The Lake house

MORIBAR'S DOMAIN

"I can't get through! ... there seems to be a kinda...an invisible barrier or something", Stanley said placing his hands on the air in order to push himself inside through an invisible layer of force field that has completely shut him out thus, preventing him from going any further.

"What do you mean you can't get through?", Kelvin inquired behind the invisible barrier looking surprised at the guy outside the layer of the force field as he peer at him through a clear empty air from his point of view behind the barrier. He obliviously trudged on the soft grass, passing through a force field which didn't obscured his path towards the desolate building but he stopped going further when he was called back by Stanley who was held back behind him by some strange force repelling him backwards which prevented him from catching up with Kelvin. Stacy had noticed that he was stranded on the open field fighting against the wind which seems to hold him back from heading towards Kelvin and walked up to him beside him to figure out what seems to be the problem.

"Hey! How did you get through?", Stanley asked Kelvin from where he stood as he kept on pounding hard on the invisible air with his fist trying to force his way through but couldn't break into. Each time he pounce heavily on it, he was repeatedly thrust backwards landing on the soft grass leaving part of his hands with bruises sustain from his intense approach in forcing his way through even his flashlight was thrust backwards on the ground totally concealed by the damp grass while Kelvin was awestrucked by the presence of an invisible force field that didn't obstructed his way earlier before dusk and he didn't quite felt any form of invisible barrier obstructing his way when he had ventured past the exact the same spot to a short wooden sign post situated close to the lake. He didn't quite see the wooden sign post any longer but only an enormous stone house stood on the same site covering over quarter of the required landscape of that region beside the lake.

"I don't know dude.. I just walked way past it", Kelvin replied feeling nervous and confused about the whole circumstances he had placed himself as well as the others before him in a total mess.

"If you walked through like you said, how come it didn't push you back?", Stanley asked looking agitated and furious for being repel by some strange kind of force surrounding the small area. Stacy listened to them quietly waiting for a chance to speak and trying to figure out how was it possible that Kelvin could pass through a sort of barrier unscathed as she peered at both of them quietly beside Stanley.

"I said I don't know! I have no freaking idea of what's happening here!", Kelvin yelled in anger mixed with utter frustration at the incessant questions he had no clue to respond to and bent down on the soft grass gazing at the open air. Stanley became silent for a while and stood there gazing at the open field which ended at the black lake including the abandoned building by the left side of the lake allowing total silence to roll slowly in the atmosphere as tranquil night breeze started to twist into an emerging storm by far end of dark sky obscuring the waning gibbous. They all paused for awhile thinking of what to do against the approaching storm that seems to engulf a little section of the dark sky erupting harsh wind which sway around them, informing them of an imminent storm.

"You guys need to go back. The storm is approaching right now and the only shelter for us is lying over there across the field", Kelvin said pointing towards the huge stone house with his lifeless torch.

"We can't go back now. We don't know our way back to the camp and we can't leave you here alone", Stanley replied trying hard to prevent himself from leaving when his curiosity to know what's inside that building has suddenly surged through into his body.

"Here have the map. Take Stacy and get out of here", Kelvin retorted feeling disappointed with his poor efforts to prevent himself from being too inquisitive and adventure-seeking and toss the map towards them but the barrier repelled it back to him leaving it lying on the damp grass. A sudden thought came to him which stir him to his feet with his red knapsack on his back and stood facing the others.

"Wait a minute. I have already been here before and I didn't get held back by the barrier when I walked past here and when I went back to the camp", Kelvin muttered out loudly almost gasping in sheer surprise and happiness that he could go back unaffected by the barrier and turned around to share his thoughts with the others but saw angry faces staring hard at him. He peered at the serious countenances of his two companions especially Stacy who glared angrily at him for revealing yet another secret he had kept away from them at the party.

"I knew it... You'll never change your ways", She said sneering at him and slowly shook her head as tiny ringlets of her blonde hair were swayed across her face by the harsh wind. Then she placed her hand on the barrier trying to see if she could pass through but her hand only pushed on a firm layer of force field leaving Kelvin totally isolated from them.

"Maybe I'm.... the lucky one permitted to pass through but why me? And who could have placed a force field here in this desered area? And what could they be hiding?", Kelvin inquired with wild questions running inside his head trying hard figure out a plausible theory, to explain this incredulous situation he found himself in. He stood there figuring out what to do next while the others gaze at him strangely watching him pacing around in deep thought and decided to check if he go back like last time when he wasn't aware that a barrier stood in place right there by stretching forth his hands into the invisible force field which gave way after he placed his hands breaching the barrier without being repelled, allowing him to touch Stanley's green T-shirt which forcefully swayed to the right according to the direction of the harsh wind. The trios were surprised at this filling them with awe and amazement that seems to relieve their tensed body after having a glitter of hope but Kelvin had second thoughts about this whole thing which he finds very strange.

"What on earth?! How is that possible?!", Stanley exclaimed in shock and grasp his palm tightly and pulled him out of through the barrier.

"Why didn't it stop you?", Stacy asked peering at his perplexed face beside Stanley who held Kelvin in total amazement.

"I have no idea ....I am totally confused right now", Kelvin replied looking upwards at the invisible air which sway harshly because of the imminent storm.

"I know that this sound crazy but you have to go back now and find a way to remove the barrier from inside so that we can survive the approaching storm", Stanley suggested trying to find a way out of the approaching storm.

"Are you nuts?! You want me to go back there and switch off the barrier? It sounds so funny when I think about it", Kelvin chuckled loudly which infuriated Stanley but he didn't retaliate back.

"But that's the only outta the storm that will occur soon", Stacy said in complete understanding of what Stanley meant to say and held Kelvin's knapsack trying to check if anything important that could help the others know where they are but found nothing useful.

"But I don't know if that place could end up not what I expected to see. And I'm not so sure about going inside that building right now because if there's a barrier here, they must have something important to hide", Kelvin explain logically and remove some twigs from his T-shirt which he thrust down into the grass.

"Maybe you are right, but what we want isn't what they are hiding but shelter away from the approaching storm", Stanley explained looking hard at him,

"Alright but if anything happens, it's your fault not mine. And didn't tell Jake about this weird force field", Kelvin said and ran through unscathed towards the stone house in order to speed up the process of shutting down the force field using whatever device they used creating the barrier before the storm pour down rain on the ground which it has being nursing inside the dark clouds as it slowly approach them from the southern sky, leaving them behind to stare at his back as he wander of alone towards the huge structure. When he got there, he saw his wired bug that he had placed on the wooden sign post that was scribbled with a strange inscription, lying on the damp grass a small distance away from the gigantic structure which looked at in admiration of its enormous size reaching over fifty feet high into the sky. He didn't see the wooden sign post and moved closer to four flat stairs that had dried leaves lying scattered in mass numbers and were carried off into the air by the harsh wind. He climbed up the stairs to three upper stairs which was quite larger than the bottom stairs, that was made of smooth flat stone of hard concrete which ran around the main building forming a rectangular base on which the main building stood with its tall large pillars as support. The building was held up by four stone pillars which were corroded by the strong elemental forces that thrive in its environment for a long time now including its smooth walls laced with dried vines which ran upwards the roof of white marble tiles. He saw a strange insignia of an Aqualis was boldly printed in front of the roof, making it visible for him to see after he ascended the three large steps but he couldn't decipher it's meaning which was quite familiar to him in a sort of way he found hard to explain and trot onwards in haste on the bare solid ground made of hard concrete, towards a large door which ran up but didn't touch the roof. He stood at the threshold of the entrance, looking at the sealed door which was totally shut from the inside. He pulled on the large curved handles that was exquisitely crafted in iron but had corroded completely by decaying agents as a result of a long period that has passed after total abandonment of the building but couldn't open the door. He tried several times with all his might but nothing happened and stood there thinking of what to do next which seem like a waste of time as the storm began to increase its massive size, gathering a lot of black cloud on the grey sky and at the same time, sending harsh winds which blow violently at the two stranded individuals who were left with no place for shelter except for the dark bushes behind them. As they kept on standing there trying to withstand the angry wind under the cover of darkness which rose up twisting harshly with harsh elemental forces clashing with unseen forces in the grey sky, a voice squealed at them from behind which got their attention as they turned around towards the direction of the voice, leading them back to the maze. After many failed attempts to open the door, Kelvin rested his back on the door and sat down on the hard ground, removing his red knapsack and brought out a transparent water bottle filled with fresh water which he drank quenching his harsh thirst. He sealed the bottle with the its blue lid and placed it inside his knapsack after he drained all the water into his stomach which growl in hunger. He hadn't eaten his supper yet before deciding to venture into the dark forest together with Stacy who persuaded and pestered him to take her along with him into the dark bushes utterly oblivious to his true destination which got her mad when she found out that he had deceived her to the lake instead of the campsite like he had told her that they were heading to. He stare totally out of options, at the seven steps at a short distance away from where he sat down resting his tired back against the door and peered at the scattered leaves on the last step, which was swept around by the strong wind into the cold air as bolts of white lightening flashes in the air, illuminating the dried leaves and the damp soil. Then he took out a red tracking device which has gone bad, out of his knapsack and was about to tune it on when a sudden thunderclap erupted shaking the foundation of the building with him as well who shook in fright at the loud noise resounding heavily in the atmosphere. Unknown to him, he had dropped his tracking device on a flat tile that lay not far away from him, which instantly pushed downwards as a result of the pressure from the hard equipment and gave out some sounds of bolt unlocking inside the large door during the exhausted thunderclap which gave away to mild noise of soft down pour of wet rain on the ground leaving puddles of water on the wet grass.

He got up from the dirty floor and took his device from the ground as he moved away from the door to the corner wall after noticing four more tiles pressed inside giving rise to more sounds of inner bolts unlocking behind the large door which flung open revealing a dusty fog which descended upon various strange objects that were shrouded with huge cloaks which covered almost everything inside except for a strange statue that stood in the midst of hall.