The Descent into Darkness

It was early morning, and I was cold and tired from the long night. I decided to walk through the house to warm myself. I went to the room where I work and looked at the door. All was as I had left it. The day was just breaking as I left the high room, but it was still too dark inside to see without a light. I took a candle with me on my walk.

 

By the time I finished the ground floor, the light was coming in through the windows. Everything seemed to be in order. I was about to put out my candle when I thought about checking the rooms below the house. I had not been down there since the night the animals first came. I stopped for a moment. I did not want to go down there, for of all the big rooms in this house, the low rooms are the largest and most strange. They are like deep, dark holes where no light ever comes. Yet, I would not stop my work. I felt that if I did not go, I would be a coward. Besides, the low rooms could only be entered through a heavy wood door, and I always keep the key with me.

 

I unlocked the great door and stopped. A strange, old smell hit my nose. Holding my gun forward, I went down slowly into the darkness. At the bottom of the steps, I stood for a minute and listened. All was silent, except for the sound of water falling, drop-by-drop, somewhere to my left. I moved from room to room. I had a poor memory of how these places were set up. I remembered many large rooms, and one larger than the rest with stone pillars. Now, I looked at the size of each room as I entered.

 

At last, I came to the largest room. It has a huge entrance with strange shapes cut into the stone. I held the light high and walked slowly. The floor was solid rock, covered in some places with grey dust. I moved among the pillars, looking to the right and left. In the middle of the room, my foot hit something metal. I held the candle down and saw a large metal ring. It was fixed to a heavy door in the floor. I felt excited and wondered where it led. I took the ring in both hands and pulled. The door made a loud noise and opened. I held my candle over the dark opening, but I could see nothing. It was only empty blackness. Then, as I looked, I heard a faint sound from deep below. It was a low, bad laugh.