Entering the Empress that night, about midnight to investigate, I was ready for something good to happen tonight! I left Jen's ring at home, safe in a box with her photos. Thankfully I was doing okay today.

"You alright Colby?" Amanda asked as we paused outside our hotel room door. I took a deep breath and exhaled, ruffling my hair.

"Yeah, I think I'm gonna be fine...." I smiled, then turned to her, "Is she here?" She smiled and understood what I meant immediately.

"No, nothing...." she said rubbing my back and shaking her head, "So sense or visual..."

"Okay, thank you. If she does show up, please don't tell me, I need a clear head tonight..." I requested.

"Of course, I completely understand...." she confirmed with an understanding nod, her blond hair falling over her shoulders. Jen used to always say if anything happened to her to be with Amanda. But Amanda had a boyfriend and I refused then and still to this day refuse to move on. Amanda was my friend and fellow investigator but nothing more than that. She was like a sister to me and I didn't think of her that way.

I just wanted to make sure that we got thru tonight and that everyone was safe. There may not have been anything physical or malicious in the past here but we've learned from Amanda and Jennifer that when a medium enters the building it can rile spirits up because they can sense there is a new portal or outlet for them to communicate.

So Amanda coming with us it should stir a few things up. Hopefully nothing violent or anything demonic. I know with Jen, the baddies always came out, and tonight we didn't have time for that.

"How are you feeling? Is everything calm so far?" I asked her.

"So far so good, just sadness, I can sense sadness...." she said softly, as we went down the stairs into the lobby.

"Sadness?" I asked, confused, the camera pointed at her.

"Yes, like someone is missing.... or lost..." she said.

"Well that could be anyone...." Sam said.

"What about that older woman who wanders and is trying to find her room?" Katrina reminded us.

"Oh right, smart thinking babe!" Sam smiled nodding at her idea.

"It could be... definitely a woman...." Amanda nodded.

"Well let's hope we can get good estes reading," I smiled. Thankfully the hotel was mostly empty for the night. so we had certain areas we could do readings and investigation. But of course, us being us the top floor and basement ballrooms were on our lists of things to check out. The off-limit areas were always top of our list.

We began walking the lobby area, Amanda trying to get a sense of something new. She seemed a bit confused.

"They're gone... it ends here," she said as we reached the stairs. Stairs that read "Out of Order" and another sign BY the door that read "Basement." I looked at sam and smirked.

"Well, time to do what we do best..." I said to him.

"For sure, you girls stay here... we'll go... keep your walkies close...." Sam said to the girls. I kept the camera on them as sam went thru the door, me not far behind. Eventually, I turned the camera back to Sam's back as I followed him down the dark stairway. I loved these adventures, being places we were supposed to be it was such a rush.

We reached the basement and it was pitch black. Thank god for the camera lights.

"Dude, it is so creepy down here," Sam chuckled. I nodded feeling a heaviness almost immediately after getting past the first few steps.

"Dude, do you feel that?" I asked, "The heaviness?" He nodded and we slowed down a bit.

"Yeah like a sadness...." he confirmed.

"Sure, I was thinking more anger and depression.... very heavy..." I said.

"It is," he whispered, as we got downstairs and began noticing it was still under renovation.

"Dude, you feel that? the temperature dropped drastically..." I said.

"Yeah, it's freezing down here," he confirmed, "But maybe the heats off down here." We heard a loud bang from down the hall there. we pointed our flashlights in that direction.

"Hello? Is there anyone there?" Sam called out. nothing, no one responded.

"What the fuck was that?" I asked pointing my camera that way, wondering if I could see anything thru the camera screen.

"I don't know, should we get the girls?" he asked. I shook my head firmly. I didn't want to put them at risk. Something didn't feel right.

"No, not yet, We don't know what is down here," I said, "Their safety is a priority!"

"Colby! Sam! Get back up here!!! quickly!!" Amanda called to us. We looked at each other confused and rushed back up the stairs. I wondered if she felt the same thing I did about the change that happened in the energy almost immediately.

"What? What happened? is everything okay?" Sam rambled checking on Kat. She giggled a bit brushing him off.

"I am fine Sammy, stop it.." she laughed.

"Don't go down there, it's dangerous..." Amanda said blocking the doorway. She seemed stressed and a bit angry. Then she turned back to the stairwell.

"You are not welcome to follow us! You have to stay here!!" she said firmly, "God commands you stay here. you do not have the power to leave this place. God is more powerful and you HAVE to listen!!"

"Amanda, what is going on?" I demanded again, wanting answers to why she was so freaked out. it made me even more on edge. I ran my hand thru my hair as she turned to face us, a look of worry and fear all over her face.

"Something evil, I heard something say kill them... then I heard the bang! It was terrifying," she said, "Something is down there that wasn't there before!!"

"How is that possible?" Sam asked a bit baffled. Nothing was ever new here it was always the same.

"It's new, someone summoned it. Did you get a chance to see anything while you were down there?" she asked, finally closing that basement door.

"Summoned it? like seances or devil worship?!" I asked in shock. I didn't even realize people still did crazy stuff like that anymore.

"Possibly..." she said nodding her head, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder and her green eyes worried.

"Oh, well no we didn't get more than 20 feet from the stairs before you called us back," Sam said, a bit frustrated.

"I'm sorry! But it was very uneasy...." she said softly, "I was protecting you." She didn't care, she was a bit hurt it seemed he had snapped.

"We know that Amanda, no worries, thank you," I said, nudging Sam.

"Right, of course, I'm sorry, but you know we're not scared of these things!!" he said.

"With this one, you should be," she said, glancing back at the door, "Any longer down there you'd have a physical attack on your hands." Sam and I looked at each other in shock. We'd maybe once or twice have had physical marks left, but an actual attack? I wasn't sure if we were ready for what was in that basement. We needed to do more research!