by Slick, Tabi
“This’ll do,” Kia said, after meticulously laying out every brush and comb.
“Was that worth it?” I laughed.
“Of course!” Kia exclaimed, “If your supplies aren’t aligned in an orderly fashion you might as well not do your makeup or hair at all!”
“Of course,” I said, sarcastically, “you’re so weird.”
“You’ll be thanking me later,” Kia said, confidently, “now, will you please let me curl your hair?”
“Good luck,” I laughed.
She just shrugged and began preparing the curling iron and hot curlers.
I glanced over to where my phone was on my desk. I quickly checked to be sure Kia wasn’t looking and then I waived my hand causing my phone to fly into my hand. I smiled proudly to myself, knowing that if we did come into contact with the journal that I’d be able to whisk it away without anyone knowing.
“We really need to start on our makeup,” Kia said, turning around.
I was so glad she turned around then and not earlier.
“Sure,” I smiled.
We began getting ready and soon it was time to put on our dresses and head out.
“Wow!” Kia gasped, “that dress is amazing!”
I slipped into satin champagne pumps and then glanced at my reflection. I was wearing my new sequined high-low gown that had a satin trail and a heart-shaped neckline. I wore long earrings and paired it all with a matching clutch.
“Thanks!” I replied, “So, do you! That color of purple looks perfect on you.”
“I know,” she laughed, “now, to celebrate.”
Kia went to our mini fridge and pulled out a bottle of champagne.
“Where’d you get that?” I asked.
“I snuck it out of the monitor’s office,” she shrugged, grabbing a couple of plastic cups, “come on! We should end this semester with a little fun.”
She opened the bottle and poured us two glasses.
“Cheers,” I smiled.
“Ching, ching!" She cheered.
We laughed as we “clinked” our very classy plastic cups. This had been a nice distraction from what was about to go down tonight. I had almost completely forgotten about my worries. It probably wasn’t the smartest decision to have a drink before tonight, but hey if Chuck was going to be there I would need something to take the edge off, right? I downed a second glass before we headed down to meet the guys who were waiting on the porch of our dorm. They were allowed to pick us up at the front of our dorms just for this occasion. I wasn’t sure if the dark and dreary weather was a bad omen or what, but whatever happened next Kain and I were as prepared for it as we possibly could. I stepped out onto the porch and was welcomed by Lee’s pleasantly surprised face. He was holding a single read rose for me and as I took it from his hands I kissed him on his cheek.
“Fancy meeting you here,” I teased.
“You look amazing,” he whispered.
“Thank you for my rose,” I said.
“Of course,” he added.
“Are you all ready?” Kain’s voice interrupted our romance, “come on.”
“The path is terribly muddy!” Kia complained, “my heels are going to get ruined. I’ve got to go get my boots.”
“Alright,” Kain said, “we’ll meet you at the caravan, I guess.”
“Are you sure?” Lee asked.
“Yeah, man,” he replied.
“See you there,” I called as we headed out down the treacherous path.
Lee reached for my arm to assist me and I gladly accepted his help.
“Are you sure you don’t need to get a change of shoes?" He asked.
“No,” I smiled, “My heels will be fine.”
I was determined to be on time. We could only afford one of us lagging behind as one of us needed to have eyes and ears on everything going on. Little did Lee know that my other hand was stretched out towards the ground using all the power I could muster to harden the mud so that my heels wouldn’t sink.
Hurry, my voiced whispered into Kain’s thoughts.
I’ll try, his voice replied.
I was relieved that he heard my thoughts that time instead of me freezing everything. I needed to save that little power for later. We reached the cars and, like the gentleman he was, Lee opened the door to his giant black truck and helped me in. I had picked the most ideal dress as it was shorter in the front on one side so I was better able to move. I couldn’t imagine running around in the frock Kia was wearing.
“Thanks,” I smiled.
I glanced around at the other students piling into their cars. I spotted Leslie getting into that gross, blackmailing Amadeus’ car. I couldn’t believe she was going to the social with him of all people! I scanned the crowd one last time, spotting Kain and Kia making their way to the cars. Then I saw Chuck speeding passed us so fast I didn’t even get a chance to see who was in the seat next to him!
“Hey, did you see that?” I asked.
“Yeah, whoever that was is in quite a hurry,” Lee replied.
We started navigating to the President’s home, all of the cars following the leader. That is, except for Chuck. We arrived at the mansion which was completely lit, the lawn was decorated with little twinkly lights leading up to the front door, and there was even valet! This was definitely quite different from the first time Kain and I had visited this house. Before it was mostly dark and eerily quiet, but now it was ablaze with lights and music.
“Wow,” Lee exclaimed, “the honor society definitely knows how to throw a party.”
Lee handed his key over to one of the valet guys and escorted me up the path to the entrance.
“Welcome,” a doorman greeted us as he opened the front door for us.
I literally thought we had teleported into another time and place. The grand foyer looked as if it had never changed from when it once belonged to the school’s founder, Thomas Tompkin. The whole place seemed like a museum, except for the modern music blaring from a room off to the side. We headed towards the music and entered a giant room which could only be a ballroom. Who had a ballroom in their house? Wait staff passed by, offering various horderves to the elegantly clad guests, and everyone seemed to be having a grand time.
“Wanna dance?” Lee asked as a dance remix of Hang On by Plumb began playing.
What a strange song for our first dance to be. I chuckled to myself as I thought about how relevant this song was to my current predicament. This would be the exact song Kain would choose for comedic relief or something.
Of course I would, his voice filled my head.
Stay out of my head, Kain! I scolded, where are you anyway?
Just entered the building, he replied.
Watch out for Chuck or Amadeus, I advised, either one of those two could throw a wrench in our plan.
Of course, he agreed.
“You look distracted,” Lee commented as he took my arm spun me around.
“Just enjoying the music,” I laughed, “I didn’t know you could dance.”
“My mom used to send me to cotillions,” he shrugged.
“Cotillions?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, “you mean those things they used to throw in the seventeen hundreds?”
“Sort of, yeah,” he laughed at my skepticism.
“I guess I just didn’t picture you as the cotillion attending type,” I joked.
Stay focused, Kain’s voice interrupted my conversation, find an excuse to ditch Romeo and help me find the journal.
Ugh, we just got here, I thought in response.
Yeah, well we’re on a deadline, he thought back.
“Want me to find us some drinks?” Lee asked.
“Oh, sure!” I said, “I’m going to go find the ladies’ room.”
“Meet me over there then?" He suggested, pointing towards a table in the far corner that appeared to have a fountain filled with punch on it.
“Yeah,” I agreed, feeling a bit guilty for having to lie to him.
We went our sepa
rate ways and I glanced over my shoulder, making sure Lee didn’t spot me ditching him, before leaving the ballroom.
“There you are,” a familiar voice said behind me.
“Hi,” I replied, spinning around to face Kain, “how’d you get away from Kia?”
“Easy,” he shrugged, “once she starts dancing she doesn’t care who she’s dancing with.”
“Lucky you,” I said, sarcastically, “we need to hurry, we don’t have much time.”
We headed towards the long hallway in search of his gallery. We passed door after door, nothing looked familiar to us anymore. Everything from that night seemed like a dream, probably one of the lovely side effects of transitioning. That and the horrible bruises.
“Do you remember which corner of the house it was?” I asked.
“I think it was the back left corner,” he said, unsure.
We tried to look as inconspicuous as possible as we passed the many partiers of the honor’s society. As we walked passed the students it became ever more apparent that someone had found Tompkin’s finest and had helped themselves to passing it around.
“Hey!” Leslie called, spotting us, “you have got to try this.”
“Oh, what is it?” I asked, trying to ignore Kain’s annoyed look.
Quit it, I thought, we have to look natural.
“Gin and tonic,” she giggled, “someone found it in this fany room back there.”
“Wow!” I exclaimed, taking a sip, “that’s strong.”
“Haha, yeah,” she agreed.
“Where is this room?” I asked.
“Come on, I’ll show you,” she said, her speech slightly slurred.
Why are we following her? Kain’s thoughts asked.
Because it could be the gallery, I thought in response.
We followed Leslie down the hall and when we reached the end of it she pointed to a half opened door.
“They’re being served right through there,” she said, “but shh! Don’t tell any of the chaperones.”
“Okay,” Kain said, rolling his eyes.
We walked through the doors into a dimly lit room scattered with students with glasses filled with gin and tonic, I assumed. Had any of the adults heard about this? And where was the Uncle?
“Gin and tonic?" An overly snarky voice asked.
I turned to see who had asked us and there was Chuck behind the bar, of course.
“No, thanks,” I replied, “this isn’t the gallery, is it?”
“Why do you want to know?” Chuck asked, as he poured tonic water into a glass.
Wrong person to ask, Iz, Kain’s thoughts said.
“Thought that’s where the action was,” I shrugged, “heard someone say it.”
“You look tense, love,” Chuck commented, “have a drink. On the house, so to speak.”
“Come on,” Kain said, taking my arm.
I glared at him as he just stood there chuckling at us. We left whatever room that was and continued our search. We went down yet another long hallway, passing door after door, room after room. Why were we even doing this? We had no idea if the journal was even down there or what kind of security this guy would have in his secret lair. I thought about what we had asked of the Bartholomew brothers and wondered what had happened to them. Were they even successful? Suddenly, my vision seemed to blur and I stopped in my tracks.
“Whoa,” I exclaimed, holding the wall as I tried to blink.
“What’s going on?” Kain asked.
“I-I don’t…” my voice trailed off as my vision suddenly focused on a shadow down the hall.
The shadow was the shape of a boy, but his figure was almost clear. Like he was there, but not there at the same time. The shadow began to move and I was completely drawn to it.
“Where are you going?” I heard Kain’s voice in the distance, even though I could feel him right next to me.
Don’t you see him? I whispered into Kain’s thoughts.
See who? he thought back.
I see a shadow, I thought, follow me.
The shadow weaved quickly through the random students who had decided to explore the mansion and I tried my best to keep up.
Are you sure you know where you’re going? Kain asked.
I don’t have the slightest clue, I confirmed, but he seems to be leading us somewhere.
The shadow stopped abruptly in front of a small door and stretched out his barely visible hand to the doorknob. Something glistened as the ghost did so and I spotted a faint ring on the shadow’s index finger. A gold band with a bloodstone center. It was strange, the ring seemed somewhat familiar but for some reason I couldn’t quite put my finger on where I had seen it before. We followed the shadow through the door and into what could only be the gallery. The room was filled with various portraits and antique paintings. The shadow did not hesitate to cross the room past the enormous, unlit fireplace and went straight to a large 19th century painting of an old plantation.
This looks familiar, Kain’s thoughts informed me.
The shadow placed his hand on the right side of the frame, apparently looking for some sort of trigger to unlock the secret passageway. I heard a faint click and suddenly the left side of the painting ever so slightly popped open. The figure opened the painting the rest of the way to reveal a small space with a ladder secured to the wall. We looked down to see where the ladder would take us, but there was no light.
Should we risk it? I asked, a little concerned about getting trapped down there.
Come on, Kain replied, he’s getting ahead of us.
You first, I thought.
Kain hopped onto the ladder and began the seemingly endless descent into darkness. I soon followed, although I immediately regretted it. I wonder if I was claustrophobic when in transition as well, or if that was just a human reaction.
I’m so not in the right outfit for this, I complained.
Relax. Just reached the bottom, Kain’s thoughts replied, Must be the basement.
I reached the last step and was definitely glad I was no longer on that rickety ladder. The figure we were following had lit a lantern, but the lantern was faded as well as if it was there but not there at the same time. It provided just enough light for me to find a light switch.
“What is this place?” I asked out loud once the light came on and I was able to take in our surroundings.
“Looks like they’ve been tracking students for a long time,” Kain said.
The room was filled with photos taken of students tacked onto a board with a list of school schedules, a map, and a bunch of lines drawn between items which had a connection. It even looked like we had made the board. Our faces were plastered near the top with a giant question mark.
“Where’s that shadow now?” Kain asked.
I looked around and spotted him standing at the far back corner just staring straight up at the ceiling of the basement.
“Here,” I said, motioning him to follow me.
We walked over next to where the shadow was standing and I looked up, immediately spotting what he was looking at. There was a rather large metal pipe that appeared to have a latch on the end.
There, I thought, pointing to the pipe, something’s inside there.
Kain got something to stand on and hopped up, inspecting the pipe.
See anything? I asked.
I haven’t even opened the thing, Kain’s thoughts growled, give me a minute.
He reached up and attempted to pull out the lid thing, both of us hoping it wasn’t anything like a gas pipe or something. The lid pulled out with a cling and Kain reached in and pulled out a slightly curled book.
The journal, we thought at the same time.
Kain hopped down and moved more towards the light.
“This is it!” I gasped.
“Finally,” Kain commented.
We turned the leather cover and saw Thomas Tompkin’s name engraved on the first page and a date. I couldn’t believe my eyes! We were that much closer to finding
out what this whole thing was about and who the other beings were.
Wait, Kain’s thoughts growled followed by an explosion of fury.
“Ugh, stop that!” I said, grabbing my head, “Your outbursts hurt my head.”
“There’s nothing in here,” Kain said.
“What?” I asked, “What do you mean?”
“Look,” Kain said, showing me the book’s empty pages.
“Why is it empty?” I asked.
“Well,” Kain began, “I bet you whatever happened between Theodore and that reporter spooked him enough to move it.”
“Why would he move it?” I asked, “I mean it’s not like reporters are supposed to go around breaking into peoples’ homes and this wasn’t a necessarily easy hiding spot to find.”
“Either way this is a fake,” Kain spat, tossing the book aside.
Suddenly, we heard footsteps above us in the gallery and we knew it was time to get back to the party. Lee was probably looking for me everywhere and I couldn’t imagine Kia not noticing that her date wasn’t around for this long. I didn’t even care about what I was going to tell Lee. Did it even matter? What we thought would get us closer to everything that haunted our dreams only led us to a dead end. I had a strong feeling that this was where the real journal was, but that it was probably long gone. Someone had gone to great lengths to keep it away from us and I had a feeling it was related to whoever that guy with the bloodstone ring was.
Chapter 12: Weakness Will Never Survive
The winter break had gone by faster than expected, even though we had just been sitting around in our father’s giant home where he and his bride ignored us with hatred in their eyes. The feeling was mutual. Before we knew it we were back at school and it was already time for Kain’s least favorite holiday, Valentine’s Day. Fortunately, what had gotten me through the break were Lee’s phone calls each evening and so things were going quite well in the romance department. The whole school was decorated in red and pink hearts and throughout the halls couples were holding hands and girls bragging about what how sweet their man was. Kain completely avoided the topic of what had happened that night at the social. Each time I attempted to bring it up he would change the subject or something would suddenly “come up”. Meanwhile, everywhere I went it seemed Chuck was there watching me like a hawk. Probably looking for me to do something suspicious. It was definitely a bad time for Amadeus to call in any favors. But our entire life couldn’t be placed on hold until Chuck deemed us uninteresting. We still needed to find out where the original book went and who had led us to the fake one. Did Theodore intentionally leave a fake one there? Or was he even looking for the journal when Kain saw him go through the hidden door behind the painting? Ever since that night the shadow had been haunting my dreams. I kept reliving the moment that I saw the ring over and over again, desperately trying to put a face to the figure we had followed. I knew I had seen that ring before, I just couldn’t remember where.