7 Where Exactly Is Ms. Ipruk? (1/2)

//It's best if I head back downstairs and try to find Ms. Ipruk! I need to tell her my suspicions and hope that she can impart some wisdom…//

Sophia carefully made her way downstairs and is in the foyer again. Nothing seems different but she can't help the foreboding feeling she has. She makes her way back to the library as quickly as possible.

Ms. Ipruk isn't there.

Sophia isn't shocked but she's still wary. She pulls out her phone again and tries to contact her. Luckily, it seems to have signal again! But… she's not answering! Oh no.

Ms. Ipruk always answers her phone! Something must of happened to her!

Don't panic. She's somewhere where there's no signal. That must be it! But…

‏

Oh Gods. She could have gone anywhere!

Although, Sophia didn't see her upstairs? Did she go to the dining room? Probably not, it's still not 5 o'clock. Maybe a secret room she doesn't know about?! Well, standing here isn't getting her anywhere.

Wait! The charm. She said it could sense supernatural beings or something like that. If she uses it then she'll find Ms. Ipruk. After all, Ms. Ipruk will most likely be where all the action is.

She pulls out the charm from her bag and says a simple incantation. Nothing happens for a few seconds but then it begins to glow slightly. She walks forward and the glow gets brighter! She keeps walking straight ahead, deeper into the library once again.

The glow begins to dim so she changes directions. She's so focused that she doesn't notice a trap door a few steps ahead! Fortunately, she catches herself before falling down. How embarrassing would that be!

Wait a second.

Trap door?!

Could this be where Ms. Ipruk is?

The charm starts to vibrate slightly in her hands as she looks down the door. She can't really see much of anything.

Guess there's no getting around it. With a huff, Sophia jumps down the trap door.

She lands gracefully, well mostly. There's even more dust down here. Coughing fit aside, the charm is glowing and vibrating more now! She carefully moves forward.

It's dark down here. Which sounds ridiculous but, there's simply no other way to describe this. The path is rough and dark but not too long.

She finally reaches another door. It's open.

Inside there's a bigger mess than the library!

Scrolls, papers, rubble, and gods know what, are everywhere! She looks at one of the scrolls and this language is one she can't understand! She has no idea what it is. It doesn't seem to be ancient or anything of the sort. It's more like nonsense. Or a code.

Why would someone leave these lying around? Maybe they thought it wouldn't mean anything to who ever came across them. Well it certainly means nothing to Sophia.

This room is filled with all sorts of trinkets.

Ahem, meaning that Sophia doesn't have a clue what they are because they're broken or covered in sheets. To keep dust off? Or something else?

Just as she's about to pull one of the sheets off…

”I wouldn't do that if I was you.”

That voice could only belong to the only and only, Ms. Ipruk of course!

Sophia feels relieved that she finally found her mentor. Ms. Ipruk walks out almost eerily from the shadows. It would be very creepy had she not tripped over something.

”Haha... Oops!”

Having worked with her for 20 years she should be used to this sort of thing. But Sophia's relief turns into dread immediately.

Ms. Ipruk looks extremely pale and she's shaking!

That's not right.

Could she be ill? Or is she scared? She's never seen her like this before.