Extend the Story - Add a Room

Locked in together.

By: Drakin

Before Darious could voice his answer a strong gust of wind blew though the hall and the door slammed shut behind Tam-Tam with a loud BANG! making everyone jump slightly.

"It's just the wind," Darious admonished lightly. But when he went to try the door it refused to budge.

"We're locked in!" Leeko whimpered, "The mansion is gonna eat us."

"Well you do make an appealing dumpling," Tam-Tam smirked.

Morgana growled in return. "No one asked for your opinion."

"That's why I give out free samples, darling."

"Enough," Darious silenced the argument. "The door's not locked but it's certainly jammed right. The wood must've warped over the years."

"So how do we get out?" Mila asked, feeling only slightly unnerved.

"That breeze," Darious replied simply, "There must be a window open somewhere."

"And what if it's on the second or third floor?" Tam-Tam replied, "Do you plan to jump?"

"Well we can tie a bunch of bed sheets together. ...Unless you have..."

"This?" Tam-Tam offered up the coil of rope she'd had tucked in a pack she wore, "I was wondering when you might ask.

"How did you guess she had rope Captain?" Leeko asked, hic curiosity overriding his fears some.

"Her mention of a 'trick' to navigating the house. An old legend talks about a hero tying the end of a thread to the start of a maze and using it to guide him back anytime he got lost."

"Well now don't I feel silly for thinking I was so clever to bring this along," Tam-Tam muttered sarcastically.

"But how will we use the rope to escape if we need it to navigate?" Mila asked.

"One thing at a time," Darious stroked his chin thoughtfully, "We don't even know if the window is on the upper floors. We should search the mansion first before we try anything drastic like breaking a window." He glanced at morgana as the bat first mate gave a small huff, like a private joke that passed between them.

"But it'll take hours to search the whole mansion," Mila mused scratching her chin, "Unless..."

"Oh no," Leeko groaned partially covering his ears and shaking his head, "Nonono please don't say it!"

"...Unless we split up," Mila finished to a loud whimper from the corgi navigator.

"Leeko there's nothing to be afraid of," Darious tried to reassure him with a smile.

"Yes, I think all the axe murderers are on vacation anyway," Tam-Tam added with a smirk.

"Look," Darious pressed on, "None of us will go alone. I'll go with Leeko, Morgana can go with Mila and Tam-Tam can join them."

"What!?" Morgana growled flashing her fangs at the redheaded gecko girl, "I have to baby sit this bitch?"

"Would you rather she go with us?" Darious asked. And for a long moment Morgana looked between Darious and Tam-Tam. A lot of thoughts seemed to cross her mind until she finally growled in agrivation.

"Fine. But if she ticks me off I'll make sure she's the one not leaving this mansion alive."

"Oh how noble of you to protect your friends from an unarmed stranger," Tam-Tam smirked.

"But how will we navigate?" Leeko asked Darious while Tam-Tam tied one end of her rope to a end table near the door.

Darious smiled and pulled out a stick of chalk and used it to draw an arrow on the wall near the base of the stairs indicating up. "We can always wash it off later," he explained and turned to the others, "Leeko and I will start upstairs. The girls can check the downstairs and the basement if you feel inclined."

"The basement?" Mila looked apprehensive, but Morgana just grunted.

"Ugh, I bet it's filthy down there."

"Worried about a little dirt princess?" Tam-Tam teased.

"Don't start!" the bat growled back.

"We'll meet back here in two hours," Darious added as he and Leeko started up the stairs, "If you find anything give a shout."

The groups parted and the search was on.

Something else.