The rock declined to answer. Behind them the leaves has separated and a hillock of grass began to rise .

“What’s that, Rock? Rock says this a waste of our time.”

The rock said no such thing. Or anything for that matter. Beneath the rising patch of grass the top part of a door frame slid slowly upward. Deputy Rogers looked down at his notes on the slip of paper.

“Now she said we’re supposed to whistle.”

“You can skip the whistling. You’ve been making a frightful din since you stepped out of the vehicle.”
It was one of two times Tommasey and Rogers ever screamed like little girls together. Literally grabbing each other in fear. Behind them a man with a face made of ennui stood in a blue checkered bathrobe sipping a cup of what smelled to the still screaming Tomassey like peppermint tea. The man looked straight up at the faintest edge of moon that could be seen between the woven branches of the leaveless trees. He turned and walked back into the light that was spilling out from the now open door.

“Please step inside, it’s not safe to linger out of doors on nights like these.” The man took one last look at the sky and then disappeared through the doorway.

“I don’t know where it’s safe, but at least there’s light in there.” Deputy Tomassey began walking to the door.

“You’ve got a problem walking into woods, but doors that come out of grass you’re fine with.”

“Whatever, you stay out here with the dogs.”

As if to punctuate Tomassey’s statement several nearby howls filled the air.

Roberts walked quickly toward the door.

Crossing the threshold the two deputys were met with a narrow stairway leading down and the echoing sounds of the robed man in front of them. They hurried after him. Behind them the door slammed shut, sounds of a motor could be heard and when Tomassey looked back the stairs seemed to be leading into nothing. Only a faint scratching noise lingered behing them. Tomassey and Roberts continued down the stairs soon they hit a landing and the stairs veered off in another direction. The next landing turned into a hallway with several doors. The deputys paused then caught of sight of blue disappearing down even more stairs at the other end of the hallway. No matter how hard they hurried they could not seem to catch up.

Finally they hit the bottom of the stairs and the hallway opened wide into a huge cave strung with incandescent lanterns that illuminated the cracks and crevices of the rock walls. A small pool of glowing blue water sat by itself to the north. Along one of the wall was a strange collection of keepsakes, masks, urns In the middle the man in the blue robe sat on a dark chestnut brown lounger. He took a sip of his tea and then filled in #33 down - Latin word for blood.

“Cruor”