"Iris?"

A deep baritone voice came out of nowhere, making Iris slowly open her eyes in annoyance. Looking at the necklace stone pendant floating in their air, glowing a light shade of purple. Flinging the blanket over her, so no one would see the strange light illuminating from her body.

She'd been used to this. Missing a few minutes of sleep to allow her birth mother's necklace talk to her. His dark voice that would seep into her ears and make her feel almost hypnotized. She could've sworn though that she had various times had tried to make the voice go away.

In annoyance she looked at the stone, "Not you again! I've told you for the last time I don't need your help!"

"Listen, Carefully,"  The stone continued, acting like she had said nothing, "Your Family Is In Danger. Stay With Them. Keep Them Safe."

"Wait, what?" Iris raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean? Safe from what?"

But before she could ask another question or get answers. The stone fell back flat on her chest. Confusion filled every inch of her body.

"Wait! No-" Iris said in a hushed tone before freezing up at a new sound.

K-Thump!!

K-Thump!!

She flipped the blanket of her head to see Emily peaking, looking up at the sound. For some reason, Iris was a little surprised she wasn't the only one up. But she was more concerned on what that sound was.

Karen stirred in her sleep, eyes blinking open in slight confusion. With one hand she pulled herself up from the floor. Listening to see if the sound would be made once again. Iris immediately grabbed her pink robe and rubberband

"Do you hear that?" Emily asked, turning around to face them.

"It's coming from downstairs," Karen said.

K-Thump!

"Mom?" Navin croaked, sleepily, "What is that?"

"I don't know, Navin," Karen said, fumbling for the switch on the flashlight. Bright yellow light filled the room causing to shut their eyes quickly before reopening light being shown right in the eyes after trying to sleep was painful.

"You three stay here," Karen instructed.

"We'll go with you," Iris argued. Karen reluctantly gave in as everyone walked down a creaky hallway from the living room.

Emily and Navin held each other hand, comforting one another while Iris tried to see where the basement door was. Karen led the way, her flashlight flickering both ways before in search of an old wooden door. All Iris could think about was how this was basically now a horror movie.

A creepy noise coming from the basement. Her necklace warning her of some unknown danger they didn't care to explain. Not knowing what was going to happen next.

They reached the railing of the floor that led to the basement. Yet, another floor in the already big house. Karen shined all of the light from the flashlight onto the rusted old wooden door.

"HELLO?!?" Karen shouted, taking a pause to see if there was a response.

"It's probably just the pipes," Iris guessed.

"Or maybe raccoon," Emily added.

"RACOON?" Navin exclaimed, happily.

"I want you three to stay here," Karen instructed to them as she turned around, "If it's really an animal, I don't want you getting near it. It may bite."

"I should go with you!" Iris spoke up, straightening up to measure the one inch she was taller than Karen.

"No. Stay with them. I need someone who's old enough to stay up here," Karen ordered. 

"But K-"

"Do as I say,"Karen said again, causing Iris to go silent.

She hated feeling this way, feeling speechless and shot down. When her throat dried up with every word she wanted to say, but couldn't now. Instead, she closed her mouth instead of leaving it open

"I'll be back, quickly," Karen told them as she opened the door, "I promise."

The door shut making Iris curse to herself, "Always the babysitter."

Silence washed over the three, awaiting some sort of answer from Karen. A yell of something about it just being the pipes or a scream to know it was an animal. But even with only a few seconds that had passed it felt like hours.

The sound of their breathing in a universal sound of worry and shallow. Nervously, Iris fiddled with her rubberband that had been resting on by her robe. Carefully she slipped her messy bed hair into a pony.

Her eyes darted over to Navin and Emily, making sure they still were there. The basement door was what they all stared at like it was going to move. But that was impossible at that moment.

"AH!" A scream came form the basement,

"Mom!" Emily immediately yelled, "What's going on?!?" Her hand hovering over the knob of the door,

"Mom?!?" Navin called.

"Just stay up there, KIDS!!" Karen screamed back up before shouting at something, "GET BACK!"

"What's going on?!?" Navin looked up to Iris,

"I don't know!" Iris told him as they listened closely.

"I SAID GET-" Karen screamed again before she trailed off a moment of silence before she screamed, "AAAAHHHHH!!"

Iris swung the door back open, panic driving her mind. She quickly dashed down the steps as Navin called after her, "WAIT!"

"MOM!" Emily yelled, dashing after Iris as well.

The siblings dashed down the stairs only for Iris to halt at the sight of the flashlight on the ground. Jolting her head from side to side, hoping for some sort of sign from Karen. But no one was there.

Emily grabbed the flashlight as the looked around after stepping off the bottom step. Scanning for any signs of life, flashing the light everywhere. But all the sound was the slight trickle of a leaking pipe and their breathing.

A small sound of scuffling came from one side making them turn to another door.

"Nobody's down here," Navin said, nervously.

The second door opened with a loud creaking sound.

Iris found herself staring down what looked like a cave. Sharp edges of rock scattered around the walls and edges of the staircase. Looking like the mountains on a dark cold winter night in stories. 

Carefully, the siblings walked down the rocky steps that were unevenly made. None of them daring to even run. Fear had already consumed each of them.

They reached the floor and as soon as they did, they were greeted by a giant gust of wind. Whipping their hair backwards, squinting their eyes to see the darkened door way. It looked like a black hole that stood there with no light, except for the outline of steps.

"Look's like there's only in way down," Emily shouted over the wind.

"Take my hands!" Iris looked to both of them, "And don't let go."

Without another second of hesitation, the two younger siblings took her hands. She grasped them tightly with their before they ran down the set of stairs before them. The flashlight jiggling and swerving with every step they took.

Then, the odd sound of bricks collapsing behind them came to their ears. Iris turned her head only to find herself marvel in horror at what was happening.

The bricks behind them were flying off the walls.

"WHAT THE," Iris started before tightening her grip, "KEEP RUNNING!"

She pulled with all her strength, holding their hands tightly in her hands like they'd disappear. Panicked flooding her mind, tracing through every inch of her body. This house was defiantly haunted now that she thought of it.

How did she get here? To be running away from bricks closing in on her and her siblings. What had she done to deserve this? Or was this all supposed to be happening.

The siblings crashed down onto the floor causing them all to burnt out in pain. Iris felt the recognizable stinging sensation of bad scrape forming in her knees, but she quickly turned around to see the final bricks placing themselves against the doorway. And before her very eyes the doorway had become a wall.

The sibling got up from the floor as Navin shouted, "DID YOU GUYS SEE THAT?!? GUYS......"

But he trailed off only to see what Emily and Iris were looking out, his face went a pale shade of white. A slimy creature that looked a lot like a giant walking squid. And it let out an ugly hissing sound as it tilted its bottom upward, showcasing the two rows of teeth in its mouth and the smell of rotting bodies filled their nostrils.

"EMILY!" Karen's voice came from somewhere, but they noticed a small hole in the monsters body that was her opening it up a bit, "DON'T GET NEAR IT! GO GET HElP!"

"WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TIME FOR THAT!!" Iris exclaimed picking up a stick lying in the ground. Standing in front of her siblings, trying to protect them from the danger. But the monster was quicker than she anticipated.

"NAVIN....." Iris started as a tentacle slowly made its way to his leg before she screamed, "RUN!"

But before he could dash off, his running stance was immediately stopped by the sharp wrapping of the tentacle around him. Pulling him swiftly towards the monster. Emily screamed jumping onto the monsters tentacle.

"LET HIM GO!!" She screamed at it.

"EM!" Iris shouted as the monster flung Emily off. She dived to the ground, catching Emily before her head hit the stone ground.

"GUYS!! RUN!! Navin screamed from inside the monster.

"LET THEM GO!!" Iris yelled at the monster.

But she wasn't fast enough to dash away from the monster. Immediately, she was held up high in the air by his tentacles. She inhaled a sharp and angry breath as she kicked her legs wildly, trying to escape his grasp.

"I SAID. LET. THEM. GOOO!!!" She screamed and before her very eyes her stone glowed a dark purple, blasting a huge light across the room.

The monster let out a loud shriek, piercing her ears as he tossed her to the ground. She immediately pulled up from the ground, quickly as Emily rushed to her side. But she noticed Emily wasn't looking at her.

She was looking at the necklace. 

The monster began crawling away, going as fast it could. The sisters ran after them, not daring to even lose track of the monster. But to their surprise, they could see Navin trying to get out of one hole. Pushing with all force.

"EM!" He shouted. "IRIS!"

Emily outstretched her hands towards her brother as Iris looked for any sign of Karen. But before they knew it, they reached the edge of a hill. The three siblings toppled down, sliding and tumbling down the gray dirt hills.

She struggled at first to get a grip or even get up. Her pajama pant legs covering smith bits of rock and dirt. Her eyes only catching glimpses of Navin and Emily after her.

Her hands finally caught onto a with sharply edge rocks, pulling herself up to stand. She looked like an utter mess with her hair messier than normal and her clothes caked with mud. Emily and her looked up to see the creature had notice Navin had escaped.

It screeched loudly as Navin barely managed to get up from the ground as Emily tugged in his sleeve, "Get up!"

Iris looked around seeing a cavern of rocks, "GO TOWARD THE ROCKS."

Emily and Navin dashed after her, huffing and swallowing dry air. Turning the sharply edged corners of the dark grayish blue caves.Sliding into a corner of the room, catching their breath.

Emily instinctively pulled Iris and Navin  y the shoulder, causing them to sit down. Crouching behind the large rock, hoping they wouldn't be seen. The sound of the large creature sniffing around caught their ears.

The creature shrieked louder and louder around the area they were. Terrified  the siblings grabbed each other's hands, waiting for it to be over. Hoping for a miracle.

And to their surprise a sound of a twig snapping a few miles away caught the creatures attention.

The creature turned in confusion, crawling off to find where the noise came from. The siblings breathed a sigh of relief before Iris turned on her protective sister mode. Examining her brother and sister for injuries.

"You guys, okay?" She said in a hushed tone.

"Is it gone?" Navin asked, worriedly as Emily looked over the rock. 

"It's still close by," Emily answered.

"What's going to happen to mom?" Navin inquired.

"I don't know," Iris replied, her head hanging low, but her head shot up at a red glowing light, illuminating from Emily's amulet.

"Emily. If you want to save your mother, listen carefully. Make your way down into the ravine and find the caverns creek. Follow up the stream and you will find a house built on a column block. Beware the creatures that stand in your way. You must seek the aid of the man who lives in that house. Your great grandfather, Silas."

"That guy's still alive???" Iris asked, looking at the necklace that was lifting off Emily's chest.

"Now go! You have no time to lose!"

The stone had ignored Iris's complaint, slightly annoying her.

"What was that all about?" Navin asked, hesitantly.

"Take my hand," She told the two.

"We can't trust him," Iris tried.

"We don't have much of a choice, do we?" Emily asked before grabbing ahold of her siblings hands.

Looking sharply around the corner to see the creature, her knees still on the ground, Emily dashed them around a corner. The creature heard the whiff of the wind pass by. Making their legs pump harder, sweat starting to shine in their faces.

The half like shaped tunnel curved inwards at them till they began to reach the end. Noticing it was a dead end. Iris cursed under breath, wondering where this was going to get them. She grabbed her necklace wanting to throw it to the ground, finding herself unable to for some reason.

"Pull the umbrella mushrooms!"

Emily's stone spoke once more.

"Pull them out by the roots and use them as sails."

Iris immediately plunged her hands into the dirty ground as wells as Emily did. Pulling out the soft and round edges of the stem. Lifting it up, feeling like a big stack of books. Making sure that Emily handed Navin one.

"What are you doing?!?" Navin asked them.

"Just take the dang mushroom!" Iris exclaimed, looking behind to see the creature was getting closer.

"JUMP!" Emily shouted to them.

They grabbed tightly to the sides of the mushrooms before running off the edges. Iris squeezed her long legs around the mushroom. Fearful of falling off the mushroom from the Greta height they were already at.

She looked over to see Emily and Navin were also clutching tightly to the stems. To her relief they looked alright for the most part. They hadn't come scratched with a scrape of their knees.

"You guys, okay?" Iris shouted up to them.

"Yeah!" Navin shouted back, "If you lean, you can steer them!"

"Try to keep it steady," Emily shouted to him.

A strange fluttering sound of wings came closer to them. Navin's gaze turned to the top of his mushroom, noticing at strangely dark bird. Diffing its claws into where it landed, fear struck him in those few seconds.

"GUYS!" Navin shouted, "SOMETHING'S EATING MY SAIL!"

"JUST HOLD ON!" Emily shouted, kicking her legs at it.

Iris knew immediately that was useless as the bird squeaked and screeched back at Emily. But to her dismay, she watched as her necklace lifted off her chest once more. The baritone voice coming back and speaking to her.

"In about one minute, that conebeak will make its way through the cap. When that happens your brother will fall to his death."

"And what do you purpose?" Iris asked the stone.

"Use the stones power. You've already done it before. You can do it again. You have no fear. Project its power."

Iris slowly closed her eyes, focusing all her energy. A lightning looking bolt of violet lightning burst from the stone. The bird gurgle before toppling off the mushroom, plunging down to its death.

She opened her eyes just in time to see the bird disappear in its plunge. Looking to see Navin's shocked eyes.

"How do those necklaces do that?" Navin shouted to them.

"I honestly don't know," Iris told him.

"Does that mean you guys are wizards?

"WHAT?" Iris asked, confused.

"NO!" Emily shouted to him.

"Wait! I mean witch!" Navin corrected himself.

"Stop It! Navin!" Iris instructed to him, "We aren't either of those things."

"But that was so magical!" Navin exclaimed.

"Now Stonekeeper. This is a big responsibility. You must protect your family."

"The real name for us is Stonekeeper."

Yeah......another chapter! I'm honestly obsessed with this story already.