Help Melissa out, and go with her into the parlor.

(chapter originally by Zendle at writing.com)

"I'll go with Melissa." Tom said.

"Oooooooooooh!" Jack chuckled sliding up to his friend. "The brave hero Thomas to comfort the scared and beautiful damsel. How will it end?" He laughed to himself again and thumped Tom on the back.

"Shut up!" Melissa snapped. "Tom, you don't have to accompany me."

"It's fine!" Tom half-shouted. "I don't really want to go the other ways anyway." He then looked at Jill. "Unless you'd rather have somebody with you Jill?"

"oh?" Jill said quietly. "It's OK, I'd rather check it out on my own anyway."

The group determined, Tom watched his three friends head off. Jill strolled through the right door, Jack bounded down the left stair way with Rachel following, who gave Tom a fleeting look before descending. Once they were gone, Thomas turned to Melissa.

"Ready?"

"Let's get this over with." She grumbled.

The two walked through the doors to the parlor, however they did not get more then two feet into the room before hearing the doors slam and click behind them. Melissa jumped.

"Jesus!" She said as Tom tried opening the doors.

"Locked."

Melissa wrapped her arms around herself.

"You cold?"

"What? No!" Her face went red. "I-I just don't these kinds of places...OK?"

Not wanting to press the issue Thomas looked around the Parlor. It was lavishly decorated, with the center taken up by a large purple eighteenth century couch. The floor was decorated with a red carpet and directly opposite from the doors was a fire place, it's fire crackling in the silence. Around the walls were a variety of posh looking portraits, while each wall between the main door and the fireplace had at least three doors each, all going into the unknown.

"What should we do?" Tom whispered, although he wasn't sure why.

"I don't know." The nervousness in Melissas voice was obvious. "You choose."