Chapter 5: Up the Stairs
The room they entered was all tile, white and blue. A staircase ascended in the middle of the north wall with elevator to the left. The NEOS emblem was engraved into the wall. A lone door stood on the west wall.
Z: “Well, looks like we made it... Now where did those NEOS soldiers run off too..?”
ELLy; “They probably went home crying to their mommas!”
RY: “So now that were home sweet home, what do we do first? My vote is the obstacle course.”
Z: “I second that notion, sounds like fun.”
ELLy: “But I don’t think..”
Z: “But first I think we should start in the basement, before we get carried away with ourselves. Let's see what Kazz has been up too.”
RY: “I have been dying to see what that man has in store for us. The obstacle course can wait, tho I would like to see Elly give it a try hih-hih.”
ELLy: “*Gulp* Hey Z, were did you get your swords, and why do you hold them backwards when you fight?”
Z nested his mask back onto its resting place on his belt, “Treasure chest in the forest, and for aerodynamic and defensive purposes. Let’s move on.”
ELLy: “Do you think there’s ganna be any treasure down there?”
Z: “Only the best kind of all… Knowledge, now quit slackin' and lets move on.”
Z and Ry knew the layout of the building like the back of their hands; ELLy would of too, But we don't know what happened there... The door to the basement almost beckoned them.
*Creeek* The door to the basement was heavy, and the air from behind the cellar door was so vial, and so heavy-
Z: “Alright! Let’s Go!”
*Cough* *Clears throat*-Down the basement steps 1..2..3. Do the stench bother thee? 4…5…6, darker than the River Styx. 7…8…9 Heaven, fate, decline. 10…11…13, is that an ache in your spleen?... Last step, Elven luck would have it.
Z flipped the light switch, spiders from all corners scattered away. The sea of black washed away.
ELLy: “EECK! I Hate Spiders…Ow my…”
Rows and rows of glass chambers lined the room. The feeling of a careless mother lingered in the room. Some of the cylinders laid there, open and barren.
Z: “Some of these pods are fresh. What do you think he’s up too?”
RY: “I don’t know, but I don’t like it.”
ELLy: “Me either. This place is giving me the creeps already. You guys ready to get out of here?”
Z: “Hold on, there’s something I want to get.”
Z walked away to a sturdy table on the right hand side of the room. His hand disappeared underneath the table. When he drew back, his hand revealed a small key.
ELLy: “What’s the key for?”
Z: “You’ll see… I wounder how long it’s been here?.. I’ve seen enough, lets get back to the surface.”
RY ascended the stairs out of the nightmare 5 steps at a time, Z took them 6, ELLy takes them 1 by 1.
Back up at the ground floor, Ry walks to the elevator and presses the button. They wait…
RY: “Nothing, elevators locked. Looks like were stuck taking the stairs, as usual...”
Z: “Let’s get a move on then. Hey ELly wanna explore? It’ll be a blast…”
ELLy: “What do you mean?”
Z: “I figured to give you a grand tour of the place. Look. Follow.”
He lead her up the winding staircase. “Stay close wouldn’t want you getting lost on us.” he said to her as they started their ascent. 1 floor, 2 floor, 3 floor, the stairway ended.
Z: “See how easy and boring that was, Back down we go.”
ELLy: “But we just got up here…”
Z: “Your telling me you can’t climb 3 sets of stairs? Why we had to make this ascent sometimes 100 times a day. 3 floors... nothing. So back down we go.” Bumping Elly out of the way to make the descent back to the first floor above the ground floor. RY was waiting.
They stood in front of a door labeled “PytoLab”. Z with key in hand, stabbed it into the lock and twisted. The door unlocked.
Z: “Anyone care to join me?”
ELLy: “No way! I don’t know what horrors wait behind that door.”
Z: “Neither do I, but I’m still going.”
RY: “Why not just solo this one, I’m still a little shook up from what we found in the basement.” ‘But mostly because of the dream I had the night before. What could it mean...’
ELLy: “Ry you okay? You seem a little out of it.”
RY: “Nothing, just thinking.” She said, cracking a little smile.
Z: “Well as long as your alright… Well wish me luck I haven’t played on level 1 in forever.”
RY and ELLy: “Good Luck Z.”
ELLy: “Don’t forget to bring me back a prize.”
Z unsheathed his twin blades, “I’ll be right back.” With a smirk on his face, he took off.
I would of given him a 4 ½ star performance for his run...
After A few minutes he emerged, victorious, holding a golden trophy to show his accomplishments.
Z: “Here, I got this from the elder spirit. Who wants to take good care of it?”
ELLy: “I Do!!!” with sparkles in her eyes.
RY: “Let the girl hold on to it. It would just weigh us down.”
Z: “Here you go.” He gently tossed it into ELLy’s eagerly awaiting hands. “So tell me, what are you ganna do with it.”
ELLy: “What do you mean? I’m ganna hold onto it.”
RY: “You know it’s only gonna slow you down. Why not just leave it in the corner over their and pick it up when we leave.”
ELLy hugging onto the trophy, “But someone might take it… I got an idea!”
The girl reached into her back pocket… and pulled out a dark blue and white handkerchief. She carefully folded the trophy into the handkerchief, and then swung it over her back. “I’m ready to go on now.”
Z: “Let’s continue…”