Elevate

The Secret Passage

THIRD PERSON’S POV

The night had taken over. The three of them hurdled in one of the corners of the first level. No one, except them, had gone in that secluded place. Some of the brisk ravens flew around on top of them as if they’re listening to their conversation.

Those houses which’re abandoned surrounded them as the wind changed its direction. Loshiana took a subtle exhalation and held Vixen who’s halting beside her as her other hand clasped Guilbert’s. Closing his eyes, in a split second, they immediately vanished through the thin air using his transportation strength, and landed outside the old man’s house, in front of the door.

The green, tranquil weeds have grown much, covering the ground from them together with those wild, blooming flowers. The tree where they used to stay every time they took a visit for Mr. Bryson before had been cut off and its leaves were slowly becoming dry or even rotting.

The man looked at them and said, “Are you ready?”

The two of them slowly nodded in agreement and so then, they went in different ways. Guilbert hurdled himself to the man’s grave while the two of them aimed for the house, explicitly the secret passage.

Twitching the knob, a sneaky cracking sound came from the door as it slowly opened. The two ladies made their way inside and were welcomed by the man’s stuff being scantily scattered everywhere. A rat came across them, pacing to its hole as it held a leftover cheese on its mouth, making Loshiana nagged out of the line. She thumped when it passed through her, holding still her chest.

After realizing the unexpected guest, she took a exhaled low and comforted herself. Vixen couldn’t believe what disarray had ensured inside Mr. Elikai’s residence, but it had broken her heart. Seeing how the man took care of his domicile was surely fascinating to look at, but now, everything is a contrary.

She glanced over Loshiana who started to walk on the side, near the window panel which was broken – shattered glass on the floor as if someone just broke in.

“Is it like this already when you went here last day?” She asked her with such concern in her voice. Her eyes wandered around, trying to confine herself with it.

She nodded in response. Rubbing her palms together, she replied, “We’re also flabbergasted and dismayed when we perceived it. Guilbert and I tried to find something that would answer our marvel about it, but we lost. We couldn’t find anything.

“Did someone break it?”

“We thought so. We thought that they’re the same to those who killed him then just came back to find the flower or anything that would lead them to it.” She added.

The only light that’s working is in the living room. Other than that, the moon is the only way to see the other sides of the house. Vixen stepped something and took a sigh. She leaned herself and grabbed the picture frame on the floor. Its glass had been shattered, but the picture had remained. It was his picture when he’s still in his mid-thirties. A faint smile was curved on her lip as she slowly rose it to see Loshiana’s expression.

“Can I keep this?” She asked.

The woman progressed towards her and simply tapped her by the shoulder. “Of course, Vix.”

“Thanks…” She looked at the image one more time and gradually placed it inside her pouch, making sure that it won’t be flipped.

When she’s done, Loshiana grabbed her hand and they moved to Mr. Elikai’s room which was on the right, beside the kitchen. From what they have seen in the living room, became worse when they entered the man’s privacy. His cushioned bed was tripped on the side as his deep red pillows were now abraded vehemently.

Those books he used to read were strewn on the ground together with his clothes and working stuff, now their pages were torn. The old brass framed mirror was shattered, making their reflection destroyed and bent.

Vixen bit her lip as she witnessed it. “Just get yourself together.” Loshiana uttered to her.

She walked to his closet, its door was freely wide opened. It was half empty. There were some clothes left inside together with his fragrances. On top of it were several books standing still in alphabetical order, is named like the flowers; dandelion, lotus, orchid, and sunflower. Loshiana moved to the side and peeked over the window. The wind was cold, brushing itself on her face. Her eyes wandered around the opaque, large trees from the distance.

She was expecting someone to budge out from the place, but her expectation didn’t give it to her. Instead, she heard several knocks from Vixen, tapping the sides of the cabinet. She started to knock in different parts of it, listening intently to the sounds.

Loshiana went to her and she also had noticed the changes of it. Vixen knocked on the outside part of the drawer then came back to the same spot. It was breaking loud and clear from the other. She moved and placed her ear on the board and knocked it slowly. She realized that it was hollow from the back. They tried to push the drawer to the side, but it was dead bound to the wall. They got no choice but to force themselves to break it.

Vixen started to search for the ax to use it while Loshiana looked for another way around to expose it. Her hands moved in different locations, pushing the sides of it. She tried to pull some of his perfumes and moved them, but it didn’t work out. Vixen let out a sigh and rubbed her head when she couldn’t find anything to strike it.

“What are we going to do?” She asked Loshiana.

The woman continued to touch his stuff, not until she stopped. She slowly raised her head and her eyes traveled straight on those books. Each of their first words was capitalized and bold, but only one seemed to be different from the rest. She tilted her head to the right side, letting her see a bit of it as the moon’s light came from the window and hit it directly, giving it a faint glittery glow on its letter.

Her hand gradually reached out to it and gently touched the tip and moved it towards her. Slowly, the ground began to shake, then the wall moved slowly to the left, exposing the door to a secret passage.

Thick, grey dust filled the room together with those tiny creatures roving to come outside their lair. A malodorous, untouched smell was leisurely emancipated through the wall’s small openings. It's side was now hard-bricked, green moss had wrapped its presence to it. Her hand traced to where the key will be used to open it. They instantly looked at each other and they knew what they needed to do. They hurriedly went outside the man’s room and moved through the living room.

The wind had slapped them as they progressed successfully outside the house. Crickets were busy making sounds as well as those rattling ones behind those thick, untrimmed bushes and woods.

“Where is he right now?” Vixen asked her.

“I’m quite sure he’s still digging the man’s grave right now. We’re lucky that the skies are clear too, or we would be bathing ourselves with the lumps of the earth.” She answered.

“Yeah. Why don’t we go now and helped him there.”

“Yes. Let’s hurry up. That thing inside just gave me chills.” She added, and then rubbed her shoulders.

Vixen stayed herself in silence, but deep in her rest, she felt it too – the horrendous, cold sensation they felt from seeing the passage. Not knowing what lies behind it is surely bloodcurdling to think. She doesn’t want to think that much. She knew that’s beyond on what’s they’re expecting it. Mr. Butcher didn’t even dare to take a visit with Mr. Elikai, when the man is still alive. Perhaps, what Mr. Butch had told them a while ago was true and that he couldn’t handle it too. The road was dark and coarse.

They hoped that Hannah will be here to light them up, but the child needed to be home this time. Cody and Miguel should be in the base now. A small light kept flashing from the distance, then they heard someone plowing the ground.

Chunks of soil were thrown on his side. His pants were covered in dirt as his face was deeply soaked with his sweat. He took his breathing and rubbed his fingers through his

moist hair. He had already dug deeper.

Vixen immediately called out his name, making him glanced over their path. The woman waved her hand as well as the man. When they arrived in the place, they saw the cross they have made before for Mr. Elikai, lying on the ground. The flowers they have left have now wilted, together with those scented candles they have brought last. They moved near the grave and glanced over below. They saw his coffin, covered with soil.

“Did you find the passage?” He instantly asked them.

“We did.” Vixen answered with a wide grin of success on her lips.

The man chuckled. “That’s good to know. Good job.”

Loshiana looked at Guilbert and said, “Are we going to take him now?”

“Yes. But first, put on your scarves. It might be a reeking whiff still.” He stated.

They took off their scarves from their pockets and wrapped them around their noses. When they’re done, they moved around the grave. Guilbert was the one who took his step first beneath. He bent himself and took a grip on top of the coffin.

Then, Loshiana was the next one to enter, grabbing the other end of it. Their shoes touched the moist ground. The sides of them were presented with those worms and tiny creatures. They started to smell a fetid odor from his body. Vixen was getting herself ready to pull it out slowly. Luckily, she’s been into weights lately.

They counted to three and when the number stopped, Loshiana and Guilbert raised his box together. Loshiana lifted it more to touch the higher ground and Vixen assisted her by pulling Mr. Elikai’s coffin completely.

“Just a bit more.” She spoke to them.

Guilbert pushed it a little in her direction while Loshiana made a stronghold underneath the casket. When it was all the way to half, Guilbert moved and halted on the leveled ground. He shifted beside Vixen and helped her in grabbing the coffin. When they succeeded to pull his box, Vixen slumped herself on the field while Guilbert offered his hand to Loshiana and extracted her from the hole. They caught their own breath.

It was getting dark and the skies slowly flattered into the gloom. A flock of birds hovered on top of them. Guilbert tapped the padlock together with those chains clasping around the man’s casket. He bugged his pocket and took something from it. It was a bronze key for the lock. He raised the lock and slowly wiggled the key inside it.

The three of them heard a fervent, soft snap from it and it had opened. He slowly pulled the corroded, thick chains around and opened the box. A lethal, malodorous smell had gone around them. They winced from it and immediately covered their nostrils. Their scarves couldn’t handle it entirely. His flesh had become pale and dried as his clothes were slowly decaying as well.

Those maggots were slowly devouring his body as some of his bones were clearly exposed. Vixen and Losahiana couldn’t hold themselves in watching Guilbert touched his corpse, so they pulled their sight from it and looked the other way around, to the forest.

“J-Just tell us when you find something.” Loshiana told Guilbert.

“Okay. Just wait for a little while.” He answered. He did his best not to touch his body. The man had a great respect for the former Informant. He cupped the sides of his coffin, trying to find a small compartment from it, but he failed. Instead, a big tedious sigh went out from him.

Loshiana decided to look at him and saw the desperation on his face. “Did…you find something?”

“No…” He stared at them. “Maybe the Butcher is lying to us.” He added.

Now, Vixen was able to turn her head to look at him. “Why would Mr. Butch lie to us about his friend?”

“That would be strange too, Guilbert. Maybe we should try to look more.” Loshiana commented.

“Fine. But the moment we won’t be able to find something, then the man had betrayed us.” He insisted.

They couldn’t reproach him for acting like that. Among all the members of Era, Guilbert is the one who’s very apprehensive. Even those who used or currently closed to them, he couldn’t let himself off the guard. He developed his trust issues.

He was once betrayed by one of them, and he couldn’t bear any longer if that thing would happen around them again and would cause worse than before.

Guilbert knelt on his knees and cupped once again the side of the casket, but then, they still couldn’t find it.

“Are you sure that these are the right coordinates that were written on that sheet we gave him?” He asked.

“We don’t want to think farther from what veracity we have right now. The Butcher had known Mr. Elikai more than us, and that’s a thing we needed to believe.” Vixen said.

“Wait...” Loshiana suddenly spoke. She slowly moved around the casket, brushing her fingers on her chin. “Mr. Butch told us the location…We’re talking about the coordinates…” She stared at them both. “Not his casket specifically.”

Guilbert then so realized what she’s trying to point out. He instantly move from where he dug Mr. Elikai’s corpse. He jumped in the hollow and looked on every side. His hands started to wander around it slowly.

The soil was wet and abundant. He was about to finish all the sides when he recognized something bulky on it. He gradually pushed his index finger and was able to touch something hard beneath. He instantly brushed all his hands, pulling out the soil. The women probed when they saw Guilbert digging up something again on it.

The thing was getting clear for him. Slowly, a small, ingenious box revealed itself. A smile was curved on his lips when he saw it. He immediately took a grab on it and held it in his palm. Vixen and Loshiana were surprised when they pictured the box. The man went to them and gathered around, near the coffin.

“What do you think it is?” Loshiana inquisitively asked.

A soft chuckle came out from him and responded, “Let’s find out.”

Guilbert slowly opened the box and a porcelain doll was inside it, standing still. Her hair was brightly yellow as her dress was in pure white. Her shoes were brushed red with a thin red ribbon wrapped on her legs. She was smiling straight at them. It was a music box.

They tried to play it, hoping that the doll would move, but it’s not working. There is a small key with a red a red pendant on it. There was a tiny sheet of paper being inserted in a small opening on its right side. Loshiana took it and carefully opened it, without letting it tear it off.

She read it silently. “It’s a message for the Butcher. Let’s keep that thing with us.” She said.

“Okay, Losh.” He answered. He took the key from it and instantly gave the box to Vixen. “You keep it.”

“What are you going to do with the key now? Are we really going to use it there?” Vixen asked him.

“Yeah. Let’s just hope we can control ourselves when we take our step inside that passage. And we need to know where it’s taking us.” Guilbert said. “But first, let’s put Mr. Elikai to rest once again.”

“Right.”

Vixen and Loshiana grabbed the coffin’s cover and put it on top, closing him around. They again said their goodbyes to the man and asked for forgiveness for touching his spot. They made sure that his box is fully closed. They wrapped it with chains and put the lock again. When everything’s ready they moved the casket deliberately back to its safe place again and shoving back the soil he had dug.

It was easier for him this time since the two decided to help him with it. Vixen grabbed the cross on the ground. She rubbed her hand on it, cleaning the dirt and let his name being engraved be seen again. She struck it on his grave one more time and took something from her bag.

It was a sunflower she got from the market. It was wilting but she still wanted to give it to the man. She intently placed it beside the cross. Loshiana held her by her wrist and gave her a smile. “Mr. Elikai would surely love it.” She commented.

Guilbert stood beside them and watched his grave. Putting his hands under his empty pockets, he said, “Mr. Butch was right…I shouldn’t have doubted him.”

Loshiana chuckled and tapped his shoulder. “You should tell him that when you give him the music box.”

“W-What? Why me?” He stuttered.

“It’s just you, Guilbert. Come on. Let’s go back to the house. We surely might be surprised at what’s waiting for us there.” Vixen stated and pushed his back to start walking.

The three of them chuckled and went to their next stop. It surely is a ghoulish one.

Loshiana stopped for a while and glanced over Mr. Elikai. “Thank you…for the information, Informant. We’ll surely give you the rectitude. I’ll look for the one who killed you.”

She took a fine puff and joined the others.