Down Below

I walked across The Foyer and heard a loud squeaking noise, but couldn’t quite work out where it was coming from.

That was until I walked passed The Vestibule and the squeaking was considerably louder.

I walked into The Vestibule, where I instantly noticed the furniture had been moved around. Oddly, as I haven’t been in The Vestibule for quite a few years.

The key to the door to The Basement was sticking out of the top of the vase where I’d left it, enticing me to grab it.

As I needed to find the source of the squeak, I didn’t need much enticing and went for it.

The lower I went, the louder the squeaking got.

I reached the old door to The Catacombs, and opened the door. The heat hit me as soon as I pulled it open.

On the other side, I found the reason for the squeak. It wasn’t a squeak at all, but the flow of lava in the river that is usually way down at the bottom of The Catacombs.

For some reason, the ‘tide’ was high. The highest I’ve ever seen it; just below the steps on the other side of the door.

It was still flowing away, but slowly, and folding over into itself as it did so.

I closed the door, ensuring it was locked securely. We don’t want anything coming into this world from that one.

Back up in The Vestibule, I securely locked that door too, and placed the key back into the vase. I then pulled the heavy bookcase back across the door.

I left The Vestibule and walked up The Staircase, along The Landing, and into The Kitchen, which now felt considerably cooler.

No wonder it’s feeling hotter, I thought.

At least The Catacombs have been created to deal with the lava flow, otherwise things may have been a tad warmer still.