I've been sneaking my way around the hallways recently. Making sure not to be spotted by anyone; or anything.
Harry didn't seem too thrilled when I told him I wanted to walk around but I convinced him when I said I didn't want to be locked up in a cage all my life. Spending days and days in a cramped room with not much to do can really take a toll on someone. I had Harry with me the whole time but I figured it might as well be time I actually do something.
Harry and I have decided to put off opening the secret door for now. We want to do it when we are more prepared and ready for what might lie ahead. For all I know, inexplicable things can be hiding inside that door. I cringe every time I have thoughts on it.
Thinking what might be inside there usually haunts my dreams most of the time. I have constant nightmares of us opening the door and being revealed to things unimaginable. Horrible things. Red eyes, black cloaks, bones, being some of the things that come up a lot. Most of the time the dreams are very similar.
But there is one thing that always comes out in my dream. The same image every time.
In the dream, I stand in a room. It seems endless to me to the point that if I were to run and try to reach the end I would never finish. I run and run until my lungs feel like they are about to collapse and my throat sore from all the dry air brushing in my throat. Once I come to a stop, there is a podium.
Bones cover the entire podium, the cracks filled with red dripping blood that seeps and drops to the ground. Then, these objects spin around the podium floating in the air. Slowly at first but then all at once turn into a blasting speed. In mid race they stop for a second and then they all turn to me. I count seven objects and try to figure out what they are but before I can, they all come flying towards me. The rest is a bit hazy until I somehow out run the objects and end up back where the podium is.
The thing that always occurs in these dreams is that on that podium apears a thick brown book with tattered pages.
The whole dream is always different with the same basic plot but there is always a book. The same thick tattered old book.
Some people say that every dream has a secret meaning behind it. I don't really know if I believe that but if it is true what could it mean?
It can have an endless amount of possibilities so it doesn't really help out much. What I also realized from the dreams was that there were also usually seven main objects in each one. Sometimes it was seven podiums or seven books or seven floating items but there were always seven. This also leaves me to believe that there could be some secret meaning behind it.
Either that or it is just a myth and I am wasting my time even thinking about it. In a way, I'm hoping it actually does mean something. If it does then maybe it can help solve the mystery of the mansion. Oh that's a good one. I'll have to tell it to Harry.
I round the large hallway and softly pad on the thick red carpet. Some candle lights are on the walls covered by a tiny glass bowl. The small furniture items pressed tightly against the wall to allow space for a person. Cobwebs hang loosely from the edges of the ceiling and I'm afraid to try and see if there are any spiders.
Not every hallway has doors but the ones that do leave me in curiosity as to what's hiding behind them. I assume it's just rooms for guests or quite possibly studies. I haven't gotten enough courage to open one of the doors and check inside. I might ask Harry to accompany me one of these days to check. But some of the rooms also do belong to the other 'contestants'.
After three days since Jenny's visit I haven't spoken to her nor seen her.I have been locked up in my room the whole time but she hasn't even tried to visit me and explain the other things she wanted to tell us. I felt like she left us on a cliffhanger and at the edge of our seats. Now I have to wait until I can figure out what it is.
Most of the reason why I'm wondering these halls is curiosity. Curiosity of what's in the mansion, what lives here, what it looks like... and you can also say I'm hoping to find Jenny along the way to ask her about it.
For what seems like thirty minutes, I wander everywhere I can but don't bump into anyone. I'm suprised I haven't seen Camille or Jake in a while either. They seemed to have disappeared right after Riley's death. I don't worry about it much because, after all, it is a big house so they could be anywhere. Still, I don't know why Riley was killed. Or Sam for that matter. It makes no sense to me to just kill random people for the heck of it. There has to he some sort of reason- connection- behind all of this.
It's like a map but just with some of the most important parts missing.
I decide to take a break and sit down in an area that I don't recognize. I lean my back against the wall and fiddle with the straps of my camera. I brought it along in case I saw a good opportunity to use it. So far I have taken ony two today of some intricate and beautiful designs on furniture. I want to make a scrap book from all the pictures I've gathered here. That is, if I make it out alive. I shudder at the thought and suddenly a cold rush passes by me. I hug my hands across my arms and watch the goosebumps rise from my skin.
Odd...
I spot a flickering candle and stare at it which makes me calm. I close my eyes, still feeling cold, and imagine a luxurious place. A sunny beach with bright blue waves crashing on shore. The sky just as blue as the water and the sun feeling like it's kissing your skin. I hear the far off squaking of the seagulls and imagine a nice martini in my hand with a tiny umbrella perched inside. A cool breeze nipping at my skin and getting a tan perfect enough to make others jealous. Mmmmm.
I smill at my daydream and gently sway my body from side to side mimicking a palm tree.
I decide to take a picture of the candle since it helps me stay calm and think of happy places. The picture includes the wall as well and a small table. I don't look at the picture and instead let it hang back on my neck.
After I decide I have had a good enough break time I get up and try to find my way back to the room or at least back to the kitchen.
I take in the strong scent of dust and something musty. It leaves me a bit nauseous but I shake it off. I hum a random songs by The Killers quietly to make sure I don't disturb... anything.
The hallways starts looking more familiar with each turn so I smile with pride in finding my own way back. I turn a hallway and I stop.
I can't move.
I don't move.
I'm frozen to the ground leaving me in an immobile state. My mouth limply falls open and I take in a big gulp. I shakily lift my camera from my neck and turn it on. I wait a few second but I don't stop staring ahead. I hear the noise that it's on and I move it in the perfect position.
The camera shakes too much from my movement so the first picture I take comes out blurry. I count to ten in a whisper to calm myself enough to take the shot.
1...
2...
3...
4...
5...
6...
7...
8...
9....
....
10...
I breathe in and out until my nerves have settled down. I place it in the same spot and take the picture again with care.
Click
I lick my lips and slowly look down at the picture.
It's the hallway with the mirror. The same hallway in which Sam and Riley were killed. The same mirror that I saw the black figures reflection.
And in the corner of the mirror in the picture I just took... is the black figure staring straight at me.
