Inside, a dreary atmosphere filled the shuttered building, heightened by the overcast sky which seemed to mimic the dull interior ambience. A putrid scent of mold snaked its way through the empty hallways and stair wells, randomly rearing its heinous aroma which attacked my nose like an invisible venom. The floors remained slick, glazed with a fine layer of mucus reminiscent of the slime which slowly drips from a sick dog's nostrils on a hot and humid summer day. The walls coated with a fresh deposit of black mold meant spores were aimlessly floating in the air; finding a home in my lungs, as I could feel the foreign particles entering with each inhale of the tainted oxygen around me.

My head soon started to succumb to a minor vexation which quickly turned into a pulsating headache. A feeling of dizziness loomed over, and with each breath I took, no satisfaction followed. I could sense my lungs with each inhale fill with gas, but the gratification of a breath was minuscule. At this point I knew the quality of the oxygen was at a dangerous level, and I immediately followed a staircase up out of the basement and onto the upper floors of the manor. The amount of open windows made for a well ventilated environment and the fresh air quickly began to remedy my head pain.

Rooms remaining in various levels of decay were all stacked with black garbage bags full of belongings which had since been torn open and ransacked. Pushing one of the bags aside I watched as a ghastly insect zipped passed my shoe to seek refuge under an adjacent radiator. Its size and motion leading me to believe the bug was that of a cockroach. The presence alone of such an unsightly creature tensed my muscles as I cringed in reaction to its grotesque appearance. I made a mental note not to sit on or touch a god damned thing for fear that next time such a hideous creature could decide to take refuge on me. Fuck insects!