"Horror" Story

I had to write a Horror Story for class. This is the pathetic work I came up with. Part 1. I haven't finished part 2. I probably won't if no one likes this. I wouldn't blame you for not liking it.


Edit: Sorry it's on 3 posts. And really sorry it's doing that stupid, WOTN eats your paragraphs thing. If that keeps you from reading it, I don't blame ya at all.


“Agh! The horror!” my roommate
Steve shouted and I quickly ducked as something heavy whirred by my
head. “Why, oh why did I decide to be a philosophy major?”

“Because you want to know the
meaning of life,” I smiled and tossed him back his used copy of The
Qabalistic Tarot. Papers had flown everywhere across the small on
campus apartment he and I shared but there was no way I was picking
them up. He sat across from me at our small table by the one window
on the second story.

“When I originally started it it was
exciting but now it's such a bore. How will any of this matter to
me?” he called out in frustration. I knew better than to get
involved when he was like this. It wasn't philosophy that bugged him
so much as it was he had his first big test in a class that was going
fast. I couldn't say that College was working any differently for me.
I spent most of my days reading the same texts learning it as best as
I could by the light of the lamp. Even though we had a 3 room
Apartment, almost all our time was used in the living space studying.

“Later, Chris, I am going to my
professor's for a study session,” Steve said shutting the door
behind him. And now it was me and a calculator and a test tomorrow.
But I was used to being alone in the apartment. Steve was always
getting excited by something. And he had all the knowledge he needed
to ace that Philosophy test but none of the patience to actually read
the chapter. If there was a shortcut to taking a test he always tried
it.


It was after the study sessions that
made me worry just a tad. He'd get home in the middle of the night,
if he came home that night at all, clearly intoxicated somehow and
rambling about how he had “Seen the other side” and that I didn't
smile enough and then he'd collapse onto the green couch we owned. It
was pretty much the only furniture besides my bed and the table we
shared in the small apartment. It was downright strange those nights;
I smile plenty. But, I had bigger things to worry about. Like who
still shoots cannons so that we needed to find out where they would
land and their velocity too?

[Scene Break]

Alarm blared in the early morning. I
jumped out of my covers and did the usual wakeup call of punching my
alarm clock and dashing to the shower. After stumbling out of my room
and the bathroom we shared, the entire apartment was a mess, I
noticed that Steve hadn't come home. Still, it was the brisk walk
across campus in the November air that made me think not the usual
disappearance of Steve.


The wind was powerful today and I was
very glad to have picked up my jacket. As I wondered into class I
couldn't help notice that I was unusually early. Only a few students
were sitting along the long rows of tables in the large classroom. As
I took my seat I thought, “I should probably pull out my book and
do some early morning review.” That thought lasted till I closed my
eyes on the desk and waited. As the pleasant, sweet, tender mistress
of sleep began to embrace me slowly I was jarred awake by two
students who had come into class. It wasn't their coming into class,
it wasn't even that they were loud. It was that they were too quiet.
They were speaking in those tones that were off to anyone paying
attention. So I did the upright citizen of America thing to do. I
tried even harder to listen. Other than those who were actually
studying, everyone else was asleep so I had the perfect disguise.
Those studiers were morning people. Morning people were evil.

“So, how many people are involved
in it?” a clearly defined girl's voice, though through the haze of
early morning I wasn't sure who. In a class of 90 students I hadn't
exactly mastered everyone's names. The campus was a great school for
science and mathematics, and I had gotten here on a scholarship. But
so had many others in the area. In fact, in this sea of students it
was easy to get the notion here that you were less than even a face.
A name, at best. A dollar sign, to most.

“No one knows, but it's a sure
thing. You'd be amazed, believe me. The things that go on there, mind
blowing,” whispered a clearly excited but nervous guy.


“Well, how do I get there? Where do
I go?”


“Shh...not here. I'll tell ya later.
You'll know it by the smile...”

“Yo, bro, no time for sleeping,”
the loud distinct voice of Collin shocked me and I felt his big hand
slap me on the shoulder. I looked up into the tall goofy kid's smile.
His long hair was a mess in every direction and I could tell he
hadn't combed this morning.

“Need help on some stuff?” I said
as I saw he already had his book open and was pointing at it and me.

“Well, you know, I got formulas down
and then they want me to apply it. Why math gotta have so many
numbers?” he asked.

I smiled and glanced over the side of
my shoulder. But in a class quickly filling up with voices and
students I had no idea where the conversation from early had come and
decided it wasn't worth my time to find out.


[Scene Break]

The walk back to my apartment was
solidly heartbreaking. A complete failure. That test had brutally
chewed me up and meat grinded me into a hamburger you'd only serve to
your worst enemy, or Ronald McDonald. The only solace was that as bad
as I had done, Collin had done much worse. Yet he was still smiling.

“Man, I did so bad on that test I am
starting to think my name was a trick question,” he said.

“Then don't be so cheery about it,
Collin,” I reminded him.

“On a nice cool day like today?
Forget about it! These are the November days when you remember why
you're alive,” he called out and began to hum. He was an odd kid,
but lovable in his own way. The sidewalk arching across the campus
ended here and we began the grassy walk to the apartments way out on
the end of the campus. I personally quite enjoyed the apartments here
for they gave a nice view of the woods behind it, instead of on the
other side of campus where the small town of Oakridge was all you
could see. It was the kind of town that sprung up because of the
college, and had an assortment some restaraunts, a mom and pop
grocery store or two, and a few gems here and there. Hardly urbanized
or even remotely modern. Still, I liked this atmosphere. Always
relaxed, always friendly.


“So, what are your plans for today,
Chris?”

“Not much,” I answered as I walked
up the stairs of the very beige colored apartment buildings. I
trudged up the stairs to the second floor where the cheaper smaller
apartments were.

“Aye, where's the adventure in
that?” Collin begged. “You should quit studying so much and go do
something,” he added specifying.


“Now now,” I answered, propping
open the door to my apartment, “if I don't study who will brief you
before the test giving you false hope.”As I walked into our
apartment's living room and Steves's room I noticed the ghastly
figure of someone else. It wasn't Steve but I recognized by the black
gel choked hair immediately who it was. “Justin. What are you doing
in here?” I demanded.


“Hey, guys,” he drawled. He didn't
have an accent, but he just made a point of annunciating every
syllable as slowly as possible. It was his sophisticated way.


“How did he get in here?” asked
Collin.

“I used my key,” Justin answered
distantly.


“But the real question here is why
are you here?” I asked again, getting him back on subject. I had to
squint to see him. The window let only a sparsity of light in and the
lights were not yet on, leaving him half consumed by the shadows. His
clothing helped to conceal him all the more with the assortment of
blacks and blacker.


“Why does he have a key and not me?”
Collin whined.

“I was wondering if you had seen
Steven,” he said methodically.

“Not since last night, but he should
be taking a philosophy test this afternoon,” I said. I didn't much
trust Justin. I had a feeling he was a good kid, but he always gave
you that look like he knew a little bit more than you about something
frightening just below the surface.

“He went over to the professor's
again?” Justin looked at me worried.

“I'd go get him for a key,” Collin
said just as I punched him in the shoulder.

I walked carefully over to my desk and
set down my books. “Yes, he did. Study session.”

A look of disgust and fear crossed his
face very quickly. “Thanks for telling me, Chris. He spends too
much time with Professor Charmsworth.”

Most of us found the name of the new
professor weird. He was one of many the college had hired to help
promote the school as more than just a mathematics and science one.
“I agree, but what can ya do, Justin?” I eyed him curiously. He
got up, looked as if he was going to say something, then started
walking out the door. He stopped again, looked at me and quietly
said.

“You should keep an eye on him.
There's something not right going on here,” he said mystifying us.

[Scene Break]

I had been reading the next chapter in
my Calculus book and Collin had wandered off looking for ice cream
hours ago when I heard the front door open. An exhausted Steve
collapsed onto the couch and moaned. “How was your test?” I
called out to him.

I began to wonder if he had heard me
as I waited for a response. After several minutes and a weird sigh
gurgle he called back, “It wasn't so bad. I feel pretty good about
it.”

I could tell he wasn't in the mood
much for talking. He usually was in a rambling mood after a test
because all his philosophical prowess was ready to tell me the
amazing connections he made. But he seemed quite bedraggled about it
all.


“Justin came by, looking for you,
seemed worried,” I made one last push for conversation.

“Ip,” was the nonsensical reply. I
ignored him and went back to my studying. I was a bit surprised when
I looked up and he was standing in my doorway watching me. He didn't
usually bother me in my room but preferred the living room sofa. And
the look he gave me didn't sit well.

“What's up, Steve?” I asked,
cautiously.

“I don't know, Chris,” he said
quietly. I didn't say anything. “You ever get the feeling you're
being watched?”

This took me by surprise. As off as
Steve could often be, he wasn't the type to be spooked very easily.
In fact he was quite macho for a philosopher. He was the first out of
the two of us to jump into a sport and he was always much better with
the ladies than I was. But, it's really hard to choose between a
philosopher and a physicist, considering we're both such prime date
material.

“What do you mean, Steve?” I
asked.

“I don't know, Chris,” he said
nervously. “Something's just not right. When I'm walking across
campus, I just can feel it. Two eyes driving into the back of my
head. I don't know where they are. I look around for em, and I can't
find them. But they are there again. As soon as I turn around.”

There was nothing in his eyes but
fear. Whatever was going on, he was telling me the truth.


“When did this start?”

“It was around the time,” his
voice trailed off as he looked at me again. It was a studying look.
He got up and went into the other room. I almost thought this just a
tad bit creepy conversation was over when he was at my doorway
holding a piece of paper. He tossed it to me but there wasn't
anything on it but a few lines. I looked at em closely and saw a
smiley face.

“I got that a few weeks ago. I
opened up my book and it was at the page where I was supposed to
start reading. I thought it might have been there from the person who
used my book before me, but then the professor saw me with it,” he
said nervously with just a strike of panic in his voice. His own
trembling was passing on to me for I could feel an uneasiness of the
smiley face taking over. It came off more menacing and crooked the
more I stared at it.


Suddenly, he grabbed the sheet of
paper in my hands and wrenched it away from me. His moment of fear
had turned quickly to resolve. He glared at me. Eying me with
contempt for his moment of weakness on the issue. “You know, these
are troubled times. You need to be careful. And you should consider
hearing one of Professor's Charmsworth's lectures. The man's genius.”


Without a further word he was gone.
Laying on the sofa. I was completely baffled and tossed the calculus
book. There was no chance of me studying anymore tonight. I turned
out the light, and went to bed. I only hoped things would turn around
for me tomorrow, but they got much, much worse.

[Scene Break]

Sitting in class the next morning I
tried to shake off the day I had been having before. A mixture of
curiosity at what was going on and fear at the disturbed Steve had me
confused. And the words of Justin and Steve continued to echo inside.
And this figure, Charmsworth.


I was barely aware of class ending
when Collin smiled and clapped me on the shoulder, as he loved to do.
“Hey, Chris, you seem pretty out of it today,” he said. A tinge
of concern was hinted in his voice.

“Ah, sorry. Didn't get much sleep
last night,”

His face immediately brightened. “You
love to study too much, my man,” he answered.

The two of us got up and were leaving
class when I noticed something. It had almost completely escaped my
eye. In the mix of moving students and bustling books and papers one
had fallen and floated slowly, softly to the ground. My eyes grounded
on it. I couldn't look away. On it was the figure of a smiley. The
exact double dot eyes and curved arc of a semicircle, staring back at
me.


I jumped on it and grasped it of the
floor. Why was it here? Who dropped it? I looked around everywhere
but most of the class was gone and I hadn't a clue who had left it. I
felt it trembling in my hand and the loud shaking of the paper
rattled in my ears. Was it for me? Was the smiley left on purpose?
Had someone else mistakenly dropped it not knowing its significance?
Was it even significant in the first place? Was I just acting foolish
over absolutely nothing?


“Woah, Chris, take it easy. It's
just a piece of paper. It won't hurt you,” Collin said. I looked
over and a true face of sympathy was looking at me. “You okay?”

I gathered myself. Crumbling the paper
up I tossed it into the trash can. I was done with this. This joke.
It was a piece of paper, and a stupid drawing. I wasn't going to let
something so idiotic mess with my head. Justin and Steve could have
their Charmsworth and dose of crazy. I had finished.

“Yeah, I am fine,” I said, as the
calm soothingly fell back over me.

“You really went after that piece of
paper,” Collin said.

“Well you know how much litter just
works me up. Keeping our campuses clean is everyone's job,” I
smiled back at him.


“Alright, I believe you. You math
geniuses are so strange,” Collin mused.

“Oh really? Why do you take these
classes if you're not interested in math, Collin?” I asked,
seriously.

“My dad was a technical engineer. I
enjoy working with machines, and fixing their problems. I really do
like that aspect of it. But all this advanced math, ugh. But it's
necessary if I want to follow my dream job,” he said all too
cheerfully for the hour we were in. I was beginning to consider him a
morning person, and that did not bode well.

We exited the classroom. I had
finished with this incessant stupidity. I had left my cares in that
wastebasket and wouldn't think of the smilies or odd behaviors again.
I had hoped.

[Scene Break]

After much hassling Collin convinced
me some food off campus was a good idea. We ate a tasty burger at a
local burger joint and then parted ways. I took a relaxing long walk
in the cool air and enjoyed the sight of the stars. Our college
Campus was nestled between a few mountains and we could clearly see
them. We were just at the base of where two met. It was a truly
beautiful sight and great for getting away. I thought of the summer
plans of river rafting, cave exploration, and trekking through the
woods. But, I also enjoyed just walking happily around campus. You
were truly alone out here.

When I arrived at the apartment I was
surprised to see a note by Steve. It was scribbled, very quickly, and
it said he was going to see Professor Charmsworth and he'd see me
tomorrow. The troubling part was at the very end. Out of no apparent
connection to the rest of the note he wrote, “You are always been a
good roommate to me thanks thanks” and then underneath a smiley. I
crumpled up the note and tossed it. I wasn't bothering. I had the
integrals to solve. I was soon deep into my studying. I only looked
up once when I thought I heard the quite snap of a door. But Steve
hadn't come home and no one was there.

[Scene Break]

Something was pounding. I immediately
jumped out of my bed and kicked off the covers when I realized
someone was hammering on my front door. I took a second to catch my
breath. It had been so loud I was sure someone was inside the room
with me.


I had no idea what kind of idiot would
pound on my door, but I was going to give them a piece of my mind.
They were not only rude but clearly a morning person by the 6 o clock
hour. Two strikes bub. I unlocked the door as quickly as I could and
threw the door open. “Hey look pal...” I stopped.

At first it hadn't been in focus. But
now I clearly saw myself staring down the barrel of a handgun. A
pistol of some sort. I wasn't familiar with what kind. My brain shut
down.

“Are you Chris Metal?” a gruff
bass voice shocked me back into the reality of the situation.

“Um, yes, sir, I am,” my voice
hesitated as I looked at the man holding the gun. Slicked back hair,
aviator sunglasses, and chewing gum to boot. His uniform was
unnecessary because he couldn't have looked anymore the stereotypical
cop if he tried.


“You aware of where your roommate
is?” he asked in a tone that all too well said you did it. But did
what?

“I'm sorry, is he in some kind of
trouble? Hurt?” I asked, my eyes back on the gun.

“No, punk, he's dead. And I have
good mind to arrest you right here and right now, because I believe
you did it,” he gruffed out.

I fell. I couldn't believe it. My mind
stopped. Nothing came out of my mouth. I looked at the cop, and then
down. Dead? Steve was dead?

“Geez, one for theatrics are we?”
the cop pulled me roughly to my feet. He was strong, much more so
than he looked. “I can't arrest you now, but I could just as easily
get a warrant. Lots of circumstantial evidence to be gathered here.
But I'm giving you a chance to do it the easy way. Take my offer, and
you'll avoid a lot of pain and publicity. Turn yourself in. Just tell
me where you were last night, the truth. And we can solve this much
quicker than the other way.”

Behind my shell shocked brain I
detected a gleam in his eyes. He was lying through his teeth. He
desperately wanted me to not turn myself in. He wanted to prove I did
it. “I have no idea what you're talking about. What do you mean I
did it? I didn't even know he was dead,” I could feel my anger
boiling up. Waking me up with news like that then accusing me. What
was the nerve of this guy? I was furious.

The man grabbed me by the arm and
roughly pushed me to the wall outside. I was again taken back by his
strength and the waving of his gun quickly took away my steam. “Bad
move, mister. You see, as a roommate of his you're already very
suspect. But, we checked Mr. Steve's cell phone last night. And you
won't believe the text he received just moments before the scream was
heard that got him reported.”


He whipped out Steve's cell phone and
pointed it at me. I couldn't believe my eyes. It was a message and
smiley face. But even worse.

“'Goodbye' it says. That's your cell
phone number. We checked it out with the company this morning. You
have any reason for sending him a smiley and telling him goodbye? You
hadn't sent him any texts before. Look, punk. It may not seem like
much, but I'm an expert. And I know these things. And I know you did
it. Now, would you let me into your room?” he asked.

I immediately let him in. What else
could I do? I was for one far too dazed at the situation. And if I
had said no, I would have looked guilty. Plus even I was baffled by
the cell phone. I hadn't picked it up at all last night. He walked
into the room. His eyes darted everywhere until they landed on my
cell phone on the table stand. He picked it up and flipped through
it. My heart leapt when he turned around and pointed to me an
outgoing text I had sent. 'Goodbye' smiley.

“I warned you to turn yourself in,
kid. I've solved much harder cases with half the evidence I have
here. You're on the top of our list. Have a nice day,” I watched
him leave. A wicked smile had come over him and he left me standing
there. As the door shut I felt my heart drop. Steve was dead.

[Scene Break]

The two weeks that followed Steve's
death hardly registered. Steve's funeral. His body had been found
tied to a tree. His family had cried. Schooling was optional. Knife
wounds all over his body. No sign of the cop. I didn't attend class.
Justin hadn't been around. Steve thought I had been a good roommate.
Many asked me how I was doing. Was there anything anyone could have
done, his mom sobbed. Collin spent hours with me. Steve's things
were gathered. And by the end of the week, any evidence Steve was
ever there was gone.

I tried to return to the normal beat
of things. In a campus this big you were quickly forgotten. In a town
that small, you were never forgotten. It was the cruelest of grips I
was stuck between, and I was crashing. At college Steven's memory was
fading as finals were rearing up and people returned to the normal
beat of things. I felt a sense of betrayal to him amongst my peers.
And I was tortured by that same sense of betrayal in the moments when
I had moved on. He had been my best friend. However, in a small town
this murder was the only talk. Anytime I showed up there was rumoring
and talk of what happened. I knew what they were thinking. If that
cop was right, they must all believe I did it. I could feel the hate
of an entire town on me wherever I went. And I could feel the
betrayal of all my peers.

So I hid away. I felt myself lost in
math books and study. I had before been just a studious student. Now
I was burying my troubles away. I often would sit by a table, stare
out at the window and into those woods. What had happened that night?
And who had really sent that text? Could it have possibly even been
me? I knew it couldn't. But there was just enough doubt. Just the
tiniest bit of uncertainty there to eat at me and brutalize me.

There were other reasons I had hid
away. Returning to my apartment had become a mental burden. Someone
had been in my room, while I was there. And I couldn't help the
feeling that one day I'd open the door and they'd be back. Hiding
there meant that I knew who was coming in and out of my apartment.
Plus, there was something not right about the campus. I knew it was
probably in my head, but I was beginning to think someone was
watching me. I was worried it was the cop. And dreading it was
something even more frightening.

Collin tried to help. He knew I was
suffering. But I turned him away at every attempt. I wanted nothing
to do with humanity. A part of me was just waiting for the moment
when it all ended. I thought it came two weeks after he died.


A light tap tap at my door. I knew it
wasn't Collin. I had let him go make a copy of the key and he used it
mercilessly. I opened the door and saw two officers in uniform. The
officer from before wasn't present. I realized something before that
made me feel like an idiot. I didn't even know the previous officers
name.

“Hello, son,” the big man started.
“Mind if we ask you a few questions?”

“Sure,” was my timid response. I
was tearing apart. I couldn't convict myself by being overly unusual,
yet I didn't want to come off brash and make myself seem aggressive.

He held out his hand and I almost
wasn't sure what to do with it. I put mine out and shook it. “Name's
officer Wells and my partner here go by Charity,” the man started
friendly. I was so confused. Two weeks ago I was being shoved around
and now these two showed up acting like we could be friends?

“Anyway, we are here to ask you a
few questions about yourself on the night of November, 15. The night
of your friend's death. I know this has to be a painful subject, but
we have to ask you for all you know about it. No one is here accusing
you,” he said. In his eyes none of the accusing from the earlier
cop was evident.


“Well, I came home rather late,” I
started.

“Where had you been?” he asked.


“Uh, I went out to eat, with my
friend Collin. You can check him on that. When I got home,” I
suddenly remembered the note and dashed for it. I hadn't left it in
the wastebasket but instead pulled it off the table by the window. I
caught a glimpse of the forest. The sun was going down and the shadow
of it was longing toward the building.


“I found this note,” I said
handing it to Officer Wells. He looked at it and read it over
carefully. His eyes widened by surprise at the end.


“Have you shown this note to anyone?
Are you sure you got it from Steve?” he asked. His tone had
harshened a bit.

“It was there when I got home. I had
kept it to myself. Why?” officer Wells didn't answer. He studied me
quietly for a minute. For the first time Charity spoke up.

“That Smiley, it's the same one from
the crime scene,” she said. Her voice was thicker and more
masculine than you'd expect. She pushed a blond hair out of her way
and looked me in the eyes. “Chris, are you sure you don't know
anything else about this?”

Her brown eyes stared at me but I told
her I knew nothing. After another grueling moment I felt relief
finally breathe back into me. Officer Wells believed me. I could see
it in his face “Thank you, son. This could be very helpful
evidence,” he said. Evidence to what I wasn't sure, but I felt I
myself had been freed from the suspect list.

“It's okay, Chris. We'll catch your
friend's murderer,” she called back as the two of them turned to
leave.

“Wait. What is the big deal, about
the last line, the smiley?” I asked.

Officer Wells turned slowly. “As you
may know, we found Steven's body hung up to a tree with multiple stab
wounds. What we hadn't told the public was that on the other tree
opposite him we found cut into it a simple smiley face. Until now we
had no real leads except, well, similar cases. I am not saying you
are suspect, but I am saying that this note to you and his death are
very interconnected. Be careful, son. This is something bigger and
more dangerous than before.”

It was all returning. The worry, the
anxiety, the absolute fear from before. It was back. I could scarcely
breathe. I waved weakly as the officers left. I remembered then to
ask about the cop from before, but without even knowing his name and
hoping not to incriminate myself, I stayed silent.

[Scene Break]

It took another two weeks, but I had
finally gotten over his death and what had gone on. I still felt like
I was being watched, but I was coming out of the apartment again. I
enjoyed the sunsets on the mountains and was even beginning to enjoy
the look of the woods. Collin was happy to see my mood change. Not to
mention the holidays had arrived.


I sat quietly zoned out during a
teacher's lecture. Other people were texting, but my cell phone was
recharging back at the apartment. We had a final on it but I was more
than maxed out. I had been considering leaving this quiet college
over what happened, but now that I had seen it drift over with snow
and the way the mountains stood against it all. It was too beautiful
to give up.


Collin sat next to me, doodling a
picture. He was even more signed off to school than I was. He was
drawing a picture that I would never forget. So cruel, so grotesque.
It's lines and symmetry so horrid first graders would have screamed
in pain. I believe it was Santa Class hugging a reindeer. But it
could have easily been Jello eating a car.

As class ended we picked up our things
and I smiled at some of my fellow students. I had begun to make some
new acquaintances. I turned toward Collin and froze. His book was
open and in it sat a sheet of paper. On it were the lines of a smiley
face.

I couldn't believe it. This was still
going on? I grabbed it off Collin's book and stared at it hard. They
all came the same way. Two dots. An upcurved mouth. Simple. It's
simplicity made it haunting.


“Chris, what the freedom ya doing,
man?” he asked confused.

“Where'd you get this?” I asked.

“I just opened my book, and it was
there. Why?”

I took the sheet of paper from him and
told him to follow me. I had had enough of this.


Collin followed and we quickly darted
across campus. The snow was heavy on the ground but the sky was
shining blue. I didn't feel it. I was determined. I reached the
building on the northside of the campus and opened the door. I knew
exactly where I wanted to go. At the end of a brightly lit hallway I
reached a door and swung it open. Inside was a room filled with boxes
and clutter. A little man, big framed glasses on his nose sat inside
looking up at me surprised.

“Ah, I see. I knew you would be
coming sooner or later,” the man smiled.

I was taken aback by the entire
environment. I wasn't sure what I had expected, but this was not it.
He had been here for months but he was hardly unpacked. And he was
smaller. Much smaller. His words too were chilling.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Chris and Collin. I had known you
were coming,” he said in an excited professorial manner. He rubbed
his hand over his grey hair that was shooting out in every direction.
Not a single piece of his apparel matched. “Ah, yes. I knew. It had
told me days ago it had chosen you. You and many others. This is the
season to be jolly,” he followed with a long cackle. Collin and I
eyed each other warily.

I decided better not to ask what it
was. I pointed to the smiley face. “Steve said at one time, you had
explained this to him. The night before he died.”

His face turned dark. “He shouldn't
have done that. It's against the rules. You never, ever tell. Only
those summoned can know. That is how it works. It always worked.” I
could see him trembling with rage and I was suddenly wishing I had
never come this way. “No matter, you see, I can't explain it to
you. It's not that simple, my boys. Even I don't fully understand it,
but I do know its other wordly,” his manner had completely changed.
The anger was gone and a bright smile shone on his face.

“Well, why's it so freedoming
important then? Why are there so many showing up? What's the
significance of this and Steve's death,” I said and tossed the
paper at him. I was surprised to see him catch it carefully and hold
onto it. He looked at me.

“That, I can't explain. Not here. I
have to show you. Please, I insist. Come to my Study Session tonight.
You won't be disappointed. You'll learn a lot,” he smiled again. It
was a wicked, cursed smile.

“Professor Charmsworth, we don't
even have your class, why would we do that?” Collin spoke up for
the first time. I realized I shouldn't have brought him along.


“We can all learn, my boy. We can
all learn. Besides. I know something you don't about these. Been
feeling paranoid? Worried? Anxious? I can explain that to you. Come
tonight. You'll see why. You'll see the other side,” he grinned.

“Where do we go?” I asked. Collin
turned and looked at me like I was insane but I was resolved.

“Not too far from here. There's a
cave in the mountains where we meet. It's the only place suited for
the Study Sessions. We need the seclusion. So will you come?” he
asked.

“We'll be there,” I answered.

[Scene Break]

“Why'd you do that?” Collin
growled.


“I need to know what's going on.
Charmsworth knows and I can't turn my back on this,” I said.

“But I have no idea what's going on.
And I don't want involved. It's creepy. He's out of his freaking
mind!” Collin shouted.

“You don't have to go. I only said
you would because I didn't really want to go alone,” I confessed.
He looked at me now. His eyes dropped the ground.

“Darn you. I wouldn't want you to go
alone, either. But first sign of trouble and I am dragging you out of
there. Hear me?” he asked.

“Sure,” I said. We had crossed the
grassy field and now reached the door of my apartment. As I opened it
my heart dropped.


“Well, well. I was just looking for
you. Didn't answer your door and I was worried I'd have to go find
you. Lucky me,” snarled the officer from the day Steven died.

My throat was dry. I tried to speak
but my heart was beating too fast. “What, what do you want?” I
finally spoke.

“Just to check up on my prime
suspect,” his face had turned to a smile. “And to warn you. I am
close. I have the evidence. You're going down, punk. I don't let
murderers walk away free.”

He smiled as he walked off. Collin
just looked at me. I think he had given up asking me questions. I
went up to my room and saw the door ajar. “Aw no,” I said as I
threw the door open. My apartment was completely ransacked.

[Scene Break]

When
the last of my small apartment had been put back together it was
several hours later. Collin had helped. I couldn't believe the mess
that cop had made. What kind of cop was he, anyway? Papers, books,
everything, and anything else that could move gone and tossed.

He
had only taken one thing. My cell phone. Which made me wonder why he
had torn up my apartment building, too. But I suppose he was looking
for evidence. Or he was trying to scare me. I don't know. But I was
not happy. It was good we finished when we did because the sunlight
had disappeared. I didn't like to use my overhead lights, they were
too bright. I watched the window. Before we left Charmsworth had
given very specific instructions to reaching the “study session”
so I wasn't worried. When I saw some people enter the woods Collin
and I got up to follow.

Snow
crunched beneath our feet. The moon was out so the woods were pretty
lit up. Under normal circumstances I would have been scared to enter
the woods at night. But I was actually quite calm here. The shadows
on the ground and against the trees themselves. All dancing in the
night created a landscape I could think about what was going on.
Collin wasn't so lucky. He was terrified, shivering, and trembling at
every step. I am sure he'd a been whining but I think he was worried
that opening his mouth woulda got him hurt.

In
the distance I could see the shadows of other people moving through
the woods. They would come into view then disappear again. It was an
odd phenomenon. Part of me even wondered if it wasn't all just in my
head. What if none of it, not even the smilies were real? I'd know
soon enough.

We
made it to a clearing and I could see the large mouth of a cave.
Inside somewhere there were lights for the echoed off the walls.
Eerie shadows of figures stood out on the wall. Collin had frozen
behind me. But I was too close, too curious. I pushed forward. I
entered the cave and upon the turn a crazy site met me.

Several
college students stood around a fire. On top of a rock next to the
fire stood Professor Charmsworth. But that wasn't exactly all that
had gone wrong here. Several of the students looked back at me with
masks, of a smiley face. Several were just moving gently back and
forth. Some stared at me. But all immediately turned their eyes to
Charmsworth when he began speaking.

“Welcome,
Chris. You have made it, and we are glad. Join us, in the wonderful
worship of the Smile. We have many new ones among us, today. So let's
make a good first impression,” he smiled that wicked smile. I
shouldn't have come, but for some reason I was moving closer to the
group.

A
man walked out and dropped his shirt. He looked to be the same age as
me and pretty fit. His hair was cut low. I wasn't sure what he was
doing. Two people came up to his side. They pulled out knives and I
stood their hypnotized. I should have done something to stop them,
but I was bewildered. They stabbed into the man before I could even
figure out what was going on.

Two
eyes were pushed into his chest. And a half curved arc on his
stomach. It wasn't deep, just surface. Blood dripped. I was
mortified. I wanted to turn and run. But something, was pressing on
me. I was heavy. My legs seemed frozen. The man who had been stabbed
yelled in pain. I was falling. Charmsworth was talking. I saw
monsters. A giant smiley. Colors. Steve was there. The world slowly
faded.

Seriously really freaking gooood~
Part 2! :DDD