Ambrosi caught me staring at the damage, and he waited a few minutes during our climb to tell me "You know, you can always back out now, but once you're in, you're in for life."
I found the end of that sentence to be quite perplexing, almost as if he was desperate to prevent me from leaving. I didn't reply to him, merely continued climbing the spiral staircase that went straight up the middle of the rustic, damaged tower. There was no way I could even think of an answer. Every time one formed in my mind, it was viciously devoured by a question. Why are there so many people missing from these rooms? Why was Ambrosi so persistent in my staying here? Why, why, why! We walked the steps quietly until the top floor, when he broke the silence, saying, "Here we are. My cousin is in there." Ambrosi gestured with an outstretched arm toward a room at the end of the hall. I walked toward it, each step displacing broken bits of rubble and gravel, making a distinct crackling sound underfoot on the dusty stone floor. I knocked on the well furnished mahogany door, and was answered by a "Come in!". I turned the knob, and pulled back, revealing a shockingly clean room with a window wall overlooking the city. Blocking the center view was a blonde woman, with amber eyes that glistened like a sparkling stream. "Welcome to The Nix." She said, with a womanly, yet powerful voice.
TheDreadPyrateRoberts Community Member |
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