Darkening Days

Chapter 25: Utopia

My eyelids bat a few times before springing open, dispersing the darkness, revealing the world to me. Though, it's almost as dark as it was when my eyes were closed- I'm outside, and it's dark out, just as it was before I passed out. That's what happened, right? I passed out?

I bob my head as my eyes adjust, and I come to my senses. Even now I still feel myself being carried by the Sovereign- I mustn't have been asleep for long.

The shape of a large building comes together before my eyes. The Sovereign ascends a flight of stairs, and, without even indicating that he knew I'm awake, lets me down, steadying me on my feet.

He opens the door for me. "After you", he says.

Not bothering to thank him, I pass through the threshold, wide-eyed, wondering where he's taking me. Then, once I take in my surroundings, the answer hits me immediately- this is the museum.

Everything's polished- the marble floors, the ceiling, the furniture in the admissions area. Together, all of the walls make up the map of Kansas.

There's an affable looking man at the ticket booth. He's neatly dressed and his curly dirty-blonde hair is combed back perfectly, and strangely enough, he's wearing a smile. He almost looks like a robot to me.

I stare at him, with the feeling that I'm knotting my eyebrows from how creeped out I am by his smile.

His eyes follow me as I dawdle across the floor.

My attention is snapped away from him when I hear the entrance door close. The Sovereign walks to my side.

He lifts a hand up in greeting to the man at the ticket booth. "John, you can relax. This is Krystal."

I turn my head back in his direction. Now I can't stop staring at him. He's still smiling!

After a few moments' hesitation, his smile drops. "OK, Mr. Hunter. You know, I can never be too sure, what with everything going on." Next he addresses me- "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Krystal."

"L-likewise."

He smiles once again.

The Sovereign speaks to me. "Krystal, as I've told you, this is where all of us dwell, for the most part. Of course, quite a bit of us own houses in communities outside of here, but that's only for show. So that we can, as you might put it, 'fit in' with your kind."

As he explains this to me, I feel what I interpret to be condescension. I have an inkling he thinks that vampires are superior.

I put that aside. "So, where is...everyone?"

"Underneath the museum."

"Huh?" Weird, much?

"We have an underground network sprawled out underneath the entire town. That is our utopia."

"O-kay..." I don't know what else to say. Now I just want to get on with this whole endeavor- I don't feel like having this conversation turn into a lesson on vampires.

"Come, Miss Shine."

He guides me through the turnstiles leading into the exhibits. We make our way through every exhibit, starting with what looks to be about the Native Americans and ending with what looks to be about the late 20th century's globalizing culture. Upon reaching the last exhibit, he pushes through the exit door, and we're outside again, this time at the back of the building. What was the purpose of all that?

Just when I'm about to question him, the Sovereign makes a ninety-degree turn and walks to a wooden hatch door raised slightly above the ground. He takes out a key, fits it in the lock bolted onto the front and turns it, and opens the door, revealing a set of stairs. He alights them. I follow.