The P.U.L.L || #Wattys2017

Chapter 13: The Trapdoor

The group finally arrived at the Quiller corporation. They stared in awe, admiring the metallic-looking building in front of them. The word "Quiller" was written in bold on the east wall. The building looked rusty and unused, but still, a few people could be seen walking in and out of it. It seemed pretty busy, given the fact that it was already closed.

"Apparently, after the Quilllers went missing, the government decided to turn that building into a warehouse." Emma explained. "But once they come back, I guess the government would return it to them right away.

"Yeah, considering all their major advancements in technology, I guess they would." Rick agreed.

"So, where's the house of  the Quillers?" Joshua asked.

"Not far from here." Emma replied. "Let's go."

With Emma on the lead, they began walking around the building. That's when Rick and Joshua realized that the building is pentagon-shaped. A few personnel could be seen lifting boxes and stuff inside. The personnels looked at them, probably wondering why the three of them were wandering around the corporation's grounds.

"Their house is just on the other side of the corporation." Emma said.

Which side? There are five sides! Joshua thought as the two of them followed Emma. Rick, on the other hand, wasn't listening to what Emma was saying. He was busy admiring the structure.

Suddenly, a house, likened to a mansion, loomed ahead of them as they neared the fourth side of the pentagon. It's still the same as ever. Emma thought. Meanwhile, Rick and Joshua gazed in awe as soon as the mansion-like house attracted their attention.

This is way better than Emma's place! Joshua said to himself, his gaze fixed in the house.

They excitedly approached the front gate of the house. A huge yard could be seen just beyond the front gate. A huge fountain could be seen at the center of it and trees surrounded it from all sides. Emma, Rick, and Joshua stared at each other.  At last, their plan is beginning to make progress. The only hindrance that they have is opening the front gate, which was twenty feet tall. Joshua was about to shout hello when they realized that getting inside was harder than they thought.

At least a dozen guards were patrolling the area.

Joshua managed to stop himself from shouting. Immediately, the three of them headed towards the wall that covered the entire mansion. They were just in time to get out of their place from the front of the gate. A guard began passing by the moment they reached the wall.

"You didn't tell us about that, Emma." Rick whispered. 

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. Sorry." She said, containing herself from laughing because of Rick's frightened reaction.

"So, how do you plan on getting in?" Joshua asked her.

"Judging from the number of guards, I'd say no one's home." Emma informed them. "So, if no one's home, no one would likely see us once we get inside the house. And there's a way to easily do it without getting seen. No one knows about this except Gladiola and I."

"And, how do we get in without getting seen?" Joshua asked.

"You know, there's actually an underground passage that leads directly to their living room." Emma said, pointing at a manhole from Joshua's perspective."

"Ugh, you mean the sewers? Nice." Joshua reacted. He began to remember his horrifying experience in one before.

"Not that Joshua." Rick corrected. "Emma's pointing at the shrub beside the manhole, not the manhole."

"Oh, that makes complete sense." Joshua sighed in relief. He was traumatized of doing that horrifying thing all over again. "Okay, Emma, can you please do the honor of leading the way..." Joshua tried to make a royal bow, his hands gesturing at the manhole. "to the sewers." He continued.

Emma didn't mind what Joshua said. Instead,  she went over to the shrub and lifted it up. To Rick and Joshua's amazement, the shrub was actually not an actual shrub. It was a replica of a real one that was placed on the other side of the wall to make it look identical.

Below it was a trapdoor.

"Get in." Emma motioned for Rick and Joshua.

"Ladies first." Rick joked.

Emma let out a groan as he looked at Rick. She must be running out of patience. Joshua thought. I guess I need to stop it from running out, after all, we're a team. He said to himself

"Well, I guess I should go first." Joshua volunteered. "Let's go!"

Joshua jumped towards the trapdoor.

"Wait! Joshua! Use the ladder! It's too far down!" Emma exclaimed. "Why did you jump like that?!"

"Wai-wha-what?!" He answered back, alarmed. " Wha-wha.."

Joshua wasn't able to finish what he was about to say. He hit the bottom part of the trapdoor with a thud. Ouch! ouch, that hurts! Joshua squirmed in pain, holding his painful leg."

After awhile, Emma joined Joshua in the tunnel. "Are you okay? Why did you jump like that?" She asked.

"Well, you were too late to say that it's too far down." Joshua said, trying to stand up.

"You should have asked if it's too far down! You jumped before I told you, you know." She said. "How are your legs? You just fell from three storeys high, you know."

"What?! I would have died!" Joshua exclaimed in disbelief.

"Well, at least you're not. Although I admit that was unbelievable. You managed to live after falling that high." She said.

Rick joined them after awhile. Fortunately, he had a flashlight in his bag.

Joshua borrowed the flashlight and pointed up at the trapdoor that Rick closed. What?! It was really three storeys high! He thought.

"That trapdoor automatically closes after ten minutes. So, we won't be able to come back this way later." Emma informed them. "We should use another escape route."

"Emma, could you give us an earlier notification next time?" Joshua said. "I guess you have planned an escape route for us. did you?"

"No."

"Heh?!" Rick exclaimed. "The fact that there are a lot of guards waiting for us outside seems to worsen the predicament we're in." He sighed.

"Wait, why don't we just leave the trapdoor open?" Joshua asked.

"We cannot. It will raise an alarm after ten minutes if we leave it open." Emma replied.

"I guess that pretty much explains our situation." Joshua commented.

"Well, let's go." Rick said as he grabbed the flashlight from Joshua. "Nothing will happen if we just keep on thinking about it."

"Yeah, let's go." Joshua agreed. "You say pretty sensible things once in a while you know, Rick."

"I've always been sensible." Rick defended himself.

Darkness filled them from all sides. A huge empty tunnel lay in front of them. Rick pointed the flashlight towards the tunnel. Joshua felt an eerie feeling coming from the old passageways. A fork on the tunnel could be seen at the end of the tunnel.

"Do you really know which way we're going?" Joshua asked, trying to reassure himself.

"Of course I know." Emma replied confidently. "Gladiola and I used to play hide and seek here when we were little, you know."

"Well, that's reassuring." Rick said.