"Okay," I look around the bleak cellar, "We know that there's something messed up with the supply shelf. It was so obvious that I could notice it as I was walking down the stairs."
"You're right," Trevor stands in front of the shelf, "It's weird."
"What're we going to do?" Esmee asks as she scans the shelf beside Trevor.
I silently watch as Quinn strides over to the others and motions for them to move aside. They look at each other with confused looks before stepping aside. I continue to watch Quinn as he stares down the shelf with intensity and a calculating expression. Within moments he simply smiles and turns to us all. He stares at us as if we should know what he does, but evidently, we don't.
"Why are you smiling like a maniac?" Esmee pokes Quinn in the shoulder.
"Isn't it obvious," Quinn sighs when we shake our heads no, "Step aside, I don't want any of you accidentally falling in."
"Falling into what?" I look at him blankly as I back up.
He gives me the 'duh' look as he dusts off the floor and removes a giant slab of tile.
"Woah," Trevor gasps, "Now that's interesting."
"Yeah, yeah. We should probably get going now." Quinn brushes his hands on his jeans.
"Get going," Esmee squeaks and peers into the tunnel, "Down there?"
"Yeah." Quinn nods grimly.
"We don't even know how long the fall will be, Quinn." Trevor frowns.
"It can't be that long, nobody left a ladder here and I'm pretty sure it would be noticeable if someone were to carry a ladder down here. If they wanted to come down here as quickly as possible they wouldn't have a ladder unless they'd need one. And considering they wouldn't want to be spotted I'm sure that if they really needed one they'd bring it and leave it here." Quinn retorts.
"He has a point." I shrug.
"Oh please," Trevor rolls his eyes, "You're just agreeing with him because you two are all k-"
And with that, Quinn pushes Trevor into the tunnel. I wince as I hear him scream and then land with a painful thud.
"So," Quinn leans over the edge and yells, "Can we get going now? We don't have any time to waste. By the way, how was the fall?"
"It must've taken me straight to winter because it's freezing down here!" Trevor yells.
I snort before jumping down into the tunnel along with Esmee and Quinn. In all honesty the fall doesn't seem that bad. It's like getting the chance to fly for a few quick seconds. I land fairly easily on my feet, unlike the poor, unexpecting Trevor. The others land just a hair after I do, leaving the diner itself now vacant.
"Well," I place my hands on my hips and look around in the darkness, "Where do we go?"
Quinn presses his index finger to his lips and motions for us to follow him. He decides to lead us down the tunnel on the left and Esmee grabs a torch that we oh so luckily managed to stumble upon. I stare at the barren, dirt tunnels as we walk through them.
"Something's wrong here." I whisper into the shadows.
"Maybe we should just go back," Esmee starts, "I mean, look around Quinn, nothing's here."
Quinn simply ignores her and starts walking even faster than before. Trevor, Esmee, and I practically trip over our own feet trying to keep up with his pace.
"Quinn, buddy, what on earth are you doing?" Trevor asks.
"Shut up and keep walking, I have a hunch." Quinn snaps.
"Geesh." I mutter to myself and hold my hands up in surrender.
When we reach a dead-end wall Quinn stops in his tracks and so do we.
"Uh, Quinn," Trevor prods, "How's that hunch turning out?"
"Not very well," Quinn trails off, "Maybe you're right, we should just turn back before it's too late."
Without a word we soundlessly follow Quinn, our only source of light still being the torch. I take the time to notice how the flames look like they're dancing on the wall due to the shadow it creates. I smile to myself and feel proud for being able to make humor in such a gloomy time. I kick up a bit of dust as we continue to go back the way we came. I almost run into a wall on accident while I'm in my daze like state, but Quinn steadies me.
"Careful, clumsy." Quinn rolls his eyes and chuckles.
"Shut up." I poke him in the chest.
He simply shakes his head and leaves me to catch up with the others. I narrow my eyes at him and notice the way that he's shaking - which means he's still laughing. Of course. I sigh and continue along the path, but a sudden chill creeps over me and needless to say it scares the crap out of me.
"Hey guys," Esmee's voice drifts around the tunnels, "How are we supposed to get back up there?"
I round the corner to find Esmee, Trevor, and Quinn standing underneath the whole that leads back to the diner's cellar.
"Trevor and I will boost you two up. From there we'll decide what happens." Quinn says.
They're already lifting Esmee back up to civilization by the time I reach them, so it looks like Trevor immediately agreed. Before I get the chance to make a smart comment I'm being hoisted into the air. Within seconds I find myself standing on solid ground next to Esmee.
"They're fast, aren't they?" Esmee smiles at me.
"Yeah," I nod, "They are."
The boys talk amongst themselves before deciding to hoist Trevor up first. About just as quickly, Trevor ends up standing next to us. I look at him with an amused look on my face because it looks like he could kiss the floor.
"I'll have to jump and you'll have to grab my arms and pull me up." Quinn instructs.
We nod along to his instructions and wait for him to jump. As soon as he jumps the three of us grab ahold of his arms and pull him into the cellar. We all stand in a circle, happy smiles on our faces that we all made it back up easily, but troubled looks in our eyes because we didn't find anything.
"This doesn't make any sense. There had to have been something down there. Maybe we should've went right instead of left." Quinn shakes his head.
"I don't know, there might not have been anything there either." Esmee frowns.
"She's right," Trevor sighs pointedly, "But so is Quinn."
"I think that-"
The sound of a gun clicking freezes the words in my mouth instantly. I stare at the wide-eyed Esmee and the surprised looking Trevor before sneaking a sideways glance at Quinn. Sure, he seems surprised, but he seems more tense than surprised. And me? Well, I'm so scared that I'm probably three shades paler than my normally pale.
"Step away from them, Kimberly."
And that? Well, the sound of my mother's voice just made it ten times worse.
YOU ARE READING
Where She Lies
Mistério / Suspense19 Year old Kimberly McClain never expected to file a missing persons report for her older sister. Nor did she expect that when her sister was found, she'd be lying dead in a clearing in the woods. It just so happens that Kimberly's sister was the f...
