I Quickly Ran Down The Stairs - The Cellar Journey Part 2

This is part 2 of The cellar journey, a multi-part fictional story. Click here to view all parts of the Cellar Journey.

I quickly ran down the stairs with my flashlight bouncing as I hopped from stair step to stair step. I hit the ground and ran forward towards where I remembered the light fixture was.

Ouch! My head hit something hard and I bent down to brace myself. What did I hit? Looking back up, I pointed the flashlight forward. It was the light fixture. I don't remember the light being so low. Hmm...what else changed. I began shining the flashlight around and saw the floor had buckled up. This was not good. Whatever was going on seemed to be getting worse.

I turned back around and began undoing the light fixture so I could replace the bulb. It was too tight. I set the flashlight down and tried undoing it with both hands.

With a quick twist using both hands it popped loose. Pulling it down, there was a thick grime caked up against the fixture. What was it?

If I got the light on, I figured I could get a better grasp on what was going on, I grabbed the bulb and began screwing it in. It clicked in and seemed ready to go. The light switch was across the room so I ran over to it and switch it up.

Zap!

As the switch went up, the light flashed on for a fraction of a second and a wave of electricity zoomed across the ceiling towards the wall and disappeared leaving me in complete darkness.

Uggg. It seemed there was some type of short with the fixture. And then, it hit me.

Why was there a steel door to this cellar? Fear flushed over me in an instant.

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Immediately, I turned back towards the door and ran for the stairs. Getting out what was my only focus as I got to the steps.

Smash!

The door slammed shut in front of me. Darkness surrounded me, except the small shine of my flashlight in my trembling hand. I was not going to escape the way I came so I slowly turned around. My running had stirred up the dust and it seemed a dust cloud stirred up as my light pierced through the darkness.

Slowly and quietly, while shaking, I scanned the room with my light. Looking down at the flashlight, I realized this one was special. It was given to me years ago by a family member. A sense of comfort ran over me as I continued scanning the room. I'm not alone, I thought to myself.

The area I was in seemed cramped and the floor was worse than I initially thought.

How was the house even still standing?

Slowly, I began walking forward. The room walls narrowed the further into the room I looked. It seemed to be the only other option to getting out of here so a step at a time, I cautiously moved forward.

Step. Step. Step.

Was this all leading somewhere? I shined the light downward and forward. I thought I could make out a door at the end of the beam of light. I quickened my pace down the sloped ground and realized at the end was a door. A bit of excitement came over me until I got up on the door. It was locked.

As I faced the reality of being trapped between two doors a thought came over me, maybe the key I had would unlock this door.

Hmmm.. I was worth the try. I pulled it out from my pocket and placed it in the lock. I turned the key.

Click.

Slowly the door opened.

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