Lizzie led us into the pantry. Neither of us had been in here before. Usually because our attention was always on sneaking away some of Kathy's baked snacks between meals.
It was a square room, with shelves and cupboards along all the walls. Glass and ceramic jars filled with all manner of food items dotted the shelves. Jams, jellies, vinegar, pickled vegetables, and dried spices Everything they served on the table with meals lined the shelves.
At the centre of the room was a red rug covering much of the floorboards. Despite its age and filth, you could tell the rug was beautifully woven. Our family crest lay at its centre. I can't remember, but I feel like I've seen this rug somewhere before.
Lizzie pulled away the rug and tapped several of the boards. She stuck a knife between two boards and began prying away. A tedious task. I had to remind myself why we were here in the first place to keep from walking away. There is a rumour of a monster living under the pantry in the wine cellar.
Wine is something we drink little of, and of late, we've had very little to celebrate. I suspect this monster to be nothing more some pest plaguing the old house. Grandmother did say we should renovate every twenty years. Perhaps it's too long overdue. Either way, monster or not, this should be an interesting way to pass the time since it's been snowing relentlessly.
There was a loud groan, followed by the crackling of wood. The boards Lizzie had been prying splintered and crumbled.
"Great, another thing to add to the list of things to fix." Camelia mumbled.
The trapdoor may have rotted, but the ladder was still intact. I took the lantern from Camelia and hung it on the ladder as I made my way down first. Perhaps I was too preoccupied fighting off the spiders and cobwebs, but I hadn't noticed the smell until Camelia mentioned it. The cellar reeked. Albeit, it was uncomfortable, not intolerable.
The cellar was carved out of the ground, with wooden beams installed into the walls as shelves. It was a hall with three adjacent rooms, and every wall was filled with wine. The furthest room was the least touched. The bottles in there are—
"Misses, let's go back!"
"Calm yourself, Lizzie. It's a sealed room, and underground no less. There are. No. Monsters. Justina, have you figured it out?"
"Like everything else in this house, it needs repairs."
"Explain Tina."
"The kitchen staff say they've heard water splashing and wet footsteps. I saw water running down the back wall near the ladder. I'll assume there's a hole in that wall that leads to the grain storage. The water is probably snow that's melted from the heating pipes in the floor. Meaning we've got rats, and they've huddled in for winter."
"That explains our grain shortage."
ns 18.68.0.105da2
