Day 21: Trail of Blood

“Josh and I will head back down and…”

“Wait, no, stop right there,” Katrina interrupted Jake before he completed his sentence. “It’s dark, it’s scary and there’s no telling what caused the lights to go out. Like Elise said, these places are made to keep running. You are NOT about to leave the two of us up here alone. Weapons or not you can forget that.”

“Ok…” Jake said through gritted teeth. “Ladies, would you like to accompany Josh and myself down into the boiler room to get the power back on?”

“Yes, we’d like that very much,” Katrina replied with a smile.

“Stay behind us and stay close,” Josh grinned watching his cousin’s assertiveness get under someone else’s skin for a change.

The group started down the flight of stairs to the basement. Making it to the bottom, Josh paused just below the bottom step and listened. Something was dripping around the corner, water perhaps? And he got the strange sensation they were not alone down here. He slid the safety off his weapon, inhaled a deep breath and took another step forward.

With his back against the wall, he took a quick peek around the next corner. Seeing nothing he continued leading them towards the boiler room. Elise kept herself close to Josh’s back with Jake and Katrina right behind. Josh started down a second flight of stairs and Elise noticed the hazardous wooden step that dipped when Josh placed his weight on it. As she approached it, she held the wooden railing, pushed down hard and jumped over it instead of risking going through it and the floor.

“Boy, and Elise thought the upper rooms were creepy,” Katrina commented as she lost sight of her and her cousin.

“This is nothing. Just wait until we actually get to the power room,” Jake said with a chuckle.

“Great.”

“Watch it!” Jake shouted and pushed Katrina back. A large beam plummeted from above them, severed the railing of the stairwell before crashing through the rotting wooden floor. Jake looked down the hole and exhaled loudly before glancing at her. “Close.”

“Yeah. Thanks, Jake,” Katrina sighed.

“Don’t mention it,” he smirked and jumped over the newly created gap in the floor. “Gimme your hand.” He quickly helped her across and they rushed to catch up to the others.

“What the hell was that noise?” Josh asked, sprinting back down the hall.

“You’ll see when we go back up top,” Katrina replied. “This the room?”

“Yeah,” he said and motioned to the chain on the ground. “It’s unlocked now though.” He threw the breakers and watched as the room was once again bathed in a dim orange glow.

“That’s better,” Elise sighed.

“Whoa.” Something caught Josh’s attention and he absentmindedly strolled out of the room. “Guys!” Josh yelled and waited for the others to join him in the hall. “Take a look at that.” Their eyes moved to the floor where he pointed and the group froze. 

“Is that…?” Elise started.

“Blood,” Katrina finished her sentence. “Where does it lead?”

“Better question, where did it come from?” Jake asked. “Josh and I searched these corridors earlier and it wasn’t here then.”

“Yeah but we also couldn’t get inside a few of the rooms,” Josh said. “Maybe when the power went out, whatever was in them got out.”

“And what was in them?” Katrina asked, placing her back against the wall. “Because that’s a lot of blood. I shudder to think what it can belong to.” A chill rose up her spine, making the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Suddenly, Elise jumped, hearing a noise down the hallway.

“What was that?” Elise asked, raising her weapon towards the sound.

“I heard it too. It sounded like a moan,” Katrina said.

“It was just the wind,” Jake replied.

“No, it wasn’t the wind. Something’s down there.”

A gust of air blew through the passage and brought with it the unmistakable smell of death. Jake looked over at Josh and realized he was thinking the same thing. His hand had tightened around the butt of his weapon and his eyebrows furrowed with concern. “I’ll go first,” Jake offered and slowly moved along the corridor.

Josh brought up the rear, keeping an eye on the door near the end of the hall. Something was in there. And pretty soon, they’d all know what.

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