Lost Will of the Dead [Book One] (On Hold)

V : Madeleine

Madeleine felt herself drop at a tremendous speed. The wind roared in her ears and swished her locks and cloak upwards. Her eyes yelled pain as the wind stung them to tears.

She blinked once. Despite her eyes adjusting to the meager light the drop had to offer, she only saw darkness. She began wildly flailing her arms and legs around, desperate to find anything to grasp on.

Unfortunately, there was nothing.

Why am I falling? Am I even still in the mansion? Is this the end...?

She trailed off when there came a sudden burst of light from beneath. It was like a beacon in the depthless darkness. The light brightened as she drew closer. Her eyes became slits when she neared the edge.

The lady thief landed on a discarded gigantic soft cushion with a plunk. She felt the springs poke her leather suit straight to her skin as they whined in protest. She winced and swallowed. The landing was painful but she was able to withstand it.

She sneezed.

Clouds of dust floated around her. She sprang up and slid down the cushion as she dusted herself off. Her mouth was agape in shock as she took in the image of the room she was in.

It was grayish and barren save for a few objects: a wooden table of messy stacks of paper; a gray metal file cabinet, its drawers opened and the files strewn about; and a discarded laptop, the top right corner of the monitor cracked. Two flickering fluorescent lamps illuminated the place as cobwebs hung low from the ceiling.

There was an eerie sensation that enveloped the abandoned basement. The flickering lights added to the lady's interest and fed her curious mind. She wondered why Peter would bother putting up lights if the place was of no use to him. Something must be hidden inside.

She began trudging across the room and examined in close detail. She checked the table and the papers above it first.

It was just a bunch of newspapers clippings. She picked one out of random and began reading through the title as dust clouds hovered around her. The article title read: Peter Claymont and his Girlfriend Joanna Accused Guilty of Kidnapping for Ransom: Released from Prison by Bail.

Madeleine shook her head in disbelief. She refused to think that Peter would be so desperate to go and kidnap for money.

Isn't the man, drowning in wealth? Why would he resort to kidnapping?

She took a sidelong glance at the newspaper again to ensure that she wasn't dreaming. A short gasp escaped her lips as she noticed the date. The date on the clip was the tenth of March year 1992.

Curiosity washed over her like the flood after the storm. She began rummaging through the papers checking the dates. They were years back--some even decades. Why would anyone bother to keep them?

Curiosity overpowered uncertainty as she picked up another newspaper piece. This time it was more recent than the first. The article title read: Claymont Family went Missing After Being Charged with Arson for the Mississippian Fire. It was dated back on August 13, 2000.

Madeleine's head was in frenzy. Fear rippled through her body knocking her knees against each other as she gripped the table's edge. "How could've the Claymont's gone missing when they're right here in the city?" She whispered.

One particularly recent newspaper caught her eye and halted her train of thought. The date was October 5, 2010--just a few years back. But the headline on that paper made her wish she hadn't gone into the living room in the first place.

She couldn't believe her own eyes when the title read: Politician Peter Claymont: Found DEAD inside an Illegal Vessel at the Coast of Miami.