More Than One Way To Die

Chapter 18 Exploration

Kameron's POV

We just journey, leading the group of people up the stairs. The first group stops at the 2nd floor as we leave them behind to continue up with our trail of followers that make it to the 3rd floor and stop as Jordan and I continue on.

It's takes a minute of hunting before we find the entrance to the attic so we get up to the attic quicker than expected once we get hold of the band thats attached to the pull down door. I have to pull the step latter down from the ceiling, giving us entrance like some sort of bad magic trick.

"Let me go first just in case Samantha is in there.. because we still don't know if she is a threat or not." I say to Jordan as she nods and steps back to give me room before saying. "What a gentleman."

I climb the old wobbly steps slowly. Peaking my head in then doing a complete 360° turn on the latter making sure there are no threats to us around that I can see.

I climb the rest of the way up and make sure to stand at the entrance to help Jordan the rest of the way as well. I couldn't out of good conscience let her try to figure it out on her own in a dark area. She is an older woman and I need to make sure she is alright.

Once we get up into there, a string hits my face as I reach up grabbing it. It's the light switcher for the attic, luckily so we don't have to do this in almost complete darkness since there aren't any windows up here that I can see at least just not yet and the wind-up lights can only help so much..The attic is way bigger than what I even imagined, it ends up being a whole other floor just for storage.

"Ok I think that we should start at one end together and just work our way over to the other end.. does that sound alright for you?" I ask her as she nods but puts her hand up stopping us before we could even start.

"I do have something for you." She says reaching into her pocket pulling out a box and letter, handing them to me.

"What's this?" I ask curiously, holding it up for her to see. "It was a special request by Mrs.Emily.. she asked me to give this to you when your alone but you haven't been alone the whole time, since you have been taking care of Violet. So I figure this is my only chance and I'm taking it." Jordan explains to me.

I look down at the box and note. I open the note reading.

Kameron,

This is something that has been through my family for generations and I would love for it to be kept in the family. I know you both would love this and want it.. you just have to be the one to initiate it. I know you could both have a wonderful life together you just have to step up and take it for yourself. You both have such a special relationship just like my first husband and I had and that was real true love. So I want this ring to go to a relationship that similar. I love you Kameron you deserve so many great things and I know Violet can give it to you. Take care of her.. please.

Love you,

Gramma Emily

I put the note into my pocket and unwrap the box. My heart actually starts racing the moment I see just the shape of the box because I'm pretty sure I know what this is. I open it up cautiously as my mouth drops open at the sight of it.

It's a stunning shining diamond ring that is simple but beautiful. I inch it closer to my face looking at every little detail in a very close examination. It's nothing over the top just simple and to the point.

I can see that there is an engraving so I read the engraving on the inside that says. I will love you forever and always. This is short and sweet hitting straight to the point on exactly how I feel. It's as if this ring was made for us.

"Don't feel like you have to use that now by any means, she just didn't have the time to give it to you later, when it was at the right time.. so just decide for yourself when and if you want to give it to her.. She has known that you loved her for a while and now that you have figured it out for yourself it's only a matter of time before this is an actual thought ib your head.. but just take your time no rush. She wanted me to make sure to tell you to wait for YOUR perfect moment and no one elses.. Ok now that we have that out of the way let's search thus attic." Jordan explains once more to me and I can't help but smile and nod at her sweet explanation.

"Thank you I appriciate your encouraging words, if we are being honest between you and I.. I will definitely use this because I do want that, I just want forever with her even if it doesn't seem like long enough.. but I won't admit it to her just yet, i dont want to scare her away once i just got her.. Because I don't even know when or how to bring that up but it will happen, eventually.. so thank you. Yes let's get this started." I reply pretty quickly putting the ring back into it's dedicated box and shoving it into my pocket to make sure I don't lose it.

We hear a bang, boom and crash of the storm above vibrating the whole place once more as the lights in the attic shut off on impact but we were both prepared for this situation this time.

I grab my flashlight thats hanging from my wrist and so does she as I can hear the both of us winding the flashlights up for use. They illuminate the side of the room giving us a place to at least start until the lights come back on. For being in the attic and day time right now, you would think there would be some other source of light but we found out the hard way with the lights abruptly shutting off, that there is not.

We begin at one end of the attic and searching through each open crevice that's formed between the items. We have to move things back and forth to look all around properly. This is seeming to take much longer than we expected but that's because of the suprise of the size of the room.

We have to keep winding the flash lights up over and over again because they lights have been continuously turning on and off in this room with the storms help.. so we are use to it after the long exploration with nothing to show for it so far.

After so long of searching and coming up empty handed with nothing to help our investigation, we wash our hands of the search just stopping to be able to meet up with the rest of the crew because this search has almost taken up the whole time we had available. Time to meet back up with everyone to figure out our next plan of attack. I know we don't have any luck but maybe someone else did.

Unknown POV

We all seperate into our own made up groups of people decided by Kameron just to search for my second victim. I'm just going along for the ride because I'm not about to admit that it was me killing them.. so they can come to whatever conclusion they want to about what's happening.

They can't know that it was me at least until I get the result that I want and hopefully I don't have to admit to it at all if things go in the direction they are headed right now. So with us separating the way we have, I don't know if I can get to the body in time to hide it once more before she is found.

I thought I had a very clever idea for hiding her body but with everyone searching for her or any signs of her, I need to find a new hiding spot and quick. With all this searching of this huge area, they could find the hiding spot easily if they somehow know about the secret passages that I only discovered a couple years ago by mistake. The passages and hideaways were talked about for a long time but I never thought they were actually real until I found one for myself and spend everytime I came here after, slowly sneaking through them figuring out where every single one leads to.. and luckily the group I have been assigned to is nearby my hiding spot for the body, so I just have to find my moment to sneak away and rehide it before anyone would to find it.

I watch everyone seperate as we go to our different dedicated areas of the house. I wait for a perfect opportunity to leave for just a moment and as if it's just serendipity, it's like the stars all aligned just for me as if I was meant to hide my secret for longer. Because the lights go out once more and the room we are in is pitch dark now. I sneak off through a side passage as I run down the extra made hallway to her lifeless body in no time at all. I take hold of her arms dragging her farther down as I hear a woman's abrupt startled squeal as the secret passage opens with her falling in unexpectedly to the floor. I can see her but I don't think she can see me at least not just yet.

"Hey I fell in somewhere through the wall! Can anyone hear me?" She asks banging on the wall trying to get back out but luckily still hasn't noticed me yet... That is until she turns and her eyes go wide at the sight before her.

I quickly let go of the lifeless limbs out of my hands as I jump over the body to her side covering her mouth quickly, holding her squirming body to mine to try to calm her panicking senses. It's Lydia as I hear someone yelling on the other side of the wall for her. She tries to yell in response but I just keep her mouth covered so her cries are muffled.

I wait only for a moment as I quickly wrap my hands around her neck squeezing tighter then ever before because I'm not here to enjoy this moment, I'm here to take care of this situation before she exposes everything I have done to the world and we can't have that.

I have to get rid of all the loose ends and sadly enough for her she ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and we can't have her knowing any of this for the sake of my future plans.

She fights and gags trying to get a sound out edge wise but nothing comes out as I squeeze harder lifting her higher off the ground with her feet dangling as whisper into her ear. "I'm sorry Lydia you were in the wrong place at the wrong time and we can't have you knowing any of this so.. I would like to say nice knowing you but since I found out about all your money laundering.. I'm honestly pissed that you could do that to such a great human being so this is actually well deserved if I have anything to say about it. Good riddance theif I hope the money was worth your life because I for one think it's a fair trade."

She fights with her last bit of life, jumping over and over again in my hold trying to get out but successfully snapping her neck in my tight grip as her lifeless body now dangles awkwardly, making my job easier than expected. I let go as her body drops to the ground instantly.

I can still hear the voice on the otherside of the wall yelling for her but I take my only opportunity as I quickly grab her arms dragging her to end of the secluded hall quickly kicking her body into the hidden corner of the very dark and small closet spaced room.

I go back to Samantha's body grabbing her arms as I drag her body over to the same area just throwing it on top, stacking the bodies up, and balancing them on top of each other like a demented game of Jenga.

I catch my breath but only for a very short moment as I have to take my only other open opportunity to escape the scene of the crime before im caught red handed. The lights turn off from the storm once more giving me the chance that I need to get back before anyone notices my absence.