Inside the trap door led a set of bloodstained wooden stairs; it was hard to make out where they were leading to, as the darkness swallowed the stale light of the torch before it could reach the end. Josie peered over Sarah's shoulder, to see what the commotion was about. When she saw the stairs, her stomach twisted.
"Where do you think they lead to?"
"Not sure, Jo. I'm only praying right now that if we go down there we won't find..."
Josie gulped.
"You don't have to say it. Don't make it a reality until we see what's truly down there for ourselves."
Sarah nodded. The girls were better off not automatically thinking the worst had happened: they had to prepare for it, however.
Sarah was in the lead of climbing the narrow stairs. Of course Josie was never going to go in front; she wasn't as ballsy as Sarah, nowhere near had enough courage to face whatever was lurking down there first.
The stairs seemed to go on forever, one after the other after the other, until...
"Jo watch your step, I've found the ground."
Josie obeyed, only just noticing that Sarah's voice had grown serious since Kaity was murdered in the tent. It wasn't a huge change, as Sarah's voice was quite husky and deep anyway, but it was enough to show Josie that Sarah had been just as impacted by the events as Josie had been. Sometimes, Josie forgot that Sarah was actually capable of feeling emotions; she just always kept a brave face.
At the bottom of the stairs, Sarah found a bulky door. Blood on the door handle. As she reached out to open the door, Josie put her hand on Sarah's shoulder.
"Wait! What if the killer's in there?"
"Then I'm gonna be the one to face him."
"I can't let you do that, Sarah. You're my best friend and you can't leave me alone out here!"
"Leave you alone? You think that sicko would really win against me? Jo, I've got a black belt in karate and taekwondo, not to mention skill with the knives. Trust me, I'm not going anywhere."
"Whatever happens from here on, Sarah, I want you to know that I love you and you're one of the best people I've ever met in my life. Coming out here was a big mistake, and I wish I never agreed to it. But I can't change my actions now, so you can go ahead and open that door. I'm ready for whatever's inside."
For once in her life, Josie did feel ready. Sarah looked at Josie and Josie nodded in agreement. Although Sarah wanted to pour her heart out to Josie and return the beautiful speech, time was all too short. She grasped hold of the door handle, once again, and swung it open in one quick motion, like a true fearless warrior.
What the girls saw beyond that door was something that no one should ever have to witness in their life.