Summoner: The Book of Dimension

3 The book of Dimension

“No matter what happens, under any circumstances, do not open the cellar,” Peter read loud for the two who were behind him.

Zack grinned. “Sounds good to me.”

“What is that? A puzzle to a treasure?” Ray showed a sudden interest and rushed to look over Peter’s shoulder.

Josh looked at each of them. “What should I do?”

Peter was skeptical but his intuition already knew what to do. “What do you think you should do? Don’t open the cellar as you’re told not to.” He took the paper from Zack and read it before he gave it back to Josh.

“You think so?” Josh asked, too uncertain. “Should I open it or not?”

Zack gave Peter a displeased look. “You’re no fun, Pete.” He placed an arm over Josh. “Don’t mind him. He’s just chickening.” He gave Peter a teasing smile.

Peter didn’t mind Zack but he couldn’t just dismiss the amount of danger they could face if they wouldn’t follow what was written there. After all that they have seen.

Peter looked at Ray, and he looked like he was ready if Josh would decide to continue.

Peter knew he’s after the thrill and adventure in what was hidden in the cellar, but Josh was the owner, after all, so he should be the one to decide.

However, Josh was indecisive. He had no plan on anything but he was open to any persuasion.

Zack sighed. “Come on. It’s to cliche for someone to leave such a warning note. It may be an ironic riddle. We’ll only know if there’s something interesting there once we enter the cellar. Besides, there’s no way there’s something really dangerous in there.”

“Warnings are left to warn people for something acquainted with danger. Do you think his uncle will just leave that letter for fun?” Peter argued, persuading them to not take the risk because he wouldn’t risk his life for fun.

But it seemed like Zack and Ray had decided to do it and Josh seemed to be more persuaded by the two.

Peter looked at Josh who was just looking at him. “This is one of your problems, Josh. Why do you not have any opinion? You have to at least say something.”

Josh shrugged his shoulders. “For me, I want to try it. Zack is right. We wouldn’t know what’s inside if we won’t check.”

Peter sighed, losing a little of his temper. “We’ll only know it’s a true danger if we’re inside that damn cellar. Actually, we might not know and just instantly die there.”

Zack crossed his arms in annoyance. “Why don’t we do this? The majority wins.”

Peter rolled his eyes to his expectation. “Of course, I’ll lose. I’m the only one sane here.”

Zack shook his head. “You really are no fun. At all,” he sighed and cleared his throat. “Okay, raise your hand if you want to open the cellar.”

Just as Peter expected, he was the only one who’s disapproving of the plan.

“How’s that? I think we know what to do.” Zack took the paper from Josh and crumpled it before he threw it in the empty fireplace.

He looked at Josh and added. “I think your late uncle is testing you. This is a test if you’d be ready to risk anything to find what he has hidden.” Zack said as he pushed Josh excitedly towards the direction of the cellar.

Ray patted Peter’s shoulder. “Relax, Peter. Sometimes you have to take risk to face your own adventure. Besides, we’re going together.”

“You say that because you’re ready to die for adventure. Did you forget the stuff we saw? What’s kept in there must be dangerous!” Peter said and followed behind.

When they reached the cellar door, it had three big locks from the outside.

Peter grew more cautious and timid. “See? It’s securely locked for a reason! Do you guys still want to continue?”

No one spoke and just stood by the cellar door. Zack walked behind Peter and just as he thought he decided not to continue, he came back with a fire extinguisher in his hands.

Peter gave up. He was too tired of telling them there was actually possible danger behind that locked door.

After grunts and few metal clinks, the three locks were totally destroyed.

Zack placed the fire extinguisher to a side and twisted the doorknob. When he opened it, the door led to a narrow but short staircase, down to the basement.

It was dark, so Ray looked for a switch and turned the lights on.

Peter looked behind him and noticed that the sky was getting darker outside. It made him more anxious. He knew a lot of creepy and scary things could happen the moment the sun would set down.

He didn’t have a choice but to follow.

When they reached the end of staircase, Zack turned on the lights in the basement.

The basement was wide, and Peter thought it was as wide as two of the three big rooms on the third floor.

Through the light, they saw the walls with pentagrams in red paints.

“What the heck? Is your uncle satanic?” Zack asked Josh.

“I don’t know. I never met him,” Josh said and he was crept out himself.

Peter looked around and found an altar for voodoo dolls and a skull of a goat on a corner. There was also hardened melted wax from red and black candles around the altar

He looked to his left and found a dismounted door. He assumed it was a door to the basement. He also noticed hinges from the end of the staircase.

“I don’t want demons to come after me,” Peter said, shivering at the creepiness the basement gave him. “Why does it have to be the basement, all the freaking time?”

They noticed three doors across the basement doorway.

Ray, as the only one super thrilled about what’s inside those rooms, opened the first door.

Ray gasped. “Woah!”

Zack and Josh rushed to look at what’s inside the room and they gasped in shock. “Are those real?” Zack asked and Peter saw them holding different kinds of weapons. Sword. Guns. Anything.

Peter felt like he was dreaming. A nightmare one. “Don’t touch those!”

They ignored him. He grew anxious and looked around, afraid something will pop up.

“I hope we get out of here without anyone getting hurt,” Peter whispered.

He noticed the basement only had one drawer, and it was placed on the wall on the doorway.

The basement was wide.

While he was walking by, he saw something on the cemented floor. He crouched down and brushed his fingertips against the floor and it wasn’t just some stain. It looked like a bloodstain that wasn’t wiped well. If it’s from an animal or an actual human, he didn’t want to know. If not, it’s safe to say it was a wine stain.

While he was wondering what it actually was, the three was now looking over the iron cases at the second door.

“There’s a third door, right?” Josh asked, checking things on his own.

Zack looked at Josh and Ray. “Shall we open the other door, too?”

“You guys are going all in, aren’t you? If I die, I swear to God I will hunt you all forever,” Peter warned and opened the drawers which had nothing in there.

“Relax, Peter. Nothing can happen,”

Zack walked upstairs to get the fire extinguisher.

Meanwhile, while still investigating the suspected bloodstain, Peter suddenly heard a disembodied voice saying something gibberish.

He looked at Jon and Ray who were trying to unlock the third door while waiting for Zack and the fire extinguisher. They seemed to be unbothered.

Peter thought it was just his imagination. He wasn’t sure, since the two were rowdy while discussing what could be the things that were inside the third room.

He stayed there and watched Zack walking by the staircase. He heard the same voice but this time, he barely understood the whisper. “Under the drawer.” Weird, but he could tell it was neither of the three rowdy guys.

“Come on!” Ray and Josh impatiently called for Zack who was literally running towards them. They used the fire extinguisher but it was harder than the locks of the cellar door.

Peter concluded it was just him who heard it. While looking around for possibly someone else inside the basement, he noticed something under a drawer leaning by one of the walls. It was shining. “Under the drawer,” the voice continued.

“Did you guys hear that?” Peter asked.

“Hear what, scaredy-cat?” Zack teased.

Peter ignored Zack’s annoying tease and walked back to the drawer.

He knelt down and pressed the side of his head to the dusty floor to peek and see what was under the drawer.

His big hands reached the small crack under the drawer. It touched something rough. When he could pinch the edge of it, he slowly pulled it out from under the drawer.

It was a book.

The cover was dark brown and designed with detailed patterns, about as big as an encyclopedia. Something was written there that he read, “Book of Dimensions?”