"You're going to love your room." Afua commented as she walked with a jump in her step. My muscles ached of exertion as we both trudged down. The whispering of torches followed us as we turned through a bend in the halls. The greenish grey walls flickered into sight by light, the moss layered the surfaces heavily.

  The earlier events replayed in my mind since Atsu had thrown me down here once again. The death of the shop keeper left a weight on my shoulders that I couldn't seem to remove. I breathed out again, allowing the mossy scent fill my nostrils. The pitter patter of drops filled my ears with the clipped sounds of our boots against the floor. Afua began to talk but her voice fell into the background.

Daniella was dead.

  A lump formed in my throat as my eyes burned. I wrung my hands to shake off the chills that still gathered down my spine. I tried to allow the near reality of some plush sheets with pillows add some sort of comfort in my bones but I received none. The guilt toyed with my insides as we now descended dark staircase. This time candles lighted the way with the familiar smell of wax, our steps bled through the air once again.

  The image of the man falling to the floor took control of my mind once again. The man's body falling as his eyes rolled back into his skull. The grotesque noise that fled his lips before he was led into an eternal silence. A collection of headaches swept through me with heavy precision.

  I gritted my teeth. I slipped. My legs gave way as my body fell back. My head banged collided against the step which led to an explosion of stars on a black-orange canvas. The smell of wax flooded my nostrils as dizziness threaded into me. A pasty feeling trickled down my skull. A bitter sensation flooded my mouth as I felt goosebumps build up and down my arm. My chest tightened as a clatter rung before it was overshadowed by the ringing in my ears.

  My chest tightened as I felt a hand drag me up through my haze. I stumbled, still disoriented as the smell of my blood thickened the sick feeling curdling in my stomach. I wobbled. I pulled away from the hold on my arm before I collapsed onto what I thought was the wall. My head continued to ring with imaginary sirens. A voice called from above me but my mind was pushed to far in to process the words. My sight remained the same as the sea of headaches breezed through.

  It took some time but it wore off. My body was still overwhelmed with the painful quaking. My earlier surroundings came back to my sight, dark stained walls with blank moist steps down into an orange bathed corridor. Afua stood at the foot of the staircase, her hand crossed over her chest as she looked away from me lost in thought. Her mask was off, her chocolate eyes complimenting her even skin tone.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I continued to study Afua as I tried to match her identity to the people I had seen in the upper region. As if sensing I had awoken, her head snapped back to mine. She let out a deep breath as a wide smile formed on her full lips. She looked almost genuine. My stomach tightened as my breath hitched. Despite the muck that would have made its way onto my hands, I pushed them into the pockets of my jumpsuits to hide their trembling.

"Come on I can't have a new addition to our group hanging on me." She said as her face brightened. If I hadn't known her I would have said I would be smitten by her beauty with the way her full lips curved up with pearly whites glistening underneath, the smooth layers of chocolate that latched onto her body and the playfulness that ringed her every action but from what I had seen. My defences clicked up as my shoulders tensed. I sauntered down the step in a slow deliberate manner. The ringing in my ears continued steadfastly.

  Once I had reached her side she began to waddle away as she spoke. Her words barely registered in my ears as I pondered over the things that had happened over the past few days. The man's death placed a stillness on my system. No sort of happiness or joy could even get past the long block that erected around me. The dark halls continued onwards, the monotone slapping mixing with the dripping of drops.

My thoughts soured with the environment. Afua continued her usual rant. Her lips moved but I couldn't hear a thing she said.

I should be using this opportunity to find out what I can.

  I tried to talk but the words failed to go past the clump in my throat. I tried to swallow it and ease it way but it remained adamant like the steady block laid on my chest. Blood pounded in my board as icicles roared in between my joints.

"You're shy one, aren't you?" I heard Afua say. I coughed as I pushed past the lump in my throat. We turned a corner leading us to another set of halls which almost made me feel nauseous.

How am I supposed to even think up an escape plan when this place looks like a maze?

  "No, a lot has just been on my mind." I finally said. A sick feeling formed in my gut as we rounded yet another corner which led to another set of halls that broke into different paths.

"Like what?" The innocence in her tone made annoyance crackled within me. I bit down on my tongue. Pain filled my mouth as I winced.

Didn't she already know?

I played it cool and allowed my fists to clench, hidden inside the pockets of my jumpsuit.

"So, I'm guessing you're from one of the cities in the upper region of Nue, right?" We both walked straight on, the air around us had started to become more humid and the floors were less moss ridden instead grey weathered stones that were cut out with ancient marks.

"Yes, I'm from Agee." Agee was down east, where the richest of the richest of Nue were. It was heavily guarded and most government officials had their homes and offices in the cities. Suspicion wove its way into me as I remembered the fact. I clicked my tongue.

If she was as rich as I thought her to be, why would she associate herself with dirty criminals?

Going straight to the point, I say, "If you lived among the wealthiest people in the nation why do you need to be a part of this group? Not mincing words, people such as yourself shouldn't come near this dump so, why do so? Especially when it involves getting your hands dirty with....." I trailed off after I felt the lump rise back up to my throat. I swallow once again.

"Well then my dear naive boy, the reason why is simply because I was bored of my normal life." I gaped at her. The anger that brewed in me grew as I fought to keep myself from hurtling words at her.

She must be joking, she literally killed people with them. She must!

"You were bored?"

"Yep. That's the summary of it or did you expect more?" She didn't look like someone that would lie for any reason and from what I had seen so far it was easy to guess she would say something like this.

But still ....

  A picture of her fighting shimmered to reality in my mind's eye. I tried to ignore the palpitating that took over my heart for the last few days. Unease stirred up within me. I licked my lips as I saw ahead that the hallway that cut into another two forked paths. The path at the right had it's entrance shrouded by a yellow muslin curtain. Intrigue wove its way into my belly.

What was in there?

  The jarring yellow stood so bright against the grey walls and the dark floors. A weird smell trudged into my nose. I wrinkled it as we neared the intersection of the two paths. Hidden in the weird smell I could detect the familiar scent of ashes.

"And just so you know unless you're called, don't go in there." Afua pointed at the muslin curtain. My curiosity increased the more even as I heard  faint mummurs.

"Why not?" I questioned even as we both walked into the left path.

"Sure." A shockingly familiar voice which made me stop. My body went rigid as I Afua continued forward. The darkness spread around me, the absence of torches felt in this part of the hallway. I turned back, my eyes wide as I hid by the opening of the path. I peered out of my hiding place and my eyes met with a very familiar figure that caused a spike of anger. I breathed out as I flattened myself against the wall.

Robert?

  With his familiar black tuxedo wrapped around his muscular frame, he looked like someone that didn't belong. Like the jarring curtain, the riches in his clothing stood out too well against the lackluster setting.

Why in the world is he here?

No ideas were forthcoming as I saw him rub a hand over his clean shaven jaw. His eyes darted to his watch before pulled a comb through his closely cropped black hair. He rolled his shoulders back as if trying to hide the tension he felt. My eyes narrowed.

"Will it be ready tonight?" Robert asked and my eyes found a short port belly man standing in front of him. His bald head was dressed in strange inklings, my eyebrows furrowed. A goat skin material was tied around his weight, leaving his belly for show. A few neck beads of varying length entertained his neck with their wooden embrace. The weird smell became more concentrated as it mixed with the strong cologne of Robert.

  I felt the familiar bubbling of my blood. The locket that his mistress gave him sat around his neck, gold against the black tuxedo. I allowed myself to calm myself through quiet still breaths. In my mind's eye, I saw ma begging and pleading with him on so many occasions, crying that she would be better and saying how she would try to change. I almost spat, the usual sensation of disgust filling me once again.

"Don't worry it go ready finish by then." Robert sighed even as he nodded. He looked around, his eyes strayed to where I was. Tension clouded the atmosphere around him as his eyes roamed around the walks of the tunnel like hallways, in which I hid amongst it's shadows. I could only release a faint breath when his eyes left me. The short man led Robert away as they both talked, I noticed

What in the world was Robert doing here and why is he coming back tonight?

  I gazed at the hallway that they had stomped through not long before. Questions filled my mind as I tried to think of several reasons how and why Robert would be here. I shook my head as I allowed the familiar fury dart through me. I shouldn't care, he had only caused ma pain, only pain. I inhaled then exhaled slowly. My mind wandered away when I felt a hand tap my shoulder.

Snapped from my reverie, I see Afua staring at me with a raised brow.

"What's up with you?" I breathed out again.

"Nothing." I walked past as one mantra repeated in my head with tension hanging above me.

Robert was returning tonight.


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