Into the Darkness

by C T Scribe

  “Tyler, but I go by Tye. What class are you in?”

  “Intro to bio-engineering,” she begins to reply before I accidentally talk over her. I cut her off without realizing it.

  “No way me too. Did you do all the summer work I’m behind. Any chance you can help me get caught up?” The words flying from my mouth faster than I meant them too. With a long sigh and a new scowl on her face she shakes her head disapprovingly. “After class we study Tyler.” The use of my whole name pointedly articulating her disapproval. The black hole was quiet as we ascended the grand entrance to the library. Over five thousand steps looming in front of us. My ankle now a second heartbeat in my body. A few wobbly steps in and Mari broke out in laughter. Turning towards her I noticed the sign she stood by. The sign directing us towards the elevators. Thank God I thought. When I finally limped over to the elevator Mari was leaning against the open door propping it open. The ride to the seventh floor was silent. The walk to the classroom was silent, but I noticed her looking at my leg more and more. Before we entered she grabbed her own books from the top of the stack. My leg instantly hurting less. With a softness in her voice she whispers, “thank you,” before motioning to two empty seats near the front of the class.

  5

  Chapter 5

  The tall man was once again assigned to a school for damage control. The last time was an uneventful football game. This time was different. For starters this was a college. Thinking back on the too brightly colored fans from that other assignment, he was glad to be in this secluded town. The college itself was massive. The campus encompassing 10 square miles with plenty of forestry on the grounds. It was almost peaceful here, unlike those city campuses where the buildings toppled over one another. The buildings here had room to breath. The young adults in these dorms had room to throw the ball around or barbecue outside. The type of place he would want to attend, if he was born in this age. His schooling was much more archaic. It was nightfall, so blending into the shadows would be an easy job for the tall man. Carefully surveying the grounds as he made his way closer to his new prey. He caught the scent almost instantly. The colored trail lingered in the air in a way only his eyes, tracker eyes, could see. The emergence of it’s true self was eminent. He had admired the school for too long, and now he had to move. Following the scent he stumbled into a large pyramid. He knew this building, and the fact that he forgot it was located on this mission was embarrassing. He had been out in the field so long his mistakes were becoming more frequent.

  The building itself was quite famous amongst academia. The library pyramid at HighBrow University is said to contain all the knowledge the world has to offer. The building so large it also doubled as a school building holding many open rooms and halls for lectures. The tall man knew this was where the scent was leading him. The pyramid had long steep steps at the main entrance. To the side of the steps were a set of elevators. Immediately the tall man knew this wasn’t the way to approach. His prey would be much too wild for those. Also he hadn’t picked up any screams or blood in the area. If it had made its it’s way into the students above, the panic would be disastrous. It wasn’t the first time he’d been to the pyramid. He remembered it from before. Before it held college classrooms and laptop computers. Before there were elevators assisting the entrance. He remembered it when the land surrounding it was truly a desert. When the journey up the steps was a testament to your quest for knowledge. He was never the academic, but he had escorted many from HQ to these halls. In its vast archives there existed priceless volumes on magic and the ancient true history of the world. Not just anyone could access these volumes. They were bewitched by an ancient god from long ago. The tale went the ancient one, a god with no name, went like this. A being who superseded mankind craved knowledge. All knowledge. He was not bound by space and time as we see it. He existed in all times and all places. From each era he accumulated the knowledge he found most interesting. Everything from drawing books to ancient spells could be found within those walls. He stored the knowledge in pyramids which constantly shifted throughout time. He then scattered his libraries throughout the world to provide access for man to come. They were magnificent creations, but for millions of years no one came. He watched as men clung to caves. He came to them disguised as human. He offered them knowledge and understanding, but they didn’t understand. He brought them fire, and basic weapons. Then he returned to his pyramids and waited. Before man ever made it to his libraries the ancient one abandoned them. They became a shell of what they were, but the magic left in them was still impressive. The tall man wished he could have met the ancient one, and seen the true form of the libraries. The pyramid would allow entrance to those of the right blood type. It would also restrict access and material dependent upon the intentions of the seeker. The magic here had no preference. It would neither help him track his prey, nor hold him back. The magic here was much weaker than his last visit. He could feel the shields protecting the pyramid failing. He would have to report this as well. The building was in a generous mood tonight it seemed. The tall man thought it strange the pyramid was attempting to either heal or isolate his prey. What did he know of the pyramids motives, anyway. It was an entity with its own agenda, but a part of him had always seen it as a weapon for good. A part of him had respected the knowledge as a weapon his side could use. A part of him, even after all these years, was an idiot. He knew enemies had visited the library, and returned with prophecies and spells to use against his organization.

  Even in the hidden chambers of the pyramid there stood a chance of a containment breach. A secret passage could open up a route to the humans above. He wouldn’t let that happen. The tall man continued hurriedly along a hidden path leading to the lower depths of the library. This was not his first time here, and he remembered the secret entrance well. The foliage surrounding the entrance was too dense for a human to travel. The plants seemed to grab at his limbs as he pushed through them with unnatural strength. The beast scent lay heavy in the air, but his trampling through the forest made tracking him by conventional methods just as easy. After several minutes the tall man had arrived at the base of the enormous structure. The secret entrance was cleverly cloaked as he remembered. It took him several moments before he found the right spot to activate. Once he found the nearly indistinguishable blemish to the outside surface he simply touched the buildings smooth stone by swirling his finger in a circle. The smooth stone rippled as a pond would after a rock is thrown beneath the surface. Through the ripples was a path leading in. With no hesitation the tall man approached the portal guns drawn. Then he walked inside.

  When Mari said they would study, Tye never could imagine what she had planned. Set up in the library were the notes she’d taken over the summer from the assigned prep work, the 3 required textbooks,a map chart on aquatic animal breeding locations, fact sheets comparing water toxin levels across decades, and a reusable bottle filled with tap water. On the next table over, upon request, she had the librarians assembled all the reference text from our first textbook. Roughly 12 additional text adorned the table top. When our study space was properly established Mari began to lecture as if teaching a class. I assumed she’d let me copy some notes, but she refused. She insisted in teaching the material instead, stating it would help her to reinforce the concepts as well as allow me to take notes in my own words. Academics came easily to me, but Mari was on a level of her own. After the first hour I began to wonder if she knew more about bio-engineering than our professor. I could imagine her in a lab creating cures for the future of humanity with every new word she spoke. Although she had her highly detailed notes in front of her, she never once checked them as she lectured on. The way she explained each topic made the material easier to understand. I was constantly scribbling down bits of her words, and simultaneously tagging pages for later review. How long had we been here, 3 or 4 hours? The material was dense, but something about Mari made the time go by with ease. Staring at her for hours made Tye appreciate her looks
even more. The girl was beautiful in a classic way. She wore an off white mid length summer dress. Her long dark hair was straight down with a small curl. Except for the the twisted lock of hair dangling directly in front of her face. She wore off white flat shoes. I half expected her to be wearing heels, but she had chosen flats. Her entire image struck me as practical. An August day at HighBrow boasted ninety degree temperatures and intense humidity. I wish I was so lightly dressed, as sweat marks were clearly visible on my shirt near my armpits and stomach. Mari, so into her teaching, took no notice of the heat wearing on me at all. I had just finished my eleventh page of notes when I heard a loud bang. The floor shook a little, and a book I had standing upright fell down with a clap as it hit the hard cherry wood floors. The tremor happened so fast I wondered if I imagined it. I would have accepted it as a slip into slumber, but Mari halted her words immediately. She knelt down touching the floor. He face full of concentration. There was another small tremor. Mari looked to me as I stared at her. “Did you feel that?” the question quietly leaving my lips. She nodded, then reached for a necklace I hadn’t noticed dangling from her neck. She looked back to me her face puzzled, but said nothing else. She picked up the fallen book, and without any warning began her lecturing once more.

  The tall man reached to his ear and pushed a button on a small communication device. A choice he would soon regret, as whomever was on the other line began scolding him. ” How many times have I told you not to turn your earpiece off?”

  “You know I forget,” the tall man lies.

  “Going it alone will only get you killed,” lectured the voice. “Status update.”

  “I tracked it to the pyramid library. I’m entering the lower chamber entrance. That’s all so far,” says the tall man.

  “How would it know to find that lower chamber? Why would the pyramid accept one that hasn’t emerged?” The voice on the other side of the earpiece continued to question the situation.

  Question after question flooding his ear until the tall man reached to his ear and pushed the same button on his communication device. Radio silence never felt so good. Later he’d blame the interference on the Pyramid. That’s not a stretch of the imagination as this place was known to cause all sorts of mischief. Mischief in fact was responsible for this place. Knowledge is mischief. Over many times man has settled into an existence. Lives were lived with as much meaning as they are today, and yet it was never enough for man. Man had to meddle; man had to learn. Each new invention led to periods of chaos, competition, and death. The tall man had lived long enough to witness this first hand several times. The pyramid is said to contain the world’s knowledge if you can navigate it’s many chambers. However, the pyramid doesn’t seek to assist the seeker. It’s only goal is to spread mischief into this world. The tall man found himself in a dark corridor. Each step echoed off the tunnel as if he were the only one inside, but he knew this wasn’t true. Several stories up were college students studying for their respective classes, and somewhere in these same Hall’s as him lurked a creature waiting to emerge into it’s true self. As he journeyed further into the corridor he saw light. As the tunnel opened itself up, a dimly lit room came into view. The room was laced with rows of bookshelves and old dusty volumes. The walls were adorned with bookshelves as well. This room had a lunar cycle painted on the ceiling. The phases of the moon glowing with a unique bluish yellow tint. As the tall man stared at the ceiling he could feel the energy pouring from the painting. It was enchanted. Directly in front of him a staircase spiraled downward to reveal empty tables and more bookshelves. On the table, the tall man could see an engraved wolves head. The tall man had made many trips to this building, but never had this room revealed itself to him. He wish he had more time to read through the volumes present here, but instead he turned his attention to the base of the spiraled staircase. A slender figure lay there on it’s knees and bent over at the waist. One hand wrapped around itself and the other slung over the shoulder and down it’s back. That hand was no longer human. The arm was irregularly enlarged. Where there should be skin, black fur covered the arm. In place of fingers, elongated claws appeared. It whimpered as a dog would. Lines of blood dripped from it’s back as the claws had scratched the spot previously. The tall man raised his hand to his ear piece once again. “It’s starting to turn, advise,” he said. The fur was slowly crawling further up it’s arm to the shoulder. Each inch of flesh it consumed began to grow and reshape itself. The tall man feared waiting for a command would take to long. From his waist he pulled two pistols. He brandished 2 pristine silver 6 shooters, just like an old Western movie. As his fingers found the trigger he squeezed without hesitation. The beast rolled to its side just in time to avoid a fatal blow. The legs were now enlarged and covered in fur. He didn’t realize the transformation was sparking from multiple places until the beast lunged at him. Her mouth was still that of a human, as was her left arm. Her right arm was massive and deadly. The newly formed muscles flexing with every strike. Her legs were strong now as they propelled her at the tall man instantly. He couldn’t shoot his gun fast enough before the beast knocked him into a wall shaking the pyramid itself. The ear piece finally came to life, but the tall man could hear little over the ringing in his head from the runts force of the impact. The beast had recoiled and was set to pounce again. This time the tall man was able to squeeze as the beast elongated herself while slashing for his throat. Two bangs sent her flying into the far wall. The pyramid shook again. The books along the wall soaked up the blood as it oozed from her body. The earpiece was yelling repetitiously, “do no use lethal force.” It had been too late. The tall man limped to the table to examine it further. Freshly Engraved into the wood it said, ” twin beast will emerge, only one shall die, only one shall rise.” Fuck another prophecy the tall man thought, and he triggered it. He’d never hear the end of this when he returned to HQ.

  6

  Chapter 6

  Of all the variables Tye considered when choosing a college, a girlfriend was never one of them. He had casually dated in highschool, but girls weren’t as easy to understand as football. There was no film to watch. No scouting report to execute. No trick plays to throw off the defense. There was no genuine connection. On the field he felt like he belonged, but when dating he felt oddly out of place. He wasn’t gay. One year his dad thought maybe he was, and to his surprise gave him a heartfelt you should come out of the closet speech. “It’s a new day son. No one will treat you differently,” he remembered his dad telling him. Tye was proud of his parents that day. Proud to know whatever choices he made they were still here for him. However, he was not gay. Relationships in his life so far were puppy love at best. Physical attraction with little else. He didn’t bring these girls to meet his parents. He didn’t talk about them. For a few weeks a new girl would walk with him to class, or be there to cheer him on at games. Then they would demand more of his time, or get jealous of someone else they thought he liked. It never lasted. Recently Tye’s been having the hardest time not thinking bout Mari. His parents had always warned him about women or men liking him for his athletic dreams, and the future wealth that goes with it. This was always a conundrum for Tye, who considered football to be a part of himself. If a girl liked him for football, but football is his life, should he judge her for it? Never solving this riddle he instead chose to date non exclusively. He wasn’t a player. He didn’t like guys like that. His mom had told him stories of guys that hurt her growing up. Before she met his dad of course. He didn’t want to be someone else’s life lesson. Between football practices in season and his two trainers off season, Tye was too busy to devote much time to a significant other anyway. That was then. Things were different now. From the first day they met, Mari and Tye had been spending long hours together. They were in the same program so they often studied together. They often walked to class and the cafeteria together. Aside from that, they went to the sportsplex together.

  At first the sportsplex at HighBrow took Tye by
surprise. He had visited many colleges during his highschool years. Each school had impressive facilities. Which made sense, because each school was well known for their sports. HighBrow wasn’t like that. They claimed intellect as their focus. They had sports teams, but they tended to do miserably against other schools. To think an unsuccessful school would have such high end facilities boggled his mind. It also reminded him of how wealthy this place was. No doubt some alumni eager to cement his family name in history donated the funds to develop their first winning team. That alumnus probably died waiting on this winning team to emerge, Tye thought. The sportsplex was three stories high. Aside from multiple basketball courts, it held an elaborate rock climbing wall, racquetball courts, an obstacle course, a yoga area, about 100 treadmills and ellipticals, an Olympic sized pool with a lazy River, and a huge weight room comprised of both free weights and machines. Tye was given a specific regiment of exercise to complete daily, to ensure his readiness to compete next year. Rehab. His old trainers would text him to make sure he was keeping up with his recovery. The darkness in his mind loathed them, but he looked forward to the familiar voices checking on him each week. He was also given a diet to help him add lean muscle over the year. A hidden perk of the accident was time to add mass to his build. A feat he struggled with while constantly buzzing through his daily activities. To his surprise Mari was at the gym every day before class and after dinner. She knew her way around the gym. She didn’t stick to the cardio equipment like most girls. She would do an intense weight lifting session in the morning. Each night however she’d switch it up with cardio, yoga, and laps in the pool. She didn’t bother him during workouts at all, the way girls did in highschool to flirt. The two would frequently meet in the pool in the late evenings. Tye was ordered to do laps as a cross training exercise by his trainers back home. His physical therapist and personal trainer was adamant he do low impact cardio while healing. The swimming grew on him, and sharing the pool with Mari may have been the cause. He liked to workout early and late avoiding the crowds of college kids and jocks during the sportsplex peak hours. So far no one at HighBrow knew who he was in highschool, and for once in his life Tye liked being invisible. Invisible. The thought that not being in the spotlight could be peaceful had never occurred to him before . The pressure of being a top recruit his whole life came with it’s stresses, but once that layer shed away this new him felt free. No longer a slave to the demands from teammates and coaches. No longer a slave to making public appearances and doing interviews. No longer a slave to his thirst for improvement. Tye was unsure if he’d return to sports, but the perspective he gained since the accident had changed him. For better or worse he was unsure. He just knew deep down in his bones he wasn’t the same kid.