63. The Tunnel

[corrinesbell]

[voiced]

I am really getting sick of this feeling down here.

Anyway. We're heading the opposite direction of Yuri's group. There are doors here, too, lots of them. A bunch are rusted shut, so I guess it must've been wet down here at some point. Couldn't tell you what the walls and stuff are made of, either, even with a lantern. But I think it's weird that this place caved in under us. The rest of it seems sturdy enough, so hopefully it doesn't happen again down here.

Lloyd got one door unlocked and he's working on another one, so we're gonna go in and look around. Gimme a minute and then one of us will be able to tell what's in there.

[written, filtered]
Hey, Albert. When you read this, I have a thought.

[action]

[standing outside the doors with the others, waiting]

Comments

[corrinesbell]

...Yeah, you're right. We could probably still blow them off, though.

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

...Probably, yeah.

[just then there's a click and the doorknob turns] Oh hey, here we go.

[corrinesbell]

Okay. Let's go in. [holds up the lantern]

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

[Lloyd steps inside first, hand on his sword hilt, but nothing jumps out. Deciding it's safe he steps further inside and looks around, not able to make out much yet in the darkness.] ...It's musty in here.

[corrinesbell]

This whole tunnel's musty and kinda damp.

[steps in behind him, raising the light even further] Wish I could make this thing brighter somehow... [moves up so she's next to him and squints into the darkness, then takes a few steps back]

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

What's that...? [he's looking at the ominous table which is now pretty obvious in front of them]

[corrinesbell]

It's...

[probably doesn't have to say it out loud, right?]

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

[Lloyd is kind of dense, but even he can get this.] ...It's just like a human ranch.

[corrinesbell]

No...it's worse.

[staring hard into the dark far corners now, heading for one with the lantern held high]

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

[he's kind of skirting around the table now... is that dried blood?] Is there anything back there?

[corrinesbell]

[yeah, probably. Sheena won't go near the table at this point]

A lot of dirt. ...Hey, what's this? [bends down to pick up some sheets of paper]

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

[looking over her shoulder] ...A bunch of numbers? What's that supposed to be?

[corrinesbell]

I dunno. ...There's a whole folder here, though, look. [picks that up too, opening it]

...Seles?

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

...What?

[but sure enough, there's the name 'Seles Wilder' at the beginning of the file, although the strings of numbers making up the rest of it hurts Lloyd's head] What the heck is this?

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

[Jumping in here..! On cue, we're crazy interested the second our sister's name is mentioned.]

Wait, what about my sister?

[corrinesbell]

[uh-oh]

Uh...these papers. ...A while ago...back when I first got here...Seles was here, too. It wasn't for a very long time, but...well, here. [hands him the folder]

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

[Staaaaaaaaring and then... oh lord. He's mad. Very mad. Bad bffs.]

...Why didn't you tell me?!

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

[dammit, he knew this would happen as soon as Zelos appeared] It was a year ago, Zelos. They had to have sent her home. [not to mention it'd slipped his mind that she was ever even here...]

[corrinesbell]

Yeah. She hasn't been around for a really long time. ...And this file's really thin. I don't think she's anywhere near here anymore.

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

[We're still glaring :(]

Even so. There anything else you haven't bothered to tell me?

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

[Lloyd's feeling pretty terrible here] Zelos, I'm sorry. I should've remembered to tell you.

[corrinesbell]

Yeah. ...But...you were here, too, back then...

[pimpinwings.livejournal.com]

[Um. Idk. We're still mad, so sorry wall, and our knuckles! Zelos is going to slam his fist into a wall before just shaking his head and sighing.]

When we get the hell outta here, you two'd better tell me what the hell else I can't remember from when I was here earlier.

[kid-in-red.livejournal.com]

All right.

[we're wishing we never found those papers, now]

[corrinesbell]

...Don't...you're powerless down here, remember? If you hurt yourself you'll just have to go back up.

[oddly, not in her scolding voice]