Mansion of Dolls (Complete)

Chapter 24 (Rewrite/Edited)

They continued to go down.

Even with the flashlight, it did little to really aid them. It made Taryn all the more grateful that Rachael wasn't here. She'd be freaking out at such a dark, enclosed place. Even though the pain along her shoulders and neck groaned in protest, Taryn didn't stop her descent. She'd cope with the dull aches and spikes of sudden pain that went up and down her spine.

Deeper and deeper into the well, they went, careful to watch their footing. Before finally, after what felt like they would never reach the bottom of this never-ending well, Taryn paused to point her flashlight downwards, again for what felt like the fifteenth time and saw the bottom. In which she informed Robert.

"Fucking finally..." he gave an exasperated sigh. "Don't these people know anything about an elevator? Or at least some stairs? Who uses ladders anymore?"

Taryn scoffed as she faintly smiled. That was one way to try and ease up the tension after being quiet for so long. "Just be thankful it's not a rope."

"Oh god, no, anything but a damn rope. Remember how badly I sucked climbing it in high school? Never again." then he added. "You were good, though; you say you can't do much because of your asthma, but you're still pretty athletic."

"You can thank my family for that," she said nothing further, and he didn't ask.

When she reached the bottom, she took a few steps back and glanced up with her flashlight to help Robert down the rest of the way. He jumped down the last two steps. And begins to move his fingers and wrists to get regular blood flow back. "That wasn't too bad." He then looked to Taryn, who was now moving the light along the ground. "What's wrong?"

"Fuyuko said that this well was once used to throw criminals down here."

Robert frowned. "Yeah, and?"

"Then where are the bones?" he stilled; a look of realization slowly came to his face as she shined the light along the dirt ground. "There should be traces, even if it's been a long time, there would still be signs, evidence of what was once here. But there's nothing."

"Couldn't the bones have disintegrated into dust by now? It' been a long time, right?"

"Even if that were true, there would still be some traces. And look." She shined her light towards a spot on the ground. "It's nothing but dirt. Meaning that those who were dropped down the well didn't die here."

"Weren't they already dead?"

"I believe that some were, but I doubt all of them had died before being shoved down the well. When climbing down, I noticed scratches in the stones from people's nails clawing at the rock. Those who didn't die right away from the fall tried to climb back up, but since the only way out was sealed, they either climbed back down to look for another way out or gave up and hoped that the fall a second time would kill them instantly. If it didn't, they would have died a slow and agonizing death, I imagen."

He cringed. "Ugh, that's a horrible way to go. I'd never want to die like that." He looked around. "Guess I should take back what I said..." he muttered.

Even if it is just an assumption about what might have happened, it doesn't tell us why there aren't any signs of human remains. Taryn's eyes remained on the ground as they narrowed slightly. I do not like the signs of this...

Taryn turned the light to another direction along the ground, noting another set of footprints. Footprints that led further into the singular tunnel ahead of them. Walking to the start of it, she paused, looking at the tunnel's structure. It didn't look like it would collapse.