Chapter 78: Splitting Up

Roughly an hour and half later…

Zak and I didn't have to say or do anything else to get Aaron to come back to nerve centre with us.

I think Zak was hoping for the same thing I was, that Aaron was reacting from a paranormal attack, and not a physical attack, and that if we took a break, it would go away.

We had spent about an hour in nerve centre, just regrouping and calming ourselves again.

Aaron's arm did seem to improve, or at least he said it was better, but his mood was still off.

Zak had decided a few minutes ago for the three of us to spilt up, so we could investigate more areas of the castle.

Zak was going to investigate in Vlad's cell, and he wanted me to investigate the artifact chamber, and he wanted Aaron to go back to the stairwell and chamber where his attack had happened.

Zak was sort of pissing me off again.

Just because Aaron claimed to be feeling better, didn't mean it was a great idea to send Aaron back to a potentially dangerous spot for him, at least not alone.

He certainly wouldn't of done that with me, and where he wanted me to investigate was proof of that.

A room used for storing artifacts.

No bad history, no reported hauntings, nothing.

Yes, I knew the artifacts themselves might have energy stored in them, but we had a chapel where Satanic Worshippers had performed a ritual, and Billy and Jay themselves said they heard one of the chapel doors creaking open very loudly, followed by footsteps.

I was in too much of a stubborn, sick, sad, and grumpy mood to be treated like a glass doll.

"Why don't you want to go back up there?" Zak asked, now wearing a respirator mask in preparation for Vlad's cell.

"I just…don't really want to," Aaron said, not looking at Zak. "I don't think it's smart for me to go up there dude," Aaron added.

"That's why we're here," Zak argued.

"I kept getting grabbed, attacked. I could throw up from the pain, or pass out-" Aaron started, but Zak cut him off.

"You're not going to die," Zak said.

"You don't know that," Aaron said, firmly. "You don't know if you could have a heart attack. You don't know what kind of energy could come through you and kill you," Aaron said, bluntly.

The entire room went silent, even Billy and Jay, who were preparing gear for each of us.

Zak and Aaron just looked at each other.

This is my fault…this is all my fault…I thought.

If I hadn't of said the things I said to Zak during the Hoia-Baicu Forest investigation, we would still be talking to each other, and we would, most likely, both be in better moods.

"Alright, what are we doing?" Billy suddenly spoke up.

No one answered.

"Zak's going to Vlad's cell," Billy started, then looked at me. "You're going to the artifact chamber," Billy added.

I nodded in agreement, but if I had a chance, I had a different idea in mind.

"Where are you going Aaron?" Billy asked.

Zak and Aaron were still looking at each other.

Aaron then turned away and rubbed a hand over his head.

I wanted to stick up for him, I really did, but I had already messed up so much with Zak…

"Are we ready for Vlad's cell?" Zak asked, looking at Billy.

Billy would be coming with us for a brief period to help lower Zak into the deeper part of the cell.

"Yeah, we're ready," Billy said.

"Let's go," Zak said, walking toward the doorway of the room.

That was unlike him.

Was he just assuming Aaron would "follow orders" and go back to the area of his attack?

Or had he given up arguing and was just going to leave it up to Aaron?

Roughly fifteen minutes later…

Zak, Aaron, Billy and I made our way to the cell that Vlad had been held prisoner in, which was located under the floor.

Zak carefully braced himself, then reached down and pulled up the trap door and leaned it back out of the way.

The trap door revealed a very small opening, barely big enough for one person, with a ladder leading down into the cell.

"Holy shit," Zak exclaimed, looking down into the darkness.

He then moved and carefully started climbing down the ladder.

Once his head was level with the floor, he stopped on the ladder and Aaron lowered a camera attached to a tripod down to him.

Zak held onto it with one hand and lowered it down enough until it was directly in front of him, and he spoke into the camera.

"I'm getting ready to go down into Dracula's cell," Zak said, his voice slightly muffled by the respirator mask he was wearing.

He then started climbing down the ladder again, and Aaron unwound the wiring down into the pit so Zak would have enough slack for the camera.

Once Zak was down the ladder, Aaron carefully got onto the ladder and then started climbing down it.

I thought I had briefly detected a grimace of pain on his face, but it was hard to tell in the darkness.

I climbed down the ladder next, Billy helping me at the top to steady myself.

When I neared the bottom, I was surprised to feel Zak's hands lightly but firmly rest on my waist, to make sure I made it down the ladder safely.

I smiled slightly at him in thanks, and saw his eyes crinkle up a bit as he smiled slightly in return, despite the respirator mask.

He could still cause a shiver to run down my spine even though we weren't really speaking to each other.

We need to talk after this investigation…I can't stand it anymore…

Roughly fifteen minutes later…

We had gotten Zak lowered into the bottom part of the cell, or rather, Aaron and Billy had, while I filmed the whole process.

Then Aaron, Billy and I had climbed out of the cell and closed the trap door.

I had hated closing the trap door, since there was no way to open it from the inside, but I knew Zak wanted the "full experience".

I also knew he had his walkie talkie, and Billy and Jay would be nearby.

Billy had just left Aaron and I to go back to nerve centre, and now the two of us were left to discuss where we were going to go.

"Alright Shorty, before we split up…I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier," Aaron said.

I smiled a bit.

"It's okay Aaron, as long as you're feeling okay," I said, but with a slight questioning tone to my voice.

"I'm good," Aaron said, although I noticed he didn't look directly at me.

Before I could question him, he spoke up again.

"So, we're splitting up?" Aaron said, ending our personal moment and going back to GAC mode.

"Yeah, I'm going to the chapel," I said.

Aaron looked stunned.

"I thought Zak said you were going to the artifact room?" Aaron said.

I gave a playful smile to his camera.

"Well, Zak's not here right now. Besides, you're not going back to the stairwell, are you?" I asked.

"Well, no…but are you-" Aaron started, but I cut him off.

"I'll be fine," I said.

Aaron hesitated, but then seemed to decide to agree with me instead of causing more drama on an already tense night.

"Alright…I'll go to the artifact room then, is that cool? I just really don't want to go back up there," Aaron commented, referencing where his attack had happened.

I nodded in understanding.

"It's fine with me. I'll see you later," I said, turning and heading in the direction of the chapel.

"Be careful Shorty," Aaron said and I smiled.

"You too," I replied.

A few minutes later, I reached the doors leading into the chapel.

I slowly pushed one open, trying not to be creeped out by the loud creaking noise it made.

As I walked into the chapel, I nearly yelped in fright when my walkie talkie went off, and I heard Billy's voice.

"Are you sure you're alright going in there?" Billy asked.

I huffed slightly as I took my walkie talkie off my belt.

"Yes Billy, and thank you for scaring the shit out of me," I replied.

I heard Billy and Jay laughing as Billy keyed his walkie talkie again.

"Sorry, and I'm just making sure, cause Zak will most likely kill all of us for letting you go by yourself into a room where Satanic Worshippers performed a ritual," Billy said.

"Yeah well…that sounds like a personal problem to me," I teased, before hooking my walkie talkie back onto my belt.

I heard Billy and Jay's laughter again.

"Gee thanks," Billy teased.

I smiled innocently at the static-x camera that was in one corner as I stepped further into the room.