The clue i had remembered led me to an abandoned building. Formerly known as the Montelione hotel based in &$&7$$&$&&.
From my research and many failures, this place seemed to be the most prominent. Appearing in many news reports and the like from quite a while ago. However my leads always seemed to vanish or change whenever this place was mentioned. Almost like the more I knew about this place the more 'something', changed the narrative.
An example would be the last time Josh and I had come here with very specific details on an even similar to what happened at the hospital. Many news papers and recordings from elderly people who spoke about things their parents had told them. They all changed the moment we entered the building.
Physical papers.
Recordings.
They all changed ever so slightly that our info would bear no resemblance to what it conveyed previously.
That's partially why josh refused to work with me anymore. Not that I could blame him. No-one likes feeling like they're crazy.
This time though, I came here with a memory.
One of my time before and my mind quieted. My thoughts became more organized and clearer the moment I'd decided on crossing the threshold.
The building's main entrance consisted of two large doors modeled to seem like old oak yet the edges bled a rust-like orange, a telltale that the iron doors lacked many years of maintenance. the frame laid almost bare, the artistic paint completely weathered and stained with orange. Before that, a fairly wide rise from the sidewalk led to the large chained doors. It would be fairly easy to enter by squeezing trough the gap the doors revealed when I tried tugging at them.
The sidewalks didn't have many people however there were enough people to notify the police if I tried entering that way.
So I decided against it.
This time, I'd go in through the side entrance. A long alley led to and past the doors, this one also lacked maintenance however the only way in would be the key. That or a lock pic I however on my last trip here with josh made a copy of the copy we had managed to procure.
The evening light from the sun rendered the area a mysterious orange and thus-
Cautiously I entered.
————————- ———————
Darkness and a cold, dry draught filtered past me. Echoes a of steady dripping sounded, almost silent against the piercing quietness.
There was nothing here.
My previous attempt to gain info by coming here had shown me that. Now however a whisper, light and almost none existing pulled at me, "come." It stated "I've been waiting."
The voice wasn't one I recognized. Not to mention that at this point telling whether or not it was even real would be difficult given thus place's mysterious... abilities. I placed my steps careful but not slowly. I had a purpose for coming here. That voice wasn't it. Memory or real. It wasn't my problem.
My reason for coming here was simple.
From the memory I recovered, the basement seemed to have a connection with this tome. Which meant that I'd have to go there to Find-out more.
Why was this building so special? Why did it have the unnatural ability to change facts?
Those question were only the tip of the ice berg. My only problem was that the light from outside didn't get in through the high windows on the second floor. Above the grand staircases a thick curtain prevented any light from entering and all I had on me was a lighter my pocket knife a bottle of water and that tome in my bag pack.
I took out the lighter from my pocket and flipped it on, the light was barely enough to illuminate the area a few feet from where I stood but it would have to suffice.
The flickering light danced as I made my way slowly to what I remembered to be the hidden entrance to the basement. The memory couldn't have been true yet it was, not only did I feel it to be real, my path proved it. How did I know this? Why did it seem like I was so intimately familiar with this place?
Like I had been there before, but that couldn't have been true. My earlier visits with josh had proven that there was no basement. So how was this possible?
A sound behind me made me stop a slowly turn.
No-one behind me.
Cautiously I continued forward.
The long corridor seemed to go on forever and it was all I could do to fight the urge to turn back. The part of me that wanted to leave this all buried, pressed me to turn back. But at this point my curiosity and need for answers were even greater than my less than subtle cowardice.
Soon enough I found myself in front of a heavy wooden door, heavy because when I tried pushing, nothing happened, I couldn't get it to move.
I tried for minutes, but it wouldn't move, was this it?
I checked around the frame but there was no handle, no lever nothing.
Was this even a door?
Why did the memory lead me here?
I tried again, pushing with all my might.
Another light memory made its way into my mind slowly and the more I pushed the clearer it became.
"You didn't think it would be that easy would you?"
The voice seemed to be coming from the other side of a bonfire. A memory of a place I've never been to.
Shrouded in darkness, the person behind the fire spoke again, her voice beautiful and alluring but even more so mysterious. .
"No might, nor magic will ever open this door's seal after all it has protected me from your kind and your kind from me for so many centuries now.
If you wish to enter you must use the key. The key is within you and so many others. But only by our thoughts together can this seal become undone."
What does that even mean?
I pushed at it even harder but nothing, nothing happened.
I calmed myself and looked inward. -The key is within you and so many others.- is it something that everyone has?
Within, within...
This makes no sense! Damnit.
I pounded my fist against the door.
If you wanted me to come why don't you just let me in already?
Promptly the door unlocked with a clink and a thump. Before opening on its own. The heavy door creaked noisily as it slowed to a stop, revealing a long set of stairs that only went down.
I laughed a little.
Finally!