Basement

"Dianne?" I called out, stepping completely into the water, ending right below my chest. The others walked in as well, all standing beside me.

The water only reached Kate's and Beatrice's waists. Anna at the chest as well, Grace at her belly, and Dianne, slightly above her knees. I then got to realize how tall she was, or how short I was...

"Dianne?" Grace called out, "What are you doing here?" Her curiosity got the best of her.

Dianne turned to us, staring at our clueless expressions. She slowly rose her arm, pointing to the side.

We followed the line of her stretched out arm, pointing at something. Our heads turned to the right.

"A bed?" Anna said.

I narrowed my eyes as the candlelight wasn't bright enough for the whole room. I then realized it wasn't just a basement, it was an entire room.

Bed, closet, a table, chairs, couch, bookshelf, kitchen counter, and paintings on the wall.

All the paintings looked torn and faded... But it was more like someone ripped them down.

"A room?" I said turning to Dianne.

"A big one in fact", Grace looked around more.

Dianne replied with silence, walking towards the centre of the basement.

We rose our heads staring at ourselves then back at her. "This is creepy", Grace said bluntly.

We nodded our heads, following Dianne's path in the water. I struggle to move in the water and maintain my balance. Finally, we made it to her.

Grace grunted, "Where did all this water come from?!?"

"From there", Dianne pointed at the wall, with two busted metal pipes. Her voice was airy, low, and timid—it sounded like her she was almost whispering to herself.

"Ooh, that explains it all", Anna nodded.

Dianne walked to the wall in front of us and hung the lamp on the nail, turning to us, "Why not explore the room?"

She said with a weirdly calm expression, staring straight at me with her dull blue eyes.

"Lola?" She narrowed her stare, waiting for my answer. I started to feel uncomfortable, feeling like she was trying to read my mind.

"Uh... Sure", I nodded lightly, looking away.

She nodded back, walking towards the bed.

The rest turned to me. "What now?", Kate asked generally.

"We look around I guess?" Beatrice said walking to the mini kitchen at the left.

Grace and Kate followed her. Anna and I walked to the closet right next to the bed. Dianne stood by the bed quietly, gently tapping the cross placed on the bed top.

Anna and I glanced at her, then slowly turned back to the closet, in an attempt to mind our business.

"Should we open?" Anna whispered.

"She said explore?" I pulled the door open.

With my eyes already adjusting to the poorly lighted room, I could see a set of dusty old white clothes neatly placed on the lower shelf, and the upper shelf filled with small drawers.

"Huh?" Anna moved forward, picking out a set of two books. One big and red, the other small and black.

"What's this?" She asked as she slowly flipped it open. I moved my face closer.

"Ugh! It's too dim, I can't see anything!" She groaned.

"Maybe if you got closer to the wall it might help", I suggested, pointing to the wall.

"Good idea", she nodded walking away.

I lifted my leg about to follow her. "You stay here and check for anything else", she ordered calmly, turning back at me. I froze and then gave her a slight nod.

She smiled back, walking towards the wall. I turned back to the closet. I then realized that the water was less in that corner. The water level now ended below my belly button but slightly above my waist.

I walked back to the closet. I stretched my hand inside, pulling out one of the folded clothes. I roughly unfolded it, raising it above my head.

"Hm!" I struggled, realizing the clothe was extremely long, more than half of them fell into the water.

I sighed, struggling to turn the clothes and have a good look at it. "Huh??" My eyes widened.

I extended my hands further, taking a proper look at it.

"A sister?" I whispered.

Almost immediately Dianne pulled the clothing from my hand, spooking me.

"Huh!?" I jumped, turning to her. With her fallen and sad looking expression, she quickly folded the gown, thrusting it into the closet.

"Leave it. It's not important", she pulled out the remaining folded clothes, placing them at the top of the closet, leaving my eye view.

"Try something else", she said coldly, turning around and walking in the opposite direction.

I stood there stunned at her sudden reaction and more or less confused. I stared at her back as she walked, then back in the closet.

"Hmmm", I rose my shoulders, trying to ignore it.

My attention was immediately stolen by an object, in the position where the clothes were.

I narrowed my eyes, trying to make out the object as I stretched my hand to it.

It was a box. A box the length of my chest-length, wet, rusty, locked, and slightly heavy.

I rose it to my ear, shaking it, trying to make out its content.

"What's that?" Kate's voice echoed behind me, as her struggling footsteps came close.

I turned to her, "It's a box", I rose it above my head. Beatrice approached us. "What kind of box?", She asked standing next to Kate.

"I don't know..." I pulled it down to my chest, "Yet..."

I pulled my stare to them, noticing what was in their hands. Kate was holding one of the books Anna was with and Beatrice a rusted neck chain.

"What's that?" I was more focused on Beatrice's hand.

"This?" She lifted it, "Not sure, it's some chain with some sort of rusted metal or deco on it". Kate stretched her hand to it, staring. "Looks like some sort of key?"

With our attention on the key, Grace and Anna walked up to us.

"What's up with you guys?" Grace asked, turning to Kate. "What's that?" She wondered.

"I don't know, I think it's a novel", Kate flipped the book in her hand. I turned to Anna, "Didn't you check it?"

"I did", she lifted the large red book in her hand, "I only checked this one... It's filled with pictures of different nuns".

"And this?" Kate lifted the small black book in her palm.

"So you're carrying something without knowing what was in it?" Grace rolled her eyes at Kate.

"What?" Kate shrugged, "She just asked me to hold it on my way here!"

"Whatever", Grace hissed.

"I couldn't see that one properly because the writings were too small... But it looked handwritten", Anna intruded into their argument.

"Handwritten? Like a dairy or something?" Beatrice asked.

"No. Like a new typed letter to the queen of England", Graced twisted her lips.

Beatrice sighed, rolling her eyes to avoid Grace's drama. I looked down at Grace's empty hands, "Didn't find anything?" I asked.

She grinned staring at me, "No I did, I just couldn't lift it", she turned to point behind, "It's called a wall".

I couldn't help but laugh at her mean sense of humour, as the others hissed at her angrily.

"What's that?" Anna asked, pointing at my hands.

"I just found it..."

"Do you know what's in it?" Grace stepped forward.

"No!" Kate shot her eyes at Grace, "It's locked!"

"We should be leaving now", we heard Dianne's voice echoing from the wall next to the lamp.

"How long has the creep been standing there?" Grace whispered.

"I have no idea", Beatrice replied staring at Dianne.

"C'mon let's go!" Anna said turning around, hugging the book to her chest.

"Wait!" All eyes turned to me.

"Let me keep this first", I looked at the box.

"Why?" Beatrice asked.

"Well, Dianne seized the first things I found from the closet, and she seemed pretty pissed or upset I picked it up... I think. Maybe I should just drop the box so as not to get her upset", I turned to the bed and slowly placed the box.

"But why will she---" Grace was cut short.

"Okay, Lola", Kate started, giving Grace the stare, "If you're sure you want to, then okay", she smiled warmly. I nodded my head smiling at them.

We walked to Dianne, who had already picked up the lamp from the wall. She stared deeply at their hands, holding the chain and the books—then locked her eyes on me. I blinked twice, pulling my head down as her stare made me feel uncomfortable. The others immediately noticed.

"Any problem?" Kate raised the book in her hand. Dianne tore her stare at her. "No. Nothing at all".

"Shall we go now?" She said calmly, with her eyes locked on the book in Kate's hands.

It looked like she was reading what she was saying from the book cover, it was very disturbing, given that her budging eyes didn't blink. Beatrice cleared her throat loudly, trying to get her attention.

"Oh..." She rose her head, "Shall we?" She asked again with the same plane expression she had before. Feeling uncomfortable and ready to leave, I was about to answer yes.

"No!"

Our heads turned to Grace, who had on a wide smile. "What?" Kate whispered.

"No, we shall not!" She continued. "Lola forgot something!"

"What?" Dianne asked in a slightly surprised tone.

"A box!" She turned to me, giving me a nod.

"Grace wait!" Beatrice turned trying to stop her.

Grace ignored her, walking towards the bed. She struggled, tripping a few times. She got to the bed, smiling widely as she grabbed the box.

She began to walk towards us, Kate and Beatrice sighed at her stubbornness. She smiled widely, rushing to us.

Her eyebrows rose to the ceiling above us, and her smile began to fade, as her feet slowed down. We stared at her, wondering why she lowered her pace.

She completely froze at the spot, a few feet away from us, with her eyes locked on the ceiling.

"Grace?" I called.

"Ahhhhhh!!!" She screamed, dropping the box into the water.