Ripples

Questionable Discoveries

Amicia's eyes roved over the large basement as the sound of boots above them became louder. Baude wouldn't have built this basement without an exit, would he? Not with such a risky experiment. Carefully checking around the room, she practiced her deep breathing and self-control.

"Amicia?"

She barely heard Lucas above her own thoughts. "Sh, I'm looking."

There was a sound coming from... Grabbing a torch, she headed for a tall cabinet.

"Look, over here! I think it's a way out."

They all crowded around her as she pushed out a fake back to the cabinet, letting out into a very small space she assumed was a basement under the connected house next to Baude's. The squeaks were getting louder, and dread filled Amicia's chest as she held out the torch, though the light barely touched the darkness... the fire dying...

"This must lead next door..." whispered Celine as she looked into the blackness of the room, confirming Amicia's thoughts.

Lucas closed the false door behind them as they entered the room fully, the squeaking sound now becoming unbearable.

Amicia handed Celine her torch, and Celine let out a muffled cry as several rats scattered into the corners of the room and into holes. Throwing an ignifer to a nearby sconce, Amicia had to keep herself from crying out, and she saw Celine cover her mouth in horror. There were large crates FULL of white, hairless rats, their red eyes glowing like demons in the fire light. A few crates with black rats were there as well, and Amicia had to fight the urge to have everyone grab her back and stay in the light. The Macula is DEAD. There's NO bearer. Keep moving, Protector!

More black rats scattered into the crevices in the corners of the room as Celine waved the torch in front of them, causing the rats in the crates to squeal even louder. Amicia shivered as she glanced quickly about, and she could see the terror flickering in Lucas' eyes as the fire bounced off them. It was as if the two of them could see the rats' nest before their very eyes, the black mold substance seeming to coat the walls in their memories.

"We need to get out of here. NOW." he whispered imperatively.

"I couldn't agree more."

"Why so many?" Celine's voice quivered, Guy looking dumbfounded next to her as he looked around the room.

"I don't know, but I'm not going to wait to find out." Amicia gritted through her teeth, pushing forward awkwardly on her crutches, trying not to trip over the uneven stones on the basement floor.

As they made their way up the rough wooden stairs to the adjoining basement door, they could hear the first guards starting to look through Baude's basement, yelling of a dead body being found.

Much to her relief, the neighboring basement door was left unlocked, and they quickly filed into the much smaller house next door to Baude. Another small miracle, there was no one there! Perhaps Baude owned this house as well?

"I've never actually seen anyone come in or out of this house..." Guy admitted in hushed tones, confirming her suspicions.

Bending beneath the windowsill looking out to the street, she and Lucas peered over the edge, searching for a way out. Amicia swore under her breath as they watched guard after guard entering the neighboring house. Curse this broken leg!!

Chevalier Corbin was there, instructing men into the house and shouting for men to go to the ends of the nearby alleys. She couldn't read his face through the dingy glass, but it didn't look good whatever was happening.

"What about the back way?" whispered Guy, coming up to crouch with them.

"Yes, let's go." Lucas agreed, bidding for Guy to lead as he knew the area better.