Resident Evil Dark Files: Raccoon's Shadow

Out of the frying pan and into the pot

Hi everyone! Good to see you all here. I'm glad to be back with another chapter of this story. Sorry for the wait, I've been having some problems with my hand the past two weeks and its made it difficult to use my computer. But! have no fear! a new chapter is here! lol please don't forget to vote and comment, it means a lot!

I ripped the door to the elevator open before it had a chance to stop and stumbled out. I gawked at the empty shaft waiting for those slithering demons to fill it up at any moment. When nothing happened, I let myself breathe.

Rushing water and the rustle of leaves filled the air. The smell of flowers and grass caught my attention. I finally dropped my eyes away from the elevator and explored the new area it brought me to.

It was odd hearing the peaceful sounds of crickets and other bugs floating in the air for such a horrendous night. A stone waterfall in the matching wall stood in front of me; the constant rush of water was melodic and soothing as I studied it. I stumbled over the crooked stones and inside the secret garden, admiring the stone pillars and the fountain in the center. Vines covered every last inch of the place, hiding the old architecture underneath--

--Another elevator laid hidden in the wall; I nearly overlooked it as the vines covered it so well. I tried the button on the side, but nothing happened. There was an empty space beside the button--probably where a battery or some charging device would sit. I clucked my tongue and retraced my steps back over to the waterfall--

--That's when I noticed the other trail to my left closed off by a rod iron gate that looked older than dirt.

Well, I got nowhere else to go except back into the snake pit.

With a shudder, I pulled the gate open, wincing as it creaked loudly in the night. The path was covered in a canopy of vines and plants and blocked out the night sky above. The trail twisted and turned until, finally, I came to a wooden door.

My heart hammered away in my ears, making it hard to think as I reached out for the door handle. It turned easily, and the creak from the hinges rang out. It was dark inside--nearly impossible to see, but I made out the odd shapes of a window and a corner where it must open up on the other side. I hesitated a moment before stepping over the threshold.

The second my foot stepped inside, I immediately felt off. A heaviness weighed on my shoulders to the point of suffocation. My breath came out in rapid puffs as I took another step inside. The feeling sank into my bones--it was a feeling I felt only one time before--at the R.P.D morgue. Death--

--The floorboards creaked under my weight, echoing loudly into the corridor and making me shiver. A smell lingered in the air that made my eyes water and my stomach churn. All my alarms were going off, but I ignored them as I came to the corridor entrance.

The potted plants at my feet caught my attention. Their blue leaves pricked something in my brain, but I couldn't quite recall. The soil was bone dry, and the plants were wilting. Looks like no one has looked after them for some time. I swooped down and inspected them, confirming my suspicions.

Blue herbs. They're native to the mountains.

I fixed the strap on my backpack, started down the hall, and tried my luck with the first door. To no surprise, it was locked. I moved over to the next but was met with the same thing. My last resort was the double doors at the end.

"Third time is a charm, right?"

My hand stilled on the handle as I heard footsteps on the other side--multiple footsteps by the sounds of it. I pulled away quickly and felt my hand slide to the firearm on my hip.