It was in the late September and the sky was a dull grey. Lightning split the clouds and the rain poured from the sky, beating a tune upon the roof of the large stone house that stood within the glade.
“Aww man! It’s raining cats and dogs and it’s not gonna stop all day,” Rhenium whined and flipped her hair, as she stared out the window in dismay from the window seat.
“Well, look on the bright side; there will be plenty of time for other things.” Seventeen-year-old Osmium countered, swiping aside his blond hair.
“Like reading,” Osmium’s dark-haired twin Tantalum added.
“Exactly.”
“Eww, I can’t stand reading! It’s like, so so so boring.”
Tantalum raised an eyebrow. “So so so?”
“You know what I mean,”
“Actually, I do. You think because you must read at school, it is a peevish, inane, and insipid waste of your time and therefore must be met with acrimony and abhorrence. But your being so adamant in this shows forth your acumen and your ostensible obstinacy and thus bringing to light, that you are, in fact, partisan. However, it is not irrevocable. To give you a paradigm of such an occasion…”
Rhenium rolled her eyes and listlessly leaned her head against the windowpane.
Osmium sighed and shook his head. Knowing his brother, this would go on for a while. It was a peculiar characteristic of his. Tantalum would go for days talking in short sentences, and then he would burst into a ridiculous speech, then go back to near silence. It would be nearly impossible to get him to talk for the rest of the day after this oration. It could be the reception of his dialogue. Osmium did not know. He leaned back in his chair and looked about the room. Lit only by a single window and a few track lights that ran along the ceiling, nearly everything in the room was dark with a rich brown hue; the walls were a deep mahogany; all the furniture was chocolate-colored leather. It was a strange room. And it was in a strange house. They were staying here in the massive manse because some old friends of his parents offered to watch the kids while his parents went on vacation. These old friends just happened own this colossal estate.
“… and so, the reasons being set before you…” Tantalum, finally realizing that no one was actually listening, concluded his speech abruptly. All became silent save the pattering of the rain outside.
“Where is Iridium?” Osmium asked, breaking the spell of the hypnotic rain. Iridium was their youngest sister.
“She’s probably hiding under the bed from the thunder… or maybe just the rain. Just last night, I found her under there, hiding from a ‘great big spider’, which, by the way, was so tiny I could barely see it. ‘Twelve and hiding under the bed from a bug! Iridium Asres Wekoce, if you don’t come out right this instant and grow up a bit, I will make you ride to town with me, and I will force you to talk to people.’ She moved double quick, believe me. I asked her why she was so afraid of people, and she was said something about all people being evil and that while they offer one hand in friendship, they hold a dagger in the other. Probably something from one of those mystery books she reads all the time.” Rhenium shook her head. “Nothing good ever comes of reading.” She added slyly, goading Tantalum, daring him to retort. But he had already lapsed into taciturnity.
“Well, in any case, I’ll go get Iridium and then we can explore.”
“Explore? This old place?” Her voice was dripping with distain.
“We’ve been here for a week, and we haven’t even been out of our rooms except to go here and the dining room. Besides, in a place like this, we could find treasure,”
“If we find anything, it will be a crypt.”
“Yeah. Sure, we will.” Osmium entered the dark hallways and found his way to Iridium’s room. All the lights were on and the blanket from her bed was missing. “Iridium?” He peeked under the bed and spied her moon-pale face.
“Is that you, Osmium? I was afraid it was Rhenium. She said that if she caught me under here, she would make me talk to people.” She whispered.
“Yes. Come on, Iridium. We’re going to explore.”
“But- but the rain is-”
“The rain won’t kill you. Now give me your hand.”
Iridium reluctantly stuck out her hand. Osmium grabbed it and practically dragged Iridium out from underneath the bed. He scooped up the blanket and tossed it back where it belonged.
“Let’s go,” He grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the safety of her room. She followed him into the darkness, but not without a wistful glance back at her haven of light.
Once more in the brown den, Osmium was having trouble convincing Rhenium to join them. Finally, she agreed.
“All right. I’ll come. But don’t expect my help if you fall into a sepulcher full of skeletons and can’t get out,” Rhenium groused.
“Se- sepulchers? And skeletons?” Iridium squeaked, her already tiny form engulfed by the giant chair. “I think we should stay in here where it is safe. It is a terrible thing to disturb the dead.” She curled up even tighter with a shudder.
“Just a minute ago, you didn’t think this room was safe! When are you ever going to grow up?” Rhenium tossed her head back with disdain.
“I am grown up. I am twelve after all.” Iridium declared with a flick of her hair. Something about arguing brought out the spunk in her.
“You are so like, not grown up. Grownups aren’t afraid of like, absolutely everything. Which you are. I’m fourteen, so I should know.”
“Some grownups battle with phobias, you know.”
“Girls,” Osmium warned.
“Not like yours. You are afraid of like, everything.”
“Girls, please stop.” Osmium despaired.
“You said that already. And at least I don’t say ‘like’ every sentence.”
“Peace!” Tantalum thundered. The sisters spun in surprise and stared at Tantalum. “No more insults and no more talk of the housings of the dead.” Osmium smiled. Record time.
“Okay. Are we ready to explore this substantial house and find some long-lost treasure?” Osmium asked in his best tour guide voice. Iridium nodded excitedly. Rhenium nearly retorted, but glancing at the lingering fire in Tantalum’s eyes, she agreed sulkily.
“Good. Now if you follow me down this corridor…”
Two and a half hours later, Osmium was just about wrapping it up.
“Well, that was everything, folks. I hope ya’ll enjoyed my tour.” Osmium had fallen into a western accent somewhere along the way.
“Yes!” Iridium exclaimed.
“I’m just glad it’s over,” Rhenium grumbled. She started to walk away.
“Just a moment. I want to show you something,” Tantalum stated quietly. She sighed and came back.
“This better be good.”
“It all depends on who you are.”
“Oh, that sounds so hopeful,”
“Follow me,” They all trailed him as he wound through the dark passages and into his room. It had a lamp, a nightstand, and a bed. It was about the same as all the others.
“Your room? This is like so, ridiculous.” Rhenium crossed her arms.
“Quite so. Now watch.” He walked up to the wall and stomped. To Rhenium’s surprise, a chunk of the wall slid down into the floor, revealing a dark, curved passageway.
“Awesome! You have a secret passageway in your room! Lucky.”
“Wow. Where does it go?” Osmium asked.
“A dead end, no doubt.” Rhenium forecasted.
Tantalum snorted. He ducked into the passage and turned the corner. The rest of the kids followed eagerly. They entered a huge room that was octagonal in shape.
The room was twenty feet tall and thirty feet across. It was lit by flickering flames in lamps that were hanging from the ceiling. But the most surprising part was the thousands and thousands of books stuffed on the shelves that lined the wall. Eight, tall rolling ladders stood at each side of the room.
“A library?” Osmium whispered.
“A library! Who would hide books? Books are so boring!” Rhenium voiced. But the rest of the kids paid no attention to her. They walked into the room. Osmium tilted his head and began reading the titles of the book.
“The Fire-smitter? The Vast Histories of Kedlei? The Secrets of Ikifle? I’ve never heard of any of these books.”
“Me neither.” Iridium yelled from the top of a ladder.
“How about you, Tantalum?”
Tantalum did not answer. He was deeply engrossed in a large volume.
Rhenium finally stepped into the room. A wall slid up behind her. “Ahh! The door shut behind me! We’re trapped!” She screamed. Iridium scrambled down the ladder and beat on the door.
“Girls, calm down.” Osmium pulled Iridium away from the door.
“Let us out!” She cried, breaking away from Osmium to pound her fists against the wall.
Tantalum looked up and his eyes were hazy like one who had woken from a deep sleep. He blinked it away. “Stop yelling. I can open it.” He stomped his foot. But the wall would not move. He stomped it again. Nothing. “Why— won’t— you— open?” Stamps interlaced his words.
“Because I’m holding it shut.” A voice behind him thundered. They all spun around. A man stood there, staff in hand, cloaked in gray, but without a hood. His hair was a pure white, but he had the appearance of a vigorous warrior.
“You are strong, for one unawakened. Now, ARE YOU READY TO BE AWAKENED?” He boomed.
“I don’t know what you are talking about, but if you don’t let us out-”
“I’ll take that as a yes. Akerkdm, Fjeileo!” He slammed his staff into the ground. A pinprick of black and purple appeared and then grew to the size of a circle rug. The man dove into it and vanished. In mere moments, they were all ripped into the portal’s inky blackness by a gravitational pull thirty times the force of gravity. One after another, the children disappeared. There was a bright flash of light, and the pool was gone.
"The only thing that anybody really knows about this author is that he is a real nutcase."
-Anonymous reporter
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