I entered POW! without panting like a serial killer on the phone, and even managed to get there fifteen minutes before my shift started. It was a miracle I wasn’t hyperventilating because I made a big girl decision. One that would break or make me.

I was going to ask Colin out on a date.

I mean, there’s no rule against it, and since he hasn’t gotten any of my ever so subtle hints, it was time to help him figure it out.

Walking up in the most casual way I knew how, I stopped in front of him and tried my best to be ‘seductive.’ I popped my hip, lifted my head, and tilted my glasses in a way that was supposed to be sexy. But what I felt like was an awkward potato. Which probably means I'm not doing it right. Quickly, I reverted back to my natural stance before things could not be unseen.

“Hey, Colin,” I greeted him gleefully.

He had his head in his sketchbook, drawing up a storm.

“Hi, Penn,” he barely glanced at me. “Is it time to switch?”

I didn’t let his lack of attention deter me. You can do this. I cheered myself on. It’s now or never.

“Not quite. So… um… Colin, I-I really need to ask you something. It’s kind of important.”

I leaned closer to him, batting my eyelashes. However, I could tell he didn’t notice my attempts to be cutesy. I watched as his pencil hesitated before he gave me the slightest glance. “Is something wrong?”

“Well, no… it’s just that, I was wondering—” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, standing straight again. “Do you want to get some coffee with me sometime? You know, just… you and me.”

At that, Colin put his pencil down and straightened up. He looked almost embarrassed, and slowly, a smile crept up on his face. “Coffee, huh?” his pause had me holding my breath as I nodded. “Yeah, I’d love to Penn. Just tell me the time and place.”

“I’ll text it to you.” I nearly squeaked, trying not to bounce around like Roger Rabbit.

“Awesome,” he smiled down at me as he started putting away his stuff. “I can’t wait.”

“Same here.” I said, just as he sauntered away. 

*****

“Ok, Penn Benson. You just did one of the most difficult things of your life earlier. You asked out Colin Powers, and he said yes!” I calmed myself as I pulled out the flashlight I placed in my bag before leaving my apartment. “Which means, you can definitely overcome a creepy door.”

I looked at the shadowy doorway in front of me. After mentally kicking myself in the bum, I descended the stairs as I turned my flashlight on. I swear to all that's good in this world if this flashlight loses power the second I step foot down there, I'm running like hell! 

The staircase was covered with cobwebs and some of the steps were missing pieces. There was no railing, and the farther down I went, the colder it became. It wasn’t ice cold, but if I concentrated, I could faintly see my breath.

After what seemed like forever in this bitter darkness, I came to a stop. In front of me was a closed, rusted door. I reached for the handle, but it wouldn’t budge.

I did not come here for nothing!

I grabbed the handle again, but this time, I slammed my shoulder into the door, trying to open it. After a few tries, I finally fell face first through the doorway as the hinges screeched and informed any predator, that may have been down here, of my arrival.

“Ow…” I hissed and got up.

I tried to look around the room with my flashlight, but I could hardly determine what anything was with the pin needle of light I had. I went back to the doorway and tried to find a light switch along the wall.

After a minute or so, my fingers hit a switch. It was covered with some dust, and I prayed it worked. I also prayed I didn't touch a giant, hairy spider. Just thinking about it made me shiver.

One, two, three!

Miraculously, the lights flickered on and revealed something I would have never expected to be beneath POW!.

“A meth lab?” I joked as I walked around the old laboratory.

Jack would love this. I sobered up. It was definitely something that Einstein would be interested in.

There seemed to be an ancient supercomputer along the whole right side of the room. The left had two desks littered with different papers and files, and between them were two bronze file cabinets. In the middle of the room were ivory lab tables that had various beakers and burners strategically placed.

Everything was covered in layers of dust and cobwebs. I didn’t dare touch anything as I made my way to the other side of the room. Carefully, I entered into a smaller area that had old, dirty lab jackets on a coatrack and a small wooden bench against the wall. In front of all that was another doorway.

“Well, I came this far…” I mumbled.

This door was easier to open than the first. It creaked as did all the entrances that led me here, but this time, the staircase ascended. I turned my flashlight back on and climbed up the steps. They looked exactly the same as the ones that led me down to the lab, but instead of plaster, the walls were made of bricks.

Warmth began to return to my body as I saw the doorway coming up. When I opened this door, it led me to the lower level of a parking garage. From the exit, I could go no further. The door was surrounded by a panel-gated cage and locked with chains.

I tried to look past and above the fence. I could vaguely spot the lit-up sign saying: Jerry’s Hardware Emporium. Honestly, the store was the smallest tool shop in all of CC, but Jerry Fields—the owner—liked being ironic.

“Wait a second,” I whispered to myself. “Jerry’s is only about seven blocks away from POW!.”

Shocked, I looked around. The basement level of the garage barely had a car there, and no one around to see me locked up. There also didn’t seem to be any cameras around. All-in-all, it was shady, but intriguing.

Two entrances, huh?

I turned around and closed the door behind me. Before it shut completely, I heard the church bells ring, and remembered I had to finish locking up the store.

Crap! How could I forget!?

I ran all the way back to POW!—all the while thinking about how door number one was a winner.