35

After looking at Katherine for a while, Elizabeth turned her attention to Dominic. They moved in lockstep behind Denis as he made his way down the deserted, echoing corridor.

"Where do you want to go, exactly? What exactly is the question that she is responding to?" Matt demanded. Elizabeth could only laugh nervously and shake her head. In order for Alaric to keep up with Denis's gliding speed, he was jogging.

As they exited into the snow, she slowed down and, to to Elizabeth's surprise, went up to Alaric's vehicle in the staff parking lot and stood by it. Elizabeth was taken aback by this behavior.

Merit quickly said, "There isn't enough room for all of us; I'll follow after Matt." Elizabeth climbed in the rear of Alaric's vehicle when he opened it for her, with Dominic and Katherine sitting on each side of her. Her skin was chilly not just from the cold weather but also from the anxiety she was feeling. Denis occupied the front seat. She did not make a sound, and she was staring in the same direction as everyone else. However, as Alaric was pulling out of the parking lot, she raised one of her white hands and indicated something. After turning right into Lee Street, continue straight onto Arbor Green. Going in a direct direction toward Elizabeth's home and then making a right turn onto Thunderbird.
Moving in the direction of Old Creek Road.

After that, Elizabeth had an aha! moment and knew where they were heading.

They crossed across the other bridge to go to the cemetery; this was the one that was usually referred to as "the new bridge" by everyone, in contrast to the Wickery Bridge, which had been demolished. They were approaching from the side of the gate that Tyler had driven up on the way to the abandoned church with Elizabeth. This was the side that they were coming from.


The automobile of Alaric came to a halt in the same spot as Tyler's car had previously stopped. Merit came up behind them and pulled up.

The automobile of Alaric came to a halt in the same spot as Tyler's car had previously stopped. Merit came up behind them and pulled up.

She questioned him by asking, "Where are you going us?" "Listen to me. Could you please simply tell us the question to which you are responding?"

"Examine it for yourself."

Elizabeth gazed about at the other people in the room helplessly. Then she crossed the threshold into the next room. Denis made his way with deliberate steps to the mausoleum made of white marble, and then he halted.

Elizabeth took a peek at it before focusing on the apparition of Denis's face. Her arms and the back of her neck were covered with standing hairs, as was the back of her head. "Oh, no..." she said under her breath. "No, not at all."

"Elizabeth, can you please explain what you're talking about?" Merit said.

Elizabeth glanced down at the marble faces of Thomas and Honoria Fell, which were laying on the stone lid of their grave. She was feeling dizzy as she did so. She said in a low voice, "This thing opens."


Do you think it would be OK for us to peek inside? Matt said.

Elizabeth said in a pitiful manner, "I don't know." She felt the same way now as she had when Tyler had proposed breaking into the tomb in order to vandalize it: she did not want to see what was within the tomb. She continued by saying, "Perhaps we won't be able to get it open." "Both Tyler and Dick were unable to. It wasn't until I put weight on it that it began to slip."

"Lean on it now; maybe there's some kind of concealed spring mechanism," Alaric offered, and when Elizabeth tried, with no effects, he remarked, "All right, let's all grab a hold, and brace ourselves-like this." Elizabeth did lean on it, but Alaric's suggestion had no effect. Now, now, hear me out-"

From his crouching position, he raised his head and peered up at Dominic, who was still standing still next to the tomb and seemed to be somewhat amused. Dominic moved forward and said, "Excuse me," causing Alaric to retreat while frowning. Both Dominic and Katherine took a hold of one of the ends of the stone lid and raised it.

Dominic and Katherine dropped the lid to the ground on one side of the tomb, causing it to make a grinding sound as it moved. The cover then came off.

Elizabeth was unable of bringing herself to approach any more.

She focused her attention on Katherine's face instead, despite the fact that she was experiencing nausea. It would explain to her what kind of things may be discovered in there. Her mind was flooded with images of mummified bodies, some the color of parchment, others of decaying corpses, and yet others of smiling skulls. If Katherine's face contorted into a shocked, nauseated, or disgusted expression...

However, when Katherine glanced inside the opened tomb, the expression on his face changed to one of bewildered bewilderment.

Elizabeth could not take it any longer and broke down in tears. What exactly is it?

He smiled crookedly at her and then added, "Come and look," while glancing over his shoulder at Denis.

Elizabeth crept closer and glanced into the tomb as she approached it. After that, her head sprang up, and she stared at Katherine with shock written all over her face.

What exactly is it?

He responded with, "I don't know." He looked to Merit and Alaric for assistance. "Is any one of you able to lend me a flashlight? Or some rope?"

They each had a peek inside the stone box before heading back to their respective vehicles. Elizabeth did not move from her position and continued to stare down while focusing her night vision. She just couldn't bring herself to accept it.

The structure that seemed to be a tomb was really a gateway.

When it moved under her touch earlier that night, she had felt a gust of chilly air coming from it. Now she knew why she had felt it. She seemed to be peering into some type of underground vault or basement at the time. She could only make out a single wall, the one that fell down abruptly below her, and that wall had iron rungs that were pushed into the stone, creating the appearance of a ladder.

As Merit was returning, she called out to Katherine, "Here you go." "It seems like Alaric has a flashlight, and I'll lend you mine. And here it is, the rope that Elizabeth wound around the steering wheel of my vehicle before we started hunting for you."


The dim space below was illuminated by the flashlight that Merit carried with her. Katherine said, "I can't see very far inside of it, but it seems to be empty." "I'll be the first one to get down."

The dim space below was illuminated by the flashlight that Merit carried with her. Katherine said, "I can't see very far inside of it, but it seems to be empty." "I'll be the first one to get down."

Denis hadn't moved. She continued to stand there with the same look on her face, which suggested that she was completely oblivious to the things going on around her. She did not utter a single word as she silently swung a leg over the side of the tomb, rotated, and then started to drop.

Katherine said, "Whoa" in surprise. He stowed the flashlight in the pocket of his jacket, placed a hand on the foot of the tomb, and then sprang forward.

Elizabeth did not get the opportunity to take pleasure in Alaric's look before she knelt down and said, "Are you okay?"

"Fine." She looked down and saw the spotlight winking at her. "Denis will be OK as well in the end. The steps go all the way to the bottom. Bring the rope with you just in case."

Elizabeth turned her attention to Matt, who was standing the closest. The look of helplessness and resignation that appeared in his blue eyes as he met hers was followed by a nod. She inhaled deeply and mimicked Katherine by placing her palm on the ground at the base of the grave. She felt the abrupt pressure of another hand on her wrist.

Merit said with a gloomy expression, "I've just come up with something." "What if Denis's entity is really the Other Power?" "What if it is?"

Elizabeth responded by saying, "I had considered it a very long time ago." She began by petting Merit's hand before ripping it from her grasp and leaping forward.

She supported herself by standing on Katherine's arm as she got up and glanced about. "My God..."

It was an odd location to be sure. Stone was used to clad the outside of the walls. They seemed to be polished and had a very smooth surface. Candelabra made of iron were driven into the gaps between the stones at regular intervals. Some of the candelabra still had the melted remnants of candles. Elizabeth was unable to see the opposite side of the chamber, but with the flashlight she was able to make out what seemed to be a wrought-iron gate pretty near by.

In certain churches, the altar was once hidden behind a screen.

Denis had almost made it to the bottom of the ladder when he reached this point. She sat there in silence while the others descended, starting with Matt, then Merit, and last Alaric with the second flashlight.

Elizabeth raised her head to see. "Dominic?"

She was able to make out his silhouette against the darker rectangle that served as the entrance to the tomb's sky opening. "Well?"

She questioned, "Are you here with us?" Not "Are you planning to accompany us?" She was certain that he would grasp the distinction between the two.

During the subsequent period of quiet, she waited five beats of her heart. Six, seven, eight...

Dominic landed with perfect precision despite the turbulence of the air. However, he did not glance at Elizabeth at any point. She had a hard time interpreting his expression since his eyes were so far away.

Alaric exclaimed in astonishment, "It's a crypt!" as his flashlight cut its way through the pitch-black interior of the building. "A burial site that is located in an underground chamber that is under a church.
Typically, they are constructed under bigger churches."


Denis approached the gate that had been scrolled in a direct manner and opened it by placing one of his little white hands on it. It turned away from her as it moved.

Denis approached the gate that had been scrolled in a direct manner and opened it by placing one of his little white hands on it. It turned away from her as it moved.

Denis stopped.