Chapter 3 - The Descent
David looked uneasy. "Mom, you don't have to show us everything tonight. We just wanted to drop by, make sure you were settled."
"Nonsense, David," Valerie snapped, waving him off. "She invited us for the tour. I want to see the carriage house. My parents will need to approve the layout."
"The carriage house is lovely," I said, my voice steady. "But the basement is what really sold me on the property."
I led them to a heavy, unassuming oak door near the pantry. I unlocked it with a standard brass key, revealing a sweeping spiral staircase made of wrought iron.
"A basement?" Valerie scoffed, though she eagerly stepped onto the stairs first. "I hope it's finished. Raw concrete is so depressing."
"Oh, it's finished," I assured her.
We descended into the earth. The air grew cooler, climate-controlled and sterile. At the bottom, the space opened up into a massive, dimly lit wine cellar. Thousands of empty wooden racks stretched into the shadows.
"No wine?" Valerie sneered. "What a waste of square footage."
"Arthur preferred bourbon," I said quietly.
I walked past the empty racks, my soft-soled shoes making no sound, while Valerie's heels clattered like gunshots. I approached the far wall. It looked like solid stone, meticulously stacked river rock.
I reached out and pressed my thumb against an indented stone disguised near the floorboard.
There was a soft electronic beep, followed by the heavy, hydraulic hiss of a pressurized seal breaking.
Valerie gasped, taking a step back as a six-foot section of the stone wall swung outward, revealing a dark, steel-lined corridor.
May you like
David grabbed my arm, his face pale. "Mom... what is this?"
"The reason I bought the house," I said, stepping into the dark. "Come along, Valerie. You wanted the grand tour."
