-Reckless- [Endless Summer]

- II | The Amber Artefact -

C h a p t e r T w o
T h e a m b e r a r t e f a c t

Your friends followed behind you, single file through the impending blackness that suffocated you from all sides. Jake took your hand in his, lacing his fingers with yours and squeezing tightly enough to provide reassurance without pain.

"You're not actually nervous about going down here, are you, tough guy?" You teased him, turning your head to find his face remarkably close to yours. Ignoring the pang that immediately flooded your stomach, you rose an eyebrow at him through the dark.

"Nah, just wanted an excuse to hold your hand."

In the darkness, your feet felt the smooth floor beneath you level out, and it became apparent that you had reached the bottom of the staircase. You all stood there in silence, seeing nothing but black, hearing only each others nervous breathing. You squeezed Jake's hand tighter, summoned your courage, took another step forward -

Schkk!

You felt a floor tile depress slightly beneath your feet and let out a startled shriek as the lights came blasting on, flooding your vision with whiteness and blinding you temporarily as your eyes swam with tears from the sting.

"What the..." you breathed out, eyes blown wide as you studied the room in front of you.

It wasn't a sex dungeon at all, (thank God,) but rather some sort of museum. An extremely modernised museum at that. The walls, floor, and ceilings were an incredibly pearly shade of white, matching the shelves and the glass class's that lined the walls and the middle of the spacious room.

"Dude... it's not a sex dungeon... Rourke's got a man-cave!" Craig grinned appreciatively as his eyes scanned the room. "No Tv's though. Gotta hook up those flat-screens.

"But seriously, what is this place?" Michelle breathed out.

You all walked forward, passing among dozens of illuminated pedestals and gazing upon bizarre trinkets from every era that shone under thick glass domes or in wall displays.

"It looks like some sort of museum..." Quinn said.

"Or a trophy room." Estella spat, looking far less excited as she glared around at the various artefacts with distain obvious on her pretty features.

Jake ran a hand over one of the surfaces and frowned at the layer of dust that glued to the pad of his fingers. "A little dusty. Don't think anybody's been here in a while."

You glanced around and noticed Michelle lingering by one of the pedestals; a beautiful idol several inches tall gleamed within. "Isn't this gorgeous?" She asked as you made your way over to her to get a closer look. "What is it? Is it gold?"

You peered at the statue, pressing a palm up against the glass. "No, actually, I think it's... amber." You noticed a small green button on the side of the pedestal and immediately reached to press it, ignoring the part of your brain telling you that it was probably a bad idea to push random buttons in a strange room on an island such as this one.

As soon as your finger left the button, the glass encasing slid open, revealing the idol in its full glory. Michelle reached forward to lift it off the stand. "It's so... beautiful..." she awed at it.

She offered it to you, and you took the time to take a good look at it. It was made entirely from what seemed like amber, and was shaped like a very alluring woman mid dance, arms outstretched and stomach bared with her hip raised on one side. Her expression was stern yet enchanting, and her slender figure was wrapped in an amber garment that snakes around her only to cover the necessities, leaving her legs and stomach bare. Atop her head was a glorious headpiece of what appeared to be peacock feathers.