Genesis (Legends of the Kilanor Book 1) Read online

  Walking in, Lucian smelled a peculiar aroma he couldn’t quite place. It definitely was not pleasant – a vile mix of several disgusting odors, superficially overpowered by air freshener and dryer sheets. Grasping tightly onto the last box of things traveling to their new home, he slowly ascended the stairs to the second floor. In the frenzied rush of lugging around big moving boxes and throwing them down into his dorm room, only to turn around and do it again, Lucian hadn’t noticed the sights, smells, and sounds of his new living environment. He now glanced around as he climbed the stairs in an effort to pause and appreciate where he would be living for the next year.

  The dorm certainly did not contain the comforts and decor of home. The carpet was a drab, thoroughly trodden mess beneath his feet, with big set-in stains every few paces, and the walls were simply white-washed from floor to ceiling. The long hallway of the second floor stretched out before him from the top of the stairs, with bland door after bland door lining the perimeter. Or, they would have been bland, if tacky, multi-colored cutouts of some kind had not been stuck all over them in celebration of move-in. Lucian was really trying hard to find the glimmer of beauty within all of what he saw before him, but he felt overwhelmed by the absolute void of anything desirable in his surroundings. The only feature that served to liven up the place was the freshman boys and girls walking here and there between rooms, chatting and laughing with their newfound friends and neighbors, and obviously not feeling the need to get dressed up or do their hair for the occasion.

  He quietly made his way down the hall to the door for room 213: the room in which he would be spending the entirety of the next two semesters. Hanging there at eye level were bright construction paper cutouts of a blue crescent moon and a yellow sun with “Blake” and “Lucian” written across them in sharpie.

  What, are we in kindergarten? thought Lucian as he stuck the metal key in the doorknob and turned. The door didn’t open immediately, and it took some reasonably forceful wiggling before the lock popped open and permitted Lucian’s entrance.

  Stepping into the room, Lucian eyed the two twin beds before him. The footboards and headboards were made of plain wood, and the mattresses were only very thin pads atop a lattice of springs. Other than these beds, the space was also furnished with desks and chairs, both fashioned out of the same light-colored wood. The room was not very large at all, and the beds and desks were very close to one another, seeming to provide little opportunity for much maneuvering of any sort.

  To Lucian’s left, the bed was already made up with a black comforter and pillowcase. The desk had a thick, older-model laptop on its surface and a black shoulder bag leaning against the leg of the chair. This was Lucian’s roommate’s side of the room, which had already been claimed in the weeks prior to Lucian’s arrival. Lucian had never met or even spoken to his new roommate, Blake, but he was looking forward to his return to their room. This would give them an opportunity to chat, and Lucian would have the chance to better determine what the year might hold for him. With no siblings, Lucian had never been required to share a room with some-one else, and he was both nervous and excited to experience this wholly different living environment. If Blake and he got along well together, he would instantly have a new friend on campus to spend time with every day. If not…, well, Lucian hoped that wouldn’t be the case.

  The opposite side of the room from Blake’s bed was practically a Great Wall of boxes stacked one atop another. Lucian dreaded the unpacking of all these things. He had assumed that going off to college would require a whole host of necessary items, but, after seeing his roommate’s minimalist contribution to the room, Lucian felt rather self-conscious about the mass of stuff he had brought with him. Add to that the miniscule square footage of their living space, and Lucian was already taking inventory of what he would be bringing back home with him the next time he visited.

  Looking over the numerous boxes spread out before him, Lucian let out a sigh and muttered, “Well, no time like the present….”

  * * *

  Wednesday, September 3rd

  Lucian sat beneath a tree with expansive branches that towered overhead and covered him in cool shade. The light beyond the foliage was so close, yet always just out of reach. The succulent smell of flowers wafted into his nose, providing both a sense of peace and the desire to reach the source of that serenity. Looking up suddenly, Lucian no longer saw a lush green canopy, but rather high walls that jettisoned up from the ground on either side of where he sat. Jumping up in alarm, Lucian looked ahead, down the corridor that had now formed. Far away from him, an unrecognizable figure scurried down a side alley, and Lucian felt compelled to chase after him. Running to the spot and turning the corner, the boy was met with yet another corridor. He continued to run, motivated by a destination he could not see and did not know. Turning yet another corner, Lucian realized that he could not find the exit. He could not escape. Lost forever in an endless labyrinth, he suddenly had the sensation of falling through the floor beneath him, into vast darkness….

  * * *

  Lucian sat up in his bed with a start and squinted in the bright sunlight streaming through the windows, which were not yet covered by shades or curtains. He hadn’t slept well the night before, and the little sleep he did catch was plagued by disturbingly vivid dreams. The bed was far less comfortable than he was used to at home, and being in an unfamiliar place was… unsettling. If not a little bit creepy. The students in the rooms next door apparently did not feel the need to sleep throughout the night, and the noise of talking, laughter, and music made it nearly impossible for Lucian to get any sleep after already staying up too late finishing his unpacking. Most disruptive of all, Lucian kept preparing himself for his roommate to come back for the night, which never happened. Lucian woke up that morning with Blake’s side of the room still completely untouched.

  I guess he had a Hell of a night! thought Lucian, glancing over at the undisturbed bedding next to him and shaking his head.

  Lucian flipped back his covers, swung his legs out to the side, and put his feet on the floor. He felt that dizziness in his head and aching in his eyes that always greeted him in the morning if he hadn’t gotten the proper amount of sleep. Standing up, he swayed a bit as he balanced his fatigued body and felt the coldness of the hardwood beneath him creeping into his feet. He adjusted his baggy cloth pants and long sleeve shirt, which had become contorted and bunched up throughout his restless night. Scratching at his unkempt hair, he lumbered over to his desk, where he had folded his towel and placed his toiletries the night before. Grabbing these, he drifted over to the front door and braced himself for the harrowing journey down the hall to the shared, second floor men’s bathroom.

  Laying his hand upon the doorknob and twisting forcefully to open the door, Lucian jumped back with a start as he was immediately confronted with a figure standing before him. Lucian took a second to compose himself, then looked at the visitor with a tilted head and squinted eyes.

  “Sorry if I startled you!” the stranger said with a big grin. “I’m Sam.” He stuck out his hand in an effort to shake.

  “Lucian…,” said Lucian as he held out his hand in return and was subjected to a firm, very enthusiastic greeting.

  The guy standing in Lucian’s door was clearly an upper classman, probably 21 or 22 years old and soon to be graduated, if he hadn’t already. He had straight blonde hair that was long enough to hang down over his forehead but was cut shorter in back and on the sides so that his neck was still visible. He had clear, hazel eyes and a great smile, with nearly perfect, smooth tan skin. He was around Lucian’s height of six feet, maybe an inch shorter, but he was far better built, with broad shoulders and a chest that stuck out in front of him. His outfit consisted of a red and black athletic jacket, undoubtedly from one of the collegiate sports teams on campus, and a pair of jeans that fit him impeccably. To Lucian, it was as if a stereotypical 1980’s film jock had walked off the screen and into his doorway. Sam was a very attractive
young man, with a command-ing presence and great posture. He struck Lucian as the kind of guy who would be a politician or sales-man someday…, or perhaps a model.

  “So, Lucian, I was hoping you could help me with something,” said Sam, looking into Lucian’s eyes unwaveringly as he spoke. This made Lucian feel rather uncomfortable, especially considering that he was only partially dressed and totally disheveled.

  “Sure, what do you need?” asked Lucian with only the slightest hesitation, more out of confusion and embarrassment than actual reluctance.

  “Well, you see, Lucian…,” began Sam, “I’m the head of one of the frats here on campus, and your roommate, Blake, is one of our newest pledges. I last saw him a couple of days ago, but, since then, I haven’t heard anything from him. I’ve checked with some of his friends, and they haven’t seen him at all either. I was really hoping he came back to your room sometime in the past few nights….”

  Glancing over at the undisturbed bed, Lucian shook his head. “He definitely didn’t come back last night, but I only just moved in yesterday, so I wouldn’t know where he’s been before then. But I’ll keep an eye out for him and let him know you stopped by whenever he gets back.”

  “Yeah, if you could do that for me, that would be great! Thanks!” said Sam, with the same level of unnerving enthusiasm as he had in greeting. “If you happen to see him, just shoot me a text!”

  Reaching into his jeans’ pocket, the muscular upper classman pulled out a business card and handed it to Lucian. “Here’s my contact info,” he said. Lucian looked over what he had been given, trying in vain to figure out what kind of college student would carry around business cards. He figured that perhaps Sam was studying business or something. The card was a generic one that could be ordered online for free and contained only a phone number and email address. Lucian smiled politely in thanks and put the tiny rectangular paper card in his pajama pants’ pocket.

  With one last smile and a nod of his head, Sam turned away from the door and began walking down the hall. Lucian stood there for a moment, a little disappointed to see the attractive boy leave, though relieved as well, given his current appearance. As Lucian stepped out into the hall himself and began closing the door behind him, he heard from the top of the stairs, “Oh, and Lucian. I’d appreciate your discretion about all of this. You know how the rumor mill can be!”

  Lucian gave a slight grin and nodded once in Sam’s direction to acknowledge that he had heard. Look-ing pleased, Sam waved at him one last time before he disappeared into the stairwell.

  Lucian just stood outside his door with a blank look on his face. After a moment, he regained himself and headed down the hall in the opposite direction, toward the showers.

  * * *

  Tuesday, September 9th

  Lucian couldn’t believe that he had already been living at school for a full week. It seemed like only yesterday that his parents had cast him off on his own to brave the untamed wilds of college life. Wednesday through Friday of the week before had been Orientation: a painstakingly elementary series of exercises in which one was forced to introduce oneself, bond with fellow students, and engage in hokey “getting to know you” games for which Lucian had little tolerance. By the end of this grueling endeavor, Lucian found himself frustrated and exhausted, with no greater number of friends than the zero he had had from the start. He already knew some of the students from his high school that had come to the same college, but all of his actual high school friends had decided to go out of state. This left Lucian with the challenging task of meet-ing new people and making new friends: something with which he generally struggled.

  Following Orientation, Lucian had traveled back to his parents’ house to spend the weekend with them. This delighted his mother especially, who acted as though he had gone off to war for several years before returning home again. His father also seemed pleased to have him back, but he clearly had more realistic expectations of college life and his son’s passage into adulthood. Although it was only for two nights, Lucian was greatly relieved to be back in his own bed. He was surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of home, which thankfully did not include loud, wild parties and irresponsible morons puking in the middle of the hallways.

  But there he was, back on campus again and finally starting classes. Blake still hadn’t returned to the room, and, by this point, Lucian was beginning to get really worried for him. He went to Student Services a few days after he moved in to alert them of the situation, and they seemed very concerned. Lucian was told that the matter would be looked into and that he should rest assured that it would all be handled by the university staff. So the boy tried to put aside his natural tendency to stress over it and instead focus on his new life.

  On Monday, Lucian had attended the introductory sessions of two of his first semester classes: World History 042 and Algebra 054. Lucian didn’t under-stand the numbering system of the classes at all, and he wondered what had ever happened to the “101” structure he had seen in movies. The odd numeric coding of classes at his school made understanding one’s course recommendations confusing and the registration for them nearly impossible. Luckily, Lucian had managed to sign up for some courses successfully, and, while he wasn’t sure whether or not they were the ones recommended for freshmen in their first semester, he had at least put together a varied assortment of seemingly interesting subjects. Having only sat through the first class period of his Monday courses, Lucian hadn’t quite determined yet what to make of them; but there had been close to a hundred other students in the lectures with him, and not a single one had bothered to introduce him/ herself.

  Today should be more interesting, thought Lucian as he trudged along the brick walkways winding through campus toward one of the lecture halls. The morning class would be Comparative Religion 086, followed by Sociology 092 in the afternoon. Lucian had never actually intended to register for a religion class; he had attempted to input the course code for Introductory Chinese instead but apparently made a typing error. By the time he had discovered the mistake, it was too late for him to switch, for all the language courses were filled by that point. Despite the unfortunate miscommunication, he was actually very anxious to see how the Religion class would be. Lucian had been raised in a Catholic household, and, though his parents were not very serious about religion in general, that singular system of beliefs was all that he had been exposed to in his younger life. He was very eager to encounter other religious traditions and learn more about what he had been missing all those years.

  When he arrived at the specified location from his class schedule, he looked up at the square concrete building. It was an ugly thing – the kind of bland, gray box typical of Cold War era structures, with tiny slits for windows and absolutely no artistic flare. Lucian could tell it was definitely a strong fortress fit for mutually assured destruction, but he thought that it was perhaps time to demolish it and build something less painful to look at. Shrugging it off, he hurried up the rough concrete steps and through the tall, ridiculously heavy front door. Lucian was comically relieved that, in the event of a nuclear holocaust, he would at least be safe behind this impenetrable barrier to live out the rest of his post-apocalyptic life. Looking down once again at his schedule, he noted his room number and headed into the appropriate lecture hall.

  The inside of the hall was massive. Lucian thought to himself that, at one time, it had probably been used as a theater, albeit a hideous one. The front of the room had a rather large wooden stage, upon which sat a podium for notes and a tiny, black microphone. Drab, dusty curtains hung down on both sides like wearied performers trapped in the theater for the rest of eternity. The chairs were positioned in semicircular rows – some down on the floor level and others in a second, tiered section in back. Each seat had slight padding on it, which appeared to be more a pathetic gesture to guests and less of an actually functional cushion, as it seemed that sitting in them would still be horribly un-comfortable. The cushions were a nausea-inducing oran
ge typical of 1970s style, reinforcing the notion that they had not changed at all in over forty years.

  Lucian never liked to sit too far up front, but he also didn’t want to be too far in the back and labeled an apathetic student. He therefore chose the second row from the front of the second section – close enough to seem engaged, yet far enough to not be directly accessible to the professor. Lucian sat down in a seat a few in from the aisle and pulled down the flap of plastic-coated particle board on the armrest that functioned as a desk. His fears concerning the discomfort of the seat were unfortunately affirmed.

  Scattered about the room on all sides were thirty or so other students, and more were walking in every couple of minutes. In total, Lucian estimated that the hall could easily hold over two hundred people, though he couldn’t imagine any more than fifty students expected there that day, given the number he saw around him so close to the start of class. Some of the students were talking to one another amicably, while others were just sitting in silence, like he was. Taking out a notebook from his bag, he opened it to the first empty page and sat with his pen at the ready for the arrival of the professor.

  “I hear this guy’s a real hard-ass,” said a monotone female voice from his left.

  Looking down the row, Lucian saw a girl sitting four seats away from him. She had jet black hair, cut just below shoulder length, that hung straight down from the top of her head. One solitary streak of bright green stood out against the otherwise dark hair on the right side of her head. Her upper body was covered with a tight, black hooded sweatshirt, and her thumbs stuck out from holes at the bottom of each sleeve. She had on extremely tight jeans and black boots with thick, flat soles. She was looking directly at Lucian, and he could see that her left eyebrow was pierced with a hoop, as were her ears with black feather earrings. One more silver ring stuck out from the right side of her black lipstick-coated lower lip, and her green eyes had thick black lining around them, with hints of green eye shadow above. Lucian found himself a little put off by this clearly tortured individual.