Page 101 of The Dark Obsession

“I’m right behind you,” Ben whispers, noticing my hesitancy.

Adriel descends a long and narrow staircase.

The cold, rough brick wall brushes my arm as we move down the steep stone steps.

“C’mon,” Rafael mutters, urging me to move faster.

As the steps deepen under the barn, the darkness intensifies. My eyes struggle to adjust; even the step below me is impossible to see. How Adriel is leading the way down, I don’t know. I reach for the wall so I can guide my own way. I feel the sharp bend as the staircase twists awkwardly.

Rafael stops ahead of me, his hand like a brick against my stomach.

My heart hammers in my ears as I struggle to hear Adriel say, “It’s deeper than I thought.”

Rafael shrugs. “Yeah, well, what’s our other option?”

We move again, and my upper back sends shots of fire into my neck with each step. I plead with myself to be brave. My words echo around my head into the eerie silence. A minute of silent stepping continues.If this is a trap …

“We’re here,” Adriel says a bit louder now.

I test the floor nervously, ensuring I won’t fall down any steps, before I struggle from Rafael’s grasp. The blackness of the barn is nothing compared to down here. Not a single shred of light exists. I can’t even tell if my eyes are open. Silence fills the dark void, I gasp as a burst of light blinds me. I squint to see where it’s coming from, stumbling backwards.

Both Rafael and Ben grab my arms to hold me upright, like a ragdoll.

I blink a few times when Adriel comes into focus, holding his phone as a torch. “I should have thought about my phone for a torch on the stairs.” He chortles.

We’re standing in what looks like a huge basement. Its walls tower above us, the ceiling not visible in the light of the torch.

“Stand closer to Ben.” Rafael’s deep voice startles me.

I shuffle towards Ben as Rafael retrieves his phone from his pocket. The second torch lights the room much better; the ceiling is visible many meters above. The room is massive and almost empty except for a few large cupboards to the back of the room. A dirty mattress leans against the wall next to an oddly placed rusty bathtub.

Rafael wanders towards the end of the room with the bathtub. “No phone connection.” He sighs.

“Maybe Dale doesn’t know about this basement,” Adriel thinks out loud.

“Let’s move to this corner of the room,” Rafael says as he nears the tub.

Ben puts his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll be okay.” He leads the way through the freezing cold basement.

Rafael jumps and backs away from the corner. “Wait.”

Adriel hands me his phone and jogs towards Rafael. “What?”

“Huh,” Ben says and starts to walk.

I grab his arm and pull him back to me. “Don’t,” I moan. I shine the light from the phone in the direction of the bathtub. The light shakes with my hand, the cold making it even harder to stay still. My fingers are stiff.

Rafael and Adriel quietly mumble to one another, and Adriel approaches the tub and leans over it, looks and nods with a frown. They both turn their backs on us with their heads together.

I narrow my eyes, as if that will help me hear their hushed conversation.

“Rose, doll. Come here,” Rafael says slowly.

My heart quivers as the hairs on my arms stand on end. Nothing in Rafael’s tone tells me to be concerned, but as Ben leads the way, my stomach somersaults. I swallow the lump in my throat. “What is it?”

“We just want to see if you know what these are,” Adriel says casually.

As I get closer to the browning tub, I see some green and red rags. Confusion furrows my brow when I realise they are clothes. I step closer again, and a strange smell emits from the tub. I crinkle my nose as it burns a path down my throat, and I stand alongside Rafael. “Clothes?” I hold my breath when I lean over the tub to see a couple pairs of red knickers and a khaki green vest. My eyes narrow into the vivid blackRsown into the corner of the vest, just how my mother would sow my name into my vests, because I spent most of college losing them. I choke back my shock, the sound echoing off the walls. “They …”

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