An Abnormal Christmas

16: The Beginning Of An End

The mansion doors creaked open, the noise reverberating around the spacious entryway. The four adults stepped inside almost timidly, trying to be as quiet as possible when shutting the doors again, leaving the fawns outside. As Meghan stepped deeper into the room, there was a loud click from behind her. Officer Jyles held a pistol at the ready. He nodded at her before taking the lead, moving through the wide hall to a grand room. Her injured leg wasn't helping her maneuver around. She winced as she stepped forward.

Several marble pillars lined across the back of the room next to some shallow steps leading up to two staircases that wound in spirals, meeting together at the second story. From the ceiling hung a golden chandelier, cobwebs delicately curled around it.

"Do you think he's here?" Meghan whispered to Gordon. She resisted every urge to scream the names of her children. To give away their position to envelop them in her arms again.

"I don't know." Gordon glanced around with full alertness, grabbing a poker stick off of the fancy fireplace mantel when they passed it.

Meghan stared down another hall to the left that seemed to lead into the kitchen. They headed toward the staircases slowly, breaths held and hearts fiercely pounding. This was the end; one way or another tonight would be the end of it all. Meghan couldn't stop her hands from shaking, so she occupied them with a slab of rough wood from the fireplace as well, the bark rubbing into her soft palms.

"We're going to secure the main floor first," Officer Jyles whispered to them, turning away from the stairs. "Just stay behind me."

"Should we split up?" Brek questioned.

"No!" Meghan quickly answered.

A creak from behind a door to the right drew all of their attention away from one another. Another creak and Meghan's hands began shaking even with the wood.

Officer Jyles moved toward the door, waving for them to stay back as he held the gun out in front of him. Gordon turned to watch behind them for movement, his poker stick pointed out. Before the police officer had time to open the door, there was a splash from upstairs. Every one of them jerked around to stare up the staircase. A shadow moved across the wall at the top, quick but certainly there.

"Oh, my g-gosh." Meghan inhaled deeply, her whole body beginning to tremble. She was careful to exercise most of her weight on her good leg.

"Let's go." Officer Jyles moved toward the stairs and stopped at the base to motion for them to follow.

They joined him slowly, their steps light and cautious. With each placement of her foot on a marble step higher than the last, Meghan's stomach seemed to plummet deeper into an abyss of churning fear. The slab of wood was held so tightly in her hands that she could feel a splinter slowly piercing through her skin. She didn't loosen her grip.

Another loud splash and water slapping against the ground was heard. Through the dim lighting of the upstairs hall, another staircase could be seen - straighter and steeper than the last. Down the long hall, there were doors on both walls, some closed and others partially opened. The ground creaked lightly with their steps, gradually carrying them closer to the source of splashing. As they reached a door, there was a sound of commotion coming from inside. With one last loud splash, everything went silent.

Meghan stood rigidly, studying the rusty, rotten, wooden door that was the only thing separating them from whatever the source of the splashing was. Her leg seared painfully from the agonizing hike up the stairs. Officer Jyles gripped the doorknob steadily, the barrel of the gun raised and ready. Eyes trailing to the ground, Meghan watched water leak out from underneath the door. This was it. Something was behind there, and the feeling she had guaranteed it wouldn't be anything pretty.