Offbeats

The Book

Captain Duketon leads me down a narrow and very dark hallway, with Janson flanking me.

We walk without any source of light and each time I trip over my feet or almost walk straight into a wall, Commander Janson is there grabbing my arm or catching my waist before I can face plant, as if he can see just as well in the pitch black.

We walk for a few minutes before we reach a wooden door at the end of the hall. Light pours out from behind the door, giving the tight space an eery glow.

The Captain, silhouetted against the light from the other side of the door, pulls out a metal ring a few misshapen keys clinging to it. He selects the largest one and stuffs it in the keyhole.
The door clicks and Captain Duketon pulls it open, the light so bright it blinds me for a few moments.

Once my vision clears, I walk past the Captain and into the yellow-lighted room.

The room contains only a old-looking wooden desk with a book on top and a thread-bare cushioned chair.

I turn around to look back at Captain Duketon and Janson, raising my eyebrows in question.

The Captain nods toward the book on the desk as they both walk into the room and shut the door.

Knowing that I won't get anything out of them until I look at this damn book, I walk around to the other side of the desk and plop myself into the comfier-than-it-looks chair.

I stare down at the book. Plain brown cover, a little scratched up but nothing that tells me it's eons old. I flip to the first page. It reads:

Property of Christopher Duketon

May this guide you through what is coming. May you find the key.

I lift my stare up to Captain Duketon. "Didn't see you as a Christopher."

He sighs. "He was my brother."

Was.

My chest tightens a little. "He's...dead?"

"Captured at the beginning, presumed dead. But I was with him just before it happened and he gave me this book, told me to find the key."

The complete sadness on his face and the way he tells the story as if reading a report pulls at my heart.

I feel like an idiot saying it but I do anyway. "What's the key? Have you...found it?"

Janson replies this time. "We were hoping you could help with that."

He opens his mouth to say something else but Captain Duketon raises his hand to stop him. "I think we should let her read the book first."

They both stare unblinkingly at me so I ask quietly, "Right now?"

"Maybe at least make a start. Though I'm afraid I can't let you take it out of this room, so whenever you want to look at it you're going to have to come here." The Captain informs me.

"Alright." Is all I say, hoping they don't stand there while I'm reading.

"We'll see you tomorrow at the Council. Kipp will take you." The Captain says before turning around and walking out, wordlessly followed by Janson.

The Council?

The thought of Kipp taking me makes me tense. Am I supposed to just forget about what almost happened earlier? What if I don't want to?

***

I skim read the first few pages, which ramble on about history of various possible alien invasions.

I don't really get why they want me to read it so badly until I flip to a page titled 'The Others'.

I trace my finger down the page, reading as I go, until I get to a hastily-sketched drawing of a woman's hard-edged warrior-looking face.

Her face seems somehow familiar...

The woman...from my dream? The woman that boy- Hunter?- killed?

One question spirals round my head, what the shit is going on? At this point I'm also starting to wonder about my sanity. So, out of precaution, after staring at the sketch another minute, I continue reading, though I can't help but keep her face in the back of my mind.

About ten minutes later, I have so many questions I can't concentrate. Most of them centre around a main theme, what the hell is this guy on about?

I'm gonna need someone here to answer them next time.

I quickly decide to give up, preparing myself for the blind walk back down the narrow hall. Preparing myself for the wondering I'm going to do about this woman tonight.

As I walk in the pitch-blackness, I push the woman away for later and let my mind wonder to Kipp. I pray it won't be horrifically awkward next time I see him.

My mind wanders to thoughts I wouldn't dare let it in the light, mostly consisting of what that kiss would have been like.

I smile into the darkness. And in that hall, with my imagination, everything is normal again.