Flashlight to max and rubber gun drawn, he stepped into the kitchen. The chanting instantly grew louder, tone unchanged. The table was the first thing he saw, which he had only glimpsed from the pantry's keyhole. it was a small table for four, two chairs each side. On the table's top, six long red candles were burning in two candelabras. Beneath those, skulls were on display, covered in red goo. The effect would have been gruesome if the smell of ketchup wasn't so hard, which Derrek hated. He let out a disgusted grunt and frowned his nose.
The room was bright enough with the candles, but Derrek still shone his flashlight over it where his eyes went. Behind the table, against the outer wall, was a closed older wooden cabinet, topped by a window looking outside. He made sure not to shine straight into the window, he'd already given himself away enough.
The beam went over the kitchen counter. It was a U-shaped kitchen, with one leg separating the table and the cooking area, the short part against the outer wall and the last leg, which was longer than the first, covering the Pantry's wall. Where the cabinet gave off an old classic style, the kitchen itself was modernized with some classical wooden touches. The dark wood of the stairs was exchanged for a lighter one with a visible wood grain.
The middle part had a cooking fire with a metallic suction above it. There was a pot on the fire, but Derrek continued his scan of the room. The sink was installed against the outer wall. Oven, microwave, and something fancy filled some holes in the cabinets against the wall with the pantry.
The fridge, a big American double-doored one, stood to his left, followed by some big metal bins. The pantry door, still closed, beside those.
His flashlight went over the room again. No teens. He shone to his right and saw another door. Almost missed it, that's the unknown room. Better check it out soon. Now, where's that chanting coming from.. On the table, inside one of the skeletons, he spotted a bright blue LED. He holstered his rubber gun. Ah, there we go. Ehk, damn ketchup. That's messy. Huh, little bluetooth speaker, no USB or cable. So someone is still casting to this right now. Can I use that?
He thought it over as his eyes fell on the pot again, there was a lid on it. The cooking fire, an electric one, had no lamps on. He sniffed the air, but only got the gory ketchup scent, making him frown all the same. He set down the speaker on the table again.
Focus, chair. He had kept the kitchen door from the hallway open, through it he saw the basement door remained closed. Derrek laid his flashlight on the table, beside the ketchup speaker, aimed at the hallway. He grabbed two of the chairs and walked toward the hallway. He stopped and blinked, put one chair against the open door of the kitchen, beneath the handle. Are you kidding me? Too short? He sighed deep and long, and set the chairs back on their original spots.
A phone rang. Derrek turned to the cooking part of the kitchen, where the noise came from. Beside the cooking fire he spotted a lit up phone on a holder against the outer wall. What now? Can't a guy go blocking doors in peace? He walked over and read what the enlightened screen said.
UPSTAIRS Wait, upstairs? Inside call? That's Yves probably. He checked the open door to the hallway, and back to the phone. I could try catching him, right now. But why call? He can't go anywhere either way. Curious to what he has to say. Derrek got into the kitchen and picked up the phone, it was a wireless model.
"Hello, officer Waters." Waters? Bill Waters? What in the…
"Waters isn't here, it's Kane. And hello, Yves." The line remained silent for a beat. Let's hope the range on these models is any good. Derrek moved toward the hallway. He picked up his flashlight and turned it off.
"Kane? Now, that's a twist. Well, how do you like"