Free The Dust: Book Three - Sanctum by David H Sharp Page B

Jake wasn’t sure if he was dead or not, but he wasn’t going to hang around to find out.
    Finding Amber in the dark he grabbed her hand, pulling her close to him. They both ran into the next room. He wasn’t sure if it was darkness or a trick of the light, but he had entered a place he hadn’t seen earlier. The whole cellar was like a maze.
    He doubled back but he got lost again, and was now faced with a big, brown, oak door. All Jake could think about was getting out before the big butcher regained conciseness and came after them.
    Laughing came from further down the tunnel, and they could hear Pip singing and clapping as if in celebration.
    Jake didn’t like this one bit. He looked down at Amber, who was now terrified. He pulled her closer to him, they both touched the oak.
    Should he open the big wooden door?
    He felt the cold steel of the large door latch, it was damp. He turned it to the right but nothing happened, so he turned it in the opposite direction. The door was released and it creaked as he slowly pushed it open.
    The smell was unbearable and Amber started to cough.
    Jake turned his daughters head into his body. Whatever was in this room, he didn’t want her to see it.
    He walked very slowly. Using his one free hand to feel his way, he waved it about in the darkness. He wanted to get through this room and out the other side as soon as possible. Jake’s hand touched something clammy; he withdrew it instantly, making Amber jump.
    ‘What’s wrong?’ She tried to look.
    ‘Don’t look sweetheart.’ He held his daughters head firm.
    He went in a different direction, and could see a small bead of light across the room. Jake headed for it.
    His hands hit the wet door hard. He twisted the door handle back and forth, but the door wouldn’t open.
    ‘God damn it.’ Jake kicked the wood, but it still wouldn’t budge.
    Amber started to cry. ‘Daddy, I want to go home.’
    Home, where was home? Jake had no answer to that. ‘It won’t be long.’
    He booted the door once again. ‘Come on!’ He shouted, his voice echoed around the pitch black cellar. Jake slammed his fists against the door pounding at the boards. He felt beaten.
    Suddenly the door clicked and started to open inwards. Jake stepped back.
    The light crept in, dancing its way across the walls, breathing new life into the stench ridden cellar.
    Jake held his hand up to his eyes, as the brightness hurt his now dilating pupils.
    The voice that came from the doorway he knew all too well.
    ‘You have set Pip free, Michael is dead. Pip would like to thank you, Mr Jake.’ The crazy old fool had released them both from the room.
    Jake opened his eyes, he didn’t know whether to hit or kiss the old man. Before he could speak Pip stopped him.
    ‘Don’t turn around.’ Pip licked his cracked lips. ‘You won’t like it.’
    The words burnt their way into Jake’s brain. Almost like an unhealthy desire to be drawn to doom, Jake could feel himself turn around to face the cellar. He opened his eyes.
    He shot back, pushing Amber behind him. He could hear himself scream, he had no control over it.
    ‘Pip told you not to look.’ Now wearing an old, heavily stained loin cloth, he pushed past Jake and slammed the door shut with a thunderous thud.
    Jake slid down the wall, clutching his daughter as he slumped onto the damp cobbles.
    There must have been twenty, twenty five of them. All hanging upside down from rusty butchers hooks. Their arms, stiff with rigor mortis, were only inches from the floor. The tops of their heads had been cut off and their brains removed. Jake got all this from the few seconds he had dared to look into the forbidden cellar.
    He looked down at his boots; they were stained with blood. The cellar floor was awash with the blood of humans. Men and women, all scalped.
    Jake jumped up. ‘Let us out.’ He looked straight at Pip, who was grinning and stroking his beard. ‘Let us out!’ He now screamed at the deranged old fool, about