The Life and Death of William Grace

I lay on my back and stared at the ceiling in front of me, it was high and made of smooth brick, and the light disappeared the farther up. Wait a minute, light?

Sitting up I glanced around, we were in a stone passage way with ancient torches aligned on the wall, it was cool and smelled musty, like it hadn’t been used in years. I stood slowly and winced as my head rang, “Blake?” I spoke nudging him with my foot.
His eyes opened into slits and he groaned and sat up, looking around he asked, “Did what I think just happen?”

“If you’re thinking we just fell through the cave wall then yes,” I offered my hand to him and he grabbed it I pulled him up.

“You guys Ok?!” I heard Lucy’s voice and running footsteps.
“Yeah just a little banged up” I shouted back looking around, Lucy appeared a the entrance where the cave wall used to be, her mouth opened in shock.

The passageway stretched out for a couple more meters before turning into a dark bend, I took a couple steps forward and stopped feeling something in my hand. The object. I looking down and yelped jumping backwards into Blake and throwing the object away.
“Gah! What the hell, Will?” Blake shouts and picks himself up off the floor, again. “Why’d ya’ do that?” he muttered and helped Lucy down into the passageway.

“A…A hand, it was a hand!” I explain and point to the arm and hand lying on the floor at my feet, it was a human hand with a single gold ring around the finger with a jewel encrusted into the top. I couldn’t see any flesh or muscle remaining.

“Looks human,” Blake says bluntly crouching down and poking it with his finger.
“BLAKE!” Lucy squealed and pulled him backwards, “you don’t just poke a human bone like that!” He just grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

A chilling wind blew and the torches flickered, “Creepy, where do you think we are guys?” I asked taking a few more steps passed the skeleton arm, closer towards the dark.
“Hmm, a creepy underground passageway, with medieval torches, in a hidden cave on the beach. Plus a chilling wind. You thinking what I’m thinking?” Blake asked grinning.

“Sounds like vampires,” Lucy and I guessed at the same time. “But vampires aren’t real.” I stated pointing out the obvious.

“Well, that’s not really been proven. I mean, no one’s ever found proof sure but they haven’t found proof that they are either,” Lucy pointed out.

Blake just shook his head, “whether they are or not, shall we go forwards?”

“You mean you’re not turned off by the skeleton arm?”
“Nope.”

I sighed, “Fine,” I caved and followed Blake and Lucy. If only I hadn’t, then my world would still be normal and I soon would’ve forgotten about the mysterious passageway and what it contained.
***
The corridor got dimmer as we walked forwards, nothing changed in scenery and it stayed the same except for the light. After five minutes I asked if we should turn back, Blake kept walking “No.”

I glanced at my watch, “but it’s Seven o’clock! Our ‘rents are gonna’ kill us!” I argued. Nothing had happened and I was covered in dirt and hungry, I just wanted to go home, eat and shower.

Blake whirled and Lucy slipped passed him, knowing there was going to be an argument. “Why do you want to go back?! You a chicken?” he sneered.

“No! It’s just-“I was cut off from my response by Lucy, she had found something.
“Look it’s a door!” And it was true, a big black wooden door stood on the wall of the corridor, the hallway didn’t end though. More doors lead on and if I squinted my eyes I could just see that the corridor ended with a big dark mahogany double door, it looked fancy. In fact all the doors looked fancy.

I turned to Blake, “Where should we start?” I sighed and he grinned knowing I was on board.
His grin turned into a slight frown as he pondered which to open, I left him to think and walked over to Lucy.
“Do you really think we should do this?” I asked her in a hushed tone, “I mean what if it’s some psychos play pen and we’re never seen again?”

Lucy smiled and rolled her eyes, “I’ve texted my parents and told them to call yours and Blake’s.” She patted my head, “we’ll be fine.”

At that moment Blake decided to step in, “I’ll go straight, William will go right and Lucy will go left OK?” He told us with a satisfied smile and arms crossed.

“What?! No way are we splitting up, that’s what they always do in the movies and see what happens to them!” I hissed at him shaking my head. Lucy nodded showing that she agreed with me.

“Fine, we’ll all take down the big one first,” Blake eventually said after having a stare down with me, “Vampires here we come!” He grinned pulling out his pocketknife and strolling down the corridor, Lucy and i glanced at each other before hurrying after him.

If only we hadn’t chosen that door, if only we had never gone into the cave that fateful day.