"Find anything," I said, looking around eagerly in case I had missed a room or something in the hallway.

"Just this," Nicole panted, dangling a bronze pendant between her fingers. "One down."

"You didn’t have to sprint down here. C’mon, let’s do the next floor together," I said, starting up the steps.

"What, no!" Nicole yelled, following me up the stairs.

"We tried doing it separately, so let's try it together. More eyes, the better."

"But we did find something. Please Ria, let’s try it again. We’re going through the rooms so fast."

"Maybe we shouldn’t be going so fast. Maybe we’re overlooking something."

"I don't think so! Besides, they probably want us to go through all the floors. There’s no way we can get most of the things on this list on the first two floors of the scavenger hunt. Please just think about it. Let's try it again," Nicole begged at the top of the stairs. I didn't really want to be looking around by myself again. Not that the place was scary, but I just wanted to be around my best friend. But since she wanted to go looking separately again, I guess it wouldn't hurt to try it another time.

"Yeah, sure. But this is the last floor. If we don't find anything else, we’ll try going together."

"Yay!" Nicole pulled me in for a hug and said, "You’re the best! I promise we’ll find something this way," she pulled away and started jogging towards my planned direction, east. "Be back by the staircase. Good luck!"

"Hey, wasn’t that mine -" I stopped when I realized that it didn't matter which direction I needed to go, as long as we each searched in a direction. "You too," I managed to say before she disappeared inside. As I walked east of the staircase, I had pulled out the key stored in my pocket. I had forgotten to tell Nicole I had it. Even though it wasn't on the list, who knows, maybe it will open something. A door? A chest?

I repeated the same routine as before for several doors I entered. Three bedrooms and two bathrooms later, nothing. I opened the last door only to find out it wasn't a bedroom or a bathroom, but a crafting room.

Inside was a wooden table in the middle with a small stool, with a sewing machine in the center of the table along with some loose fabrics and pins. I stared at the intricate patterns of the fabric, feeling the smooth silk like texture. I carefully searched around, the room was lined with bookcases packed with nick knacks and trinkets that could be used for crafting. Extra fabric on one bookcase, pins, needles, and buttons on the other. On the left side of the wall was an intricate display of snow globes, metal and wooden boxes. I carefully open each box on the bookcase, each holding scrap paper or metal wires, or beads or gems used for jewelry making. All but one opened, a wooden box that was seemingly glued by the side of the bookcase. It also had a keyhole.

I pulled out my key and placed it inside, turned the key to hear a metal clank. Perfect. Pretty convenient that I had went this way instead of Nicole. As I pulled on the top of the box, I noticed at first that it was sliding away from me, then I noticed that all the other boxes as well as the bookcase slid away from me. Until eventually, I noticed a massive whole in the wall. What the ... I peeked inside, seeing only stairs descending into the pitch-black abyss inside. I stepped back, not wanting anything or anyone that could possibly be inside to scare me when I noticed something. There were people down there, talking, laughing. Maybe this was another staircase to the lower floors, one that maybe Nicole didn’t find. I looked around for anything for light but couldn't find anything that wasn't bolted to the wall or floor. It seemed like the perfect situation for my phone, if only I still had it on me. Instead, I inched closer to the opening, eventually poking my head inside. I couldn't see anything.