Cabinet of Perturbation

I crawled through the tunnel as the man’s voice still in my brain. I hope he lives, but I got the feeling he might not. I felt the tunnel begin to shake. This is all in my head! I continued to crawl. Then I got to the end, I looked down to a whole in the floor and phonograph down there. Well I guess that means I am going the right way. I slid my legs in front of me and let then hang over the edge. I took a deep breath and dropped down to the group. I straightened myself up and walked to the phonograph. There was a sharp pain in my right ankle but I ignored it. It’s not important at the moment; the most important thing is finding my way out of this place. I realized the phonograph was empty and I felt an urge to kick it. Did that mean I was actually going the wrong way? Then I remembered. I stuff my hand in my pocket and took out the wax tape and put it into the phonograph and played it.
There was laughter and then talking, “speak into the phonograph, Basile, mon chéri.” It was the same voice from the earlier recording. Also the name, it was the name from the letter.
“What did you put into the wine?” the man moaned. The voice sounded so familiar.
The female laughed again and replied with “Absinthe, silly Basile, strong men like you don’t drink wine - wine is for helpless woman like myself.” I gave a small involuntary laugh, she did not sound so helpless.
“My head, what is this thing, get me out” the man’s voice began to become angry, “I’m not up for your games.”
“No, you have to say it first” the woman said, “how beautiful am I?”
“Plenty, now let me out of this thing!” Basile yelled.
“No!“ the woman yelled, “that is not what you say.”
“Your beauty is blinding” the man finally said. Then I jumped as I heard loud screaming and Basile yelled, “my eyes! What have you done to me eyes!? Justine, this isn’t funny! You blinded me!” I felt bad for the man, but part of me felt like laughing uncontrollably. Why is part of me so mean?
Justine laughed “you can’t catch me now!”
“I’ll kill you, you whore!” Basile screamed in rage and the recording ended. This Justine girl sounded really heartless. She has Alois cutting himself to show his love, and probably blinded both of them. Then I remembered Malo, the other man from the note. He was talented… a talented what?
I looked around and noticed only one way to go. I turned around began to walk through the corridor until it separated into three ways. The right side was boarded shut and the left side had a trail of blood leading from it. That was never a good sign. I looked straight to see a flight of stairs then looked back to the right.
Out of curiosity I still went into the room. When I opened the door I heard mouse squeaking and looked around. A torture type table was in the middle of the room with a fire across from it. On the left side was a table with disturbing pictures above it and on my right side was another phonograph. I got the feeling this was the location that poor Basile was blinded. I turned the phonograph and Justine’s voice filled the room.
“Congratulations for coming this far, I am so excited for you” the voice said happily, “I do hope you managed to save Monsieur Fourneiur. He was a friend and a colleague of my papa, you know. Friendly fellow, a real bon gracon but frail mind. He puts up an impressive front, but it is all an act, I assure. Please go on, we are just getting started.” Then everything went quiet and I looked around the room and noticed an article on a small table by the torture table. I walked over and picked it up, it was about Malo.

“Many Pansians had gathered last night to enjoy the performance of violin virtuoso, Malo de Vigny. It was to be the grand premiere of several new arrangements of songs by fellow composer George Bizet, but the evening took an unexpected turn.
Young Malo de Vigny turned up visibly intoxicated. His violin cried as the bow was jerked across the strings. The audience seemed forgiving at first, but started to boo the man off stage as he defaced the beloved song, La rose et ll’abeille. The stress apparently got the best of the young musician as he threw his bow into the audience and finally collapsed.
Mademoiselle Justine Florebelle, who is according to rumors romantically involved with Monsieur de Vigny, looked quite amused by the event and had two of her friends, Basile Giroux and Alois Racien carry him off the stage.
The evening was saved by other musicians at the conservatory who was able to perform a most delightful imprompts concert in Malo de Vigny’s absence. The audience showered their saviors with praise and calls-”

I did not read the rest as the sound of horrible music filled my head. I got the feeling I was at the concert in the audience. At least I found out what Malo was talented at, or use to be.
Justine also looked please? I guess she had a part in it, I wouldn’t be shocked after hearing she blinded a man… men. I put the article back down and looked around. Everything was beginning to look familiar. I just shook the thought out my head and left the room. I walked down the stairs and arrived at a door. I opened it to reveal a long corridor with five doors going off from it. There were various male naked statues up against the wall. They were all the same; handcuffed with their hands covering their groins. To my immediate left was another phonograph. I took a deep breath and walked over to it and began to turn it.
It was, like usual, Justine, “on this next piece you should be looking for some divine inspiration. Time to delve into your spiritual side. What do you see? Is the man begging for mercy or is he being blessed? Perhaps both! Father used to say, there were no right answers. Have the light to guide you.”
“Who’s there?” a voice rang through the hall and I looked around fearfully, “you’ll burn for this - you’ll burn for thisss!” I heard the sound of chains and through maybe the monster had followed her. I listened and heard nothing. I gave a small sigh as the man talked again, “the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ… and his kingdom shall reign forever.” The voice began to sound familiar, but that wasn’t good. The voice brought up anger inside of me, I could not explain why. I began to walk to the sound of the voice. I arrived to a room that had a couple of book shelves and a weird rectangle on the wall with a square vent above it. The rectangle had a lever and two slots to its right. “Sick, twisted child” the voice said and I got an urge to pull the lever. I put my hand on it and pulled it down once. The man screamed and yelled, “HAVE MERCY!!” I heard a strange sound come from across the hall. I just killed a man, and I did not care. I followed the sound across the hall and opened the door. It was a library, without thinking my feet continued to walk behind one of the shelves to secret entrance. I walked down the flight of stairs to see another phonograph. I was slowly beginning to get annoyed with these things. I walked up to it and turned it.
Justine’s voice came on again, “I wonder, is Father David with his God now? Maybe you helped him there. Don’t you worry, I’m sure he didn’t have a family. He probably wasn’t even all that well-liked. With the current political climate, I’m surprised someone hasn’t killed him already. We can’t all be saved. Some don’t even want to be saved. Yes, that is a comforting thought. Saves us from trying” I gave a small sigh, I guess Justine was sort of right. Wait, why am I agreeing with her? I pushed the thought out of my mind and turned and walked down another flight of stairs to a door. I got the strange feeling this wasn’t the door to the end. I walked in the room, it was dark. I could barely see. The only thing I could see were random potatoes scattered around the floor. The door shut immediately behind me and a voice rang through the room. A voice that I have heard before.
Basile’s gasping voice echoed through the room, “I’ve got you now!”