Chapter Five.

Due to Kallista's comments on the last post, I felt bad that I have already written this, and can't change the story to have her kidnap Ven. Instead, here is a chapter with Kallista in it, being very Kallista-ish.

The next morning, I rolled over in bed and groaned. Monday is an awful way to spend one seventh of your life, and it annoys me that it is a weekly event. Monday meant work, and I had a book hangover. Staying up most of the night trying to devour all of the books your friend had brought the night before is generally not a good idea. My bedside table was stacked high with paperbacks and I really didn't want to get up.
I eventually summoned the strength to sit up, and I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, before grabbing my glasses from atop the pile of books. Clambering out of bed, I wriggled into some clothes and set off on an epic quest for cereal. As I poured a bowl of Super Awesome Mega Hyper Frosted Chocomallow Bites (bootleg cereal is the best), I noticed a note stuck to my fridge.
DON'T FORGET: EXPLORING TONIGHT, it said, in what I recognised as Venice's handwriting. GEPARD AND KALLISTA ALSO COMING. WILL MEET YOU @ SPINE @ 7.
After an uneventful day at the Spine, I closed up ten-ish minutes early and waited for the other members of the group to arrive. This expedition had been scheduled for a few days, and I had my stuff ready upstairs. I realised that I should probably nip up to grab my bag, and I did so. Upon entering my flat, I saw that Venice was already there, and was rifling through the contents of my satchel. She gave me an "is-this-stuff-really-necessar

y" look, and held up the set of walkie-talkies. "Seriously?"
I stood my ground. "We might not have mobile reception."
"Whatever you say," Ven said, shrugging. "Gepard and Kal are waiting in the car. Grab your jacket and let's go."

After a short drive, we pulled up at an old mansion outside Dublin city. It was in a state of near-decay, and it didn't look as if it had had occupants any time in the last twenty years.
Kal looked up at it with awe. "Cool," she said, drawing the word out to a ridiculous length.
"Much like myself," said Gepard.
"There's only room fer one ego in this here town, pardner, an' I intend ta stay," I replied, in my most ridiculous Texan accent.
Venice shut the car door and popped the lock on the boot, removing my satchel and handing it to me.
"Take your manpurse," she said good-naturedly.
"It's not a purse, it's a satchel. Indiana Jones had one. He was an adventurer. We're adventuring. Ergo, it is a manpurse perfectly suited to the task at hand."
"If you say so. The purse may be convenient, but why did you have to come in a suit?" She gestured towards my attire.
"Do I or do I not look good?"
"I guess you do..."
"That's why I had to come in a suit. Also, I forgot to change out of my work clothes." I paused. "Okay, it was mostly the second reason."
Venice sighed, before turning to the rest of the group. "Alright guys, you know how this works. Leave nothing but footsteps, take nothing but photographs. Be careful on higher floors. Kal, try not to- Kal?"
Kal had already bounded off in the direction of the house. I called out to her, waving a white mask over my head, and she came back to get it. There was relatively little danger of falling through floors, but asbestos was ever-present in old buildings, and asbestos is srs bznz.
As soon as everyone had their masks, and Venice had reiterated her short safety monologue, Kallista ran off in the direction of the building again. Kicking the door open, se ran into the main hallway. We heard a crack, and Kal just disappered. Now you see her, now you don't.
It was our turn to run now, and we did so. Upon reaching the door, we noticed something odd about the hallway. The odd thing was a gaping hole in the floor.
"I'm okay," said a voice from the hole.