These Wicked Games

Chapter 19

Once I lift up the case, a button depresses from underneath it, and a part of the wall next to my father's portrait slides open, revealing another blind entryway.

I mean, I can only go forward right? I ask myself as I peek inside, and gasp at the sight. A countless amount of human skulls, stacked on top of eachother, line the walls of the tight stone stairs that lead down to darkness and what I imagine can only be hell.

Who are all these people? So many people, could any of them be my parents? I shake my head at the morbid thought and look back in the chamber I'm still in hesitating once again, knowing I'm only going further in by taking this path. I wish there was another door, a window, another way. There's no way this is leading me back up towards where I came, but I know there's no other way out of this chamber.

A faint spark of light appears at the bottom of the stairs lighting the way down for me.

I sigh in relief at it, but the paranoid part of me knows that light didn't turn on by itself. I place the case in my bag and take out my gun as I point it towards the light and slowly make my way down the steps.

I try not to look at the skulls watching me as I walk down these endless seeming stairs and grip onto my bag to avoid placing my hands on their faces. I am strong, I am brave, I am capable. I soften my steps, pay attention and listen as I reach the bottom seeing the lit up sconce on the wall to my left.

The skulls continue along the walls down here and glancing around, I survey my choices, left or right. Both dark rocky cave like halls that I can't see far down unfortunately and I think back to my cards for guidance.

The only three cards left are catacombs, down and the symbol on Hayes's card.

Catacombs

Fuck, I'm in their catacombs. It's fine, I just need to find a way out. The cards are leading me out, I need to trust them. Then, just like earlier, lights start to spark and turn on, one by one down the fork to the left.

"Okay well I know where I'm going I guess." I say out loud to no one in particular. As I start my trek down the path, I look at the wall of skulls that line the way and wonder about each of them and their lives. Were they killed by Empresa? Where they a part of it all? So many questions run through my head.

Every once in awhile the pathway forks but the lit sconces continue to guide me in what I hope is the right direction. I turn left and then right and left again until I find myself confused in this maze that I'm in. My last turn sent me to a long straight path this time and in between every lit up sconce is entrance after entrance to empty little rooms. I notice different symbols carved into the rock at the front of each one. Very similar to the symbol that was on the card Hayes gave me.

I reach into my bag and pull it out and start comparing with each of these entrances. So close in design but nothing that matches this symbol exactly. The pathway ends and I turn back, confused. Did I miss something? Maybe I didn't notice it. Wait, down.

I walk back down the path and instead of looking at the symbols displayed next to each entrance, I look at the bottom of the walls. About halfway across, I spot it. It's small and unless you knew it was there, you'd probably never even notice it.

I get on my hands and knees and brush my thumb over the carving in the stone and yes, it does match the symbol on the card. The brush of my thumb over the symbol sets something off and I hear a familiar chime ring out and the wall behind it sliding across to reveal another hidden entrance that leads to a small chamber completely lit up in flowers and candlelight.

My heart drops and I gulp as I see what lies in the middle of the room and dread fills me with what I know in my heart of hearts is there. Who is there. The familiar smell of lilies in the air engulfs my senses as I stand up. I haven't smelled that scent in years and fear grips me. I hold tight to the locket around my neck asking my mother for strength as I slowly make my way inside. This small chamber resembles the others I passed with their own symbols, but while the others lay dark and empty, this one is different. It feels different. It feels new, not ancient. Like people frequent here, keeping it as immaculate and sweet smelling as possible.