The Crimson altar

Chapter 1 .Tour

was the middle of the biggest tour season for everyone who likes to discover the mystery of adventure. Especially for this young couple, Anna and Drake Robertson, they are big time truth finders of the unthinkable. Little did they know that this trip would bring them to a halting stop in life, and it would test their ability to use critical-thinking skills.

This lovely couple are looking for a tour that most people would think twice about going to. During their online search a tour piqued their interest: Crimson Tour.

“So what do you think of this one babe?” asked Mr. Robertson. Anna looked at the tour contemplating her answer.

“Babe, are you sure about this one?” she hesitated “Look at the reviews and comments? They say not to go unless you want to be killed.”

“It says there are a few other people going too, you always say a little adventure never hurts anyone. Come on, they always say things like that to create suspense and get the people going on tour hyped up. I think this will be a good one, what do you say?” Drake reassures her.

“Well I guess we are looking for something a little more difficult, I would just rather not die.” This was probably the closest answer to a ‘yes let's go for it’ that Drake was going to get.

“I promise that everything will be alright, it will be like every other tour we have been on, just a little more interesting.” Drake excitedly signs them up to go. The tour will start in a few days and they have a fair way to travel so they get to packing as soon as they are finished booking the tour.

A day later they get a phone call from the tour agency telling them that they would be picked up and taken to the location in a couple of hours. Anna quickly rushed back to the bedroom, packed up the last of the essentials and checked to make sure they did not forget any necessities. With bags packed the couple sat on the front step waiting for the car. The wait seemed like it was dragging, but everytime they looked at their watches it had only been a few minutes. Anna started getting restless and was about to give up on waiting when they heard the sound of a car coming up the driveway.

“Finally” Anna breathed when the car came to a stop at the front of the house.

“Hi!” Exclaimed the driver “I am sorry for being late, there was an accident just a few blocks away and the traffic was horrific, we were being diverted onto a busier street.” Explained the driver as he collected a bag and put it in the trunk of the car.

“Traffic can always be a pain in the ass! Don’t worry about it.” Replied Drake. He followed the driver with the other bag and placed that in the trunk too, then reached out to shake his hand. “Nice to meet you, I am Mr. Robertson and this is my wife Mrs. Robertson.”

“Nice to meet you too Sir, Ma’am, I’m Andy” He said while shaking Mr. Robertson's hand. “Well we had better head off or you might miss the plane.” They quickly got themselves in the car, in the backseat Drake and Anna gave each other a curious look wondering where they were going to end up. These tour locations are always a secret.

Upon further investigation after signing them up for the tour Drake found out that the specific location had been closed for close to 20 centuries. This only confirmed his belief that the reviews were just for the hype and that He and Anna would be perfectly safe. The agency had decided that this tour would be open to the whole world for a short time, to see if anyone was lucky enough to make it, however this was not explicitly told to anyone who booked the tour.

The Robertsons had been on many other tours, though they had never had such sinister warnings. The history of this tour was not in the public domain as it is dark, terrifying and evil. The agency had the real story under lock and key. Regardless of not being able to find much out about this tour other than the reviews and how long it had been closed Anna and Drake were explorers and enjoyed taking risks. They had a whirlwind romance and got married within a year, this tour is for their 1 year anniversary, together forever until the end!

When they got off the plane they were blindfolded and put in the back of a car with the other tour goers. This started to ring alarm bells but they know the locations are secret. The drive took a couple of hours and when they arrived that feeling that something was off intensified. Drake tried to shake it off, he must be overthinking it. Anna grabbed his hand and held onto it tightly as they looked around at the other tourists. There was an older man he looked like he was in his early to mid forties with short black hair. Across from him was a young woman. She was slender and tall, maybe in her late twenties though still young, she had a camera in her hand that she seemed to cling to. Drake was sure there were more than the four of them that signed up.

“Well, welcome all to this extremely exciting tour! My name is Be Rodger and I will be your tour guide for the day. Now please wait a moment while I do a roll call and we will get started.” Be hastily called out their names each person says yes as their name is called.

With a mischievous grin and a sinister giggle he says “Right this way then.” The tourists all noticed the strange behavior but thought it might be part of the tour and shrugged it off. They followed behind the guide inside a building. Inside the building it was polished white marble from floor to ceiling, it looked very well kept for somewhere that had not been open for 20 centuries. There were cylinder columns that went on forever and at the top there were intricately carved people holding up the ceiling, in others there were people praying and worshiping at an altar. Anna looks up at them in awe as we keep being led through the building into smaller rooms.

The first room that we stop in has an old Greek ax and some other tools that were used for building and survival. The tour continued like this, into small rooms looking at ancient artifacts that had almost been perfectly preserved. Other rooms had ancient writings on the wall with loose translations written on small scribbled bits of paper. The guide moved us on from those rooms quickly before we had a chance to read the full translations. Drake and Anna’s favorite room was one that had a mural on all four walls. This room, like when you entered the building, was immaculately preserved. The painting told a beautiful story of a time so long ago that it seemed made up. The tour was coming to its conclusion, Drake and Anna were a little confused about the warnings they had read as this was such a simple and safe tour so far.

“Why did this tour have such sinister warnings if this is all it is? I thought this was supposed to be dangerous” asked Drake. The tour guild smiled viciously at the group, walked over to the door behind him and locked it.

“Well there is something more dangerous to come” He grins.