The darkness was almost suffocating this far down and this deep into the tunnel.  The beam of light that shone out from Spencer's flashlight acted as his and Lea's only lifeline.  He could feel the warmth that enveloped his hand ebb and flow with each breath she took as they continued to follow the back Jamie's jacket and the quiet shuffle of her feet against the floor up until the moment she stopped and turned around.<br/><br/>When she spoke Spencer frowned, the shallow lines between his brows creasing in their usual spots.  The mere suggestion to turn back was preposterous.  "I won't even begin to entertain the idea of returning now.  If you think the idea of a haunted mansion truly being haunted were any deterrent for me, then you have me mistaken for someone else.  Besides, there's no sanity back there, just well-disguised madness.  At least here, if it is as you claim, we can trust that all things are untrustworthy."<br/><br/>He was getting a bit worked up over the idea that his guide offered to walk out after all that he'd gone through to set up this visit.  Had there been enough in the group to secure a majority vote to leave, he may have lost his only chance to research this historic site.  For a moment, he was thankful Kayce hadn't shown up yet.  Or maybe Jamie was frightened herself.  She seemed to respond to a voice he could not hear, and therefore it was plausible she was looking for a way to back out by disguising it as an offer for her guests.  Perhaps there<i>was </i>something to be afraid of in the ancient home.<br/><br/>He gave Lea's hand a squeeze for reassurance; for her if she needed it, for him to bolster his resolve.  "I'm ready to proceed."<br/><br/><a class="username" data-user-id="20459" data-username="@LeaT" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://bluemoonroleplaying.com/community/members/20459/">@LeaT</a><a class="username" data-user-id="34307" data-username="@Colonel_Liam" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://bluemoonroleplaying.com/community/members/34307/">@Colonel_Liam</a><a class="username" data-user-id="45164" data-username="@InsaynePayne" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://bluemoonroleplaying.com/community/members/45164/">@InsaynePayne</a>