Scott started climbing the staircase. Halfway up he ducked instinctively as an unseen 'thing' with glowing eyes swooped low over his head. At the same time there was another unearthly screech and a yell from behind him. Turning, Scott saw Gary with his leg stuck in the stairs. One of the treads had given way.
"Don't just stand there," Gary snapped, "I'm stuck!" As Gary and Bobby hoisted him free of the hole, Scott smirked.
"I told you it was a deathtrap," he remarked.
"Yeah, well," glowered Gary.
Following this they made sure to test each step before treading on it and reached the top without further mishap. But as they headed for the next flight of stairs Bobby wound up sprawled on his backside after one of the carved donkey figures snorted steam in his ear.
Laughing, the group climbed the staircase to a gallery overlooking the hall, where a couple of old-fashioned candelabra provided welcome illumination.
There they spent some time inspecting some life-size portraits which decorated the walls - until they lit up from behind, silhouetting huge, hideous, moving shapes! Then they fled, racing down a dark corridor full of dangling tendrils and unseen furry things that brushed against their legs. Yelping and shouting, the four piled out into a T junction leading to two shorter passageways. There they halted - sweating, and gasping for breath.
"Shit!" Carl remarked, "I'm all over goosebumps!"
"Tell me about it!" Bobby was rubbing his arms vigorously. "Even my dick's got goosebumps!"
Gary smirked, heading for the passageway on the right. "That's a disease, dude."
"Yeah, well...you should know!"