It was Gabriel. Eli felt his heart almost stop. But he felt relieved when he saw the giant boy standing right in front of him.
Eli tried to stand up.
Gabriel grinned, looking down at him. "What happened, Eli?" Gabriel had followed Eli because he wanted to explore too. He had intended to jump out and scare the smaller boy, but now he saw that Eli was truly frightened. Eli's face was pale.
"Did you hear that?" Eli whispered, his voice shaking.
Gabriel narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to listen. A faint, muffled scream echoed through the hallway again. It sounded like it was coming from the bottom of the dusty stairs.
"What is that?" Gabriel asked. His smile disappeared.
Eli shrugged, his eyes wide. "Is there someone down there?"
Gabriel remained silent for a moment. He was clearly scared now too. "Well, it is better if we go back to the room."
"But what if someone needs help?" Eli asked.
