THIRTEEN

Chapter 5

Sami slowly opened her eyes and saw a girl sitting beside her, they were in a small dark room enclosed by similar sliding doors with rectangular wooden casements, built and adjoined in series which continued down the long dark alley that was attached  to the room. The girl was wearing a well dressed shirt and a jacket, she was carrying a bag pack behind her. The brilliant blue light coming through the glass casements assisted Sami to see her face, her hair was messy, had gray eyes, looking at her unblinkingly with a gloomy countenance.

" Who are you?..", Sami asked her while carefully scanning her face. 

" Maria..", she whispered back and got up. She nodded back to Sami as if she wanted her to follow her. Sami was still sitting on the floor looking at her with baffled eyes. She got up and they went near the dark alley which was surrounded by the sliding doors.  

" Thirteen.." , whisperer Maria

" What!" Sami asked as she followed her.

" Doors.." , said Maria again and paused, making Sami almost bump against her back. She turned around and faced her. 

" There are thirteen doors, you have to open one" , said Maria. 

" What do you mean?!", Sami asked in a quavering tone. 
" Where.. where are my friends!?"  

" In this house… different dimensions.."  

" What do you mean! What dimensions?... Can you take me to them, I insist..", 

" I don't know where they are.. I lost my friends just like you… but couldn't find them till now..", said Maria and let out a sigh looking away from her.  

" Is this… the house…?" Sami looked at her with despairing eyes. Suddenly Maria raised her eyes. 

" Yes... Look..", she said and pointed towards the doors. 

" There are thirteen doors here, out of which six doors leading to six portals...", she whispered, 

" thirteen doors… portals.. What do you mean..?"asked Sami looking at the doors. She stared at the doors, it felt as if they were welcoming her towards them. 

" Mari…", she turned around and there was no one.
 " Maria! Where are you!! Answer my question!!" Sami bawled looking around the room. She was about to go towards the door when she noticed a staircase on one corner of the room leading upstairs. She went towards it, the steps creaked breaking the dense silence as she ascended up there. At the end of the stairs, there was a broken door left ajar. She pushed the door slightly when her eyes widened. She quivered and squalled when she saw the lifeless body of Maria hanging from the ceiling of an old washroom. She was dreading and covered her mouth when suddenly a hand wrapped around her shoulder helping her to pull herself up. 

" Sami!! Sami! You okay.. Calm down..", Daniel said hugging her tightly, he could feel her shudder against his chest.  

" M..aria.. dead.. look..". 

" It's Okay.. Calm down… look I am here by your side… Calm down..", he whispered, patting her. He took her away from the sight of Maria to another room. 

" Hey.. You okay?", he asked in a low voice. 
Sami looked around the room, it was another dark room with a small lantern lit in the center, there were long scrolls hanging on the walls with calligraphy done in a different language. The room had no doors except an open entrance through which they entered, there was a flooring mat woven with rice straws which covered the floor.  

" I..I met a girl here she told me about the house but… then..then.. I saw.." 

" You saw her dead, right?", said Daniel. She glanced upon and saw his face turning grave under the dim light, his eyes gleaming with enigmatic glow.