by D Haltinner
“Do you want something to drink this time?” Audrey asked.
Darren shook his head. “I think caffeine is the last thing I need right now.”
Audrey gestured to the love seat and followed him to it, sitting beside him and letting her hands out of her sleeves to place them on Darren’s knee. “Now, what the heck is going on?”
Darren closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “Jack and I went to the tunnel.”
“Tonight?” Audrey asked, the shock in her voice mixed with a tinge of disappointment.
Darren nodded. “He wanted to go into the void.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t want to let you put yourself in danger,” Darren said. He looked up to her, and locked eyes with her. “I know that might hurt you a bit, but I’m gladder now that I didn’t invite you than I was before.”
Audrey’s mouth clenched for a second before she spoke. “What happened?”
“It got Jack.”
“What?” Her eyes shot open. Every ounce of fatigue disappeared from them in a flash.
“Whatever is inside the void, it got Jack and dragged him away.”
“What do you mean dragged him away?”
Darren took one of her hands from his knee and wrapped his fingers around it. “We were walking in the void-”
“In it?”
Darren nodded. “We couldn’t see shit-sorry-but he wanted to keep going because he thought that it was going to be the only way to figure out what was going on.”
Audrey said nothing.
Her silence made Darren feel uncomfortable, but he kept talking. “He’s probably right, but when we were walking further into the void, we started to hear the noise.”
“The same one?”
“Yeah, but it was pretty far down the tunnel, so Jack wanted to keep going.”
Audrey shifted in her seat and brought her legs up to her side, leaning against Darren now.
“We kept walking when the sound changed. Next thing I know, Jack’s screaming that something has his leg, and he’s being dragged away from me.”
Audrey gasped, slapping the hand that rested on Darren’s knee up to her mouth. “Oh my God.”
Darren looked up at Audrey. “It got him, and I don’t think he’s going to be coming back,” he swallowed dry air. “If you would have come, it could have been you that it got.” His eyes welled with water and his chest hitched. “I don’t think I could have handled that.”
Audrey took the hand off her mouth and wrapped it around Darren’s shoulder, pulling him against her. “It didn’t get me, I’m here, I’m okay.“
“But it could have been you.”
“It never would have been me,” Audrey said, her voice as soft as a mother’s to her newborn. “I never would have let you step foot into the void.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“But Jack-”
“It was his own fault. And we learned at least one important thing from his actions, just like we thought we would.”
“What’s that?” Darren said, trying to bring his emotions back under control.
“Whatever that is in the void is more dangerous than we realized.”
“I guess,” Darren said. “But Audrey, what if he’s dead?” He wiped the last remains of tears from his eyes.
Audrey sighed. “I don’t think we can do anything for him,” she said. “We have a lot more people to worry about right now, and we don’t have much time.”
“I’d say, at the rate that thing’s growing, I wouldn’t be surprised if Tuesday even turns out to be too late.”
Audrey leaned back and looked at Darren confused. “What do you mean growing?”
“The void,” Darren said, “It’s either growing or moving. Growing I think.”
“What? How can you be sure?”
“Remember the hatch we escaped through when we first went by the theatre?”
“The one that led to the prop room? Yeah.”
“That hatch was now in the void. And not just a little ways in it either.”
Audrey stared at Darren, blinking, but not saying anything.
“You okay?”
Audrey nodded. “That just reminded me something about that math formula we found down in the tunnel.”
“What about it?”
“I can’t remember for sure, I think we should take another look at it though. I think there might be more to it that I didn’t realize until now.”
“We’ll have to check then.”
Audrey nodded. “How’d you get into the tunnel anyways? Isn’t the library locked?”
“Let’s just say Jack may be wanted for breaking and entering.”
“What?”
“He broke a window in Rosch Hall and cut the lock off the hatch in the bathroom.”
Audrey rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I can’t believe he talked you into going along with that.”
“He tricked me,” Darren said. “I didn’t know he broke in until later, he just told me he knew a way in and then opened the side door for me.”
Audrey shook her head.
“When I was waiting for him outside, I did happen to see something else of interest.”
“What’s that?”
“The void does come above ground,” Darren said. “In fact, it engulfed half of the theatre.”
“You saw it? Now?” Audrey said.
Darren adjusted himself in his seat, moving against the back of the love seat, letting Audrey sink in beside him. “The moon’s light cut through the void,” he said. “Every time a cloud passed over the moon, it came back, but when the moon was shining, the void vanished.”
“Odd.”
“I’d say. The street lights couldn’t go through the void, but the moonlight could.”
“But why doesn’t anyone see it during the day?”
“The moon just reflects the sun’s light, right?”
Audrey nodded. “Yeah, I see what you’re saying. But why would natural light cut through it and flashlights and street lamps can’t?”
Darren shrugged. “Got me with that one.”
A long sigh escaped through Audrey’s nose. “Nothing ever makes sense.”
“I know.”
“How did this turn from a simple tunnel to risking lives?”
“I don’t know.”
“When this is all over, we need a vacation.”
Darren locked eyes with her. “We?”
“Well, if we can afford it.”
“I think the best I can do is a trip to Great America.”
Audrey laughed. “Fine by me.”
A moment of silence passed as Audrey snuggled closer to Darren. He wanted nothing more than to be close with her, especially after tonight. If she had been the one attacked by the thing in the void, he didn’t know what he would do. He couldn’t see her get hurt. He had to keep her safe, whatever it took.
“Why don’t you spend the night now?” Audrey said.
Darren took her hand in his. “I don’t know if I’m up for any more of that tonight, after what happened to Jack.”
“I was hoping we’d sleep myself,” Audrey said. “There isn’t a whole lot of night left.”
“It is way past my bed time.”
“It’s almost time for me to wake up.”
“I didn’t bring anything to sleep in.”
“Well, I don’t know about you, but I plan on sleeping naked.”
Darren felt himself growing, thinking about sleeping beside her naked.
Did she sleep naked every night? Even with her roommate here?
“So, will you stay?” Audrey asked.
Darren nodded. “Yeah.”
Audrey stood and held out her hands to help Darren up. “Then come to bed,” she said. “I’ll even let you help undress me if you want.”
Darren stood up, a bulge pushing against the crotch of his pants.
Chapter 46
Darren scanned his car
d at his own room’s door and pushed inside. It had felt a little awkward waking up in someone else’s bed, but Audrey’s bare back facing him wiped that feeling away in a split second. He wanted to stay and feel her skin against him longer, but there were more pressing things to get done. He hated to admit that, but sex had to be secondary to what was going on below campus.
He had left Audrey a note, telling her first off that he was sorry he left a note instead of talking to her himself, but he didn’t want to wake her-she needed as much rest as she could get. He should be sleeping now himself, but a few hours of sleep seemed to at least take the edge off. He should be fine for most of the day.
Darren shut the door behind him and tossed his jacket on top of Jack’s backpack before looking over to his roommate’s side of the room.
Of course Jack wasn’t there. He never would be again. Nothing on that side of the room had been moved or touched, and it wasn’t going to be until someone realized that Jack was missing.
Darren wondered if they’d send Jack’s dad to pack him out like they did to Troy. Troy probably met the same fate that Jack did, so would the faculty find out like they did with Troy?
Should have just called the police last night when it happened.
They wouldn’t believe a single word of it though. They’d just think it was a bloody hoax and blow it off. It was hard enough to believe it happened for Darren, let alone a cop who’s supposed to know every inch of campus like the curves of his wife’s breast.
Darren would need to work on a story to tell the cops or family if they ever showed up to ask him questions. They never showed up to ask Troy’s roommate about him, so they probably wouldn’t bother asking about Jack either. They’d come when Darren wasn’t around and take Jack’s stuff away, but they wouldn’t confront Darren.
Unless they knew he was down in the tunnel with Jack when he was attacked. They could even be coming at that moment to catch him off guard. Maybe even bring a formal letter telling him he was expelled for breaking and entering.
They didn’t know.
Don’t be so sure.
How could they? They have no camera down in the tunnels.
How did they know what happened to Troy then?
No clue, but they knew nonetheless.
Why would they know anyone was with Jack?
The same reason the architecture professor said to drop it and forget about Troy and the tunnel.
And what’s that reason?
No idea, but they know. They have to know.
Someone was going to be coming to disguise Jack’s disappearance, and Darren had no desire to be here when they arrived. None at all.
Darren began to gather all of his own supplies, and then looked back over at Jack’s desk.
They were going to take his computer, but would they turn it on and look around to see who he was talking to and what he was saying? Jack chatted with people a lot, but he promised to keep the tunnel to himself. But would he? Could he have told someone else about what him, Darren and Audrey were doing?
The last thing Darren wanted was for the heat to be turned on Audrey. As far as Darren knew, the faculty had no idea about any connection to Audrey. They might know that she was reassigned to be his research partner in history, but that was it, and that wouldn’t be enough to really connect the two of them.
What if Jack talked to someone about Audrey’s involvement with Darren?
Maybe it would be in Darren’s best interests to check Jack’s computer to see if any of his conversations were recorded. If he saw anything questionable, he could just erase it.
Darren set his bathroom supplies down on his desk and walked over to Jack’s computer. He sat down in the chair and moved the mouse to kick the screensaver off because Jack had left his computer on when he dragged Darren halfway across campus.
The screensaver shut off, and a password prompt was displayed on screen.
Password? Shit. Most of the students didn't bother with password protecting their own computers since they were locked inside of their room-who’d break down the door and use their computer anyways?
Think Darren, he told himself. What would Jack use as a password? He wouldn’t make it too difficult to remember, but he’d probably put a number or something else in it to make it harder to guess.
Would he write it down?
Maybe, but he was a little more paranoid than other people.
If he was more paranoid, would he be afraid of forgetting it?
It’s possible. But where would he write it down?
On something he kept with him most of the time. He wouldn’t leave it near his computer like most people.
On a notebook maybe?
That, a folder, his day planner.
Not a bad idea.
Darren looked around Jack’s corner and saw the stack of text books and folders on his dresser that he had taken out of his backpack before filling it with tools-of which, the rented sawzall will never be returned now. Darren stood and picked through the stack until he found the planner and sat back down. He started to leaf through the pages in search of something that could be his password, and once he reached the addresses and phone number section he found exactly what the was looking for.
Under the P’s was the entry: “password: Can’tEsc67”.
Can’t escape sixty seven? Darren wasn’t sure if it was supposed to make any sense, but it meant nothing to him. He copied the characters into the prompt waiting on screen and hit enter.
It worked.
Jack already had a dozen messages waiting for him on one of the social networking sites he frequented, and Darren scanned through them quick, looking for anything that might mention Audrey or the tunnel. He found nothing and continued through the instant messages and worked his way into the emails.
He stopped with the mouse cursor floating over an email that came last night.
It was from Rachel.
Why would Rachel be sending emails to Jack? Was she trying to find out what was going on with him and Audrey? Was she not taking the breakup well, and wanted to get Jack to try and convince Darren to come back to her?
Darren opened the email.
I know we said it was going to be a one time thing, but I want you to reconsider. I had been feeling so lost with Darren leaving me, and having sex with you was the only thing that has helped me forget about him. I know we didn’t set out to do it while he was gone on his date, but it happened, and it really did help.
Please consider letting me come over again. I’ll make it worth your while.
Darren read the short message over a second time. The condom wrapper he saw in Jack’s bed was from Rachel? His girlfriend-or ex-girlfriend now?
Darren sat in stunned silence at the computer, not sure how to take the news. He did break up with her, and he had already slept with his new girlfriend, so he had no right to feel jealous. He felt confused, that was the strongest emotion right now, and coupled with the shock of the news, he wasn’t sure how to react.
He supposed it really was none of his business what Rachel did now that they broke up-he didn’t even know what she did the last month that they were together. But yet, it was haunting his mind to think that Rachel was in that bed only a few days ago. Having sex with his own roommate.
Did she come over looking for Darren? Did Jack try to seduce her after finding her so vulnerable? Was she the one doing the seducing?
Maybe she even ended up with another hickey.
Darren shook his head. Whatever happened, it wasn’t good for this email to be in Jack’s inbox right now. With Jack having disappeared, someone who didn’t know what was going on may think that Darren had something to do with the vanishing.
Darren deleted the email, but he knew it wasn’t enough. He wasn't a computer expert by any means, but he knew enough to know that information could be easily recovered unless it was overwritten by something else. A full disk format could do that to the whole computer, right? Not one of those quickie time saving deals,
but a full one.
Jack should have some disk around that would do that. Darren dug through the drawers of Jack’s desk and found a pile of CD’s in the corner. He searched through them until he found one that looked promising, put it in, restarted the computer, and by some luck, found exactly what the was looking for on the menu. He started the format and stood up.
Darren gathered his shower supplies and went off to the bathroom, his mind out of focus. There was too much going on at once for him to wrap his head around. Audrey, the tunnel, Jack, Rachel, what was coming. It was too much at once to keep it all straight.
Stopping what was happening on Tuesday was what needed his focus. Everything else could wait. It was too late to worry about Jack. Rachel, he just needed to forget about. His relationship with Audrey had to pause until they figured out what was going on below.
He knew what he had to focus on, but his mind refused to agree.
Darren finished with his morning routine, said hi to a couple of people he passed in the hall, and finished getting ready in his room. The utility was still running on Jack’s computer when Darren finished preparing himself for the day’s trip to the tunnel, so he left it running when he gathered up his coat and Jack’s backpack and left the room.
Audrey and Darren had a long day ahead of them and if they didn’t figure out what was happening today, Darren wasn’t sure they would be able too.
Tuesday was fast approaching.
Chapter 47
“Sorry I’m late,” Darren said. “I ran over to the gas station and bought some stuff to eat and drink later in case we need it.”
“That’s okay,” Audrey said, letting the door to her dorm close behind her as she stepped out to meet Darren.
“Sorry I had to leave a note too,” Darren said. “I didn’t want to wake you up. You looked so”-naked-“peaceful laying there.”
“I almost slept through my alarm clock,” Audrey said, squeezing her jacket around herself.
“Good thing you didn’t.”
“I guess. Are we ready? Are we getting breakfast?”
“We can if you want, otherwise I picked up a few granola bars in case you didn’t want to go to the dining hall.”