Slimantha, along with Samuel and Rose, walked down a gray brick hall. Missing segments of the gray brick ceiling left rays of sunlight to filter down into the long hall. Her black shoes tapped lightly upon the gray brick floor as she walked. Then she came to a stop.
Before her, a great double door built of gray bricks loomed. Polished gray bricks composed its handles. Her brown eyes scanned across the surface of the great door. Her gaze stopped on a large lock. Unlike the rest of the door, the locking mechanism was not brick but was a red metal. Three keyholes displayed on the red metallic plate.
“Three keys,” she said. She stepped aside and glanced at Samuel and Rose. “Did either of you find any keys on the way here by any chance?” She got a pair of headshakes in response. “I see.”
“Do you think my magic sword is behind this door?” Samuel said. He stepped up to the formidable door and ran the fingers of his right hand along the red metal of the lock.
Slimantha blinked and then looked at Samuel. “Well, the slime didn’t find any swords, but it found this door. Something important must surely be behind it. I mean look at it.” She gestured to the locking mechanism. “Three keys, Samuel. It takes three keys.”
Samuel reached into his right pocket. “Leave it to me.” He pulled out a simple gray metal lockpick. “I’ll have this thing open in no time.” He thrust the lockpick into one of the three keyholes and began fiddling with the locking mechanism.
Slimantha watched him fiddle with the lock for a moment before glancing at Rose. Rose wore a smile on her face, her pink eyes on the hero working on the lock. Slimantha smiled, and then her brown eyes went back to Samuel. “Making any progress there?” she said.
“Just give me a moment,” Samuel said. A few drops of sweat had gathered on his brow. “This lock is pretty tough. I’m sure I can pick it though. I just need more time.” He continued fiddling with the lock.
Slimantha puffed her cheeks out. Her brown eyes went to Rose, who was still smiling, and then back to Samuel. “This is taking too long. Let me deal with the door.” She stepped closer to the formidable brick double door, a look of determination in her brown eyes.
“Go ahead,” Samuel said, stepping back from the door. He held the lockpick up. “Do you need this, or do you have your own?”
Slimantha’s brown eyes went to the lockpick. “Why pick the lock when I can just break the door down?” She looked at Samuel’s face, a confident smirk on her own face. She crossed her arms.
“E-Excuse me.” Samuel blinked and then looked up at the ceiling and the plethora of holes up there. “That seems like a horrible idea. Just look at the state the ceiling is already in.” He gestured upward. “What if you bring the whole place down on top of us? I’d rather not get buried here.”
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Slimantha lowered her arms and glanced up. “Well, the ceiling is kind of in pretty bad shape.” She looked back at the door. “But that door is so not going to bust itself down.” She shrugged. “I’m not seeing many other options here. I’m sure it will be fine.”
“How about we go back to me picking the lock? How about that option?” He held the lockpick up again to emphasize his suggestion.
“That,” Slimantha’s brown eyes went back to the lockpick, “was taking too long.” Her gaze went back to the door. “It’s decided. I am so busting that door down. Stand back.” She pulled her right arm back but then stopped at the sound of a creak. Rose had pulled the right sub-door open. Slimantha and Samuel both sweatdropped.
“Did it occur to either of you two to, you know, check if it was actually locked?” Rose said. The plant woman released the handle and crossed her arms, her gaze on Slimantha and Samuel.
Slimantha looked from Rose to the left sub-door, the one that was still closed. She reached out and grabbed its handle. The supple tan skin of her hands pressed against the smooth handle. “Well, busting it down would have worked anyway.” She pulled, and the left sub-door creaked open.
Rose brought her right hand up to her lips and giggled. Slimantha looked at her and pouted. Samuel glanced away from the two women and to some flowers along the gray brick wall. The plants bearing the flowers poked up from between the bricks. He crouched down to get closer to the flowers. He reached out to a particularly large red one. It wasn’t a red spider lily. It was something else. He picked it and then stood up.
Slimantha puffed her cheeks out and glanced at the doorway. “Well, I suppose busting it down could have caused problems,” she said. She felt a tap on her right shoulder and turned around. Her eyes fell upon a beautiful red flower, and a smile came to her lips.
“A beautiful flower for a beautiful lady,” Samuel said, presenting the large red blossom to Slimantha. She took the blossom from his hands.
“It really is beautiful,” Slimantha said. Her brown eyes met Samuel’s blue eyes, and she smiled. “This is for Rose, right? She’ll love it.”
Samuel froze, a drop of sweat running down his right cheek. “I … Uh … Sure.”
“For me?” Rose said, stepping up to the pair. She took the large red blossom from Slimantha. She held it up to her nose and gingerly sniffed it. “It is not only beautiful but also smells heavenly.” Her lovely pink eyes sparkled as she stepped up to Samuel. “I love it. Thank you so much.” She leaned toward him and pressed her lips to his cheek.
“Y-You’re very welcome,” Samuel stammered. His cheeks flushed. His blue eyes went to Slimantha and then returned to the green-skinned woman smiling so happily at him. “Let’s see what is through that doorway.” He darted through the doorway.
Slimantha and Rose just stood there for a moment. They both blinked and then looked at one another. Then they both looked at the doorway.
“What just happened?” Rose said. She glanced down at the red flower she still held. Her pink eyes then went back to the doorway.
“I’m,” Slimantha blinked, “not sure.” She glanced at Rose. “Anyway, let’s head through.” She smiled at Rose, and then the two of them headed through the doorway.