Into the DarkChapter One
The setting sun cast a golden orange light across the beach at South Beach Academy. The ocean was tinted gold with the fading rays of sun and the rocks cast long shadows across the golden-brown sand. Out of her dorm room window, JayLynn looked out at the sunset and sighed. It's gorgeous. She thought to herself, turning up the volume on her iPod.
Here, at boarding school, you really didn't get a lot of time to just look out at a sunset. You always had homework or extra curricular activities or sports to get in the way. But now, she just looked out at the beach.
The sudden vibrating of her phone on her desk brought her back to reality.
Flipping open her phone, she read her text message.
New Message Received:
9:48 Friday, January 14th
From: Lilly Sheller
Message: Hey hon! How are you? I should be back at the room in a few. Just finished soccer practice. Sweaty! Love you! ~xoxo Lilly
JayLynn smiled. Lilly Sheller was her roommate and best friend. They had known each other since 3rd grade, and now they were in 11th grade. 9 years.
She closed her phone and placed it back on her desk. Standing up, she decided to continue on a painting she had started. The painting was of a dream she had a few days ago. A large field with gorgeous flowers and tall grass. But overhead, there was an ugly hurricane brewing. In the centre of the field, there was a huge grey wolf.
When she brought the brush over the canvas, she felt alive. She made more beautiful flowers and taller grass.
The sound of someone entering stopped her lively painting. "Lil?" She called. "Is that you?"
The door swung open and Lilly stumbled in carrying muddy cleats and grass stained soccer equipment. She was red faced and her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail.
"Rough practice?" JayLynn asked, taking the soccer gear from Lilly and tossing it into the laundry hamper.
Lilly nodded, huffing and puffing as if she just ran 12 miles. "Coach was a bitch today!" She exclaimed, clearly exasperated. "He made the entire team do 20 laps before we started to even warm up!"
JayLynn took the cleats and put them on the shoe mat for Lilly.
Lilly nodded in thanks and continued to rant. "Then I had to take shots from the entire team for 2 hours!"
"That sucks." JayLynn sympathized. "I'm glad coach Weltor isn't a psycho."
Lilly nodded. Coach Weltor was South Beach Academy's volleyball coach. Being on the volleyball team, it was good to have a laid back coach. "Well, it's Friday Lil. We can sleep in, and then go watch a movie on campus later on Saturday. Okay?"
Lilly smiled and hugged her. "You are good at brightening peoples moods."
Smiling, JayLynn coughed, half mockingly, half truthfully. "You need a shower."
"Wow. Thanks." Lilly joked. She lifted her arm and smelled herself. "Wooh! I do stink." She smiled and grabbed a towel and headed to the shower room down the hall. "I'll be back in a few." She called over her shoulder, closing the door.
JayLynn smiled and lay down on her bed, putting her iPod earphones in and turning the volume up. She closed her eyes and a wave of relaxation crashed over her.
A sudden knock on the door woke her. She pulled her headphones out of her ears and walked to her door cautiously. Opening the door, she saw a familiar face. "Jacob!" She screamed, throwing her arms around her brother's neck. "What are you doing here?"
Her brother was a college student-studying archeology in Virginia and JayLynn barely ever got to see him, except on holidays.
"Well, my school gives us a week off every other month. So, I thought I'd use some time to come see you."
Motioning her brother in, JayLynn sat on the bed.
"So how's school been?" Jacob asked her.
JayLynn sighed. "So much work and sports! You never get to just relax at all!" She sighed, flopping down on her bed.
Jacob chuckled. "If you have that attitude in college, you'll be a flunk for sure."
"Oh hush!" She shushed, throwing a pillow at him.
Jacob caught it in midair. "Nice try sis." He teased.
JayLynn smiled. She barely ever got to see her family. She hadn't spent good quality time with her brother in almost a year. He had to spend Christmas at school to study for evaluations. "So how's life in Virginia?"
Jacob fell silent. "Not so good."
JayLynn immediately sat up, seriousness returning to her face. "What happened?"
"I got a call from mum yesterday." He began. "Jessica's really sick."
JayLynn's heart hit the floor. Jessica was her 6-year-old sister. She had been born 2 weeks pre-mature and had to stay in the hospital for 7 weeks until she could come home. "How sick?"
"Like, hospital sick. She can't eat food without throwing it up a few minutes later. She's not bulimic, it's just a strange sickness."
JayLynn's eyes gave away her distress. "Will she get better?" She asked, fumbling with her thumbs. An eerie feeling crept over her like eyes staring into her. Searching for something.
"Doctor says that she might not get better. It's a very serious illness. She dropped 30 pounds in a week." Jacob replied, his eyes beginning to tear up.
JayLynn's breath caught in her throat. Jacob wasn't one to cry, so his tears stabbed her heart like a poisonous thorn. "Oh, Jacob!" She cried, flinging herself into his arms. She sobbed softly on his shoulder, soaking his shirt. Jacob held her in his arms tightly like she was his last connection to life. "She can't die."
Jacob pulled away, wiping the tears from JayLynn's eyes with his rough thumbs. "She won't, I promise." He assured her. He altered his gaze to the hanging wall clock. "Look, I have to go."
Nodding, JayLynn stood and kissed her brother's cheek and grabbed his bag for him.
Smiling, her brother headed for the door and waved. "Love you Jay." He called before disappearing out the door and around the corner.
Sighing, JayLynn sat on her bed and hugged her pillow. She felt like she was sinking into a pit of sadness and death.
The door creaked open again and Lilly walked in, her blue eyes widening at JayLynn's disheveled appearance. "Jay!" Lilly whispered, rushing to her friend's aid.
JayLynn was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably. "Jess is dying." She managed to whisper, her voice shaking like a leaf in a windstorm. She looked at Lilly and retold the story from when Jacob came.
She felt Lilly's arms wrapping around her like a much needed security blanket. "Jess will be fine." Lilly reassured her. "She's just as strong as you. If anyone can make it through this, it's her. Believe me." She said, pulling JayLynn to her feet. "Give me a hug."
JayLynn smiled. "As long as you don't smell anymore."
Lilly gave her a just-shut-up-and-hug-me kind of look and she outstretched he arms.
JayLynn wrapped her arms around her thankfully and breathed a sigh of relief. I'll be there with you Jess, every step of the way.
Just then, a second knock caught JayLynn's attention.
"Uhm, I guess I'll get it." Lilly said, heading for the door.
JayLynn followed Lilly to the door and was astonished by the boy that stood at the door holding a beautiful white rose. He had ebony black hair that hung lightly over his eyes. The light reflected off his glossy hair giving it ivory streaks. His eyes –or what was visible of them- were a beautiful, yet indescribable colour. If you saw at an icy glacier floating on the Arctic Ocean, it was that gorgeous icy blue with darker wisps flecking it, like a dark ocean. His skin was just as gorgeous. It gave off a beautiful golden glow. And his arms, oh, his arms. They were sculpted perfectly- like a statue of a god –and rippled with muscles
"Hey Max." Lilly greeted with her usual cheery smile.
JayLynn froze as Max flashed a smile. He had a smile that was beautifully white, full of sarcasm.
"Hi Lilly, is JayLynn here?" He asked, peering around her.
JayLynn was confused. Why would Max Ingwaz, one of the most popular kids at South Beach Academy want to talk to her? "I'm here." She replied, sticking her hand out.
Max turned and stepped into the room, looking JayLynn in the eyes. He flashed her another smile and looked her over for a few seconds, examining her for a moment. "I heard what happened with your little sister. I just want to wish her the best of luck." He told her in a beautiful and almost poetic voice. He extended his arm and handed her the white rose.
The rose was simply beautiful, looking as if it was dusted with stardust. JayLynn looked up at Max. "Th-Thank you." She stumbled, feeling the rose's soft petals on her fingertips. "But how did you know about my sister?"
Max looked at her; his eyes seemed to be staring into her soul. Searching for something. A voice whispered in her head. "I saw your brother on his way out." He murmured before smiling, waving to herself and Lilly and disappearing out the door.
Lilly closed the door and then turned to JayLynn. "Did that actually just happen?" Lilly asked, her voice high like it always was when she was excited. "Did Max Ingwaz come and give JayLynn McArthur a rose? I think so!" She exclaimed happily.
JayLynn smiled, still stroking the rose. "It happened alright." She never had paid attention to Max, ever. He was popular, she wasn't. Simple as that.
"I'll get a vase for that beautiful rose." Lilly volunteered, venturing to the cabinets.
Mind racing, JayLynn stared at the rose. "How did he know about my sister?" She asked, her eyes trained on the rose.
"Didn't he say he ran into your brother on his way out?" Lilly asked, her voice muffled by the closet.
JayLynn thought for a while. Wait a second. She thought. "Jacob obviously drove here." She began. "The parking lot is down there," She explained, pointing towards the beach. "and the boy's wing is down there." She motioned in the opposite direction. "There's no possible way that Max could've heard it from Jacob.
Lilly turned to JayLynn with a pair of socks in her hand. "Forget about it." She insisted, throwing the socks at her.
The socks hit JayLynn in the face and fell to the floor.
Finally, Lilly turned around holding a crystal vase and poured a water bottle into it. She handed JayLynn the vase and put the rose in. "Beautiful. Magnifique. Perfect." Lilly mused, admiring the white and almost shining rose. She handed the vase to JayLynn and looked at the clock. "We'd better get to the bathroom and brush our teeth before it's curfew. It's nearly 10:30."
Nodding to Lilly, JayLynn placed the vase on her bedside table, grabbed her toothbrush and toothpaste and headed out to the bathroom with Lilly.
Minutes later, the door was flung open and JayLynn and Lilly walked back into the dorm room.
The room was dark, with the sun fully set, only a shimmer of the half moon was shining into the room, coating it in an almost eerie glow.
"Jay, turn the lights on, I can't see a foot in front of me!" Lilly insisted.
JayLynn flicked the lights on and gave Lilly a sarcastic look. "Yes, sir" She joked.
Lilly smiled warmly at her and pulled her sweaty tracksuit off and replaced it with yellow pajama bottoms and a pink tank.
Doing the same, JayLynn changed from her lulu shorts and pink tank into her favorite blue plaid boxers and a white t-shirt.
Lilly smiled at her jumped on her own bed, pulling the covers up over her face. "Ah. So warm!" She exclaimed, her head covered by her fluffy green blanket.
JayLynn smiled absentmindedly. She couldn't stop thinking about how Max had found out about her sister. She flicked the lights off and sat on her bed, staring out the window. "G'night Lil." She called across the room.
"Good night." Lilly mumbled, half asleep. The blankets were drawn over hear head and she was buried in a mountain of stuffed animals.
Chuckling lightly, JayLynn slid under the covers and fixed her gaze on the rose. It seemed to give off almost a dim glow. She looked closer at it and noticed a small gold ring on one of the thorns that she hadn't noticed before. She pulled the ring off and examined it. She gasped. It's real gold! She thought, astonished. She slid it on her finger, and it fit perfectly. She sat up and looked at her side table where the rose was. There, on the table was a small white envelope with gold accenting the corners that definitely weren't there before. She flipped it over and saw in beautiful gold calligraphy her name.
JayLynn McArthur
She peeled the gold-trimmed flap back and pulled out a small white piece of paper, folded perfectly. Written inside was a note written in the most beautiful calligraphy. It read:
JayLynn,
I feel awful for the sickness of your sister and hope she gets well soon. I am sure she will get well. I can surely promise you that. You will be receiving a cell phone call at 10:37 p.m with valuable information. Please do as the caller says.
Sincerely Signed,
Max Ingwaz
JayLynn sighed. Her mind was fuzzy and she couldn't understand two parts of the message. How could Max surely promise that her sister would be all right? Also, why would he be calling her at 10:37 at night? Why so exact? She tossed a sideways glance at the clock. 10:36. He'll be calling soon. She thought.
Sure enough, a minute later, her phone rang out clear. She hurriedly grabbed her phone and answered the call.
"Hello?" She asked into the phone?
"JayLynn McArthur? It's me, Max. Max Ingwaz."
"Oh, Uhm. Hi." She replied in surprise. "So what did you need to tell me to do?"
There were a few moments of silence then Max spoke, "I need you to get Lilly and go with her to the girls lounge. I need to give you two something."
"WHAT?" JayLynn replied, a little too loud. "We could get caught!" She replied in a quieter tone.
"It's extremely important. Please." He begged.
JayLynn sighed, gripping the phone. "Fine. But if we get caught, we're bringing you down with us."
"Okay, but hurry." Max said before hanging up.
JayLynn closed her phone and pulled herself up and over to Lilly's bed. She shook her friend's shoulder.
Lilly stirred, turning to JayLynn. "What are you doing? It's almost 10:45!"
"Max called. He said there is something extremely urgent. Please!" JayLynn insisted, pulling the covers off Lilly's bed.
Lilly stood up and rubbed her eyes. "Well, we haven't done anything exciting lately, so fine, I'll go."
JayLynn smiled and pulled Lilly out of the room hurriedly.
In the lounge, darkness was everywhere. JayLynn was too afraid to turn the lights on incase it alerted the Dorm Advisors. She scanned the lounge, but Max was nowhere to be seen.
Maybe he's just walking here. She thought desperately to herself.
"Where is he?" Lilly whispered to JayLynn, clutching her arm as if when she let go, something horrible would happen.
"I don't know, but let's wait awhile." JayLynn suggested. "Maybe he got caught and had to make an excuse for why he was out past curfew."
"We should probably think of one two, you know. Just incase Mr. Sowilo comes. The principal wouldn't appreciate another of our 'expeditions'." Lilly added, her arm shaking.
JayLynn nodded, taking a few cautious steps forward towards the couch. Lilly followed without hesitation.
The room was eerily quiet until JayLynn felt a hand clasp her shoulder and a mysterious voice rumbled: "Well, well, well."