Diana's eyes were wide as saucers and her heart was racing as she stood on the platform at the top of the staircase. She couldn't see a single source of illumination, and the darkness seemed to stretch out before her like an endless void. Fear and apprehension gripped her, and she felt a chill run down her spine. Her face was a mask of anxiety, with her eyes straining to see anything within the endless void before her. She squinted her eyes, searching for any sign of danger.

Then she heard Carl chuckle. Danger, Diana thought. The danger was right beside her, arms wrapped around her waist, body plastered together like conjoined twins.

"Ready, Diana?" He asked.

I never will be, Daiana thought to herself. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, but it did little to ease the sense of unease that was building inside of her. As her foot went past the first riser and landed on the first plank, she felt a sense of trepidation wash over her.

Another step, another descent, and she and Carl were swallowed by the darkness of the staircase.

As they continued their descent Diana's heart felt heavy with the weight of uncertainty and fear. Each step seemed to be a perilous leap into the unknown as if she were venturing into the depths of an abyss. The creaking of the stairs echoed through the hollow darkness like the mournful wails of a lost soul.

She drew a breath and threw Carl a glance. He had been silent since they stepped on the first plank of the staircase, leaving her to the mercy of fear and anxiety

She could only thank the heavens or whoever for the absence of flickering candlelight on the walls that could cast eerie shadows to dance around her like malevolent spirits. She supposed — as she descended to another plank — that total darkness was better. Curiously, but still held in the claws of trepidation she felt like her gloaming surroundings was forcing her into the very depths of her own psyche and to confront her deepest fears. It was as though the darkness was a tangible thing with knuckles punching her temple shooting waves of pain and fear into her mind.

Diana wished her silent companion would say something. Why had he chosen to mute himself at that very moment? It only made the silence louder.

She drew another deep breath. She couldn't tell how long they have been descending. She couldn't tell how many planks they have tackled.

And as her trembling form continued to descend the perilous staircase, her mind was consumed by a tumultuous sea of emotions once more. The darkness around her seemed to mirror the bleakness of her thoughts, and the rickety stairs beneath her feet felt like they were slipping away into an endless void. Suddenly, like a bolt from the blue, a vivid flashback of a moment long gone assaulted her senses.

Diana steeled.

She saw herself standing outside a dilapidated building, surrounded by twelve people whose laughter and conversation were lost to her. It was as if she were an outsider looking in, disconnected from the world around her.

But as fast as the memory flashed it drifted away in a split of a second.

"What the hell," Diana murmured.

"I guess we're nearing the eighth floor. Did you see them? Recognize any of them?"

Diana swung her head to the side to stare at Carl. Though she knew he wouldn't see it because of the ebony blanket that enveloped them, she gave him a shocked but curious gaze.

Stammering, she said, "W-What do... do you mean? R-Recognize who?"

"You'll see," he replied.

That was it. Diana was too distraught, she steeled herself even when Carl propelled the two of them to descend another flight of stairs. Her refusal to cooperate caused the two of them to wobble. But Carl managed to balance them and prevented what could have been a deadly fall. It did, however, cause Diana to take some of her weight on her own and it instantly made her scream. The pain in her ankle burned from her leg up to her waist. She resorted to entangling her arm from Carl's shoulder and steering away from his arm that circled her hip. In a desperate attempt to relieve herself from the pain, she sat down.

Carl on the other hand kept himself prone. She couldn't see him but she knew he was gawking at her, probably liquifying her with his menacing blue eyes.

"You're such a drama queen. We are almost there and here you are deciding to rest. Are you tired?" He asked with that God-forsaken cheerful tone of his.

Diana's fear and pain turned into anger. "I'm confused and upset and afraid you psychopathic piece of whatever you are," she yelled.

A peal of laughter echoed around them. "Now we're getting somewhere." She heard him answer.

Diana took deep and long drags of breath. She closed her eyes and hoped to catch a glimpse of what she saw moments ago. Who were those people? She wondered.

"Get up Diana. We have to continue." A cold and scary tone accompanied those words as they escaped Carl's mouth.

Diana flinched. His mood swings were driving her crazy. The entire situation was crazy. Nothing made sense. Where were they headed anyway? She mused, heart, sinking.

"I want to go home," Diana whispered, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Home? Where is home? Do you even know who you are? Why you're here? How you got here or who you came here with?" Carl replied sadly. There was empathy in his tone which had Daian abruptly looking up at him. What the hell, she thought. One minute he sounds like the devil and kind the next!

"You're hopeless. Alright. Let's sit here for a while and have you regain your bearings," he cried cheerfully as he dropped his weight on the blank Diana was sitting on.

"Does your ankle still hurt? He whispered as he took a stray of hair away from her face and carefully tucked it behind her ears. He did it as if he saw her clearly. As if the darkness didn't impede his sight.

Diana recoiled from his touch then wailed. She couldn't process what was happening. Nothing made sense to her. In a near whisper, she asked. "Why did you do this to me? Why are you doing this to me?"

"Rude. Why would you assume that I did this to you?" His reply was abrupt and said in a low and cold tone.

Diana didn't reply. Nothing made sense. She could argue with him and tell him that everything he has done – including the injury in her leg which he claimed to have been his doing – hinted that whatever happened to her was instigated by him. But she knew he woud deny it or answer vaguely.

In the pich black staircase Diana suddenly had an epiphany. What if this was all a dream? What if this was all happening in her head and all she needed to do was wake up?"

"Fool." She head Carl snarl. The word was followed by a scream coming from Diana as she felt something slash her arm. The pain was unbearable and she bolted upright. But she fell on her bum again as the pain on her ankle made it self known.

She wasn't given time to adjust from the injury when Carl seized her wounded arm with a firm and resolute grip then pulled her up to stand. He then pushed her forward and egged her to step down the next flight of stairs.

All the while Diana was screaming her heart out. But he kept giving her back a slight push forcing her to step on the next plank. Carl was no longer showing any concern of whether or not her ankle hurt or if the injury he gave her arm caused a big damage.

"Stop!" Diana screamed amidst tears. Fear and pain danceed and bounced in every inch of her body.

"Move," he yelled.

"I can't see anything," Diana pleaded desperately as her arms reached out in front of her, fingering the space before her, hoping to touch something, anything to hold herself steady.

A much lauder scream resonated in the dark as Diana, like a leaf caught in the wind, lost her balance on the treacherous staircase when Carl's forceful push sent her tumbling down the steps.

In going to die, Diana thought to herself. But her descent was brief, like a fleeting shooting star illuminating the night sky, as she only rolled down two flights of stairs before her body met the sturdy landing. But regardless of of how short the height of her fall was Diana still screamed in agony because the shoulder which Carl injured earlier received majority of the impact of her fall.

Carl's laughter echoed through the staircase and bounce on walls concealed by darkness like the cackle of a malevolent jester, each note was a twisted melody of malice and triumph. As he made his own descent, each step he took down the staircase, seemed to Diana like he was descending into the depths of his own depravity. His laughter grew louder and more menacing with each passing moment. The planks beneath his feet creaked eeriely as he reached the bottom, and his laughter also reached a crescendo, a symphony of darkness that left no doubt in Diana's mind as to the depths of his weirdness.

"I'd close my eyes of I were you," Diana heard him command as he fell to a step near her sprawled body on the floor.

She was in so much pain, she ignored what he said which turned out to be a poor decision. Because like a bolt of lightning that pierced through the night sky, a brilliant light burst forth from above the staircase, illuminating everything with a radiance so pure and intense that it felt like a glimpse of the divine. The light glided down the stairs, like a celestial messenger descending from the heavens, and as it touched the ground, it bathed everything in a golden glow that chased away the darkness.

The light first illuminated Carl, casting his features in a warm and gentle light. His face shone with a peaceful radiance, as if that face had never shown malice or darkness. And then, the light flowed towards Diana, who was sprawled on the floor, her body wracked with pain and fear. As the light reached her face she screamed in agony. The pain in her eyes was like a thousand needles piercing through her soul.

She had been plunged into a deep ocean of blinding light after being lost in the abyss of darkness for so long it made her eyes sensitive to light.

Diana gasped and then screamed again. "Help," she pleaded as she covered her eyes with her hands.

"Drama queen." Carl did not only say the words but he released them in a sing-song voice. A melody aimed to mock her.

Diana did not respond to his mockery. She kept herself sprawled on the floor with her hands covering her eyes. She stayed that way for God knows how long. But when the pain in her eyes receded she started to. loosen the hand she had on her eyes. She did not, however, took them off completely. Just enough to allow light to seep through her fingers and into her eyes to help them fully adjust to the brightness. When she felt that her eyes were ready, she finally dropped her hands to her side.

It was Carl's annoyed face that met her sight. He towered above her, blood dripping from the wound on his forehead.

Diana pried her gaze away from him by shifting her head to face her right side. But a scream instantly burst out of her mouth when just beside her face, laying on the floor where she lay was a bloody decapitated head. The head's eyes were wide open, staring right at her own.

She squirmed and attempted to stand up but Carl was suddenly on top of her, keeping her where she was. He held her head so she could not shift them forcing her to look at the bloody head.

Daiana screamed her heart out. She struggled against him but her movements caused the head beside her to wobble and then it rolled toward her stopping only when it was less than an inch away from her face, its lips almost kissing her own.

She passed out.