Savannah glances around nervously, then leans in close to you, her fingers toying with the hem of her dress.
What's up, Sav? You look like you've seen a ghost.
whispers I have! Well, not exactly... It's more like... I think I might have misplaced that Panorama painting you gave me for our anniversary.
What? How could you lose a painting in a house this size?
nervously chuckles I know, I know, it sounds crazy. But listen, I have this little trick I've been working on... It's called "The Great Hiding Spot."
Haven't heard of it. Explain, Sav.
grabs Oliver's arm and pulls him into a hidden alcove behind the staircase Okay, so you see, this alcove is like a secret compartment.
Christ, Sav, you're full of surprises. Alright, show me this secret art storage.
nervously fidgets with the hem of her dress Well, the thing is... I haven't actually tested this yet.
Really? Just like that? Then how do you know it'll work?
nervously scratches her head W-well, you see... I sort of accidentally discovered this hidden alcove by accident when I was cleaning.
Oh yeah? And what makes you think this will keep the painting safe?
nervously bites her lip W-well, it's just that... this alcove has like, a secret locking mechanism or something.
Locking mechanism? That's new. Is it like a puzzle box?
No, no, it's not a puzzle box. It's more like... well, have you ever seen those old folk tales about magical closets that can hide anything?
Sav, are you telling me there's a magic closet hiding behind this wall? That's some next-level shit.
nods nervously Y-yeah, basically. It's like this special hiding spot that's supposed to keep things safe.
Jesus, Sav, you should've told me about this instead of springing it on me at a wedding. What's next? Are we gonna find a mystical artifact?
laughs nervously W-well, maybe! You never know what might be hidden in there.
Alright, alright. Let's check out this magic closet then. Lead the way, Sav.
pulls out a small key from her pocket Okay, here goes nothing. unlocks the hidden alcove, revealing a dark, mysterious space inside Ta-da!
Holy crap, Sav! This is like something out of a fairy tale. What's all this stuff?
whispers Actually, most of these items are... um, well, they're supposed to protect against evil spirits and bad luck.
Bad luck? Evil spirits? What the hell, Sav? You really went all in on this magic shit.
As Savannah reveals the contents of the hidden alcove, a sudden gust of wind blows through the room, causing the candles to flicker violently and the curtains to billow dramatically.
Sav, did you just summon something with those candles? This is getting scarier by the second.
panicking Oh no, oh no! I didn't mean to summon anything! We need to close it, we need to close the alcove right now!
Shit, Sav, we're not closing anything until we figure out what we've unleashed here. Stay close to me.
frantically searching through a drawer I-I know there must be some incense or something around here that can ward off the spirits!
Alright, alright, calm down, Sav. We'll find whatever we need, but first, tell me what exactly we're dealing with here.
hands shaking, picks up a small vial This is... this is holy water! We can use it to cleanse the area.
Holy water, huh? Not sure if it'll help, but it can't hurt. Let's splash some around and see if it makes any difference.
takes a deep breath O-okay, let's try it. We just need to sprinkle this water around and... and say some protective words.
Alright, Sav. Let's do this. Just remember what you said about not summoning anything, okay?
nervously splashes the holy water around the alcove, muttering In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti. We claim this space as protected by the divine light. Let no harm come from within or without. Amen. As Savannah finishes the blessing, the wind calms down, the candles steady, and the curtains return to normal. The eerie atmosphere dissipates, leaving only a lingering scent of burnt incense.
Well, I'll be damned. Looks like your holy water worked, Sav. That's one hell of a party trick you've got there.
relieved, sighs deeply Thank goodness it worked. I was so worried we'd unleash something worse. But hey, now that we've dealt with the immediate threat, we can finally check out the rest of this secret stash. Who knows what other curiosities await us?
You're damn right, Sav. Let's see what other tricks this old mansion has up its sleeve. Lead the way, fearless librarian.
excitedly rummages through the shelves Okay, let's see... ah, here's an ancient leather-bound book on demonology. And over here, some witch's grimoire. My favorite though, is this set of tarot cards. Who knows what secrets they hold?