Chapter 3 - there's more in there
The old west coat closet smelled of aged cedar, vintage leather, and decades of silence. Racks of heavy winter coats from long-forgotten seasons lined the left side, while heavy wooden storage boxes were stacked high against the back.
Coraline trotted inside without a hint of hesitation. She slipped deftly behind several large wooden storage boxes stacked near the rear wall. Theodore stepped over the cluttered floor, his broad shoulders barely clearing the narrow gap between the coat racks.
At the very back, Coraline stood pointing her small index finger at a narrow, subtle seam between two dark wooden wall panels. To anyone else, it looked like simple decorative paneling. But to someone who knew architecture—or secrets—it was unmistakably artificial.
Theodore leaned down, pressing his large, calloused palm firmly against the center of the dark panel. He exerted pressure. A quiet, mechanical click echoed through the closet, and the wall panel shifted half an inch forward.
He slid the panel back, revealing a dark, hollow cavity hidden within the thick stone wall of the mansion. The air that escaped the opening was cool and smelled of old paper and brass.
Theodore stared into the darkness, his hand resting on the wooden edge. The initials on the ring in his pocket burned against his memory.
May you like
Coraline leaned closer to the opening, her rosy cheeks catching the dim closet light as she looked up at Theodore once more.
"There's more in there," she whispered softly.
