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Part III Relena managed one last smile back at the others before the main doors slammed shut behind her. She stood still in the complete darkness until finally a fire roared to life, casting the room in dancing shadows. She searched for a way out until her eyes fell to the three doors on the far wall.
“Which one should we pick, Heero?” she asked, addressing her silent companion. He shrugged in indifference. With an impatient sigh, she marched toward the doors. The one on the left was locked, as was the middle door. However, the door on the right opened freely. “I guess we have our answer,” she stated. Yet, as she was about to entering the dark, looming passage before, Heero grabbed her arm. Puzzled, she glanced back at him. Heero appeared as surprised by the gesture as she had been. Without looking at her, he released her arm. Relena entered the passage, Heero following right behind her. Again, the door slammed shut behind them, plunging the pair into darkness. Relena felt her way along cautiously. Her hands combed the rough-hewed walls as she walked slowly forward. Although she was slightly uneasy, she was reassured that Heero was still there with her. She always felt safe near him, despite the numerous times he had threatened to kill her. It defied logic and her brother, but she didn’t care. Finally, her left hand felt a change in the wall. She stopped and pressed harder against it to ensure the difference was real. “Heero, I think I’ve found some. . .” The floor suddenly collapsed underneath her. With nothing to hold onto, she fell. Her screams echoed off the walls. She felt Heero grabbed for her, but her arm slipped through his hands. Once she was through the floor popped back in place, preventing the Perfect Soldier from coming after her. He slammed his fists against the now unyielding wood. “Relena!” * * * * * “What’s taking so long?” Milliardo growled. Noin tried to hide her smile. “They haven’t been gone that long.” “Maybe they found a cozy little corner in there,” Duo offered with a smirk. However, his smile faded as Milliardo threw a caustic glare in his direction. “Or maybe not,” he amended. “Relena’s probably just trying to get the most out of her time,” Hilde added. Noin nodded. “There’s nothing wrong in there. It’s just a carnival attraction. It’s perfectly safe.” “It better be,” Milliardo said, his tone ominous. He glanced back at the supposedly haunted house. “And she better be or Yuy is a dead man.” * * * * * With a reverberating thud, Relena finally landed back on solid ground. However, her momentum sent her rolling. Dust filled the air, making her cough. She had no idea how far she had fallen. She hoped she was no more than two or three floors at the most below Heero. Yet, she didn’t know how to find him or how he would find her. Brushing the dust off, Relena gingerly stood up. She wished that the other had warned her of this little surprise. Then she remembered that Catherine, Hilde, nor any of the guys had emerged from the mansion dusty or dirty. She felt the fear begin to creep back in. “Get a hold of yourself,” Relena chided aloud as she rubbed her arms. “It’s just a carnival attraction. Nothing else.” Silently repeating the mantra, she searched the dimly lit room. Finally she found what she thought was the only door. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and stepped forward. * * * * * “Relena!” There was no response from her as he probed the seemingly solid floor. Meticulously, he moved his hands up the walls, searching for whatever she had found. He reached the slight change in the wall and pushed against it. Nothing happened. He pulled at it, but it yielded nothing just the same. Growing frustrated, he searched for something else with no result. He needed to find Relena. However, he seemed unable to follow her. With no other real decision, he continued forward and tried to formulate some kind of plan. |
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