~ Jaden leaned around the door and peered cautiously into the darkness within. His hand automatically went to the side to find the light switch and, to his surprise, there was actually one there. He flicked it on and the room was illuminated with low, white light, cast from four wall sconces. He poked his head a bit farther inside and discovered only one thing. The inside of the building looked exactly like the outside. Flat, white, nondescript. Empty. The interior was completely bare except for the lights and a square, white block hearth on the far wall.
Jaden hesitated and finally moved over the threshold, bending his head to go through the low doorway. He felt Andrew right behind him. He stepped all the way in, and looked around, waiting for something to happen. Maybe a snare. A trap. Some kind of surprise.
Nothing happened. He took another step. Andrew stepped in behind him.
"Huh...Well, nothin's happening," said Jaden.
"Aw hell, this is boring!" Andrew strode boldly past Jaden and into the center of the room. "It's just a big, white room with a short door and a fireplace!" Jaden slowly moved around the edges of the room while Takyle entered and made straight for the fireplace, feeling all around its edges for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. The three regrouped in the center of the room.
"So yeah," said Takyle. "Seems to be nothing here. Perhaps the good part is coming later?"
"The good part?" asked Jaden. "That's a very positive spin."
"Thanks, I do what I can," she replied. Andrew coughed.
"Ok, so what now guys?" he asked, with a hint of sarcasm decorating his voice.
"Well, the guy- What's his face-"
"Väinämöinen," interjected Jaden.
"Yes, him," continued Takyle. "He said we should sleep. Perhaps we should, taking rotations to guard."
Andrew nodded. Jaden was too tired to disagree, and couldn't think of a reason to anyway.
"You two go ahead, I'll take first watch," said Andrew. Silently Jaden and Takyle complied, pulling out their bags and unrolling them in the center of the room. Jaden lay down on top of his and linked his fingers on his stomach. He stared at the white ceiling, concentrated on the dull ache in his legs, closed his eyes, listened to Andrew's slow steps as he paced the room. Heard him finally sit on the floor between he and Takyle, listened to his quiet breathing.
Jaden's mind drifted and he slept. ~
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