“Sorry,” he whispered.
“It’s okay,” she whispered back.
They reached the doors and each reached out to grip a doorknob.
“On three?” she asked.
“One,” he said.
“Two.”
“Three,” they said together, and pushed open the doors.
The doors made a clanging sound as they opened that turned to echoes.
“What…what is this?” Lenora stuttered and her voice reverberated.
They pointed their flashlights to a low domed ceiling that had paintings of cherubs and empty sconces flanking the walls in what seemed to be a round room. Their shoes squeaked on the floor as they inched their way forward, clearly not carpet anymore.
“I think this is some--” but James stopped talking when cold fingers touched his shoulder.
“SHIT!” he screamed and grabbed the hand to flip the person, but they both toppled and a shattering sound bounced off of the walls instead.
“James! What--” and then he heard her scream followed by a crash.
As he stumbled toward the sound he ran into another person, and as he pushed them away, shattering sounds bounced off the walls.
“Get it off, GET IT OFF!” He heard Lenora scream. He willed himself to stay still and find her with the flashlight.
His light caught her as she scrambled out from under the life-size statue of a man bowing in some fancy type of old-fashioned suit. One of his arms lay broken beside him.