Terror In Mercuria

Chapter 1 - Challenge1

I'd heard so many rumors...2

Mercuria, the place I live, isn't exactly what you'd call a slum. It's actually a bustling corporate metropolis of cellphones and powerwalks... except for this one sector cut off to the general public.3

This city had to be at least four hundred years old, and tales flew about how in this deserted sector, the looming tower that stood had once housed a demented sorcerer who captured the townspeople, performing sick experiments on them, and enslaving their corrupted souls for necromantic rituals...4

But that was all false, as far as I thought.5

So, why should I have been scared when some of my school friends dared my best friend, Angelique, and I to slip under the laser tape barrier around the spire and stay the night inside? There was no danger, as no one, not even the police, bothered to step inside that almost sacred ground. We'd be safe, and we'd make an easy fifty off of those friends, only problem would be boredom... but what if?6

"A stupid question," I thought to myself, as Angelique and I stepped under the boundary so thin and found ourselves dwarfed by the monolith before us.7

"...you first?" my friend tentatively whispered. Taking the hint, I grabbed her hand and rushed into the eight-foot door in front of us. It was dark, dank, and smelled like old fish... silence hung in the air like a murderer in Chicago, until we heard the screams...8

Chapter 2 - Taut Wire9

The first, a shriek of pained agony which seemed to come from a woman upstairs, caused me to jump back into Angelique.10

"Lia, watch it!" she cried, but we fell backwards anyway... into a shut door.11

Tension hung in the air as we both turned slowly to look upon the closed exit.12

"...Ange, did you do that?" I stammered, shaking with fear. My response was a terrifyingly silent shake of her head, and my worst fears were confirmed... but there was still a doubt, a reasonable explanation, right?13

Ten minutes of pulling on, screaming at, and ramming into the incredibly heavy and thick oaken portal later, all doubts had been erased.14

We both collapsed into two plush armchairs near the door, coughing from the maelstroms of dust that came forth, and pondered our situation. We were still safe... weren't we?15

Chapter 3 - Snap16

"This isn't funny!!!"17

My hands sore from pounding the huge barrier keeping us from freedom, I walked into the center of the foyer and leaned on a large armored knight, tears starting to trickle down my slightly dusted cheeks.18

"Calm down, Lia, it's probably just the kids trying to spook us out!" 19

As she tried to calm me down, to no avail, I can assure you, Angelique stealthily stalked to the door and tried to peer through the cobwebbed and dirt-caked window, but it was no use.20

I turned away from the coldly comforting golem before me and, wiping the tears from my eyes, let out a scream so purely angry, it rang throughout the airy hall for minutes after.It looked like once again, we were stuck here until morning, but still safe.21

At least... until I heard the sounds.22