The Nightcolt Manor

(11)

As told, Nadine grabbed her hammer and lighter and followed the spirit around the house, nervous as to what he was going to show her and why she'd need a hammer with her. Finally, they stopped at a door.

"Isn't this to the basement?" She asked, pointing at the big wooden door that looked slightly medieval. She hadn't been down to the basement at all since she first got here. Strangely, she didn't even remember having the thought to, even though she had read the floor plans and knew it was there.

He nodded, unlatching the door swiftly and motioning her to go first. She peeked into the dark stairwell, glancing back at Heath. "Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark now?" He said sassily.

She scoffed, "No.."

She pulled out her phone, turning on it's flashlight so she wouldn't fall down the dusty steps and walked down, each wooden step creaking as she did so. Before she could reach the last step, she walked into a cobweb.

She sputtered before yelping as she slipped onto her ass, "Ah, SHIT!"

She looked up from the bottom of the stairs at Heath who had a "are you serious" look on his face. She snorted to herself before standing up, trying in vain to dust herself off. Heath walked ahead of her first and Nadine stayed in the little sliver of light the open basement door offered.

"Your lighter." He motioned for her to hand it to him and she pulled it from her jean pocket, quickly putting it in his hand. He flicked it a few times before lighting a candelabra on the wall, moving on to the next. The large basement finally started to come together as he finished lighting everything, Surprised this place doesn't have electric lights. Maybe they never got around to installing them. She thought to herself, looking around at the numerous things stockpiled the room.

She lifted one of the white sheets, finding an intricately carved grandfather clock. She continued to explore a little, finding a door. She opened it and found a wine cellar. "Awesome.." she muttered, shining her phone light on the barren shelves.

"You're lucky there's no more wine in there, otherwise.." she trailed off, turning to Heath.

"Perhaps not." He said, his lips quirked in a faint grin. She brushed it off as him just wanting more alcohol from not having drunken anything in a century at best and she laughed, "I'll get you more some time."

Heath let her explore her surroundings for a few more minutes before she realized what they originally came down here for-- not that she new what the reasoning was anyway. She pulled out the hammer that had been hanging lazily from her jean loops.

"What was it that you needed this for?" She said, holding the wood and metal object up. He clicked his tongue, motioning her to come closer.

Once she was standing next to the tall spirit, he guided her over to a wall in far corner of the basement. She looked up at him, confused. Just looks like a regular stone wall to me..

She arches her brow expectantly as he knocked around on the stone until there was a different sound. A more hollow one. She gasped, "No way.."

"You sure I don't need my sledge hammer instead?" She asked, feeling and knocking on the stone where Heath did so. He shook his head, "It's barely three inches thick, I assure you."

She nodded and he stepped back, giving her room to tap at the thin stone. After a few moments, she could finally see a dark hole forming. With a few harder swings, the stone had fallen and she pulled out her phone light to view the contents of the hole.

Inside, she could see a small, antique safe. Her brows shot up and she turned to Heath who gently shooed her aside to pull it forward. She coughed a little from the dust that was kicked up by the movement of the object that had probably been there for well-over a hundred years.

Heath stared at it for a couple moments, his eyes squinted in thought. Is he trying to remember the code?

He then began turning the knob, his brows turned down in focus to listen for the right clicks. Eventually, he got it, the old metal creaking as he swung the door open.

Nadine was practically on top of the ghost as she eagerly viewed inside the impenetrable metal box. Inside contained various pieces of fine jewelry, loose gems and even some old bills. The contents sparkled without a hint of tarnish or wear, diamonds, rubies, strings of pearls, gold and silver alike.

A certain necklace caught her eye. It was a small gold pendant shaped like a snowflake. There were tiny pearls and six opals surrounding a single diamond in the center.

"Damn. You guys were rich, rich.." She muttered, backing up into Heath's chest. He leaned down a bit so that he was closer to her ear, "Something catch your eye?" He said softly, his dark eyes searching hers for something.

Her own breath hitched and she slightly shuttered at his closeness, feeling the coldness from his body radiating onto hers. She finally breathed in and nodded at the pendant, "The golden snowflake.." she said softly.

"That's a good choice.." he said, reaching around her and gently picking up the gold pendant. "This belonged to my mother when she was young." He remembered, rubbing the opals softly.

She was about to turn around when he grabbed her shoulders lightly, stopping her from doing so. Her hazel eyes widened when she felt cold hands on the back of her neck. She looked down, seeing the antique gold pendant hanging just below her collar bone.

The spirit finally gave Nadine permission to turn around and she looked up at him. The two of them were quite close at this point, dangerously close, she'd say. She willed herself to speak, the candles around them flickering, "Thank you. It's beautiful."

She smiled a little and he nodded, "It suits you. It's been in the dark for much too long." His lips quirked and a tiny smile adorned his face.

As Nadine turned to close the safe door, a loud knock sounded from upstairs. She glanced at Heath, "Who the hell could that be at this time of day..?" She muttered more so to herself, walking upstairs.