Mythical Link ▸ Link Neal {Book One}

Fifty Four

     Rhett slowly raised his head to look at Link, who was eyeing the rocks on the table. There were plenty of them, but they weren't called rocks. These were healing crystals of many assortments.

     They catered to many ailments. Colored in a broad spectrum, pieced together would create a beautiful rainbow. Link took up a card in his hand, his eyes scanning it thoroughly while he held a hand on the frame of his glasses. He had heard briefly what all of the Chakras were before when doing yoga, but he never thought there were healing crystals involved. 

     He set the card down and took a few steps away from the table, eyeing the big sign that hung above it. He read the word in white lettering, a purple backdrop pointing a large proverbial arrow at it. A definitive flash of recognition burned in his eyes. "It was Mercedes." 

     Rhett moved closer to Link. "You're sure?"

     "I'm absolutely sure! Rhett do you know what a Mystic is?"

     "Well, given by your excitement I'm gonna guess that it's a synonym for psychic?"

     "It is, but this is more generic. I think this is a hint of some sort." Link adjusted his glasses. 

     Rhett held the rock in his cupped hands, bringing it up to his face. Warmth radiated through his hand and made his palm tingle where the rock rested. He had this crazy idea to cup his hands over one another and create a hole big enough that he could peer through. Bringing his hands closer up to his eye, he screwed his face up as he looked in.  A gasp gurgled out of his throat and he dropped his hands, looking at Link excitedly. "Link! I think I know what these are! Take your hands and create a cave."

     "A cave," Link questioned incredulously, annoyed that Rhett had ignored what he had just discovered.

     "Just do it! Create a cave with your hands and look inside!" 

     Link hesitantly brought his hands up to his face, cupping them together in the same fashion that Rhett had. Rhett plunged the stone into Link's hands, and when he brought his cupped up hands to his eye, his mouth fell open. The stones were giving off a blue hue, outlining the shape of them in his hands. He lowered his hands and looked at Rhett with wide eyes. "They're solar powered," he said slowly. 

     Rhett nodded his head excitedly. 

     A heavy chuckle from behind them snapped them out of their reverie and they spun on their heel. They were faced by a pale man with a thin face and long black hair tied into a ponytail. He had his hands crammed into the pockets of his black leather jacket, his head tilted curiously to the side as he looked at Link with his dark eyes.

     The moment Link made eye contact with him, he dropped the rock from his hand and it seemed to drop to the ground in slow motion. The man swooped to the ground and caught it in his hand before it hit the ground, and he straightened himself up, brushing the rock off with his free hand. "Cat got your tongue, Neal?"

     Link's eyes widened and Rhett made a choking sound. 

     The man spun the rock between his fingers, a smirk dancing on his lips. "You know, these things look even cooler when it's pitch black," he said, tearing his gaze away from the rock and locking eyes with Link. Link took a step backward, shaking his head subtly.

     Rhett's instinct told him to throw his arm out to bar Link off from this creep and just as he'd made contact with Link's chest, the blinds over the windows dropped one by one. The rattling sound from the blinds drew everyone's attention away from what they were doing and people stopped walking. Murmurs of apprehension snaked through the room at the strange phenomena, Rhett's heart beating out of control.

     The lights flickered and everyone looked up, all things electronic whirred to a stop. They were swallowed in darkness. Panic seared in Link's chest with a blinding hot pain as he grabbed Rhett's arm. He had no idea who this guy was or how he knew him, and he certainly didn't want to be left in the dark with him. 

     A shrill scream rippled through the building and hit Link's eardrums like somebody dribbling a basketball. Gravity yanked him toward the ground, Rhett struggling to catch him as he contorted his body and landed on his back. He arched his back away from the floor, crying out in agony as the scream seemed to go on forever. In Link's head, it was like the wailing of the woman wormed its way into his cranium and threatened to crack through the flesh and bone like lightning through a boulder. The voice became too much, and he had to scream to let it out.

     At that point, Rhett wished they had driven away. He gripped Link's arm so tight, he was certain he was leaving fingerprint marks. His eyes took a little time adjusting to the dark, but once they were adjusted, he surprisingly felt no imminent threat. He could hear Link's heavy breaths and he could feel his body trembling, brushing against his arm.

     The room erupted with light as they all came back on, people frozen to the spot for a brief moment before somebody, they didn't know who, had announced that it was simply a power surge. 

     Rhett pulled Link up to his feet, patting him on the back. They rubbed their eyes and relief flooded through them as Mike and Alex approached. Rhett wanted to ask who that guy was and how he knew Link, but he would save that question for later when they were by themselves.

     Mike and Alex had an awe-inspired look on their face when they'd stopped in front of them, but that soon melted to confusion when they noticed how ghostly pale Link was.

     "What happened," Alex said, eyeing Link cautiously. 

     Rhett shrugged. "I dunno, the power went out and now it's back on. Is that a normal thing around here?" 

     Alex and Mike shot each other a glance with raised brows. "It is when a show's about to begin. You guys should come check it out!" 

     Link's mouth fell open and he scrunched his eyebrows. "We only came here to figure out what these things were. We've done our job, now we're going back to the office." Link left no room for arguing as he started marching back down the hall toward the double doors. 

     Rhett glanced at the two of them with a shake of his head and started jogging to catch up with Link. Most of the crowd had dissipated, more than likely attending this show that Mike and Alex were talking about. He caught up with Link and happened to turn his head to look down the main hall, noticing that the room that was to the right was still in the dark. He caught Link by the back of his shirt, who'd stumbled backward and cried out in response. "Dude, look!" 

     Link turned his head to look down the hall, his eyebrows shooting up his forehead. An ever steady bluish glow illuminated the wall in front of the door and the two of them exchanged glances. Rhett had that look on his face like he wanted to go check it out and Link was shaking his head adamantly. "No, absolutely not! Y'all didn't listen to my gut the first time around and look at the creep we ran into!"

     "What creep?" 

     Link wheeled around on Alex and Mike. "Would you two stop showing up right in the middle of our conversations?" 

     They recoiled with shock in their eyes. Alex touched his face awkwardly while Mike looked down at his shoes.

     Rhett placed a consoling hand on Link's shoulder. "Relax man. Nothing happened."

     "Not yet," Link said in a foreboding tone. 

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