“Is this it?”

I blinked and shook my head to clear the sleep from my mind as I turned to the cab driver. He stared at me expectantly and I quickly glanced out the window to see if it was the right location.

“It is, thanks.” I handed him a twenty then got out of the car, waving him down when he stood to help me get my bags. It was a nice gesture, but pointless as I only had a few clothes and a laptop packed in my two bags, along with a few other essentials.

“Thanks,” I said and turned to face my new home as the car drove away.

It had taken longer than expected to get out here, but the house looked better than I remembered the last time I’d been here, and there was a serene feel to the town of Oldmire. The Texan heat was stronger than what I was used to, having been raised in New York for most of my life, but it wasn't unbearable, and the house in front of me was sure to have air conditioning.

I’d been shocked when I received the call that my granduncle on my mother's side had passed, and even more shocked when I’d learned that he’d left everything he owned to me including his money and home that as far as I knew he’d lived in for all his life and had inherited from his father when he’d passed. I had been close with Uncle Dylan, more so than the rest of his extended family, and had visited him multiple times, enjoying the peaceful air the town held and just getting away from the constant hustle and bustle of New York. The city of New York was a beautiful place with a wide array of things to do, but the word peaceful is not a word I’d use to describe it, then again perhaps that was just due to my upbringing.

I walked down the path to the front door, taking in the flower garden in the large front yard. It looked perfect, and like it had just been watered recently. I guessed one of the neighbors must have been taking care of them. I’d have to find out who later and thank them.

The home was large, being over three stories, and in quite good condition. It was like the rest of the houses on Milling St. Large front yard, large house, attached two-car garage, and a large backyard or so I assumed if nothing had changed. Unlike most cheap homes that were made of plaster and the cheap stuff, this house was brick and concrete, and though it was somewhat old-fashioned, it looked better than most modern homes. It was a shock to think that this property, which was not cheap at all, was now mine. I was a twenty-year-old college graduate who now owned something that most of my non-existent friends would be saving for years to buy if they ever even made that much.

I pulled the keys from my pocket as I reached the front door. The number twenty-two was somewhat faded but still clear, and the door swung open with no squeak to be heard. Dylan had always kept the home in good condition, considering it to be a family heirloom. My mom had actually tried to talk me into selling it, but I’d refused immediately. Not only because of everything that had happened, but also because I wanted to get away from New York, and not only was Oldmire rural, but it was peaceful as well, and none of my family lived in the state of Texas.

I took in a deep breath as I stepped into my new home. The air was somewhat stale and as I began to examine things, I noticed a faint layer of dust, but nothing a quick clean wouldn't sort out. The living room was open and attached to the large kitchen which in turn was attached to the first-floor dining room. If I was remembering correctly, the home held five bedrooms, though most were empty since my Uncle Dylan had lived alone. He’d always kept my room ready though, for when I came to visit. I felt a tinge of guilt and shame that I hadn't visited more often and a burst of anger at my father and her, but I quickly pushed it down, not letting myself think back on it. I’d already spent days raging and feeling depressed. This was a new start and I was going to treat it as such.

The house was fully furnished with modern-day utilities and expensive-looking furniture, and I was glad to see that my uncle had upgraded from the old box-like tv to a modern flatscreen, and I was even more shocked that on the second floor there was a computer and a desk. Uncle Dylan had never been one for modern technology, though I had taught him a bit, and he was a fast learner, not one of those old folks who couldn’t understand what turning something off and on meant.

Sadness grew as I examined the rest of the house. There was a lot of empty space that I didn't know what to do with, but I guess I’d figure that out later. I placed my bags down in what had been my uncle’s room. He’d always gone on about how the owner needed to sleep in the master bedroom, and I wasn't going to argue that now. The bed alone was ridiculous. It was like double king size with cherry oak wood, and an intricately carved headboard, not to mention the walk-in closet.

The first order of business was getting some food as I hadn't eaten since leaving the plane and plane food didn't really do it for me. It always felt so sterile, and tasteless.

I headed down to the kitchen, but none of the cupboards held much inside, so I plugged in my laptop and charger, connected to the home wifi, and began searching for local food joints. I’d just found a local pizza place when the doorbell rang.

I frowned and headed to open the door, wondering who it could be. As far as I knew, I wasn't expecting anyone or any deliveries.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

What greeted me was not a delivery man, but a young woman, around my age. My mouth fell open slightly as I took her in.

Long rose blonde hair that shone in the daylight framed a face out of a model magazine, and blue eyes, a shade I’d never seen. They looked almost green. Her porcelain skin contrasted nicely with her red-painted lips that curved into a smile when she noticed my gaze. A faint layer of makeup ordained her face, but unlike a lot of girls I’d seen, it was not overpowering and only enhanced her natural beauty.

I felt my face heat and looked down, but that only brought my gaze down to her curvy body and bare skin. She was wearing a tight white shirt, and I was certain I could see her nipples poking through. Short blue jeans left most of her legs exposed, including an orange tattoo of some aquatic animal. To top everything off was a dark jacket that reached to her elbows, and sat nicely upon her shoulders.

She pulled the lollipop she had in her mouth out and raised an eyebrow.

I quickly shook my head, cursing my stupidy. I was blatantly staring at this girl.

“Oh, can I help you?”

“You can,” she said, amusement glittering in her eyes. “Me and mom were friends of the previous homeowner and she sent me over to ask if it's been sold, are you the new owner?”

“Hmm?” I shook my head. “Oh no, I'm his grand-nephew, Kaiden. I inherited the place after he passed.”

Recognition gleaned in her eyes, though I had no recollection of meeting her. “He’s spoken of you before. I'm sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “Ermm…?”

“Maya,” she answered with a smile that set my heart racing. It had been a very long time since I’d interacted with the opposite sex in this way. The last being when the incident had occurred. That thought brought me back down to earth and curbed my enthusiasm.

“Is that all?” I asked, not sure of what else to say.

“For now,” she said. “My mom will probably send me back to invite you to dinner later. She and your Uncle Dylan were great friends.”

“Uncle Dylan?”

She smiled sadly. “Yeah, that's what we always used to call him. He was a very kind person, your grand uncle.”

“I know,” I replied softly. “Well, I'll see you later unless you wanna come in?"

I cringed internally the moment the words left my mouth, and I tried to keep the wince off my face. Luckily she didn't take it the wrong way, and instead just shook her head. “Maybe another time. Bye Kaiden.”

I tried to keep my eyes on the back of her head as she walked away, but I failed after only a few seconds, my eyes trailing down to her ass. Either she normally walked like that or was swishing her hips on purpose. I looked back up just in time to see her glance back with a sly smirk and I blushed before shutting the door. God, I’d acted like such a fool. Great job with the staring, Kaiden, you idiot, that’s definitely not going to freak her out.

She hadn't seemed to be freaked out though, so perhaps I hadn't scared her off, then again did that even matter, I wasn't exactly great with the ladies. My dull black hair framed a face that was the definition of average and my hazel eyes were nothing special. In most if not all aspects I was average, as average as they came, and while that wasn't a bad thing, most people weren’t looking for average.

With that depressing thought, I headed back inside, trying to clear my mind of Maya as I called up the local pizza place and ordered a pepperoni pie with some breadsticks and a liter of coke. I was starving and I could always save the leftovers for later. Cold pizza wasn't that bad.

As I waited for the pizza I headed into the backyard, which like the rest of the properties was enclosed by wooden walls on all sides, though there was a back door with a lock. There was a trampoline I remembered using when I visited as a kid a few years back and a decent-sized pool next to two sheds. I frowned, not remembering uncle having two sheds. I recognized the smaller one, but the larger of the two definitely hadn't been there the last time I’d visited.

I frowned and headed towards it. Around three-quarters of the way there, I almost tripped on what I thought was a rock until I looked down to see a heavy steel hatch in the ground with one of those spinning wheel handles they used in submarines. This definitely hadn't been here the last time. The grass had covered it from my vision so I hadn't seen it until I’d almost tripped.

It was close to the larger shed, and there were a few broken wooden boards lying next to it. I picked one up and noticed it was covered in a bit of red paint. Had it been a sign?

The only thing I could think of being down there was a bunker, but that in and of itself was odd as I’d brought up the idea once before to my uncle and he’d laughed it off, saying he’d die in his own home rather than starve or hide underground. If there was one thing my uncle had been, it was stubborn and I knew he wouldn't have changed his mind.

I reached down and with a heave began to turn the wheel. I was damn curious as to what he’d built this for. It took a bit of strength and a few minutes especially since I wasn't that strong, and my build was lean, not muscular. I finally managed to get it open though and I was greeted with the sight of a ladder and pitch black darkness.

A burst of fear passed through me, but it was gone quickly. The only thing I had to be scared of was falling. I pulled my phone out and turned on the flashlight function. The light was bright and reached deep enough to show me that the ladder wasn't that long and the drop must have been only ten feet.

I placed my phone back in my pocket, flashlight still on, and then began to climb down. I jumped the last few rungs of the ladder onto solid earth and then pulled out my flashlight. I was in a long stone tunnel and on the other side just a few feet away I could see another door with a chain lock.

Was this a bunker?

I walked over and after a bit of fiddling, was able to open the lock and enter the next room which was not an open space full of rations or rough beds or things like that. Instead, it was a small room with a large door on one end locked by three separate steel latches and two bars. On the right side of the room was a stone opening, a sort of desk built into the wall with a few items on it.

“A bit overboard,” I muttered as I walked over to the desk. A rough map lay next to an open book and a sheet of paper which was next to an odd white ball that had a few cracks around it. The last object was a long cylinder with a few bits of metal at one end. It took a moment for me to realize that it was a very large key that must have opened the big door.

I opened the book, but it was just full of unreadable scribbles as was the sheet of paper. The white orb looked like the whitest white I had ever seen and seemed to glow slightly.

I glanced over to the door. It was heavily fortified with over five locking mechanisms that I could see. Was this a vault, and if so what exactly had my uncle left down here? Thoughts of riches and treasure entered my mind, but I laughed them off, though perhaps there was something of worth down here. My uncle wouldn't have built something like this for no reason, definitely not.

With a final thought, I made my decision. It took only a few moments to find the opening for the key and after shoving it inside and turning it twice the large door began to open, the locking mechanisms going from closed to open. The door swung inward to reveal what lay behind.