The Ninth Cabin

8. Into The Basement

I was slightly shocked by the announcement, and turned to face the nurse. She had a worried expression, but motioned for me to return to the Warden. Deciding to follow her advice, I quickly walked back to the Wardens office.

Unity was seating in the students desk, and was reading and sorting through a small stack of paper. Approaching the Warden, I handed her the envelope. She took it, and checked its contents. After a few moments she passed it back to me and spoke. "Place this on Unitys desk. After you finish that, go to the cafeteria and ask one of the chefs to bring my lunch." Nodding at her statement, I set down the envelope on Unitys desk then began to walk towards the lunchroom.

I glanced at a clock and noted that we had a hour to go before lunch would be ready. I figured I should continue with my plan, and pulled out 4 pens I had stolen from the nurses office, and 3 from the wardens. This now brought my total up to 17, so after double checking I returned the pens to my outfit.

I slowly approached the basement of the main compound and decided to enter. As I descended its steps, whatever light scattered from the main floor faded until I was walking in complete darkness.

My legs began burning, and after a few minutes I was at the base of the staircase. The basement was more or less the second floor, just much more damp and dark. A screech echoed in the darkness, and I heard the fluttering of a bats wings pass by my ear.

Jumping, I hit the ground with a thud due to my shock. The floor was stone, and covered in cracks. Whenever a coach was wide enough, moss had begun to grow and coat the rest of the floor with vines and roots. Standing back up, I head a shoot from up the staircase. "Who's there!" Shouted a low, clearly male voice.

Startled, I ran and opened the nearest door and closed it behind me. I then began to survey the room. It was completely dark, but the floor felt strange and uneven. Retreating further into the room, I felt myself bump into a desk. Walking around it, I felt for any drawers. My hands made contact with a knob, so I grasped it and opened the drawer.

Inside my hands felt emptiness. Reaching it to the far end, they brushed again something cold. Lifting it up, I felt it's shape and realized that I was holding a key. Pocketing it, I continued to search the drawer. Then, my hands hit a small piece of paper. Pulling it out, I realized I couldn't read it in the darkness so I pocketed it as well.

My focus then shifted to the door being opened, and a flashlight scanning the room. I quickly hid underneath the desk.

I was greeted by something soft and squishy. Trying not to vomit, I remained sedentary until the guard left. Deciding to wait a little longer, I felt the squishy object. It was about the length of two rulers, and was very thin in some areas. With some difficulty, I placed it inside my uniform and waited.

After I had counted to 1000, I snuck out of the door and jogged up the stairs. Walking to the lunchroom, I asked the actual chefs after the Wardens meal. They handed it to me, and I hurriedly left.

Soon, I had returned to the Wardens office with her meal and placed it on her desk. Unity was almost finished with sorting the papers, and the Warden was reading a book. Looking up at me she quickly asked. "What took so long?" I decided to gesture towards the splint my leg was in, and made up a lie. "I didn't want to spill or trip while I walked, given that this splint impairs my mobility."

Giving me a glare, she sighed and turned back to her book. Gesturing towards the cabinets she spoke.

"Get out the files for all inmates in cabins #5-8. We are going to investigate the death of Inmate #7 further."