They Know Me

DISCOVERY

Staring up at the old warehouse, I contemplated what I was about to do. I was back, and being moments away from finding out if it'd been a ghost I'd seen the night Zil had gone inside with me, or just my imagination, I was apprehensive.

"These arm fasteners should keep the recorders in place – my contribution to your cause," Rhys said as he finished strapping mine to my arm and inserting one of the recorders snuggly into it. He turned, and with the second recorder already inside of it, I strapped the other fastener to his arm. He reached into his backpack and, keeping the EMF detector for himself, he handed me the thermal. "I don't know if it's intentional or not, but you've been too quiet tonight, like you're trying to set the stage – and it's creeping me out."

"Set the stage for what?" I asked.

"For this place. It's spooky, or haven't you noticed?"

"You're the one who suggested we come here."

Scrutinizing the warehouse, he muttered, "Yeah, but now that we're here, I'm not so sure about it. But," he added quickly, "if you'd rather go to Cortland Bridge, I'm fine with that."

"It's no place for mortals,"

He smiled. "Let me guess ... it's a passage into Zil's world." When I didn't answer, his smirk began to fade. "Ashe?" Then, his eyes narrowed. "Are you ... serious?"

"I didn't say anything."

"It was what you didn't say that gave it away ... and you took me there! Is this another way into Zil's dimension?"

"His 'dimension' is called the Underground, and no, it's not." Unsure if I'd just lied. I turned on my flashlight and grasped the door's rusty handle. "Hero or coward."

"I vote coward and we leave."

I pulled the door open, and its loud creak nearly made me rethink my decision of going back inside. Keeping my guard up, I entered, with Rhys right behind me.

We both jumped at the door's loud slamming shut behind us. Cursing under my breath, I shone my flashlight around as the sound carried throughout the massive structure.

"Something about this place doesn't feel right," Rhys murmured.

He was right. It felt ominous. But because nothing had happened yet to validate his feelings, and mine, I didn't suggest we leave.

We'd only taken a few cautious steps forward when Rhys halted. "What's that?"

Deeper within the eerily quiet warehouse, a light glinted. Curious to know why nobody had called out, or started toward us, if it was a signal for help by someone who'd been injured, or if the source wasn't human at all, but supernatural, I started slowly in the direction.

Rhys took my arm and stopped me. "Not a good idea. You don't know what's causing that."

The flashing stopped. I waited to see what would happen next. Within seconds, the strange blinking started again, much faster than I knew was humanly possible – and then, unexpectedly, the EMF detector's shrill alarm started, making Rhys almost drop it.

With the blaring noise continuing, the EMF lights added to the chaos as they began to pulse rapidly in a disorderly pattern. Suddenly the device shut off completely – and immediately popped back on again, flashing wildly and mimicking perfectly the mysterious light further in.

"Why is it doing that?" Rhys asked, holding it away from himself.

"It's only supposed to do that if something supernatural is close," I muttered. "We've found our proof. This place is haunted!"