It was on the second night that we found the stairs. But as much as the Mooncreek gives, it also takes away. As I am writing this, it also pains me to report that one of the two men that started with me into this journey of the unknown is now gone forever; his own answers never resolved. It is my duty to finish this for him. To complete the puzzle I had been given by this accursed place. But before I can do that, I must honor the memory of Roger Darcey.

During the long stretch of time that we wandered the seemingly endless halls of the basement below the Mooncreek, Roger and Jacob did their best to keep things sane by conversing amongst themselves and by attempting to map out the corridor.

The latter was actually a great effort, as the two men devised a way for them to Mark the trail using rope, but as we had confirmed before this ordeal started; each time we did jot down a path, it seemed like the distance never got us any farther from the sealed vault. The matinee was forcing us to remain there until it saw fit to let us go, or so I thought.

The breaking point came last night, as Roger attempted to use his phone again to video the experience of the strange noises off in the distance. It was always just faint enough where his cellphone could not pick up the sound; so he decided on a different means of capturing the phenomenon.

"I'm going to go as far as I can," he said standing up and using what little illumination he had available with the flash to see ahead of his feet.

I was up as well, anxious to stop him.

"We agreed that we would stay together, Roger. For our safety," I said.

"We've been down here god knows how long. Before long we're going to starve. I'm tired of waiting!" Roger snapped back.

I looked to Jacob for some kind of support, but he seemed to be in agreement with the plan.

"We can keep in contact. We've confirmed that our phones work down here... remember we attempted to call 911?" Jacob suggested.

"But that same event also confirms that we can't guarantee our signal is getting out! Something wants us to stay down here, I think splitting up is a bad idea," I said firmly.

But neither of them listened to me. Roger activated his Skype and pointed his flash toward the darkened tunnel as the strange moaning noises started up once more. He gave us a thumbs up and walked into the bleak tunnel.

It was the last time we saw him alive. But we were witness to the strange occurrence of his demise.

Jacob held his own smartphone at an angle where I could see what was happening to Roger as he walked. Darcey was counting his steps, listening to the strange noises and then marking the wall. He repeated this for a good ten minutes.

"We should tell him to turn around. It's just a ruse," I muttered. Jacob held his hand up to shush me as he squinted his eyes.

"What's that? Off in the distance?" he was pointing toward something that looked almost like a trick of the light. Was it a shadow? A figure? I couldn't be sure.

"Roger, I see something up ahead; adjust your camera," Jacob ordered.

The other man obeyed and we watched as the flash veered the stream of light up ahead.

I saw what looked like a naked girl standing there, everything about her appeared human; except her face. There was none to be seen.

"Jesus Christ!" Roger said as he fumbled backward. Then he dropped the camera. Suddenly Jacob and I heard the strangest noise. It wasn't quite footsteps. But it was loud and thundering. Then Roger began to scream.

"Shit." Jacob started in a run down the hallway. In a panic I followed. On the Skype video, roger's screams got louder and louder. His bones were breaking. Something was tearing him limb from limb.

Then, just as suddenly; the noises stopped.

We were still running, but neither of us could see anything in the dim tunnel. I grabbed ahold of Jacob and told him to stop.

"It's no use... we'll never make it to him."

Cobb looked at the smartphone again and clenched his teeth in frustration. There was no further sound being made on the video feed anymore. Whatever had come to find Roger was now long gone.

"We should go back, never know if it's still close by," I advised him. I didn't want to think about that strange girl or to whatever she had done to Roger. I just wanted to close my eyes and forget about all of this.

Jacob seemed to be in agreement and we stumbled down the hallway again, neither of us really saying a word until we arrived at the vault again.

That was when we both noticed a change on the seal. Whereas previously there had been no means to pry the door open, now as we stood there at it; a handle had somehow appeared.

My hands felt clammy and sweaty, unsure whether or not to open it... but eventually I gave in and did so.

As the massive steel door slid open with the loudest lurching noise imaginable, Jacob stepped through and tried to peer into the vault.

I imagined seeing piles of old films standing against corners, rows of rejected media just collecting dust. Yet instead as we stepped through, all I found was more stretch of hall. It seemed as it was no different than the tunnel we had just left.

Jacob and I continued for a short while until at last we spotted something different. A set of stairs. Again; we remained silent as we climbed up the stairs and found ourselves in what appeared to be the same hallway of the Mooncreek that had led us down here in the first place.

"This can't be the same theater... right?" Jacob muttered as we walked down the carpeted halls toward the main lobby.

I was about to make my own theory when I noticed that the doors to the theater were locked.

"Definitely not the same," I said as I rattled the chains and tried to look out toward the streets. I couldn't see a thing. Was there even anything out there to see? I didn't know. But being here, in this parallel place... it felt off.

"We should get back to the tunnels," I told Jacob. For once he didn't argue with me. We started toward the hallways again when he froze and muttered, "Did you hear that?"

I stopped and listened. It sounded like a little girl giggling. I was reminded of the strange creature we had seen down below and I turned to look and see a little seven year old black haired girl skipping past theater 7.

"What the..." Jacob said as I held my hand up and gestured for him to be very still.

Suddenly the girl stopped and stared at us. She had the most beautiful blue eyes.

"Hello," I said softly, hoping that my friendliness would help ease the tense situation.

"Who're you?" she asked softly. "Are you the owner? I'm lost."

I smiled and got down to her level.

"I suppose that I am. How long have you been here?" I asked.

"I dunno," she said with a shrug, looking pitiful as she looked around. "Where is everybody?"

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Antoinette... my friends call me Annie. Can you be my friend?" the little girl asked.

Jacob touched my shoulder to pull me away.

"I don't like this one bit," he muttered.

"I think... the theater is trying to tell us something. Do you remember what I told you about the history of this place? There was a girl that went missing here 31 years ago... I think this is her," I said firmly.

"Ok? And? Ain't no way she is still 7. And you saw that thing that killed Jacob. We need to leave her here," Jacob snapped.

I pushed us a little further away from Antoinette so she wouldn't hear.

"Listen. We've done your way long enough and it's only caused more harm than good. Roger is dead for god's sake. Shouldn't we consider maybe trying thing differently?" I suggested bluntly.

Cobb didn't like it of course, but he couldn't object. So I returned to the young girl and offered my hand.

"I can guide you home, if you want?" I suggested. She smiled and took my hand, warmly embracing my palm as we walked toward the dark staircase.

"What is all this?" She whispered fearfully.

"I can't explain it in words dear, but this is how you get back to your family," I told her as I pointed toward the tunnel. We walked together silently, the girl trying her best not to shiver as we approached the sealed door. It was still open exactly as Jacob and I had left it.

"I don't feel safe," she admitted. I comforted her and held her close as we crossed the threshold. I don't know what I expected to happen. Perhaps something to confirm Jacob's theory that the girl was dangerous. But instead as we made it back on the other side, she merely giggled.

Jacob cringed, trying to bite his tongue as we moved down the hallway. As I had predicted the staircase which had been hidden to us for days was revealed.

"This is our answer. She is the answer. I don't know what the question is, but we need to get her out of here, I'm sure of that," I said excitedly.

Just as I was about to head up the stairs though, the strange noises we heard for days returned and Antoinette got scared. She slipped through my fingers and ran into the darkness.

"Wait!! It isn't safe!" I yelled out. I heard her little feet skip into the tunnel as I tried to run after her. But she was already gone. Jacob held me back.

"Don't worry about her! We need to get out of here!" he snarled.

He pulled me up the stairs as her laughter faded away.

Once back in the theater I was familiar with, I slumped against the wall. "What were you thinking Cobb? She is the reason all this stuff is happening, I don't know why; but she is! We were so close to solving this!" I spat.

"Enough old man. We tried it your way and it isn't working," he snapped and then punched his fist against the wall.

"Damn it," he muttered as he realized he made himself bleed.

"I just want answers to all of this. I need t know why this place chose me," I demanded.

"What I want is sleep. Good sleep in a good bed," Jacob said as he marched toward the lobby.

"You can sleep here tonight," he muttered.

I clenched my fists, tired of the way he had been treating me. I grabbed ahold of him and slung him against the wall.

"You don't get to make the calls around here. I still don't even know what role you play in this game, Cobb. So until I do, you're going to do exactly as I say!" I snapped.

Jacob was about to make another smart remark when he froze and looked past me toward the ticket counter. His mouth went wide. "Roger... is that... you?" I turned to see Darcey standing there, wearing what seemed to be a theater uniform behind the counter.

He was smiling in an odd but pleasant way.

"Roger? You're alive, thank god," I said rushing over to him.

"Ah, Mister Saunders. Good to see you sir, I expect you're ready for the upcoming filming?" Roger said in a chipper tone.

I frowned, wondering why Roger was calling me by the former owners name; but then when he saw Jacob his tone changed.

"You let her out."

"What?" Jacob asked, equally confused by Darcey.

The man raised his finger toward both of us accusingly. Then he repeated the same phrase.

"You let her out. You let her out. You let her out."

Roger kept repeating this phrase for a good long minute. Then he finally smiled again and coughed into his hand.

"Excuse me, sir. But are you ready to begin filming?" he asked.

"Er... yes. Jacob just needed some help setting up the equipment. Might I ask what are we doing today?" I said, hoping by assuming the role of Mister Saunders I would finally get some answers.

Roger blinked for a moment and then laughed, "Why; the next scene of The Mooncreek Monster of course."