Cistern. This should be interesting. I thought grimly before prying open the metal door. Immediately, the light from our previous area was overridden by the darkness. It wasn't too dim in here, but it was still slightly difficult to see. I realized suddenly that the Cistern was full of water. Pillars rose from the center of the room, most old and breaking. I could hear water dripping from the ceiling, splashing into the depths below and adding an eerie atmosphere to the Cistern.
"Do you think that there is another water monster in here?" Isabelle said, voice tense. This time, I don't have Daniel to carry me. I mused, remembering the horrible experience back in the Cellar Archives. An injury from one of the beasts had knocked me out cold, and Daniel was forced to drag me through the water. I shuddered at the memory before blocking it out of my mind. At least we didn't have to balance on boxes this time.
"Well, we'll find out soon enough, won't we?" I said, smiling faintly before walking forward. There was a medium-sized stone bridge that led across the water, thankfully, and connected to the wall. There were places to walk, but most of them led into the water at some point. We paused at one edge, gazing at the staircase that led down. We would have to run across the water to reach safety.
"Ladies first?" I sneered, casting a glance at Isabelle. She was gazing intently into the water, eyes searching for any signs of danger.
"Quit being an ass." She said sternly, turning her stare towards me. I laughed before heading down the stairs. I paused when the water reached my shoes and turned back to Isabelle.
"Just run, don't hesitate." She encouraged. I nodded and bolted across the channel before making it to another staircase. Freaked, I sprinted up the steps and let out a sigh of relief. Isabelle soon joined me, breathing heavily.
"What are we doing in here?" She asked.
"I don't know, but I see a wheel over there." I replied, pointing forward. But the only path to the wheel was collapsed in some places. Great, we have to jump across. I'm not in the mood for falling and becoming monster food.
"There's a sign above the wheel," Isabelle piped in, "Can you read it?" At that, I narrowed my eyes in an attempt to read the rusty words above the wheel.
"It says 'Redirect Sewer Water'." I read before turning to Isabelle. "I guess we have to go over there." She didn't respond, but only walked ahead and jumped across the gap. She landed safely on a column of stone before continuing her journey, and soon enough, she landed by the wheel. I watched in amazement as she turned towards me, smiling brightly.
She didn't falter before spinning the wheel. I watched from my spot, not having moved an inch. Finally, the wheel wouldn't budge any further, and the Cistern changed.
The ground trembled as a massive gust of wind blew through the damp room, its power unbelievable. A few of the torches that were lit extinguished, and soon enough, the Cistern became more menacing. That must've meant we were doing something right.
To my far left, I heard a faint splash in the water, signaling that a beast must've been awakened. Great, just what we need. I thought irritably. Isabelle soon hopped over to my side, eyes wide.
"We should go over there next," She stated, pointing at what looked like a drawbridge. Nervously, we waded into the water, keeping an eye out for any monsters. We soon made it to the bridge, but it was suspended. Isabelle threw a rock at it out of frustration, and ended up knocking the bridge down. We made our way to the second wheel and wasted no time in turning it.
This time, though, the Cistern was filled with a peculiar noise. In the distance, it sounded like a man was being drowned. Frightened, I turned toward Isabelle who was staring at me with concern. Her eyes said it all: do we have to keep going?
The last wheel was easy to find, but hard to reach. Pipes producing scorching steam were in our way. Isabelle told me to run through it, but I knew there had to be another path. I just wasn't so keen to get in the water and search for one.
So I decided to wait for a moment, and sure enough, the steam paused. I ran through fervently, making it to the last wheel in little time. But when I spun it, it turned off the steam. Great, so where is the actual one? I saw it on the opposite side of the channel.
"I'll wait for you by the exit, if you don't mind." Isabelle called out, leaving me alone in a matter of seconds. I didn't even have time to reply before she vanished.
"Great, just great. You're such an amazing friend," I hissed through clenched teeth, making my way over to the last wheel. When I was done, I made my way back through the steam pipes and waited by the staircase. Hesitating, I narrowed my eyes and tried to find where my companion had fled to. I finally spotted her.
Isabelle waited patiently for me across the expanse of water. In order to regroup, I had to sprint across the channel, and frankly, I wasn't too fond of that. Since we had found all three wheels, the Cistern had grown more menacing. All torches had been extinguished, leaving the damp room dark and ominous. I could barely see Isabelle's figure in the gloom, and I was worried that I'd miss the staircase leading to safety.
"Come on, Felix." I heard her heavily accented voice echo, "We need to get going."
"I-I'm coming," I replied shakily. Taking a deep breath, I placed one foot in the water, warily keeping an eye out for the water monster. When no splashes came, I broke into a run.
I jogged past the pillars, praying that I could reach Isabelle safely. But my wish was short lived, for I heard the threatening splash from behind me. With a gasp, I strained to move faster but I stumbled. Why..? Why must this always happen? I collapsed into the water with a grunt.
"Felix!" Isabelle shouted, "You need to get up!" I turned around, only to see the invisible footsteps of the monster a few feet away. I had no time to get up. This was it.
I closed my eyes, tears beginning to stream down my face as I waited for the beast to arrive. But things remained silent, except my sobs.
Hesitantly, I opened one eye only to see the water still and undisturbed; as if the invisible menace was never there. Baffled and dazed, I climbed to my feet and trekked toward Isabelle. She was standing on the edge of the stairs, tears forming in her beautiful aqua eyes.
"I-I thought it g-got you!" She stammered. I stood in front of the woman, gazing into her tear-filled eyes. Before I could manage a reply, her lips met mine. I didn't pull away, surprisingly, but wrapped my arms around her waist. She ran a quick hand through my hair before breaking the kiss, aqua eyes shining with worry.
"Don't scare me like that again." She said quietly, removing my arms from around her. I remained silent as she turned away.
What just happened?
