La Photographie Moderne

by Neil Crenner

back in and find a way up there. I am trying the butler's pantry."

  Back inside they found the butler's pantry and Catherine climbed inside.

  "Are you sure you want to do this?" Reason asked hesitatingly.

  "Yes I do, now send me up. Just turn that wheel right there but not too fast. Reason started turning the wheel reluctantly.

  "You can go faster. Faster. I am already near the second floor." Reason heard Catherine's voice down the shaft. Soon Reason could not turn the wheel anymore. Catherine must be there. He waited a few minutes the pantry came down empty.

  "Crawl inside it," the faint voice of Catherine echoed down the shaft. Reason crawled inside it and closed the outer door. It began moving up.

  "Well that was fun. Boy it's dark up here. I will turn on my flashlight."

  "I forgot it was on my head." Catherine flipped on hers as well. They were in a small room with one door. "It's locked."

  "Let me try it." Reason grabbed the handle and twisted as hard as he could. A snap was heard and the door gave with a thud. He pulled it open. The hallway was dark. There was a musty smell. It was cold and quiet like a Tomb. Looking down the hall Reason saw furniture lined up against both sides, all covered in sheets.

  "Look at all the furniture Catherine it's filling up the hallway."

  "I see. Maybe there is more." They proceeded down the hall making their way through the covered furniture.

  "Here's a door, let's move some of this away from the door. As they moved the furniture away from the door, it was possible to open it and squeeze inside the room.

  "Wow, Catherine, look at all this furniture. Why do you suppose it's up here, locked away?"

  "I believe somewhere in here lies the last Will and testament of my grandfather," Catherine exclaimed.

  "I believe you are right. Where shall we start looking? How about if we tear off that paper on the windows to let some sunshine in? It will be easier to see then."

  "Can you even make it to the window? It's almost piled all the way up to the ceiling with furniture."

  "Who could have possibly done this? Why would they do this?" Catherine remarked with an annoyed tone.

  "Maybe your grandfather did this." Reason stopped. He had no idea why he would do this and had never heard of anyone doing this.

  "Do you think it was to save the furniture for the next heir?"

  "Yes, that thought crossed my mind. Why though?"

  "From vandals, thieves and relatives.

  "Or the servants?"

  "It is quite baffling."

  "It is futile. I cannot get any further, and my flashlight isn't giving off enough light. I am not sure of what I am standing on." Reason sighed. Reason began to reach for the paper near the window and as he did, he heard a car door slam.

  "Oh Catherine, someone's here." In a loud whisper.

  "I didn't hear anything."

  "I am closer to the window and I heard a car door shut. I am going to get down and be quiet. Turn off your light." Reason directed.

  "Okay."

  "Yes, but we can't be found out up here."

  "How do they know that we are up here?"

  "You just never know. Come over here and let's see if we can hide in this armoire. It's a mighty big one."

  "I can't see a thing."

  "Close your eyes for a few seconds, then open them. You will be able to see better," Reason instructed. Catherine did as she was told.

  "I can see. Wow. It's so much lighter in here now. I see you Reason. I can get to you."

  "Just quietly and quickly," Reason said as he opened the armoire.

  "Who was this armoire for I wonder," as Reason climbed in one side. "Hurry up. I heard some more noise."

  "I'm coming, see I am here where do I stand? Over on this side?"

  "Yes, yes, let's close the door, mine first." Just as Reason shut his door Catherine pulled hers closed and it locked. A loud noise came from outside. Then some more noise, Reason heard a muffled voice was heard.

  A stream of light pierced the lock of the armoire. Reason almost gasped. He looked down at the stream of light and it hit the back wall of the armoire. Some more noise and scuffled sounds of furniture being moved. The light was going, but Reason knew someone was still in the room and maybe heading towards them.

  Reason reached out to see if there were a lock on the inside, for whatever reason why he didn't know, but as he felt about in the dark, he touched a piece of wood that spun it in either direction. He slowly turned it. The light was shining in again thru the key hole. A rattle of the door almost made him yell out. Catherine was silent. The door shook and moved but could not be opened.

  "Dame rats!" The voice said. "They need an exterminator around here not a security guard." The door was pulled again. The small wood lock held it tight. Reason's heart was pounding. He didn't want them to be caught, but now he knew there was a security guard, but who hired him and how did he know they were up there and how did he get up there so quick?

  "Now I have to report that rats were stirring about." The voice said. Reason faintly heard it. He didn't move. A few moments later he heard a door slam shut. He shrugged, his heart still pounding. He waited a few minutes longer and then whispered, "Catherine, are you okay?"

  No reply. He fumbled for the light on his head and switched it on.

  "Catherine, are you okay?" Her eyes were closed and Reason feared she had had a heart attack. "Hey, are you okay?" He reached over and grabbed her arm. She was warm.

  "Hello. What happened?"

  "I think you fainted Catherine," Reason whispered loudly. "It's okay fine, he's gone, a security guard, thought we were rats. I had turned this piece of wood and it locked the doors from the inside. He was trying to open them. I heard him mumbling about damn rats," Reason rambled on.

  "Oh dear, I must have fainted. I thought for sure he was going to find us in here when I saw the light come thru the key hole. I just passed out. I am sitting on something, otherwise I would have fallen. Can we get out now?" Catherine was whispering and breathing loudly.

  "I think it's safe, I heard a door slam. I am going to peek thru the key hole

  first." Reason bent down and looked thru what he thought was a key hole. Pitch black. He spun the wood piece and the door flopped open. He pushed it slowly open all the way and looked around the room with his flashlight. No one was there.

  "Okay, let's get out of here."

  "How do you think he got in here so fast?" Reason asked quietly.

  "I am not sure, maybe there is a back stairway that we didn't see that leads up to the third floor. Maybe a fire escape." Catherine added.

  "But how did he know we were up here? How could he have known it?" Reason asked rhetorically. He looked around the room and nothing much had been moved except the furniture in front of the door they entered. It had been pushed back and fallen over a bit. Why were there boxes and furniture in front of that door he wondered?

  "Are you sure you are fine now Catherine?" Reason asked sincerely. He started to laugh. "I can't believe you fainted and you didn't make any noise when you did. I just thought you were being still like me." Reason said and laughed more.

  "I can't believe it myself. I must have gotten so frightened when I heard the noise and then I saw the light and I thought we have been found out." She started to laugh with Reason. "I was so frightened." She chuckled.

  "You must have been. Well thank God you just fainted. At first I thought you had had a heart attack and I got scared again. My heart was pounding so hard already. When he grabbed that door, I am sure he thought he was going to yank it open really fast. Then that little piece of wood just stopped him.

  I wonder why that piece of wood was in there in the first place. Someone must have hidden in there before and didn't want to be found. He must have that that it was locked. He shined the flashlight thru the key hole. Oh I was about to yell out myself. Then he just started ranting away about the rats and how he had to report it. The funny thing is
I have not seen any rodents or their droppings." Reason was out of breath.

  "I am sure there must be a back stairwell. Let's get out of here."

  "Oh wait, I want to see what I was sitting on." Catherine shined it into the armoire.

  "This part is built in; its drawers and they all have keys as well."

  "Maybe they are not locked."

  "They are."

  "Shoot."

  "I wonder if there's anything in them."

  "Oh well."

  "Let's go, you ready now?"

  "Don't you think we should try to find the back stairwell?"

  "No. Let's just leave the way we came in." They made their way to the door. It's locked or stuck. Try it Reason, maybe you can do it." Catherine moved out of the way.

  "Let me see," Reason grabbed the handle and tried to turn it. I think it's going to break." Clunk and the door handle came off.

  "Now what are we going to do?" Reason huffed.

  "Just try pulling on the door, it may open." Catherine suggested.

  Reason put his fingers on the door edge and pulled, it came open. "It's a miracle. How could it just open?"

  "Lower your voice, he may still be downstairs." Catherine whispered. Just then Reason heard tires squeal and some other muffled noise.

  "I think he just left, I heard the car pull out. Let's go." They headed down the hall and the last door opposite the butler's pantry to their amazement found a spiral staircase.

  "Well no wonder he got up here so quick. Let's go down this way," Reason exclaimed. He began to climb down the spiral staircase, Catherine close behind him. At the landing there was a door. "Is that locked too?" Catherine asked earnestly.

  "Yes I believe it is, but from the inside. "What an