Winds Of The Apocalypse

by Novak, Karina

  Din rolled his eyes. “God, don’t be such a pussy Morgan, it’s no big deal, and it’s just harmless fun.”

  “I’m not a pussy.” Morgan frowned. “I just don’t think that the reason for our imprisonment should be here with us.” Din ignored him and Morgan groaned. “Don’t you think we should cut this crap completely and finally grow up?”

  He asked in an overly mature tone of voice that sounded nothing like him.

  Din stopped in shock, almost making Morgan walk into him and tumble them both down the stairs.

  Din turned around to face him ,Din’s face all screwed up in tension and Morgan couldn't hold in his laughter any longer then about five seconds more.

  “NAAHH!"

  They both grinned in unison, already mentally high on the weed.

  They finished descending the stairs and exited the lobby down in to the side hall where the newly installed elevators were. The building had gone through massive reconstruction in its two hundred years of existence and the elevators were the last in a series of renovations the school board had begun just in the spring of that year.

  The elevator beeped annoyingly as it took them down to the basement, past the kitchen and the staff’s dorms.

  The boys got out and walked the remaining three feet to the massive metal door at the end of a dark hallway.

  “It’s locked.” Morgan pointed out, jiggling the handle.

  “Not for me.” Din smiled and turned to the wall beside them, quickly climbing up on a nearby ladder leading to the ventilation shafts above.

  “What are you doing?” Morgan asked, looking at his friend who pushed his hand into the shaft, scrambling inside for a hidden item.

  “Getting…Mmmm….The keys!”

  Din pulled the keys out with triumph, holding them up for Morgan to see.

  “How…?” Morgan gaped at him.

  “Stole them from the janitor a couple of days back, knew that they would come in handy real soon.” Din smiled, swirling the keys on his finger at Morgan’s surprised face.

  Din smiled and jumped down ,skipping to the metal door and opening it with ease, letting Morgan go in first, to see for the very first time the inside of the schools underground tunnels.

  Morgan breathed in and took a step forward, glancing over the old walls in front of him.

  This section of the school was never renewed like the others were. The construction had begun after a horrific fire had nearly consumed the entire building some five years before. No one knew who started the fire, the culprit was never found but the flames didn't get that far down and the base structure remained unscratched as it was, as if it was protected from outside forces by some shield, some kind of magic.

  Although it was never proven rumors of a hidden graveyard under the school still deprived sleep from the younger student’s eyes, they said that the last surviving member of the original family had died down here in a freak accident, exploring the tunnels his ancestors build to escape some legendary beast and that in his will he declared that he would like to be buried on these grounds to purify this land.

  Din smiled as he passed Morgan, leaving his friend to observe the ancient structure as he walked across the dusty floor, leading him to the left side of the hall, where the bricks were stashed unevenly in to create a pattern.

  Din took a swing with his leg and kicked the wall, making some crumbling noise as he pulled the stained breaks out, revealing his hidden stash, buried in a tiny caving at the bottom.

  “Impressive.” Morgan smiled as Din pulled a little baggy out of the stash. “Where did you get all that?” He asked, getting closer to his friend and leaning down beside him to observe the little packets in the wall.

  “Most of it is Colin’s.” Din shrugged, carefully pulling the ties open to reveal the darkened plant.

  "And does Colin know that you were planning to go through his stash?" Morgan laughed.

  "Mmm…No." Din smiled.

  He grinned satisfied and then closed the ties back, leaning again into the wall to retrieve a little plastic bag with little white papers, then, after he had safely hidden both in his back pocket, Din leaned down once again to put the crumbling bricks back to their place.

  “What now?” Morgan asked, following his friend to the metal doorway.

  ”Want to have some now?” Din asked Morgan as he turned around to see his friend staring at the bulge in his pocket.

  Morgan grinned like a well satisfied chaser cat.

  “Weren’t we supposed to do something?” He asked as a matter of fact. ”Some secret mission you dragged us on… your plan, the search for the truth... does any of that rings a bell?”

  Din grinned, nodding. “Don’t worry, it can wait, besides, we need to wait for the old hag to leave her office and that won’t happen until at least five pm.” He looked at his wrist watch. “We still have like two hours to kill.”

  Din said, pulling the baggy back out of his pants and handing it over to Morgan.

  “Got a lighter?” He smiled as Morgan opened the bag.

  *MIDNIGHT*

  “Agghhh…my head…” Morgan growled, barely getting his heads up from the wall he was leaning on and weakly raising his hand to his face, looking at the watch on his hand.

  ”Oh god…” His eyes widened.

  “Oh shit!” He jumped up, now totally awake. ”Din!” He turned around to look at his sleeping friend. ”Din! Fuck! Wake up! It’s midnight! We fell asleep!”

  Of course there was no answer, when Din slept a bomb could fall and he wouldn't notice that.

  “Din!” Morgan furiously nudged his still sleeping friend. ”Din!”

  “Five more minutes mommy…” Din mumbled, refusing to wake up and trying to turn away from the disturbance that was Morgan.

  “Aaggh!” Morgan screamed in fury. “For fuck sake! I’m not your mother! Get your lazy ass up!”

  He kicked him in anger and Din jumped away, yelling in pain.

  “I’m up, I’m up…you don’t have to kill me!” He looked down at the empty baggies that lay on the floor beside him. ”That was some good stuff…wasn't it?” Din smiled, still unaware of the catastrophe at hand.

  “Yeah, great.” Morgan answered, agitated. Din blinked at his annoyed voice and looked up at Morgan.

  “What time is it?” He asked carefully and Morgan huffed.

  “Past 'lights out'.” Morgan answered, crossing his arms over his chest.

  “What?!” It finally downed on Din what trouble they were in and he too hurried to get up to his feet.

  “We should sneak back to our dorm room before someone sees us.” Morgan growled, getting to the doorway and looking back at his friend.

  “No, Morgan, wait.” Din shook his head.

  ”What?”

  “We had a plan, Tepes, remember?”

  “I think it’s a little late for that.” Morgan frowned.

  ”No.” Din smirked. “With everyone asleep we don’t need to worry about anyone getting in our way, it’s practically perfect.”

  Morgan growled. “Is there any way for me to get you off of this stupid plan?”

  Din shook his head. “No, not a chance.”

  Morgan nodded, “Fine, but know that I’m only coming with you so you won’t get caught.” Din smirked. ”Yeah, yeah, you love it as much as I do, don’t lie to yourself.”

  Morgan grinned. “What’s the plan Din?”

  “Follow me.”

  The boys left the dark room, locking the door behind them.

  “I better leave these here; don’t want to get caught with them.” Din said as he put the janitor’s keys back into the ventilation shaft.

  Morgan frowned. “Then how are we going to get the information we wanted?”

  “Well,” Din smiled. “I am going to use my lock picking skills to get us into the hag’s office so we can find out once and for all that she is really an evil inhuman creature who’s a thousand years old and its whole purpose in life is to bring the apocalypse upon us.”


  Morgan stared at him blankly for a moment and then begun laughing hysterically.

  “God, you had watched way too many movies, and where did you even acquire your lock picking skills?”

  Din presented his hands. “These are the tools of a master.”

  “Good master; you’re a man of many talents, Din, considering you are only a stupid kid.”

  Din grinned. “I know, aren't I a great catch? And age has nothing to do with it, it’s all in the brain my friend.”

  ”Oh yeah.” Morgan murmured in audibly. “Like you actually have one.”

  ---

  The halls were dark and deserted, only a couple of night lights and their own footsteps to accompany them as they walked. The elevator took them back to the deserted hallway and then they walked into the lobby, unaware of what the shadows had to hide.

  “The main computer with all the records of the summer school’s staff is in the hag’s office, right?” Din asked Morgan, turning right to her office, the one Morgan fled from earlier that day.

  “Yeah,” Morgan said. “Since the dean let her be the great kahuna in charge of this prison it will most likely be there.” They got to the doors that lead to her office and Morgan leaned in to jiggle the handle. “Typical, this one is locked too.”

  Morgan tried the handle again but had no success in opening the door. “Now what?”

  “Hello?” Din raised his eyebrow. “I’m a lock picking master, remember Morgan?”

  Morgan gave him a playful shove. “If you do open this door I will eat my own hat buddy.” “You don’t believe me?” Din sounded offended.

  “Yes, yes, you walking disaster, will you just pick it already with your mad lock picking skills so we could get in, get out and get the fuck out of here?”

  Din shoved him back, getting to his knees. “Excuse me.” He grabbed onto Morgan’s pants and suddenly pulled him closer.

  “Wow! Din, I don’t swing that way.”

  Din gave him a ‘you’re-not-funny’ look as he swung him around, getting out one of Morgan’s many safety pins out of his pin-adorned jeans. “Hey! That’s private property!” Morgan protested.

  “Yeah, yeah.” Din mumbled as he removed another safety pin. ”Now step aside and watch the master work his magic.”

  Din said as he turned to the lock and shoved the two safety pins in, he jiggled the pins until a satisfying click had echoed and the door cracked open to Din’s amused grin.

  “Way to go hamster! I bow before your greatness with my hat off.” Morgan exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

  “Huh!” Din got up, tossing the pins back at Morgan and clapping his hands as well, looking extremely proud of himself.

  “I don’t see your hat in your mouth.” Din pointed out, looking not so discreetly at Morgan’s favorite accessory. Morgan swallowed loudly and taking a step back patted his precious head attire.

  “It was only metaphorically speaking!” He defended himself. “Don’t worry baby.” He said to his hat, continuing to pat it. “I won’t let this evil boy get my precious treasure.”

  Din shook his head. “God Morgan, you are worst then gollem, you know that?”

  Morgan frowned. “Did you just compare me to a half computer made psycho creature?” Din smiled and Morgan huffed, gesturing to the open door.

  “Well, this creature is saying 'after you master'.” He said, smiling sweetly.

  Din shook his head, poking his tongue at his friend and then carefully, looking as if he was taking baby steps walked into the hag’s office, sat by the computer and turned the damned thing on.

  “Ewwww…” Din fidgeted in his place, uncomfortably moving to the end of his sit.

  “What is it?” Morgan leaned over him to take a better look at the computer screen.

  “I’m letting my ass touch the place where the witch’s ass was.” Din complained and Morgan laughed. Din shook his head. “I am burning these pants when we are done.” He promised and then he leaned over the keyboard, quickly accessing the school records ,the hag didn't even put a password on it, she didn't think that anyone would be brave or stupid enough to break into her office, just goes to show how she underestimated Din.

  “Ok,” Din muttered, scrolling the page down. “So what am I looking for exactly?”

  He asked Morgan who was standing next to him, reading the page as it slid down.

  “I don’t know.” Morgan shrugged. “Anything that would give us some leverage over her, anything to show just what she is, something easily proven…”

  Din shook his head. “Be more specific Morgan, we haven’t got all night here.”

  “Aggh,” Morgan growled. “I don’t know…A date of birth maybe?”

  Din nodded and looked at the screen before him. ”Ok, that’s a start.” He agreed.

  “What’s Mrs. Kafka’s last name?” Morgan smirked loudly and then smacked Din on the head. “That is her last name, stupid; you thought Kafka was a first name? Her parents weren’t that cruel you know.”

  “Oh.” Din waved Morgan’s hand away from his head. “Well who really goes to the trouble of going into those Details beside you? What’s her first name then?”

  Morgan shrugged, he had to know this, he wrinkled his forehead, trying to remember the last four years of his life but nothing fell thought his memory but his own pang of misery and a distinct feeling of something he was missing.

  “But Casey is ok…She is with me.” Morgan whispered to himself, his thoughts leading him away from the given mission, he wasn't thinking about Kafka at the moment.

  “So what is this feeling of someone gone…?” His mind eye clouded, why couldn't he remember anything now when he tried to make something resurface?

  Din looked at Morgan, a bit worried by his sudden misplaced expression.

  “Dude, are you ok? You have that ‘I’m not here’ look again, what are you thinking about? Morgan?” Din raised his voice, bringing his friend back to his senses.

  “Oh…yes, yes, I’m fine.” Morgan mumbled. “I just got caught up by a memory.”

  Din frowned. “What memory?”

  Morgan shook his head. “I don’t know…I’m not sure.” He looked at the computer screen. “So what were we talking about?”

  Din cleared his throat. “Kafka’s first name?”

  “Oh…” Morgan bit his lip. “It’s Helga. Yes, it’s Helga.”

  “Really?” Din narrowed his eyes.

  “Yes, I’m sure of it. She wrote it on the blackboard on the second day of school four years ago when we had our first lesson with her.”

  "How the hell did you remember that?" Din frowned.

  "Photographic memory." Morgan answered simply.

  Din shrugged but typed the name in anyway. ”Ok, Helga Kafka, Christ, what a name…was she Hungarian or something?”

  “She’s not dead yet stupid.” Morgan reminded him.

  “Yes, I can only wish for it…Ahh...” Din suddenly gulped, his eyes nearly jumping out of their sockets.

  “What is it?” Morgan looked at him puzzled. “What did you find?”

  “That can’t be right…can it?” Din pointed at the screen. “Can it?!” He looked up at Morgan. “Am I still on drugs? That can’t be right…it has to be a typo or something.”

  “Kafka doesn’t make typos, let me see that.” Morgan leaned closer, reading the page Din was currently on, his eyes going as wide as Din’s did.

  “That date.” Din whispered.” I know my math is bad but February eight, nineteen eighteen. That can’t be it…that would make her…” His voice died out.

  “Eighty five.”

  Morgan finished for a really confused Din, he himself at a point of not believing.

  “She wrote these records herself.” Morgan pointed out. “It has to be true.”

  “But…But that can’t be her real age! Why hasn’t she retired yet?!” Din exclaimed. “How the hell is she still teaching?! That’s so completely and totally illegal!”

  Morgan
shook his head. “I have no idea, you think that someone in the school board was probably too damn afraid to fire her cuss she threatened to torture him or something so he let her stay to torture us instead?”

  Morgan laughed. “I don’t actually think that this is the case Din.” He said.

  “So what else could it be?” Din inquired.

  “I don’t know.” Morgan shrugged.

  “But I suggest that we get the hell out of here now before we get caught and think about this in the morning. I’m dead tired anyway and Casey might be worried about me.”

  ”You mean, you are worried about her.” Din nodded. ”You know she is not a little girl anymore.”

  “But I am still her big brother.”

  “Yes…by like ten minutes. I will never get you Tepes siblings.”

  “Twins.” Morgan corrected, feeling odd making a point of that.

  “Yeah.” Din said as he got up from the hag’s chair, turning the computer off. “Twins that is what I will never get.” He looked around, making sure that they did not leave any evidence lying around indicating about their presence for Kafka to find and then he turned to Morgan.

  “Ok, all clear, let’s go.”

  They left the room the same way they entered it and Din turned to the door he had just closed. “Give me the pins again.” he said, using the pins Morgan had handed him to relock the doorway and then he got up, handed them back to him and they turned to the stairs that led back to their dorms.

  “So I’ll talk to you tomorrow then?” Morgan said, tapping Din on the back as he past him

  “Ehh, dude, we are on the same floor.” Din reminded him.

  “I know.” Morgan said. “But we are on different sides of it.”

  “It does not matter.” Din smiled. “Let’s make a race.”

  “A race?” Morgan raised his eyebrow.

  ”Yes, a race, to see who is faster.”

  Morgan shook his head. “Haven’t you had enough excitement for one night?”

  “No! C’mon!” Din grabbed his hand. “Please? Think about it, if you run, you can get to your precious Casey faster.”