The Enchantments: Book 4 - The Key of Mulastef

Chapter 11: A Touch in the Dark

The view of the devastation of the college from the top of the hill made a Simeneon's stomach churn. Many of the artifacts her parents and on many occasions, she had found during their many adventures had been loaned to the school. The idea that many of those priceless relics were laid to waste had given her bad taste in her mouth. There was only one way for her to see what was salvageable now and that was to proceed down.

The evening was calm with a hint of warmth from the passing afternoon. For the past few days, Simeneon had been hopping train after train to get here. The Aspen Pines station was a smaller old fashion looking building built from the great designs of the glory days of train travel. The town had wanted everything to stay the same giving the station the personalized touches of a by-gone day.

She appreciated their attempt at capturing those days but she realized with the advent of the war overseas vacationing in the fresh mountain air was an after-thought. When she hopped on the train during its scheduled stop off, she noticed a few travelers disembarking. It was a sad state of affairs where the nation was during these approaching war years.

She drifted from the main station through the woods and into the wilderness that surrounded the town. She wanted to bring as little attention to herself as she could, to her this was a fact finding mission only and the fewer people she saw along the way, the better.

Life on the rails was a tough venture for many people during that time. It was a dog eat dog world on the road, and fighting for any scrap of food or lodgings was hard. You had to keep one eye open at all times to protect what little rations you had. It was even more difficult for a young woman like Simeneon. Far stronger men and even women would confront her on her possessions hoping to take from the weak what they needed to survive. But Simeneon was different in many ways, protecting herself was instilled in her at a young age, and many who confronted her would end leaving in more pain than when they started. Her background in the martial arts kept the thieves at bay, and before long they had given her a wide birth realizing she was not as an easy target as what appeared. For that, she was extremely grateful, but even she knew there would one day come along someone far stronger and smarter than she. Someone who would take everything and leave her somewhere where there was no help, those were the days she feared the most.

For now, she stood at the precipice of the campus staring down at the destruction and wishing everything about her life was different. She knew what had caused the catastrophe below knowing full well it was all because of her. At least that's what she believed. What Simeneon didn't realize was that the professor had started a whole new set of circumstances that would add to her world another in ways that could change future events. So, for now, she took on the responsibility as her own and headed down into the valley of the Aspen Pines University campus, a day that would change her outlook forever.

The grounds of the campus filled with shards of concrete blocks and glass. Ruined dorms and administrative buildings stood in shambles as if the minions had left nothing in their wake. To her surprise, certain buildings were still partially left standing and with relief the office of her when time collaborator Professor Tweedle. She was just about to step from behind a building when she heard a noise. Footfalls could be heard just around the corner, and she was shocked to see a girl she had known very well run across the grass towards the front of the building.

"Marlanda?" She whispered to herself.

The girl looked terrified, and she had a right to be for just as she reached the door an inhuman screech reverberated across the silence of the campus. Simeneon stopped in shock as all around her unnatural darkness began to flood the campus. A cloak of darkness that was somewhat alive spread over buildings covering them in a glistening shadow. What was all this? What was the hell going on? These shadows something she had never before seen and the evil that emanated all around her gave her cause to run and run she did. Instead of heading towards the front doors and running into Marlanda, she skirted the side of the building and ran towards the side doors. Pushing open the unhinged doors she bolted inside as the screams of the unnatural creatures echoed again.