"Why do I let her talk me into things?" Luca mutters as he carefully places his feet. He slowly turns a door knob and peaks inside. It's an office. No. Nothing else in this hall beside the bathroom and a closet. And the basement door. If Kriss were to hide a mermaid anywhere without his family finding out, it would probably be down there somewhere.
Luca looks warily down the hall, then slowly curls his fingers around the cold metal knob. His sweaty hand turns it agonizingly slowly until it opens. He looks down at the steps as they disappear into the chasm of shadow.
What if she's in the attic? Do they even have an attic? God, they better not have an attic.
He slides through the crack, then descends the first step. He grasps the railing, feeling his way down, not daring to switch on the light.
He holds his breath, his heart fluttering like hummingbird wings. His eyes widen as if it will help to penetrate the lightlessness.
What if someone catches him? How would he ever explain himself? I was just looking for the bathroom? No. And he's taking forever. They're going to think he's taking a number two. It's going to be supremely awkward going back, not that it was much better before.
"Hey," he hisses, reaching the bottom step. His hand stays on the railing. "Anyone down here? I'm here to help." No answer. "Just knock something over or... I don't know. Give me a sign."
"I have another one down here," a voice says above, muffled from the door. Luca's blood freezes. "I'll be right back."
Luca stumbles forward, hand out before him.
A light floods the room, turning blackness into a makeshift living space with concrete walls and floor, a lumpy couch, arm chair, and tv. Luca dives behind the armchair and folds himself into a ball. His teeth kneed his bottom lip.
Heavy feet descend the steps. Brevity's brother jogs over to the TV console, opening and closing drawers. He walks over to the couch, pulling cushions up.
Luca's heart hammers. He holds his breath, not daring to peek over the side of the chair. Spencer makes his way to the armchair.
What is Luca going to say? How will he explain why he was hiding in their basement?
Time oozes by like spilled syrup spreading across a table.
Spencer's arm plunges in between the chair's cushions.
"Hah!" He pulls his arm out, holding a game controller. Luca watches as Spencer turns and stomps back up the steps. The darkness reinstates itself, swallowing Luca and the room whole.
YOU ARE READING
Beached
FantasyWhen a girl swims out to sea to rescue a figure in distress, she quickly realizes that the reason as to why he was in distress was quite different from the reason she had in mind. He wasn't drowning. Julia finds herself tethered to the mysterious st...
