Dangerous Trio

The Basement Part 1

my days all felt as if I were preparing for something, like an athlete training for a pivotal event. The thought of being with Will seemed nice, though I didn't know much about him. He appeared sweet and docile, peaceful even, a stark contrast to the chaotic world I had experienced. I wondered what kind of life Hannibal had planned for us. As twisted as it may sound, I felt jolts of excitement at the possibilities, a strange thrill at the unknown future that awaited me.

As treatment continued, I grew better at maintaining my poker face when coming to, even as I emerged from a mirage of gruesome images. Yet, despite the horrors I faced in my mind, there was a strange sense of peace that accompanied them. Being in Hannibal's care had become oddly freeing. I was no longer haunted by my past because I had come to understand that there were far worse things in the world. It was strange to view it this way, to find solace in the darkness, but in Hannibal's presence, fear seemed almost irrelevant, replaced by a curious sense of acceptance.

I struggled to keep my focus on the newspaper articles spread out before me. While Hannibal was with a patient I decided to study more about The Chesapeake Ripper. More killing sites were popping up, and the more I read the more concerned I became. The description of these killings were often vague. I felt that the media was doing this on purpose and it could only mean that they were unorthodox killings. I clicked my pen repeatedly, each click feeling more palpable. There was a pressure around me as I tried to figure out just what was going on. The house was silent and lifeless when Hannibal wasn't around. I decided to pour myself a glass of wine, hoping it would calm my nerves. All this research had left me feeling unsettled, as if I were uncovering truths I wasn't sure I wanted to know. I reached for the fridge, looking for the black bottle. I could never remember the name, and as I shuffled through containers and glass jars, trying to find what I needed, a creaking noise suddenly broke the silence. I froze, my heart skipping a beat. Hannibal must have come home early. Sneaking up on people was second nature to him, a habit I was reluctantly growing accustomed to. I listened intently, half expecting him to appear behind me at any moment, the quiet tension in the house thickening with each passing second. I quickly looked around. No one. I shifted my weight back and slowly began to close the fridge. I heard it again. I drew my eyes to the floor. I stepped back slightly, hearing the creaking again. It was one of the tiles. I stepped on it again and it slightly pressed down and up as I took my weight off of it. I knelt down and pressed once again. It lifted up enough for me that I saw what looked to be a latch. I looked around the kitchen once more. My palms began to get sweaty and my heart raced. I lifted up the latch to discover that it took up a good amount of tiles. It looked like an attic door from the shape. I struggled lifting it up but it stayed up past the hinges attached on the side.

I hovered over the blank space, peering down into what appeared to be a basement of some kind. As I leaned in closer, I could make out tarps and the harsh glow of fluorescent lights casting eerie shadows. In front of me, a narrow staircase led down into the unknown. This didn't look like any ordinary basement; something about it felt unsettling.

I hesitated, hovering at the edge, my mind swirling with confusion and unease. But curiosity tugged at me, urging me to explore further. I reasoned with myself—Hannibal was at work, and this might be my only chance to see what he kept hidden down there. Slowly, I made my decision, my heart pounding as I took the first step down.

The handrails were ice-cold, sending a chill up my spine as I descended the steps. The air shifted suddenly, like I had stepped into a freezer. My eyes darted around, taking in the boxes and tall organizer bins, each one sealed tightly with lids. Facing me was a large walk-in freezer, the kind you'd see in a restaurant kitchen, shrouded in plastic sheeting that hung like a veil. The plastic blurred everything beyond it, distorting my vision and making the whole scene feel surreal, like I was trapped in a waking nightmare. Dread filled me as I took an instinctive step forward, my chest tightening with every inch closer I got. Fear gripped me, squeezing my lungs as I reached out to pull the plastic away. My heart pounded, and I couldn't shake the feeling that I was making a terrible mistake.

With trembling hands, I peeled back the plastic, bracing myself for whatever lay beyond. I wasn't sure what I had been expecting, but all I saw was a brown box full of fruit, a glass jar that looked like it held milk, and shelves stocked with neatly packaged meat. It looked like an ordinary freezer. Relief washed over me, and I let out a breath I didn't realize I had been holding. I had been panicking for nothing. But as I turned to leave, something caught my eye—a box, covered in a layer of frost that clung to its edges like freezer burn. Written in black marker was a date. My curiosity flared up again, even as the numbness began to creep into my fingertips from the cold. I knew I should head back upstairs before Hannibal returned, but something compelled me to open that box. As I lifted the lid, I immediately stepped back, horror crashing over me like a wave. I stared in shock, my mind struggling to comprehend the gruesome contents before me. It was a human leg and arms. I tried to scream, but nothing came out, as if I were trapped in a nightmare where no matter how desperately I opened my mouth, my voice was stolen from me. It was the kind of terror that silences you, leaving you paralyzed in the overwhelming horror of the moment. I quickly covered the lid, wanting to forget what I just saw. I shoved the plastic curtain aside with all my strength and bolted toward the stairs, desperation driving my every step. My heart pounded in my chest, but just as I reached the stairs, I watched in horror as the door above swung shut with a deafening thud. I hadn't propped it open enough, and now it was sealed tight. Panic surged through me like a tidal wave, and I screamed, "NO!" at the top of my lungs.

I began to pound on the door in desperation, but it was no use. Hannibal wasn't home and knowing my luck the basement was noise proof. I sat down defeated and out of breath. Between the horror of what I had discovered and now being trapped down here, I was on the brink of a panic attack. I didn't want to believe it, soon images of Hannibal cutting into flesh filled my mind. I covered my ears and closed my eyes and let out a scream. In that moment, it became clear just how dangerous Hannibal truly was. My future was entirely in his hands, and like a God, he held the power of life and death.