Lock and Key

With summer comes a lot of time freed up for the creative process. This is my first attempt at getting back into it.


Door1: Ignition

The earth was lit with a brilliant fire, a fire signaling it’s end. In the final inferno all was lost, not a trace of what once was remained, nothing but the ashes and the memories of a world gone by. For many years the land remained cold and dark, the skies blackened with soot and smoke, the atmosphere long since burned away. This interminable period held no life and no record, not a sign to signal it’s beginning and no herald of it’s end. This was the end of the world. There were those that tried to stop it, those that tried to escape it, but in the end none came to fruition. There were those that tried to accept it and live on as they could as well. This is the story of why the world hasn’t ended quite yet.

“Another day, another way.” An abnormally slender youth with unruly black hair sat in a swivel chair and stared closely at his fingers, between which he held a normal pencil with no point to speak of. For another few moments he stared, shifting the balance ever so slightly from time to time. Finally he attempted to twirl the pencil between his fingers and dropped it. It rolled at first quickly then slowing down before coming to a halt at the far wall. He turned to stare at it again, this time it wasn’t long before he moved. He simply left it there and left the room empty and devoid of life. The room stayed still for several moments before he came back to retrieve his pencil. Finally he left his home looking up at the night sky, tinged with a half light radiating from the eastern horizon.

“School time.” The further down the tree lined road he walked the more light streamed towards him and the faster he walked. Eventually he broke into a run as the sun itself seemed to peek over the horizon sending many shafts of light towards the calm quiet tree lined street. Soon he sat slumped against a brick wall near a locked entrance to the school. As the seconds grew into minutes others began to walk the streets towards, away from, or past the school. After several more minutes a man came and unlocked the door, but the black haired youth sat still. After nine people passed he looked up at the bright sky and stood up. He brushed himself off and entered. He promptly walked down the first hallway on the left and proceeded to the right till he reach a stairwell. He looked up several flights of stairs and paused before slowly ascending to the second floor. The hallways were still empty and the sunlight’s angle was still low. He walked down this hall and back towards the entrance. Finally he stationed himself above a window directly above the now open entrance. He stared out at the road and watched people walk through for several minutes.

With a sigh of what could have easily been any emotion he walked further down the hallway and entered a classroom nearly vacant save for three other students and a teacher. The three students were deeply engrossed in a conversation about some kind of inside matter and the teacher sat quietly reading through papers at her desk. The boy with black hair took his usual seat and slumped over with a small thud. No one made a motion in acknowledgment. After several more minutes the class room was filling up and after another few minutes the bell heralding the start of class rang out. The class slowly stopped chattering and began mumbling which in turn soon shrank into a few whispers here and there. The teacher spent the entire period lecturing on the subject of history. The black haired boy listened from his hunched over position and made no audible sounds. The period came and went without event and none of the students or the teacher could possibly have thought it would’ve done otherwise.

Several hours later it was everyone’s lunch hour, which lasted thirty three minutes. The slim youth, the one with black hair wandered about the grounds for some time before he felt a breeze coming from the north, which was odd because there hadn’t been any wind at all that warm late spring day. He stared off into the breeze for some moments and continued to stare north even after the breeze had subsided. He turned away and walked straight back towards the center of the campus and sped up when the breeze stared again. When the bell rang he broke into a run almost missing the flash of light reflecting off of a metal object in the grass. He slowed and stopped, looked back and reached out towards the area where he saw the flash of light. His slender spider like hand found a key that had been dropped or left in the grass. He quickly took it up and continued his interrupted run back to the school. The rest of the day should have gone by uneventfully, but the black haired boy wasn’t the one who was supposed to find the key in the sports field grass.

The one searching for the key looked over the small campus from a nearby hill. He held a book in his hand and wore a lock around his neck. He sighed in what could have easily been any emotion and walked down towards the school where the black haired boy was. The one seeking the key looked like he could have easily been a girl of his age and wore his hair in a way that accentuated his feminine facial features. He walked at a brisk pace and wore a look of deep thought on his girlish face. The boy with black hair decided to keep the key because it had a nice engraving on it and didn’t look like anything anyone in the suburb would own or miss if the did on the off chance own it. He fiddled with it for some time as he sat through his classes listening to lectures and didn’t take notes. Soon school was over and the students made to either leave or go to club activities.

The one who was searching for the key watched each of the students leave from the main entrance and waited until there were no longer any people to see him snooping about the school. The black haired boy lingered at school walking the halls and still fiddling with the key. He looked at a clock and decided to leave for home. On his way out he walked past the effeminate man looking for the very key he held in his hand. The key seeker stopped and turned to the black haired boy. Just as he was about to close the door behind him the one looking for the key took note of his key and asked him something.

“Hey, kid, have you seen a key like this one?” He held up a key that looked very similar to the one the black haired boy had found but had a different engraving. He smiled slightly and let the boy look at the key closely.

“No, not really.” The thin black haired boy took several seconds to answer and answered in the most literal sense possible, because he didn’t like the girlish man. Men that look like girls and wear strange clothes are not to be trusted. So he handed back the key and waited for a response.

“Well I’m looking for one, I dropped it somewhere around here.” The man took the bold faced lie with a smile and thought of a plan to get the key. The black haired boy would pay for lying to him.

“I hope you find it.” The black haired boy said as he closed the door and left the school.

“I think I already have.” The androgynous male smirked before he started laughing maniacally.

-

The slim body of the black haired body strolled neither awkwardly nor gracefully through the empty neighborhood streets in the low afternoon sun. He had started at a decent clip but had by then slowed to a leisurely pace. He still fiddled with the key every now and then staring up through the small street’s canopy of ornamental trees. He reached his house and turned down the driveway walked up to the door and entered. He looked over his school things ignoring homework and notes and dropped them off in a corner near the door. He ate dinner silently with his family and retired to his room after some time. He lay awake staring out of his window.

When sleep finally took him the key seeking man appeared at his front door. He looked at the house with for a few moments contemplating before he strolled around the side to the black haired boys room. The man carried the same book and wore the same lock as he had earlier. With a quick toss the book was in the second story room through the open window. It landed with a thud waking up the room’s sole occupant. He went to pick up the book and looked at the title, it was written in an odd handwritten script that resembled classical calligraphy, it read “Keys & Locks” and was subtitled “A Guide”. The black haired boy looked out of his window and his eyes fell upon the man he met earlier. He wore a grin and jerked his head towards the front of the house. Following out of curiosity the younger met the strange man in the front of the house.

“You have the key. I knew it but I let you keep it. You wanna know why?” The womanish man asked.

“It’s just a key. I have no idea what it’s for anyways.” The thin youth was still unsure as to what this man wanted but couldn’t simply ignore him. He had no idea why he let him keep the key and didn’t want to be bothered with thinking about it.

“Wrong. That thing is more than any ordinary key. It can unlock any door, but it may not lead you to where you expect it to. The key can take you anywhere and everywhere as long as you have a door to open.” The man spoke plainly and clearly understood that though his words were illogical he wanted to be believed in some capacity at face value.

“So, I don’t need it then.” The black haired boy made to return to the house and held out the key right in the effeminate mans face.

“I don’t think you really understand. Anywhere really does mean anywhere, even the other worlds. Escher is the world where the keys were made. It’s a place where pieces of other worlds all meld together into a great maze. It’s a truly wonderful place where everything and anything is possible.” He had gotten fairly excited by this point and was waving his hands about in wild gesticulations.

“Sounds great, but mazes really aren‘t my thing. Also, why do you want two keys? If one can take you anywhere then what’s the point of having more than one?” The suspicions only grew in the black haired boy as the effeminate man continued in his odd explanations. That’s when he stopped waving his arms about and his face got a murderous look to it.

“This.” In an instant the man took his own key and had it in the lock he wore around his neck. With a devious smirk and a chuckled from his now menacing face, his hand turned the key, as the lock clicked open and fell from its chain everything became temporarily distorted, the air, the trees, the ornamental plants, they all blurred and grew brighter for an instant. When everything returned to normal a slight misty haze remained and the man was holding in one hand a scythe with similar engravings on it as the key and lock. “How do you like it? If you can get the right lock and the right key combination it’ll turn into a special item like my Copper Scythe.”

“This is a dream.” The youth spoke in utter disbelief, he started to back up slowly as the menace on the other mans face grew even greater.

“No way, this ain’t no dream kid!” With a huge swing the scythe man cut down several ornamental plants and left a huge gash in the thick wooden door just above the black haired boy’s head.

“No…no way. No way!” He started running. He had no idea to where or what to do once there, but he had to be anywhere that wasn’t there, near the man with the scythe.

“Che-- running is useless kid.” The scythe man smiled and began his hunt for the key. “So long as you have that key, I’ll keep on chasing after you and even after that I’ll kill you. Isn‘t it wonderful?”

 

Intresting start, good story base, I have no complaints, hope you keep writing.! :D

oh and one sp mistake (yeah, i'm picky) 6th line from the bottom, 'where' should be 'wear'
SORRY ! XD

 

This is probably the final chapter of Project Chainsawman, Lock & Key. If anyone has an opinion it'd be greatly accepted, I'm placing this on display for all to criticize as they wish, so go wild.

Door 2: Chainsaw Man

“Gotta get away. Gotta keep moving. Can’t stop, never stop.” His breath was quick and his step quicker, he bounded through the empty streets without thought of a destination or a solution. The black haired boy glanced over his shoulder and saw nothing, he slowed to a stop and leaned against a tree breathing heavily. After a few moments he spoke to himself. “No one. No one can help with this. I can’t stay here and rest. I have to keep going forwards.”

“Nice philosophy, or is that your battle plan?” The soft voice of the scythe man echoed throughout the dark street.

“What?!” In an instant the black haired boy was up and looking around.

“Found ya. You suck at hiding, little prey. Maybe if you didn’t run in such a straight line I’d lose your trail for a bit, that’d be a few more minutes you’d get to live in fear.” The figure of the womanish man appeared from behind another ornamental tree with his last words.

“Hah, gotta run.” He dashed off again without looking back or changing direction.

“Running again? Not like you’re even that fast.” The scythe wielding man laughed to himself as he began to walk after his prey.

“Hide. The school.” He whispered to himself as the building rose out of the darkness.

“Where are you going now? Hm?” As his eyes spied their first meeting place, his lips twisted into a smile and eerie laughter issued from his mouth echoing and reechoing throughout the quiet neighborhood.

“A place to hide.” The black haired boy quickly unlocked the school doors with the key. He burst through the doors without event and continued his frantic dash down the hallway.

“The key let you open that door without moving you into Escher. This is definitely the key, without it I’ll just keep world hopping every time I need to unlock a door and I‘ll never be able to get into that place. Now I really want this key.” The effeminate man walked through the open doors several moments later and smiled.

“Here. I’ll hide in here.” The gym closet was dark and crammed full of equipment, but most of all there was almost no way to find anyone once far enough inside even in the day. The black haired boy positioned himself behind several carts and stacks of equipment and waited with bated breath.

Knock

“Where are you little rabbit?” The effeminate scythe wielder slowly walked through the hall after the echoes of footsteps and dirt ridden footprints knocking open every door along the way.

Knock

“Come on out so I can skin you alive and where it in front of you.” He looked into another room casually.

Knock

“Then I can cook you into a nice roast.” His head popped into another room.

Knock

“Or if your still alive I can boil you into a stew.” He had followed the footprints until they became too faded to see and still he continued down the straight hall knocking at every door and taking deliberate steps.

Knock

“Then I can feed you to the peasants in Escher.” He grinned into a History room.

Knock

“But you’re a bit thin for food aren’t you?” He stopped at a mirror and brushed his hair out of his face.

Knock

“Well people eat anything if they’re hungry enough.” He looked lazily into the next room before he rounded a corner.

Knock

“You can’t hide forever.” He came to a short hall lined with lockers and kept up his periodic knocks against them.

Clang

“You really will die either way it goes, I don’t care about public spectacles.” He said with a laugh. “I killed a man in front of a thousand witnesses, this tiny school is nothing.”

Clang

“I know you’re still in this building and if I find you I’m going to make sure you regret crossing me before you die in a pool of your own blood.” The next hallway was even shorter and only had one door.

Knock

“What’s this? I’ve found a gymnasium. Could it be that you’re in here?” He entered the empty room and started walking around the edges of the gym knocking on the walls with the same constant tempo as he had the doors.

Knock

“No, you’re either too smart for that or too scared for that, little rabbit. I think you’re hiding in a closet somewhere, I can see the door is unlocked on this one right here, are you in there?” He smiled before knocking open the door and looking at the disorganized closet.

Knock

“Yes.” He readied himself to swing at the first cart.

Clang

“Hiding behind some sporting goods are you? You saw what I did to you’re front door right? This is nothing you little rat.” He readied himself once more to cut the next cart apart.

“Dammit. I’m gonna die.” The black haired boy said to himself as his heart quickened and his eyes watered.

Clang

“I’m gonna kill you soon, think of happier times and how you could’ve just let me have my key.”

“You want your key so damn bad?” He stood up straight, still concealed by several stacks of sporting equipment and carts. He spoke his voice shaking in fear.

“So you finally speak up a bit. Yes I do but I also want to teach you a little something now.” The effeminate man snorted trying to hold in his laughter.

“Well, that’s too bad.” Suddenly the black haired boy rushed forwards knocking over all of the equipment and carts straight onto his pursuer. In the chaotic moments that followed he ran straight past the scythe man and out into the school’s field.

“Now I’m a bit mad, you little shit.” The womanish quality in the mans’ face was gone, he barely even looked human anymore, his eyes so menacing they almost glowed and his teeth seemed to grow with his anger. He soon gave chase catching up to his junior and readying a strike in a few swift moments.

“Hide.” The scythe man was at his heels and there was no escape in sight. “Gotta find somewhere.”

“You’re really starting to piss me off!” With that he took a huge lunging swing at the youth missing his head by only inches and driving the blade several feet into the ground. “Die! Die! Die!” He screamed as he tried to wrench his weapon from the ground.

“Not now. Can’t die here!” He stumbled into a door after the insane man‘s assault. It was the maintenance shed, the lock held the doors tightly shut but the key aided him once again and the shed was open in a second. Within there were a variety of gardening tools and other implements. The first thing that caught the black haired boys’ eye however was a chainsaw sitting at his feet. He lifted it’s heavy weight and turned to face the scythe wielding lunatic. “I hope this works.” He said to himself slipping the key into the chainsaws’ ignition and turning it. The machine roared into life and the scythe man stopped for a second before letting loose a beastly howl of rage.

“No way. You bastard! You ruined it! You ruined my key! I wasted all this time and you go and turn that key into a weapon type?!” He nearly had a fit with frenzied rage and with one pull ripped his blade out of the ground readying himself for battle.

“Weapon type?” For the first time since he picked it up the black haired boy looked at the chainsaw and saw it’s changes. It was covered in markings like the scythe but of a different design and color, they were more linear and geometrical and when he moved his arm the weight had suddenly gotten smaller. The black haired boy let a smile glance over his face. “Weapon type.”

“To hell with you!” The beast like man lunged forwards swinging wildly.

“No.” The black haired boy gripped his weapon and swung at the great scythe.

“Why don’t you just die?” He took the parry and changed his scythes rebound into another strike.

“You really wanna know?” The black haired boy said blocking for the second time.

“No! Stop talking, just stop breathing and die obediently!” Suddenly the black haired boy was lifted into the air by the force of the womanish man’s scythe.

“You can’t fucking well beat me like that!”

“Wha?” He tumbled over only barely avoiding cutting himself with his own weapon.

“That’s it you’re done.” The womanish man regained some composure as he went to finish his prey.

“How’s he doing this? He’s not that strong looking.” The black haired boy thought to himself as he rolled away from his attacker and assumed a fighting stance.

“You’re face says that you don’t understand. Well, I’ll tell you this much Copper Scythe isn’t any ordinary weapon, if it was then there would be no point being a lock user.” By this time the scythe wielder had caught up and was swinging again. The black haired boy parried and countered only to be stopped dead. Once more he was forced back as was he every subsequent time he attempted to attack.

“Damn, my strikes are no good against him.”

“This is really improving my mood. Even if I’ve lost my key I can still waste you and hang your body up for all to see, crucifix style. Ha!” The scythe man began laughing hysterically as he rushed forward in another tornado of fierce swings.

“Crazy bastard wants to kill me.” He said retreating back towards the school. Even his best efforts at attack failed so he tried to get to the doorway where the scythe wouldn’t be as useful for those heavy swings.

“I may be crazy but you’re dead meat!” At the threshold of the doorway the effeminate man made a downward swing at his target wild killing intent in his eyes.

“Just as planned.” The black haired boy said in his triumphant moment as he made to strike his opponent while the scythe was heading straight into a solid wall. Halfway through his strike the boy heard a crash above him and felt the long handle of the scythe beat down on his back.

“What was that plan of yours?” The effeminate man asked his downed opponent.

“Dammit.” He rolled backwards away from he scythes next strike which cut clear through the wooden floors.

“You’ll never figure me out kid, this scythe is unbeatable.” In the wild melee that ensued the black haired boy was forced back even more and he received many wounds from the scythes edge. The final blow was a long swing that placed the blade of the scythe behind it’s target.

“Behind me?!” He thought as he noticed the blade gleaming behind him in a patch of moonlight.

“Heads up.” He said pulling back his scythe forcing his prey to drop to the ground to evade.

“Close.” He sighed in temporary relief.

“This one’ll be even closer fool.” The womanish man said as he made another swing at the black haired boys head.

“Another long swing.” He thought as he leapt backwards to evade the blade. He instinctively took a swing at the exposed weapon as it passed his face.

“What?!” The moment the blades connected the scythe began to drop as if the weight had suddenly increased exponentially.

“It’s over!” The black haired boy said as he abandoned his saw and punched the effeminate man’s face as hard as he could. The man fell to the floor bleeding from his mouth and totally dazed.

“Bitch got me.” He said before passing out as the boy looked down at him. As he went unconscious his scythe reverted into a key and lock, the key was ejected from the lock immediately and everything was still for a moment.

“I’m safe. The sun’s rising. School time.” The black haired boy bent over and picked up the lock. “I guess you should have a way to go back home.” He said looking at his fallen enemy. “Ow, cuts hurt.” He said as he walked towards his discarded weapon. He picked it up and walked off the premises leaving a thin trail of blood.



“Where have you been?” The black haired boy looked up at his father as the older man spoke to him at the threshold of their home.

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you dad.” He said nonchalantly.

“Are you alright?” The older man asked calmly glancing at his sons appearance.

“Yeah just need to wash and bandage these.” The boy said motioning with his head to one of his cuts.

“You need any help?” The man looked at his son with a caring expression but extended no hand to support the wobbling boy.

“Nope, I’m fine.” He replied softly as he wobbled past his parent.

“Do you need to take today to rest?” They turned to face each other and stared for a moment. Soon their eyes broke contact and the boy walked off to the bathroom sighing.

“Yeah, I’m really tired.” His father never asked about the chainsaw he dragged behind him or the lock he held firmly in his grasp.

 

: D I love this 2 bits,.
The first one it starts off like the Scthe guy sounds smart then he sounds like a teen at the end. And the second one just makes me think that father isn't that great, my dad would never let me take a chainsaw into my room! XD
Awesome! ^^

Very intresting, and I love the Escher hint in there, superb.

One question, are you going to give these guys names?

 

I was going to when I continued it, but I'm not sure if I'm going to.

Okay, I guess the project isn't going to end with that.

Door 3: The New World

The next day the black haired boy awoke in the dark. He stared into the blank ceiling for several minutes before gingerly rolling off of his bed and testing his legs. He stood up with a distinct sore feeling in his body but the pain from his wounds was gone. He glanced over at a small digital clock signifying the time was eleven seconds after the hour of five in the morning. The black haired boy looked at his pencil lying on his desk and stood contemplating it for several moments.

Eventually he tore his gaze from the object and left his room. He silently walked through his house preparing himself to leave. Just before he left he passed the chainsaw he took from the school the other day and stopped mid-step. He turned and looked at it more carefully. After several seconds he picked it up slipped it into an elongated bag and slung it over one shoulder. He walked as he usually did to school, slowly at first but faster as the sun rose.

Around the time he would usually have been sitting at the front of the building he was on the field walking towards the maintenance shed. He slowly opened the shed doors which had miraculously remained unlocked as he had left them. He set the saw down where he had taken it from and left the premises. The rest of his school day played out like an ordinary one except for the fact that within his mind scenarios and vague ideas regarding the locks and keys he’d come in contact with so recently danced capriciously through its depths. At the end of the day he went straight home and in a change of pace completed his assigned work from school. He sat at his desk afterwards thinking about what the effeminate man had told him and how much of it to believe.

Eventually he was called down from his room for the evening meal. His family as always ate in silence and each acted as if he or she were eating alone. Just as the meal’s silence seemed interminable the black haired boy coughed softly. The other two occupants of the room looked at him and he shook his head a little bit, silence resumed and so the meal ended. The black haired boy returned to his quarters and decided that there wasn’t enough time to lie awake on this night. With nothing but a click of a light he was asleep awaiting a new day.

When it finally dawned the day was Saturday and the boy lay staring at the bright blocks that the sun’s light left on his ceiling. He sat up and yawned softly before standing up and once more looking at his pencil with no point. When he descended the stairs and passed the kitchen his father and sister were already eating and ignored his entry and exit. When he left the house the sun had been shining down on the street for nearly fifteen minutes. The black haired boy walked slowly back towards the school and watched his neighbors tending to their front yard business, like picking up mail and watering gardens and the occasional public shouting match.

When he reached the school, it was buzzing with activity, he knew for a fact that his school hosted far too many sporting events and other community activities for it’s own good. So he tread lightly and quickly as he passed the droves of excited people on his way to the shed. The boy reached to once again unlocked shed and removed the saw from it’s resting place before slinging it over his shoulder once more and returning home. In several minutes he stood in front of his home staring at the gash in the door that the man with the scythe had left. His hand dove into his pocket and he rummaged for several seconds before producing the key that had changed his way of living. He readjusted the strap on his bag and knocked on the door.

Before waiting for an answer that he knew would never come he said, “Goodbye, I’ll be back later. I have something I want to do now.” With that short parting shot he put the key into the lock and turned it producing a small click. He opened the door and found through it was not his home but an open field with arrows serving as grave markers for dead soldiers.

He took a deep breath and stepped through, but not before he heard a voice from his house say, “Goodbye Callum.” He smiled slightly and walked through the door into the new world and closed the door behind him locking it with soft click.

 

I feel I should bring it to the hypothetical readers attention that this series was originally an idea for a comic, but alas my lack of basic art skills has put quite a damper on that. Anyways, that's just a fun pre-production factoid.

Door 4: When are we getting home?


The next thing he knew Callum was in a torrid, windy plain and the air was filled with agonizing howls and the scent of blood. Callum wretched and nearly got sick all over the ground before getting his bearings. The first thing he noticed was that when he closed the door he saw a wall, tall as the sky and painted to match the battlefield. Callum turned to face the open plain before him and looked at all of the carnage before a setting sun. There were no large groups, the battle had progressed into small skirmishes and massacres scattered over the battlefield. Callum stared in both horror and amazement for some time, just watching every blade stroke and listening to every last pained scream unfold before him. It was then that he felt a blade on his neck. The cool steel wasn’t a new feeling but it made him jerk violently all the same. However, not so violently as when he turned enough to see the owner of the deadly arm.

“Don’t move.” The voice belonged to a dark haired girl, close to Callums’ own age and dressed in a school uniform. Her weapon was a hybrid pole sword which allowed her to stand quite a ways from her target. Callum obediently obeyed her command and stayed stalk still. She was joined by a small host of mismatched soldiers wearing what looked like salvaged armor and weapons. “You came through the door, right?”

“Yes.” Callum answered after he felt her blade become pressured against his neck. He swallowed slowly before saying anything more, waiting fearfully for an answer.

“Where from?” She demanded roughly not taking her blade even a millimeter away.

“The outside.” A hearing what the scythe man had said about the locks and keys, he could only assume that this was inside of Escher and his world was outside. Slowly the girl lowered her weapon and sighed, before announcing to her comrades that he was just a newbie. It felt bad being looked down on like this, but it probably saved his life at the time.

“So, where’s your key?” The girl asked brusquely leaning on the shaft of her pole arm.

“Here.” He said submissively once he had rifled through his pockets and lifted his key into full view.

“No lock. Eh? You really are new.” Callum considered telling her about the chainsaw but thought better of it almost instantly, she seemed belligerent and violent enough to take his key and kill him if it had an immediate use to her.
“No. I just wound up here by accident.” He lied, trying to find a way out of this inauspicious situation.

“Well, there’s no turning back from here kid.” It was mildly offensive to be called a kid by someone nearly six inches shorter than him but he remained tacit for the time. After several seconds of silence the girl seemed to lose interest in his company as she lifted her blade off the ground and slung it over her shoulder before walking off and motioning for everyone to follow. The motley gang of warriors that followed her made it clear this included Callum as well. “Well, looks like our employer fled the battlefield some time ago and this is gonna be nothing but a loss if we continue on, I say we pack up and retreat for now.”

“Yes, sir!” The crowd of men boomed in unison. Callum said nothing as he was shunted along as the soldiers prepared themselves to leave. The battles were now naught but far off clashes in the last remaining rays of light in the day. The mercenaries were more disciplined than they had first appeared and walked in step and even stayed in vague semblance of formation as the group skirted the wall on their way out of the sortie zone. Callum marched on alongside them into the night and a long ways further without trying to leave or ask any questions. It was clear that they wouldn’t tell anything to him or let him escape and it was also clear that there was no fighting his way out of this one. Some time after they had left the battlefield behind the mercenary group stopped on the hill they had been climbing at a single signal and spread out to make camp. Callum was one of the few who stayed within close proximity of the original stopping point. He loitered about watching everyone walk off or start putting up tents but this soon grew tiresome. As such the black haired youth thinking it lacking in expedience to talk to the girl accosted one of the less intimidating of the crew.

“So, if I may?” He asked motioning to a spot next to the man who was aligning rocks into a circle and digging a ways into the dirt, so as to make a fire pit, as he sat on a rock under a bare tree. The man grunted as if to acknowledge him and Callum happily took his place. “You’re all mercenaries, right?”

“Hm.” The man grunted again in the positive.

“She’s the leader?” Callum asked motioning vaguely to the girl as she poured over a map in the pale light of the full moon some ways down the hill.

“Yes.” The man said lifting his head from the fire pit and looking for errors in his handiwork. He wiped his hands on his trousers and turned to Callum with an analytical eye. The black haired boy stared right back unfalteringly and waited for the man to turn his head back to the pit.

“So, why’d she want to know about me?” Callum asked finally.

“It’s a war you’ve found yourself in and it’s not uncommon for covert operations to go on carried out by those of any description. Our employer, the king of the defending army, has given us the job of acting to counter such operations.” The man sighed before answering and began touching up the fire pit as he spoke.

“I see. So what now?” Callum asked the question he’d been long itching to know the answer to. However the answer was not what he’d expected, not in the slightest.

“I don’t know, we follow the leader and everything turns out fine. She must have a reason for bringing you along too.” The man said simply without any kind of curiosity or uncertainty.

“Thanks for the help, is there anything I should be doing about now?” Callum sat there dumbfounded for a moment before answering.

“No, you’re not a prisoner, but it’s unclear as to what she’s got in store for you.” The man said once again in that unwavering way he had before.

“I see” Callum said resignedly, as he stood and brushed himself off. He left the man to do his work and approached the leader of the patchwork militia. She had put the map aside and now watched the movements of the stars with almost totally engrossed interest. Callum was unsure if his presence was known to her until she told him to sit down and wait. Several moments passed before she snapped her fingers grinned and turned to him.

“So what were you going to say?” She asked unexpectedly congenially.

“I may be a bit out of line in saying this but I’d like to now how you got here.” Callum was unsure as to how a girl like her had become the leader of this rough looking group in so short a time, the uniform she wore was obviously from no more than a year previously and there was barely any wear showing on it.

“I got here about six months ago.” She began without delay. “It was an accident like you said your coming here was. I found a key and got it mixed up with my house key. I originally was in a world not that different from Earth, but it was strange and I wanted to go back home, so when I tried to go back through the door that had already shut I ended up here. The old leader took me under his wing and taught me how to fight and take care of myself. When he was killed he left me two things, the lock I use now and the role of leader among these guys. That was three months ago. Times have been good recently but I still miss home and want to go back soon. It’s just hard to say it to them so I’m waiting until there’s a way directly back home.” She had gotten a bit somber by the end of his story but it didn’t change the fact that she was a threat as long as she had any misgivings about him, Callum thought.

“I’m sorry about that.” Callum decided it was in his best interest to come clean about his earlier statements lest she find out through his horrible acting and slit his stomach open on the spot. It was still a risk but a calculated one. The majority of the group was a small distance off and he had both his key and weapon at hand so he could probably run if necessary. “I wasn’t exactly honest before. I mean to say I didn’t come here by accident.” She looked at him suspiciously and seemed far more alerted to his movements than a moment earlier. “I found out about keys about three days ago when a man who had a scythe came after me because I found a key. He told me all about Escher and the keys. I decided to come here to see it for myself, it seems really stupid in retrospect but that’s how I ended up in this place.”

“How’d you escape him?” She asked scrutinizing his every inflection.

“I fought him, I also lied about having a lock.” She stiffened for a second before Callum waved his hands in front of his body innocently. “It’s not mine, I took his after I managed to stop him from killing me. It doesn’t work with my key.” The girl sighed in relief and the tension faded, only to be stirred up again by Callums’ next statement. “However, I do have a weapon still, it’s in this bag, he said pulling the chainsaw off his back and resting it in front of her. The girl unzipped the container and her expression changed to one of shock when she saw the contents.

“What’s this?” She asked sharply.

“My weapon, I somehow modified it when I used the key in it.” Callum said simply.

“I see.” She sighed once more and as a sign of trust handed back his bag. The two stared at each other for several seconds before Callum took the conversation to be over and stood to leave. “I appreciate that you at least told the truth now.”

“It was for my own benefit, remember that.” Callum said before he could actually think about what it was he was saying. He walked back up the hill to meet with a roaring fire, the smell of food and many tired fighters lounging all over the grassy slope. He took his own place slightly displaced from the group and let himself nod off with the decision that he wouldn’t worry until the morning came. For he was at least used to having problems in the day, having troubles at night was a disturbing new phenomenon for the black haired youth. However, the morning wasn’t when he’d have to start worrying about his problems again.

 

i like your style of writting

cant wait for more.

or any other of your works, i couldnt stop reading, the story was good!!, as i read it, i forgot about everything else, and could concentrate on it perfectly , because it wasnt hard to follow.

 

I appreciate the comments and am surprised at the warm reception. I hope to continue making this story up to par so your reading experience will be as painless as possible.

Another note I should make is when I had this originally drafted there was a conversation that explained how everyone spoke the same language regardless of background. However since it didn't fit anywhere in this or the last chapter I left it out. So just so you know, everyone speaks Escher language and knows it as a side effect of being there. Thanks, I know something like this would bother me if not explained.


Door 5: Exciting Nights

Sometime, around half past two in the morning a dark figure, garbed in loose dark clothes and identity concealed with a mask wrapped about it’s head, entered the camp. The fire had long since gone cold, and the men had fallen into a deep exhausted slumber not long after it. Not a single thing was disturbed by the figure that walked in the total darkness as if it were as natural as in daylight. It examined the sleeping crowd of mercenary men and came down upon the group like a malicious venom.

Silently and quickly, they slit the throats of every mercenary grouped together on the slope. When the assassin made to leave it heard a rustle in the grass behind it before clashing arms with the leader of the group, fiery anger in her eyes. The assassin held a short curved sword with no hilt guard and held it backhanded. The two glared at each other for several moments before breaking apart and evaluating the enemy. The assassin, grinned from beneath it’s mask as it suddenly disappeared in a puff of dark heavy vapor.

Then came the silence, the mercenary strained her eyes and whetted her ears searching for the assassins presence. Suddenly, she heard a blade singing as it traveled through the air and only reacted just quickly enough to evade suffering the same fate as her platoon. The two faced down once more, but the impasse was broken by the mercenary as she made a lightning fast strike at her opponent who once more disappeared leaving nothing but strands of dark vapor. The battle went on clash after clash with no victor in sight, or at least so it seemed to the sole viewer of this conflict.

Callum had been jolted awake at the first clash but made no motion to interfere as he watched the battle unfold before him. After some time both involved parties came to accept the even match and brought the action to a halt. Callum remained nothing but observant and tensed for action as he watched the two fighters stand only just one move away from each other.

“Who sent you?” The mercenary spoke first, and in a harsh, rough tone. She hadn’t looked at all of the corpses of her followers but their inaction was enough to tell her not a single one was left alive. This knowledge was enough to turn her blade on the culprit, in spite of having no knowledge of their battle skills. It was clear she would fight on for her vengeance regardless.

“Your employer.” The assassin replied phlegmatically after a second of forethought. Through the cloth mask their voice betrayed no gender or age.

“Bastard, I thought he’d turn on us after what happened today, but I never expected him to have someone this good.” The girl sighed and shook her head. Then she glanced over at Callum who didn’t even attempt to hide that he was awake. She nodded before refocusing on the assassin. “Why tell me?”

“You’re as good as dead as it is, no point depriving you of this much.” The assassin answered coolly as it inched it’s foot forwards. This slight move didn’t escape notice and the mercenary took a step back in response. The range clearly favored the girl with the pole arm but the strange ability displayed by the assassin may have as good as voided this advantage. Soon after the silence fell once more the two rushed at each other flat out both going for an instant kill.

The long range of the pole arm was first to reach but it was kept at bay by the short blade of the assassin, but not before it tore off the mask revealing a young feminine face. This mattered not to either as they pressed on in a murderous charge. However there was still one thing neither of the two had counted on Callum rushed in between them at the last moment before they would have collided, he himself wasn’t sure why. However, the fact remained that he did and he barred the path for both of them.

“Sorry.” Was the first thing that he said to the mercenary and the assassin. It could have been for interrupting their fight, it could have been for interrupting the mercenary’s revenge, it could have been for interrupting the killers’ job, but for whatever it was he still apologized. “For some reason my body moved on it’s own.” Callum said almost chuckling even through the pain of holding back the assassins blade with his bare hand and the exertion of staying the mercenary’s blade with his saw.

“I guess there’s no harm in leaving things as they are.” The assassin said before wrenching her blade from Callums’ hand and vanishing into the night. Callum dropped the arm the was supporting his own weapon and fell to the ground shaking. He hadn’t ever intended on entering the fray no had he intended on helping the assassin escape, but he did and the mercenary stood over him with a furious aura raging about her.

“Why’d you stop me?” She asked incredibly calmly given her situation, but not so calmly as to mask the anger she was holding back.

“I don’t know. I just moved without thinking.” Callum admitted guilt in his voice.

“You didn’t think. Because you didn’t think she got away.” The mercenary spat, angrily before turning away and looking at her fallen comrades.

“Like I said, I’m sorry.” Callum reiterated before struggling back to his feet and walking away from the girl.

“Never let me see your face again.” She said, trying to keep back her angry tears and remain threatening. “Remember that Hiko Kanna is after your life starting today.”

“I will.” Callum sighed as he answered and hung his head. He continued his trek away from the hill and towards the first rays of sunlight peeking over the horizon. He didn’t stop walking for a long time, but when he’d gotten a considerable distance away he stretched his arms up and yawned. “I really have to stop having such exciting nights.” With that final musing he smelled the smoky eastward winds and continued his walk into the sunrise.

 

I enjoy that even though this story doesn't have that many hits or comments, you've stuck it out and continue to update your story.

Having said that, you have a wonderfully creative story here, and my only gripe is that there needs to be breaks in the paragraphs and between dialogue, that way you can free it up and make it look less blocky, that might help bring about more readers.

Keep it up Trogdor.

 

Thanks, I considered spacing it as you suggested earlier but thought it would be a bit awkward. But it does seem like a good idea looking at it now.

 

This is really a starting point for the rest of the story.

Door 6: Noir

The black haired boy walked eastwards for hours, without stopping or diverting his course for anything more than a brief drink from a canteen he‘d gotten from the mercenaries the day before. By mid morning however Callum had taken to stopping under the sparse foliage and resting there for progressively longer periods of time as his water supply shrank. Eventually he came to a complete stop on the savanna like plain and slumped over under a not only spindly but barren tree. The heat only served to intensify the scent of yesterdays rotting flesh, already baking under the sun and swarming with delightedly feasting insects.

Callum wiped his forehead frequently and was more than tempted to drink his own sweat, until a taste f it discouraged the idea. The minutes under the tree felt like hours, and the very seconds dragged their feet in passing. After a heavy sigh and a considerable struggle against gravity the black haired boy was on his way again, this time heading in the vague direction of what could very easily have been either a forest or a bog, the heat didn‘t do any favors in clearing this up. Callum contented himself with the idea that at least if it was in fact a bog he could jump in and have his body preserved for some years post mortem. However, he never got a chance to do so for as it turns out what he saw was in fact a forested area, and where there is plant life water cannot be far away.

This may have seemed like a beacon of hope to begin with but it soon became a bane in itself. For one thing there were many roots sticking up out of the ground, each prompting Callum to trip and fall in a more painful way than the last. One of the arguably more prominent problems, was his consistent lack of knowledge as to his location. Though not the worst of his troubles it caused him what he believed to be more than his share of difficulties in his traversal of the wood. The worst of his troubles however was less of a trouble, more of a disappointment. After what must have been a couple of hours of walking, tripping, falling and repeating, Callum came within view of a stream, a clear, rushing, shimmering stream. When Callum lunged thirstily at the body of water he was met by not refreshing water, but a solid wall of indefinite construct painted just like the last he’d encountered to match the environment exactly.

After several minutes of gratuitous cursing Callum came to himself and tried to find a door along this section of wall. The search at first seemed futile, but he pressed on, however when several minutes of skirting the wall yielded no results that feeling of futility began to stick. However, when Callum had already given up, he realized he had nothing better to do and continued on regardless of his lack of confidence. This ended up being a fortunate decision when mere seconds after he’d decided to go on he found a door. It was a wooden door painted black, with a matte finish. Other than this, it had no other features separating it from any other door he had come into contact with thus far. After, fumbling for his key and fitting it into the lock, Callum turned the key unlocking the door with a satisfying click he never got from a normal key. Behind the door was such a starkly different world that Callum jerked back in surprise, a habit he never entirely got rid of.

The world matched it’s door very well, it was dark, slick, and had an unsavory look about it. However, the darkened alleyway had the promise of civilization and more importantly readily available food. So without a second thought, Callum bounded through the door into the dark city street. Upon closer inspection the place, more specifically, resembled a caricature of a grungy early twentieth century city underworld, the main difference lay within the strange arrangement of people walking the streets. Some looked like they were out of a horror film, others resembled fantasy characters, but the one thing all of the strangest people had in common was a lock worn proudly around their neck or at another readily visible location. Callum readjusted his bag and set off down the streets. The dark streets reflected the neon lights in pools of oily water as if it had just rained and dark clouds loomed over head, but it was soon clear from the general attire of most passersby that it was either always like that or no one cared about getting rained on, at that point either could have been a plausible guess.

Callum glanced over the storefronts looking for an eatery until at last he came upon a small diner with few customers. Callum took his place at the counter and ordered some food and drink. It was only just his luck that his pocket money was also accepted at the odd establishment. Soon after he received his meal, Callum felt the odd sensation that one gets from being obviously watched. He tried to ignore it until he heard a familiar voice greet him.

“How’s it been kid?†It was none other than the effeminate scythe wielder himself leaning on Callum’s shoulder before taking the seat next to him. “It was a really mean thing for you to take my lock like that kid.â€

“What do you want?†The black haired youth retorted, he hadn’t forgotten their last meeting as the scythe man pretended he had.

“Well, I was just hanging around and saw my old prey. I rarely get that chance seeing as they’re all in the ground save for you.†The man stated with a fulsome grin.

“I’m glad I could improve your day, now shove off.†Callum said brusquely as he tried to end the mans involvement in his life as soon as possible.

“Kid, you won’t get ten more feet in this city with your knowledge base.†The man chuckled leaning his back against the counter, much to the displeasure of the proprietor who made a face, but much to Callum’s disappointment didn’t say a thing.

“I’m fairly sure you’re not the helpful type.†The black haired boy replied.

“Ah, but that’s where your entirely wrong about me, I like helping people, as long as there is something in it for me.†The man chirped cheerily.

“If it helps I threw out that lock of yours.†Callum said gripping it even tighter in his pocket and eyeing the man with heavy suspicion.

“I never entertained the idea of revenge. After all, if anything, our last encounter was something of a discouraging factor.†The man explained letting his airs drop along with the pitch of his voice.

“Get to your point or I might kill you now.†Callum replied mechanically as he made a motion as if he was reaching for his saw.

“Little rabbit’s gotten a pair of fangs it seems. Well, like you said, I did hope to have my lock restored but if you are no longer in possession of it that seems to be a bust.†The man said, seeing straight through the lie but playing along anyways.

“Then we have no business with each other.†Callum said, before returning to his meal.

“I find things to be to the contrary. Though you no longer have any object I want, you can be of some use to me, and I to you.†Callum remained incommunicative for some time before nodding the womanish man to continue. “You have more fighting power than me, it’s clear. I have more knowledge than you, also clear. What say you to you traveling with me and me helping you find your way around until I can lay my hands on a suitable lock?â€

“I refuse, I really don’t need anything from you.†Callum finished his food and looked directly at the scythe man before answering.

“Fine then, I’ll let sleeping dogs lie, but if you ever reconsider, I’ll be waiting right here.†He said motioning to the seat he was in with a sarcastic expression painted across his mocking face. Callum pushed the man over a little in his chair before leaving his own and making for the front door. Halfway there he ran straight into a man dressed in a long brown coat, a wide brimmed western hat and a bandanna around his neck, in fact he looked remarkably similar to a western movie actor in full costume.

“Sorry.†Callum apologized automatically without looking up at the man.

“It’s fine.†The man replied straightening out his jacket and smiled warmly. The man continued on to take a seat next to the scythe man. The maniacal glint in the mans womanish eyes escaped notice, but they were a mere sign of things to come. Callum continued on to the door where he paused for a moment before pulling it open. Just when he was out of the door Callum heard the man in the brown coat again. “Hey, kid.†He stopped dead and turned to face the speaker.

“Yes?†Callum answered tensed and ready to strike out. For some reason he was especially agitated after his meeting with the effeminate man.

“I heard an interesting story about you just now. How ‘bout we have a fight?†The man said, with a bold swaggering tone.

“You’re not taking no for an answer?†Callum confirmed, less as a question than a statement. Callum let the door swing closed as he reentered the diner and prepared for a fight.

“That’s correct.†The western man said as he lifted the brim of his hat and chuckled. Seeing the black haired boys hand move to draw a weapon the brown coated man raised his hands in front of himself defensively. “Not here man. It should be a real mans fight, a right and proper duel, not some worthless barroom brawl, you know?â€

“Fine.†Callum accepted the challenge in spite of his suspicion, annoyance and incredible urge to take the mans head off then and there. The western man stood up, brushed himself off for no apparent reason and strode over the Callum smiling all the while. With a jerk of his head he and Callum left with the effeminate man trailing them at just out of striking distance. Shortly after the three of them left, another patron of the store stood up and paid their check before following the group out the door.

--

Okay, another explanation I left out for flow purposes is the world naming and division system. Walls, can appear anywhere, it's not like a box, it defies logic because it can be there from one angle and not from another, it's implied by the name Escher but not explicitly stated. World names are reflective of where they came from, and have names to set them apart from the overall conglomeration Escher. The battlefield world which I left unnamed is called Ares for those who would like to know. This isn't necessary stuff but I hate leaving things like this unexplained.

 

Okay, this is the part of the story I had the most trouble writing in general. It's very visually geared and I'm not the best with imagery. I wonder how I'll get through some of the later parts of the story...

Door 7: Duel with Madness

The three walked past darkened storefronts, poorly lit streets and alleys for some time under the lead of the western man. Eventually they came to a warehouse district with the quintessential empty look. That’s when the brown coated man stopped and turned to the others trailing behind him. He looked over Callum in the dim light and smirked.

“Okay, kid. I’ll need a bit of time to warm up so why don’t you go and do the same, I want a really good fight, okay?” The man said with a kind of good natured cheer that usually would be associated with total naivety or stupidity.

“Fine.” Callum agreed with a stilted jerk of his head which could only have been a stiff attempt at a nod. The black haired boy removed his weapon from it’s case and put his key in the ignition, he stared at it’s now permanently transmogrified state for a brief moment before closing his eyes and turning the key. The engine hummed into life and the saw’s markings lit up before softening to a steady, faint glow. Callum had never practiced fighting before and had gone entirely on whatever popped into his head at the time, but this was different because his opponent was fighting him seriously, with every bit of his attention on the fight. All the youth could think to do was stretch out a little and take a few practice swings. The saw though light in comparison to a standard model was far from nimble. He glanced over at the scythe man who was watching the two from atop a crate smiling evilly. The brown coated man was jerking his hands about awkwardly and hopping up and down every so often, he didn‘t look at either of the other two and focused entirely on readying himself for battle. Callum could only guess that he was a lock user as well. As such the next thing the boy looked at was a set of possible escape routes.

“Okay, I’m ready. And you?” The man said tugging a bit at his bandanna and shifting his feet about of the streets. He was very lighthearted about the situation and that only served to increase the stress on his counterpart.

“Shiny.” Callum answered sarcastically. He raised his saw over his head ready to swing down only to see the brown coated western man chuckling.

“Now that is one odd weapon. I heard you had a unique one but seeing it for myself just makes me want it all the more.” The effeminate man was the first to smile this time, the murderous mania hadn’t left his eyes and his bloodthirsty expression was enough to betray his thoughts.

“Huh?” Callum stuttered dumbly, letting his weapon fall from the readied pose.

“Oh yeah, I’ve yet to introduce myself. I’m Daniels the lock hunter.” He said with his usual tone but his meaning had a little more edge to it when he removed his bandanna to reveal three locks around his neck. “I’ve won these in fights with wagers. I hope you’ll being willing to do the same.”

“Fine.” Callum agreed grudgingly, even more worried and scared than before. If this man was strong enough to win two locks he was definitely beyond Callum’s level. The two squared off in front of the lone viewer and readied for battle. The brown coated man, Daniels, whipped two keys out of an inside pocket and unlocked the outside two locks leaving the middle alone. Each opening that Callum had seen had it’s own kind of style, this mans didn’t alter the atmosphere but there was a shimmering metallic light as the locks fell away leaving two revolvers in the mans hands as if they’d only just been drawn from their holsters.

“You, girly man, give the start signal.” The westerner stood sideways with one gun ahead the other behind. His face changed since he drew out his weapons, it had gone from cheerful and bright to almost menacing and deadly focused.

“Alright, begin!” Callum moved first. He made a rush forwards with his saw directly ahead of him. His intent was to strike first and get off as painlessly as possible or die instantly if he couldn‘t, but he slid sideways mid step only just avoiding a bullet that would have easily torn straight through his head. When he regained his balance his nearly got sick with the realization that he was closer to death just standing there than he ever had been before.

“Come on, get serious. It’d be a shame for you to die so early.” Daniels taunted without taking a step back even with the saw close enough to rip him in two with a single move. Callum stood up and shook his head trying to focus, the westerner patiently waited.

“Okay, here it is, the real start.” Callum said with much more confidence than he felt. He once more lifted his saw for a long downward strike and rushed, sideways this time. When the brown coated man saw this he grinned and started firing. Much to his own amazement Callum could track the paths of the bullets as the were fired. He couldn’t follow the speed but somehow he figured out where each one was going based on the angle of the barrel. Using this knowledge he was able to evade getting anything more than gashes where he was too slow to dodge entirely.

“Excellent. You can read the guns. I mean, I’d expect that of you if you beat the Life Thief over there but this is still pretty damned exciting.” Daniels said not dropping his guard once. Callum stared perplexedly at him but chose not to strike up a conversation in the middle of a fight when he’d just gotten a rhythm down.

“That was ten shots.” The black haired boy thought to himself. “He hasn’t reloaded so he has two more shots left. If I can stay within these ten feet where we’ve fought I can cut him while he’s unable to fire.” Callum smiled back at the man before doing another diagonal rush at his opponent. First came a shot from the left tearing at the skin of his right arm and then there was the final shot, directly at his face, it left a burning cut from his cheek to his ear but the western man was wide open. Callum made his final swing only to feel a bullet tear through his upper leg. He cried out in pain as he fell to the ground cradling his injured leg.

“Not bad kid. But you forgot that all locks have special abilities.” The man said lifting his hat with the barrel of his gun. “These two are an identical set, each has the ability to turn my will to fight into a bullet, so my ammunition is limitless. I’ll be taking that--what?” Callum took off running as fast as his pained leg would carry him with the chainsaw in hand trailing blood behind him. The bullet hadn’t hit a bone and had gone just through the muscle leaving a clean wound on entry and another on exit. The brown coated man walked after the limping target only just fast enough to keep him within sight. After what seemed to be an eternity of running Callum had left the warehouses behind in favor of a dark, scrubby, uneven lawn, it‘s plant life stunted and wretched looking from it’s proximity to urban development. This new venue only served to aggravate the pain in his leg. With a quick look behind him Callum saw Daniels in the distance. He was walking slowly but deliberately and the scythe man was not far behind him. Callum reached into his bag and grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around his leg as best as he could. By the time he’d finished the brown coated man was almost caught up with him.

“Dammit. What am I going to do?” Callum wracked his brains for an answer and came up empty. As the distance between him and Daniels grew smaller his anxiety increased exponentially. Callum broke down and stopped thinking about everything and just let his body take over. He ran forwards clumsily and was just as bad with his strikes, Daniels easily avoided the huge swings and countered with his own weapons, each shot leaving more blood on the ground and a deeper cut in his enemy.

“This is pointless. Just give up.” Daniels finally sighed. He lowered his guns and looked at the pitiable youth bleeding before him.

“Like hell I would.” Callum spat before running once more. He wasn’t afraid of dying so much anymore, a different feeling had taken it’s place, an entirely new feeling that he had no understanding of, but it made him want to win, it made him want to keep fighting regardless of what reason dictated. After only a few moments of crippled running Callum came to an out of place stone wall and slumped over against it trailing blood all over it’s surface.

Moments later Daniels came to the wall and looked at the unconscious figure before him. He sighed and holstered his weapons extending a hand to retrieve his winnings, however his hand was stopped, he felt a crushing grip on his forearm coming from none other than the black haired boy. He still looked unconscious but his hand moved anyways refusing to let go. After several seconds of struggling Daniels was free and Callum had opened his eyes. They were bloodshot and had an even more intensely murderous glare than the scythe man at his worst. The boy stood slowly, wobbling and wavering from blood loss and exhaustion. Slowly a manic smile creased the boys face, his teeth bared like an animals and his expression, insane. Daniels didn’t know what to make of the situation but drew one revolver ready to fire. Suddenly Callum swung his chainsaw wildly at Daniels, the form was still sloppy but he did it faster than he’d done before he was injured.

“What the hell is up with him.” Daniels thought to himself. It was all he could do before Callum dashed at him with almost blinding speed. Daniels tried to fire at the crazed attacker only to see not only a bullet but his gun’s barrel shorn apart along with part of the revolving chamber. He instantly dropped to avoid the next strike and dashed backwards drawing his other gun. The boy followed him with almost impossible tenacity and continued to made wild slashed at Daniels. The most disconcerting part of this wasn’t the sheer difference in power but the maniacal cackling that had begun when he first saw the bloodshot eyes and the horrid smile.

The effeminate man was watching from a safe distance in pure amazement. He couldn’t have possibly imagined that this would happen, whatever this was that was happening. Daniels managed to remain uninjured through the heavy onslaught but was incapable of finding a target in the wild mess. The two broke for a moment each breathing hard, but one not so hard as the other. Daniels was still at an advantage at this range and he intended on keeping the range in his own favor. He started his counterattack with a storm of shots at the legs, all of which missed when Callum leapt into the air waving his chainsaw about like a psychopath.

The brown coated man followed the targets position in the air but was unable to land a single bullet dead on with the saw blocking most of the youth’s slender body as he held it before his own body. Daniels evaded the downwards swing and took aim at Callum’s head but couldn’t keep up with the fast movement of his opponent who had already started a sideways swing at his own head. Daniels was forced to duck as fast as he could, only to leave his hand up just high enough to have his other gun ripped apart at the barrel. He swore loudly as he unlocked his final lock revealing a large survival knife in just enough time to knock away an attack to his face. The two broke apart again. Callum’s slouched form was shaking with laughter by now and Daniels was trembling with fear.

“This guy is impossible.” Daniels thought as he raised his knife before him in a defensive posture. “I need a way out.” The boy dashed forwards again with his final swing readied his expression twisted and deranged. Daniels sighed and stood firm, even knowing he’d never be able to block or dodge at that point. Upon impact Daniels knife shattered but the chainsaw stopped mid swing, or rather it was forced to stop by a long curved blade. The effeminate man was holding his scythe with a grin as he held back the saw. Suddenly the saw blade stopped and the blood seemed to drain out of Callum’s eyes, the bestial smile faded and the insanity withdrew as he passed out falling to the ground heavily. Daniels sighed again, this time with relief and wiped his brow.

“How’d you get that?” He said looking at the scythe held in the other mans hands.

“He dropped it when he dashed at you the third time. I wanted to leave but I thought if I didn’t stop his frenzy he’d never calm down and come after me once you were dead.” The womanish an said calculatingly as he looked down at Callum’s prone form. “Lucky for you and me if you stop his momentum the insanity stops as well.”

“So what should we do with him?” Daniels asked straightening himself up and returning his weapons to their lock forms and stowing away his keys.

“I dunno. He’s dangerous-- I can’t believe he actually beat you. He never showed this kinda power before.” The man said looking distastefully at Callum’s battered, bloody body.

“I think I know a way to find the answer.” Daniels replied picking up the youth and placing his weapon back in it’s bag and taking the key into his own pocket.

“Really? Now I’m curious.” The effeminate man said with an air of put on enthusiasm, but his eyes betrayed his interest in the situation.

“Well, it’s in the central Enigma.” Daniels said as if the very thought of it exhausted him. He slung Callum over his should like a sack and looked to his womanish counterpart. “So, it’s nearly impossible to get there without an unformatted key.”

“Hm. The central Enigma you say? Be that the case, I know I guy, who knows a guy that can get you all the way to the lateral Enigma for sure.” The scythe man said sealing away his weapon finally.

“So you’re coming too?” Daniels asked.

“Oh, don’t be so ridiculous, why wouldn’t I come? That is my best friend your holding over there.” The scythe man scoffed sardonically.

“Whatever, just point the way.” Daniels replied in a tired deadpan. The other man started walking back towards the city with a minute spring in his step and a calculating smile plastered all over his face.

Not so far behind the group the shadow of their pursuer flickering in the semi darkness, watching.


---


Okay, well I hope this was not an utter failure. From here I can go one of two ways, I have to think about it so I probably won't update for some time. I don't think I left out anything, thank the gods. Well hope you didn't hate it.

 

Okay. That's it.


Door 8: Calm Desolation

The next day Callum awoke alone in a small post apocalyptic styled apartment complex filled with squatters and vagrants on every floor. His wounds had been cleaned and treated, but he’d hardly the presence of mind to notice such things. He blinked several times before trying to sit up and finding a heavy throbbing in his head whenever he made so much as an inch of progress upwards. He soon gave up and lay flat staring at the cracked dingy ceiling waiting for something to happen. In the time between when he realized he couldn’t move and the time when he could, Callum thought. He tried to do so at the very least, he tried to think about what had happened the day before when he’d passed out against the stone wall. No matter how hard he tried to remember the only thing he could remember was the dream that had just ended upon his awakening. The dream was very chaotic and left it’s only traces of memory with vague feelings and notions that couldn’t be explained or interpreted.

He sighed heavily in disappointment, he’d hit a dead end that mo amount of thinking would help to clear. With that final thought he resumed staring blankly at the ceiling with nothing but a vague curiosity in his mind. Soon there was a creak of a door opening and two pairs of footsteps, one heavy with hard clicking boots, the other light and soft as one with cloth shoes. There were no voices to accompany these steps, leaving not the faintest clue as to who either could be. Callum strained against pain to turn his head enough to see the owners of the footsteps only to realize how little pain tolerance he really had. The heavier footsteps grew closer and closer until Callum could see Daniels out of the corner of his eye.

“Hey, kid.” Daniels yawned and leaned over looking Callum straight in the eye. “We’re leaving, can you move yet?”

“No.” Callum admitted sheepishly. Then he realized something was off, it eluded him for an instant but he suddenly shouted in utter confusion and surprise. “What the hell are you doing here?!”

“I’m telling you we have to go.” Daniels replied bluntly. “The reason you’re here on the other hand is a bit of a story in itself.” The tall brown coated man laughed and straightened up. Callum struggled to move once more but realized the pain wasn’t just in his head, in fact it seemed to have infected every muscle and joint in his slender body. Daniels ignored the pained grimace and the shouts of protest as he picked up Callum and walked out the door trailed by the effeminate man, who kept the same emotionless face the entire time. Callum gave up the fight quickly realizing he had no chance of being put down or told anything for some time. Down at what could only be described as ground zero Daniels exited the dilapidated apartment complex and walked out into the decimated remains of a city.

The mismatched trio continued their trek down the road. It was empty save for debris and the odd automobile carcass. Eventually they reached a train station which had the look of a place that had been in disuse for years, maybe even a decade or so. Daniels moved about as if he knew the place better than the back of his hand and eventually led the group to a virtually empty café. The furniture and accessories could only be described as beat up as they were mismatched or in a kinder way: eclectic. The sole inhabitants of the place was it’s proprietor and a man working at a table with one leg missing, replaced by a stack of phonebooks years out of date, engrossed in whatever it was he was doing. Callum was roughly plopped down into a spindly legged chair and the effeminate man took a seat across from him while Daniels walked up to the proprietor and stuck up a conversation. It was nearly impossible to hear the two, so Callum gave up on eavesdropping. The womanish man slipped off a familiar bag and placed it leaning against the table’s central leg.

“Look where we are now.” The womanish man said allowing his mouth to contort itself into a smile. He was obviously more than a little bit pleased with the turn of events. “Questions, comments, concerns of dire importance?”

“Yeah, why are you here?” Callum said narrowing his eyes and pursing his lips, though it was impossible to tell if this was intended to be humorous or a serious display of dislike.

“You nearly killed Daniels yesterday, in case you haven’t remembered that.”
“I did what exactly?”

“The big oaf was right, you were totally unconscious at the time. I thought you may have snapped, but I guess I lose that bet.”

“What did I do?” Callum asked slower and more tensely this time.

“To be blunt, you went totally mad, like straightjacket and a lifetime rent free stay at the happy farm mad. After that the fight went really interestingly. Daniels was down for the count and you were ready to disembowel the man.”

“I--” The man chuckled and put his feet up on the dirty old table leaning back his chair precariously.

“Kid, just came to me that we haven’t been introduced properly.” The man continued with his twisted gleeful smile. “I’m known as the Life Thief by those in the biz and Church Sharpe by those out of it. And you?” He said cocking an eyebrow mockingly.

“Callum Byron.” The black haired boy answered tersely. He stared at Church’s womanish face irritated for some time. He was about to ask him something when Daniels returned with a few slips of dirty paper held proudly between his fingers.

“Hey, good news kiddies. I’ve got us a ticket straight from here to the Gate.” He said holding out the ratty sheets.

“Good news at last, I was just catching up our friend Callum.” Church replied putting special emphasis on his last two words.

“N--” Callum began to speak but thought better of it after an instant.

“Well, Callum, I’m John Daniels I believe we‘ve met.” The man said congenially and stuck out a hand as if to initiate a handshake without realizing Callum couldn’t turn his head much less move an arm. He slowly withdrew his hand when it was greeted with a dirty look from the black haired boy. “Well, we’ll have to do something about you since we can’t carry you around everywhere.

“First.” Callum interjected sharply. “I’d like to know what’s going on if that’s really not too much trouble.” His voice sardonic, and his expression threatening. Daniels stared amusedly for a moment before proceeding.

“Well, you heard about the fight yesterday I assume?” Daniels asked sitting himself down adjacent to his companions.

“Yes.”

“Well, we’re all interested in this phenomenon, your display of whatever that was. I happen to know someone who may have a little light to shed on the eerie ass situation.” Daniels continued. He withdrew a flask from a coat pocket and swirled around the contents making an irritation sloshing noise.

“Where?” Callum asked as Daniels continued to fiddle with his flask. He opened it and sniffed the contents before taking a small sip and retuning it to his pocket.

“The Central Enigma, or the core of Escher one of the most sought after locations for some odd reason. It follows the same rules as here only more so if you get that. It’s basically where the worlds that are most jumbled and illogical are all clumped together, like out here but more so. It’s nearly impossible to cross worlds and know where you’re going without a blank key. The doors have specific destinations if you use a blank key but a coded key will affect each door differently and randomized where it leads to. I hear yours used to be a blank one but the past is well over. So, we’re now on our way to the Gate, a place where you can for sure get into the Central Enigma.

“That’s where the Lateral Enigma comes in. It’s the area buffering the core from the rest of the world, it’s like the eye of a storm, all the rules there are different, no one really gets them but that‘s where the Gate is, so it’s also been dubbed the graveyard. Is that clear enough for you, mister Callum?” Daniels yawned and stood without waiting for an answer. He peered around the café and walked back over to the proprietor. They began talking and only seconds later Daniels returned to the group. Then as if he’d never left he continued his train of thought. “So?”

“Perfectly.” Callum answered. Daniels handed him one o the ratty sheets of paper and the other to Church who’d been sitting in silence for some time now.

“Alright then, once we get you back on your feet, literally, we can start going.” Daniels said cheerily.

“When do you think I’ll be able to walk?” Callum asked as he sat slumped backwards on his chair with his head lolled off to one side almost humorously. Daniels brushed off his coat as he was wont to do before answering.

“I dunno, hopefully before tomorrow morning.” He shrugged and yawned again before leaning back in his chair and pulling his hat over his face.

“Why?” Callum asked quizzically. Daniels pushed his hat up enough to look at the black haired boy.

“’Cause it’s volcano day.” Daniels said simply before lowering his hat over his eyes again and going incommunicative as a block of wood.


--


Sorta short connecting chapter right here. If there are any questions comments or concerns I'll address them as they come to me.

 

This really can't be considered a chapter in this probably long drawn out saga, but I feel like a lighthearted extra would fit in smartly with the rest. Also, for future reference, I'll probably have several more canonical extras when I'm having trouble progressing with the overarching story, I'll name them after their corresponding chapters.

Extra Door 8: Medicines & Card Games

Callum contemplated the last words Daniels spoke for some time back at the apartment complex as he sat slumped over the side of a chair against a wall watching Daniels and Church playing some odd kind of card game that inevitably ended with one party getting struck about the head every few minutes. Callum couldn’t tell if that was the penalty for losing or cheating, it happened frequently and regularly enough to be anyone’s guess. The up side of the little riddle he’d been left was that Callum at least had something he could do while his body was still lying limp as a puppet with no strings attached.

Time wasn’t easy to determine, it may as well have been midday with heavy cloud cover all the time with the post apocalyptic staple grey debris and dust filled skies lying invariably slate grey and monolithic like a huge mountain over the ruined city. Callum didn’t get a chance to see this with his back to the only wall with a window and the debilitated state he was in. Had he been able to he would’ve had many more things to think about than a volcano day, but with things as they were that seemed to be a moot point.

Daniels had just been struck especially severely when he yawned, as he’d been proven prone to doing, and set his cards down on the table before leaving the room with his characteristic brushing off of his coat despite the fact that it almost always remained quite immaculate, even in the given situation, a fact that Callum had once considered a freak of nature. Church contented himself with a silent game of solitaire punctuated with occasional clicks of his lock and key tapping together when he seemed to be thinking deeply about his next move. Callum took the silence to mean that the others were either always this stoic or keeping something else from him. Either one could’ve been just as likely given their backgrounds as Callum took them to be.

“Church.†Callum called breaking the silence with an inquisitive tone.

“Yes?†He responded, almost relieved sounding.

“Daniels said every lock weapon had a special ability. What’s yours?†Callum said this in a very blunt childish manner but could think of no better way to convey his thoughts.

“Copper Scythe, hm, you know what? I thought you knew.†Church mused more to himself than Callum.

“Really?†Callum replied surprised to say the least. Church continued his game against cards as he began to speak.

“Yeah, it’s power is situational force distribution manipulation to give it a name. For the layman, the scythe can alter how it’s weight or any oncoming force is distributed depending on the situation. I’m not a strong guy so I can barely swing the scythe properly under normal circumstances, but when the force exerted on it by gravity is focused to my hands and has no weight hanging off away from my body it’s quite easy. But it has another handy feature, when a certain amount of force is exerted on it it’ll do the opposite and distribute all the force evenly about the scythe. This is perfect for defense because a hit usually doesn’t have much force behind it, it’s generally only a threat because of it’s focus. The common pointed pencil head versus palm of hand example comes to mind no? Even if the same force is exerted the pointed object will transfer it to one spot, thus having more of an effect on a smaller area. The Copper Scythe makes the “pencil†into the “palmâ€, no matter how focused the attacks force is if it’s distributed over a large area it’s dissipated and it‘s effect diminished. So even a weaker guy like me can stop a good hit. Long explanation for a rather simple thing right?†Church chuckled. He leaned back in his chair and started reshuffling his beat up pack of cards.

“I see.†Callum said, less out of need to communicate than need to say something, anything.

“Well, I’d like very much to see what your saw does, nothing comes to mind when I go over your fights. I think it’s a very interesting thing, your weapon.†Church placed the cards on the table and sighed softly. Even with all he said it was plain to see that he was still hiding something at this point in time. Callum didn’t pry any further when the older male started to set the cards up for another solitary game. However, he couldn’t help but think about the topic. If they were to be traveling in close quarters for any length of time it would be easiest on his mind to know as much about his accompaniment as possible. With that final though Daniels returned to the room holding in his hand a small vial of putrid green liquid and wearing on his face a triumphant smile.

“Hey kid, I brought you something.†He said thrusting the vile liquid before Callum’s face.

“What is it?†Callum grimaced at not only the more detailed sight of the object but of the new smell that accompanied it.

“It’s what the freelance doctor at the end of the hall told me to give you, I think his name was Max--†Daniels said thoughtfully engrossed in his own words. He was brought back to reality with a start when Callum loudly interrupted him.

“I don’t care what his damned name was, that shit looks toxic!†He said doing his best to cringe, and not unsurprisingly failing.

“Yeah, you’re right, but I think it’s best to follow doctors orders drink up there little buddy.†Daniels shrugged and poured the substance down Callum’s throat and waited for a reaction. The boy went silent for several moments. After that came the retching, then the convulsions, then the second silence and last came the round of gratuitous and probably justified swearing. In spite of his obvious distaste for the medicine Callum noticed almost immediately that he could move the pinky on his right hand perfectly well. The effects didn’t seem to go much further than that unfortunately enough. Daniels had taken a few steps back during the first phase of the medicines effects and stayed there waiting for some other horribly offensive reaction. However Callum lifted his head, of his own volition, and lay it back against the wall before passing out. Daniels sighed and sat down at the table when Church played silently against the deck of lifeless cards. Daniels took his flask from within his coat and took a long swig before returning it to his pocket and leaving the room again. Church sat alone in his quest to beat that simple deck of cards well into what must’ve been night by that point.

 

Short break got longer when I realized how little I actually thought about this next part. Do your normal thing, read if you want ignore if you want, whatever, peace.

Door 9: Runaway Train


The sun was getting ready to rise behind the dark grey curtain of dust and smog lying over the ruined city when Callum woke with a start. He jerked up, usually such a thing would be reason for irritation, this case however allowed his the small pleasure he got out of his restored movement. The room was empty, not even Church was there, the others must’ve been in some of the other rooms. Callum stood, wobbling at first but gaining balance and strength quickly. He lifted his bag out of the corner and slung it back across his back before looking around the small apartment. The first adjoining room was in the care of Daniels who sat with his head slumped over on an old wooden desk. He quickly rose when the room was disturbed however. He seemed a bit disoriented at first but soon calmed himself and greeted his younger companion.

“Callum, what’re you doing awake, we don’t have to go for another--†He stooped over and lifted a pocket watch off the ground and eyed it for several seconds still blinking away his grogginess. “--ten minutes ‘til we have to leave.â€

“Sorry.†Callum said automatically dropping his gaze slightly.

“No need, just get Church up, we should get ready early.†He murmured before tipping his hat up and making his way towards the door. He slipped past Callum and back into the main room where he met Church, standing there as if he’d been ready to go for hours. Callum edged his head out of the door after Daniels but didn’t follow, he just watched the two for a moment.

“Let’s move.†Church smiled. The three were on the street walking towards the train terminal once more. Callum followed the other two silently, he had questions, but none of them seemed so important that he couldn’t wait until after “volcano dayâ€. Soon after their arrival a train pulled up to the station, it was impossible to say the least. The tracks were destroyed outside of the station on both ends and the city as Callum had noticed was without power for much of the day, not to mention the fact that it seemed to be in perfect working order, unlike anything in the rest of the city. It was simply impossible for the train to be running on this line. However run it did and board it they did. On the train’s lone passenger car there were only a few other passengers, the term hobo came to mind.

Daniels walked straight past them to the heavy oak double doors at the front and slip the three slips of grimy paper in between the floor and the doors. The door opened promptly and revealed a Victorian era sitting room. Daniels sped through the doors and into the room Church sighed before dragging his feet across the threshold, Callum cocked and eyebrow but followed suit all the same. Upon entering the room his nose was assaulted with the scent of tea, pastries, and affluence, or maybe it was just clean. After reeling in shock for a few seconds, he noticed Daniels talking to an old man in a suit with a cartoon classic monocle and a young woman wearing a an absurd dress. He did a lot of smiling and laughing while in their presence but returned with the expression of a relieved man.

“Okay, Church.†Daniels seemed to have started with a pause inserted to perfectly match up with a sigh of disdain uttered from the effeminate man’s mouth. “Mister Brooke and his daughter want to talk to you, I knew I couldn’t be your spokesman.†Church made it no secret that this turn of events was nothing if not to his chagrin and grimaced until his face was within the view of their hosts. He spoke in a rather soft voice but was assaulted by a loud round of friendly greetings and lots of touching. After several moments of this Callum observed a conversation begin, again Church’s voice made it hard to hear what he said and eavesdropping on the loud half of a conversation is usually misleading and annoying. Callum sat in a spindly chair next to a coffee table and Daniels followed suit after the traditional brushing off of his jacket. A butler appeared out of what could only have been thin air and handed each of the two a dainty cup of tea, with that he disappeared without a word.

Callum looked at it incredulously before downing the cup in a single gulp and regretting it instantly, it was hot and awful tasting. Daniels, seeing his comrade’s expression withdrew a flask Callum had never seen and began to drink it’s contents. Callum sat silently across from the clearly unconcerned Daniels with a scowl crossing his face, half out of contempt for the carefree attitude of his senior and half because he could still taste the tea on his injured tongue. They spent several more minutes in silence, waiting for good news. However news never came, Church just stood across the room talking with the cheery pair until it seemed that it would never end. However it did come to an abrupt halt when the room lurched several feet forwards throwing everything and everyone into disarray. Everything was still afterwards even the disgruntled passengers of the room remained silent, some straining their ears for a sign of the cause, other simply too bewildered to do anything. The first to speak was Daniels, he stood up and brushed off his coat before proceeding to check on everyone else’s situation.

“Looks like the train stopped.†Church straightened himself and made his own cursory evaluation of the situation.

“Smart man.†He replied sarcastically. “Maybe we’ve reached the end of the line too.†Callum took the opportunity to look around outside the door and was horrified at what he saw as he hung out of the room and looked both in front of and behind the train. There were no other cars anymore, and what’s more the tracks were laid out on a small isthmus connecting a great mountainous island to a great black void.

“Actually it rather looks like we have.†He said without taking his eyes off the eerie sight. Daniels rushed over to see as well and Church merely cocked an eyebrow. The Brookes remained huddled in a corner with their butler attempting to no avail to calm them. When Daniels reached the open door he leaned dangerously far out of it examining the place they found themselves in.

“Well, I’ll be, now that is one strange thing. Hey Church you said this thing went inside the Walls so it could go anywhere, but something seems to have gone a hair outta place, mind shedding a mite bit of light on this situation?†Daniels hopped down onto the track and looked at the train clicking his tongue all the while.

“It’s probably nothing big, there isn’t even supposed to be anything inside the walls, the train builds the track as it goes and it just leaves the other cars at their stops, it‘s natural and even common for a few technical hiccups, a few more minutes and it should be functional again.†Church said taking a seat next to a bookcase and choosing the thickest codex he could reach buried his face deep within it’s pages.

“Well, the guy said that this is the way to get to the Lateral Enigma.†Callum conceded leaning back into the car. Daniels lingered for several seconds more and finally reentered the car with a defeated sigh. He’d almost been hoping for some action after the boring ride. No sooner had the door closed than the train started moving again. It was only then that the Brooke pair came to themselves and began twittering away again. This time Callum decided to take advantage of it though, not knowing what the others did didn‘t sit well with him.

“This train is yours?†He asked as he approached the pair with a deceptively bright smile. His social skills were dull but his acting skills were less so.

“Oh yes my lad. I was born here in Escher and I wanted more than anything to be able to travel where you want to go without a blank key, so I developed this lock tool based on a Rossetti original lock designed as a mode of transportation, my version is called Warp Tunnel. It’s the only lock I’ve ever made but it’s enough to turn anything into a train that’ll travel through the Walls, I just happened to be testing it in this very room when it tore through a Wall into another world, now I’m on my way back home to see my dearest wife and son, however it’s still a bit hard to navigate some areas so I’ve been traveling like this for nearly a year now.†The man let forth that great flood of words without either pause or consideration, he was the kind of man Daniels would be if stricken with senility early.

“I see.†Callum replied lacking a proper response. The man was very jovial and gregarious in his speech and opened up very easily even to strangers. However his daughter remained completely silent. Had she always been so silent? Callum wondered whether the chatter he‘d heard earlier was just the old man. He put it out of his mind, sighed and spoke once more. “How d’you know Church?â€

“I only just met him.†He said plainly and honestly. “through a friend of mine, his name is Sir Addison. He worked as a knight up until ten years ago when his kingdom fell and he was forced to take up work as a mercenary. I haven’t heard anything from him for several months though. Separation and things of that ilk come with the territory I suppose.â€

“I see. I‘ll tell him you send your greetings if I see him.†Callum replied as politely as he could, the irritation was getting to him, but he was composed for the moment.

“That would be nice of you.†The man said with equal politeness.

“Not really.†Callum mumbled almost realizing the end of the conversation was long off yet.

“You’re a nice boy, you should never lose that.†The man said placing an avuncular hand on Callum’s shoulder prompting both a suppressed cringe and an incredible urge to end the conversation.

“I’ll keep that in mind.†He did his best to keep up the act to the best of his abilities but ended up letting the words come with a dull scripted sound.

“I don’t think I’ve gotten your name.†He asked curiously, but still not unkindly.

“Callum. I’m going home too, maybe not quite so directly as you though.†The black haired boy replied with robotic dullness and precision.

“I wish you well on that.†The man said ignoring the delivery and taking it as a conversational point.

“Same to you.†Callum said as one would insult another. With conversation died there. Callum stood silently next to the sitting couple for some time before returning to the doors and pushing away a light curtain revealing a small vertical pane of glass on one side of the doorway. He stared out into the vast space closing in upon the small track behind them the further they went. The train kept on barreling down the tracks into the seemingly infinite darkness for an interminable period. Daniels had long since retaken his seat and made no motion to indicate any interest in his surroundings. Church remained hidden away from his hosts and showed no signs of letting that change if he could help it. Callum sighed and resigned himself to boredom.

Just as it seemed that the train was getting nowhere on it’s way to no place, Callum was forced out of his calm daze. The girl wearing the absurd dress had tapped him lightly on his left shoulder causing him to jerk back almost knocking her over. He quickly apologized but it was clear is was perfunctory and he really had no concern for her and the scripted quality his apology evoke made it seem that he couldn’t be concerned with anything further than his own condition. That often seemed fairly distant and alien to him as well though. After that he made no effort to converse for some moments and was about to turn back to the window when she spoke, the previously dumb girl suddenly had something to say, to the lethargic black haired boy none the less.

“I--†She took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. “I’d like to know more about you, Callum.â€

“Really?†He replied dryly. “You want to know about me?â€

“Yes.†She answered, more confident but just as ridiculous as ever before, how could she expect to be taken seriously while wearing that horrid thing?

“Shoot.†Callum replied leaning himself comfortably against the wall, almost sleepily. The thought of more conversation was in no way appealing to him but the prospect of hearing what she had to say interested him still.

“My father may trust everyone that walks in here, but there’s definitely something wrong with Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Daniels.†She was straightforward and blunt, but not stupid sounding, at least not so much as he’d imagined.

“Am I really that unthreatening?†Callum asked, half jokingly and half innocently.

“You seem different from their type. So will you tell me?†She asked, direct and clear.

“I’ll tell you how I met each of them, I won’t tell you what I think of them though.†The girl simply glared and grit her teeth in agitation. Callum took no notice of this and simply continued on as he’d been going. “Well, I met Church at my school back in the regular world, he wanted this key--†He lifted it from his pocket and allowed her to examine it briefly before returning to it‘s place. “--He even fought me for it. Nearly died. Daniels, met him in a diner after bumping into him on my way out. He challenged me to a fight to get this.†He motioned to his bag but didn’t make a move to reveal the contents. “I don’t remember exactly how it ended but the fact remains that it’s why the three of us are here. That‘s all I have to tell you for now.†He left the topic open enough to exchange more information on the off chance she might be able to provide some.

“Thank you.†She said insincerely. “From what you tell me both are nothing but trouble.â€

“Am I any less?†He asked, feigning extreme curiosity.

“No, but you don’t lie and look down on us the same way.†She replied.

“Damn my honestly, I’d rather not be considered your ally, if things get bad I’ve got no plan to do anything for anyone.†He started sarcastic but degenerated into ill mannered bluntness by the end of his sentence.

âine.†She said tartly.

“Glad I could be of help.†Callum said before she turned and left with a sour expression on her face. Then he proceeded to contemplate what had just transpired. “Now I remember why I never talk to people, I can’t come off as anything but an ass when people want help. Whatever, it‘s not like it concerns me so much.†He turned back to the window and gazed out of it with a glazed over expression. The car remained silent and undisturbed throughout the rest of it’s run.

 

I've been going a bit on the short side recently because chapters are pretty much broken up into scenes. I'd also like to point out that I have barely gotten anywhere with this this summer, I feel stupid, but hey, I got this much and that's not bad for me.
I haven't been getting comments so I'm wondering if anyone reads anymore... I guess I'll just keep going to chronicle my work. Well enjoy if you actually care.

Door 10: A Welcome to Hell

Hours passed slowly but not to the point where they dragged. From time to time Callum would fiddle with the key in his pocket or look over his shoulder to find the car exactly as it had been the last time he’d looked. Even through the long wait not a word was spoken, the chattering had ceased long ago and there was a quiet resting over the room, punctuated only by the turn of a page or the exhale of a breath. The peace was a welcome change for the three travelers, and it was certainly not unwelcome to the other passengers of the train.

In the well furnished sitting room that defied the laws of physics by simply existing the environment seemed to change over time, one moment you’d be sitting next to a bookshelf and the next you’d notice it had upped and shifted across the room of it‘s own accord and decided to rearrange all the books on it‘s shelves and trade several with the next book case over. Then there was the butler. He could seem to appear and disappear at will and, with an eerie silence accompanying all of his actions, brought all manners of food and drink out of what was possibly an adjoining room, not that anyone could be sure. There was but the one door and no sign of any kind of kitchen or logical source of these sporadically available edibles in the train.

The deep darkness outside the train didn’t look like much more than a dark wall, it had no depth nor did it have any variation or distinguishing characteristics to tell one part from another, and yet Callum still looked at it exactingly as the hours passed by. The nearly imperceptible rumble of the wheels on the track and the slight vibrations of movement were somewhat calming to the boy as he let himself slide slowly into a dreamlike state as he watched the great blackness pass by.

He was rudely awakened from this pseudo slumber when the train come to a stop once again. This time it was his, theirs. He slowly let the awakening begin and the sleepy halcyon fade. On the other side of the car Church was the quickest one to the door, leaving no time for conversation or diversions. He stood at the door fidgeting as Daniels lifted his hat from over his face and lazily lumbered over to the exit as one with a much heavier build would. Church made to grasp the handle and free himself of what could have only been a great torment to him when Daniels looked back and made a slight bow to the Brookes and the butler.

“Well, you gentlepeople have been fine hosts and conductors for us, I hope we can meet again some time. Let’s not wait until the end of the world to get back together though.†Daniels yawned and then opened the door revealing a large misty plain of slate-like, scrubby ground that terminated in craggy cliffs far in the distance.

“Thanks for the ride, be sure to get home alright.†Callum said as he exited the car after the ever so tacit Church. The three itinerant comrades could only watch in amazement as the train seemed to phase itself straight through another of the strange walls, leaving no signs that it had ever existed in that realm.

“We can all thank god, heaven, providence, and fortune that this experience has come to an end.†Church spat acidly. He turned himself squarely around and began walking towards the foreboding cliffs. After a brief paused his inhaled deeply. “Well, let’s welcome ourselves, to the greatest graveyard in Escher. We are now in the Lateral Enigma.â€

“Alright then, what now?†Callum asked bluntly.

“Daniels?†Church inquired with a hint of skepticism gliding through his voice.

“We make our way to the Wall.†He pointed to the cliffs. Through the others hadn’t taken notice the craggy cliffs in the distance were crowned with a great stonework wall that reached up through the mist and into the sky without any end in sight. “On the northernmost side there’s a door that will, no matter what, lead into the Central Enigma.â€

“That’s it?†Callum questioned, he was bewildered at the simplicity of the task given the horror stories he’d heard.

“The Lateral Enigma surrounds all of the Central and extends over a thousand miles in every direction. If I’m not wrong, we’re on the south side and those cliffs are over a hundred miles away.†Church said grimly.

“True, we’re far off but, this time of year, if we move quickly we’ll get to the town of None in less than a day. From there we may be able to get a better view of where we are and how to move accordingly.†Daniels stated very definitively.

“You’ve been here only once you said?†Church asked quietly.

“Yes, for about a half a year, I wandered around here, nearly died every time I went out but I got a map of the place in my mind and the experience of the few people who are forced to live in this little outpost of humanity.†Daniels replied soberly, his usual demeanor had been shattered when he entered this new world, it was clear that this place held no fond memories for him. “We’d better get going. Church, Callum, in this place Locks are just like ordinary weapons to these people, and what’s more they’re pretty much all have a higher standard of strength than on the outside, so remember that you can’t cause any trouble here, got it?â€

“Naturally.†Church said almost immediately.

“Yeah.†Callum replied tensely. He felt as if he’d only gotten himself into an even worse situation for something he barely even cared to know, it was a frightening feeling. However, the little part of him that was curious about that lost day and the end of the fight with Daniels was enough for him to nod and slog onwards. And so the three far from intrepid travelers moved onwards through the mist towards what looked at the time like it could have an almost perfect column of heavy stone far to the east. Soon enough though they were able to see it for what it truly was. It was a marker that signaled the beginning of their journey through hell.

 

your story.....it never dissapoints

the character development.....is great, and perfect for each character

the storytelling is superb....i actually enjoy reading this , because its original,even though i have nothing against fanfics, they just end up the same.

you can totally tell the difference from most stories posted on KHV....because your stiyle of storytelling rivals those of most of today's writters.

i want to see more of your work......

just curious...erm, can i have a siggy with a link to your story.....that way more people will know, though, ive told some people, i think that would help.


btw.......i need a writters advice.....can i send you a PM...so you can help me out?

 

I didn't do much editing this time around so be aware of the increase in errors. I'm going off on a bit of a digression-- or tangent if you like that better-- in this section in all honesty, but it's kinda pointed in it's own way, it also gives me a bit of time to think about the future of this story. It's probably going to end prematurely but that's not how I'd like it to go, well I'm rambling so I'd better stop.

Door 11: Road to Ruin

“What is that stench?†Callum retched and covered his face in his shirt leaving his only his squinted eyes visible through the heavy mist. Church wrinkled his nose and wore a distasteful expression of knowing something but not wanting to talk about it for it turned the stomach.

“It’s None.†Daniels replied somberly. He’d long ago pulled his bandanna about his face and pulled down his hat to protect his eyes from the occasional dusty breeze. “It’s called None, because that’s it’s working population, no one goes there who isn’t about to die. What you’re smelling is the towns only landmark.†He paused as the mist became thin enough and the distance small enough to see the dark column for what it truly was.

It was many hundreds of feet wide and it burned louder than the screams that issued from it, drowning them out before they could reach any onlooker. Not more than a thousand feet before the three stood a monolithic pyre on which the population of a small city could‘ve easily burned and still had room for more. The stone column was the column of black and grey smoke that issued from the fire that never seemed to falter. It was a grave marker for those that the place killed, a burning symbol of the enigma that was Escher’s core. “See it? The Gate of Hell it‘s called.†Callum got sick all over the ground in front of him, the stench overpowering by now, and the sight even more grisly. But with horrified fascination he returned his eyes to the bizarre wonder as he stood hunched over, so small in comparison.

“I thought you said this place was a town Daniels.†Church said sharply.

“None is on the other side of here, it’s always upwind of the fire.†Daniels said hoarsely the heat drying his throat and the pyre searing his eyes.

“Let’s go then.†Church replied softly. With that final word they fell silent and followed the brown coated figure as it trudged on with a defeated look across it’s shoulders. Callum trailed behind and thought to himself about the world he’d just entered. Even the world of war hadn’t brought on this much death and misery, this place was really Hell.

What could only have been called that night by their own reckoning the three journeying men sat in a rundown old restaurant at the front of an inn in similar condition eating in silence. There were no other people there besides the bartender and the cook. They kept to themselves and held forlorn looks on their faces. Church kept his eyes ever shifting from person to person never stopping for longer than enough to discount a threat. Daniels sagged in his chair as if he was wearied from age and pain. Callum simply let his eyes find the greatest interest one could find in a mound of some unidentifiable manner of food. His thoughts had become disjointed and his vision phased out of focus against his will, soon he stood up and relocated himself to a surprisingly comfortable bed in one of the inn’s three rooms. There he simply lay awake as he was wont to and allowed sleep to come and go as it pleased.

-

The next day Callum rose to the sounds of his two companions bickering, it was a welcome change from the day before, anything was a welcome change from that though. He dragged himself sleepily after the voices out into the restaurant where he saw the two shoving each other and making a scene, well they would be anywhere else, it was almost entirely ignored by the three would be spectators.

“We’re going north right? Then why in fuck’s name do we have to go all the way to nowhere land?†Church raged as he gripped Daniels collar and looked up at him through angrily squinted eyes, his breath harsh though his grit teeth.

“I have my reasons. It may be a bit out of our way--†Daniels said brushing away the smaller mans hands and attempting to turn away.

“It’s fifty fucking miles Daniels. On foot.†Church countered replacing his hand on the larger man’s shoulder and turning his face to his own.

“I’ll go myself if you two don’t want to follow.†Daniels insisted defiantly without moving an inch.

“Don’t fuck with me. I’m serious, we’re here because of a common interest not your own pleasure trip. I’m sure Callum would agree and I don’t see why you’re acting too damned blind to see it yourself. There is no room for sentimentality here, you showed us yesterday.†Church glared intensely at his blonde counterpart.

“I’m not going to see a dead man or anything. It’s something else.†Daniels shrugged the hand away and glared back with equal determination.

“Then tell me. We’re supposed to be comrades, right?†Church spat through clenched teeth.

“A man is afforded his secrets.†Daniels said dismissively.

“Don’t give me that shit. If you’ve got to do something that involves me I’ve got the right to know what it is.†The effeminate man took on an almost demonic expression as his voice began to rise.

“That’s just it Church, it doesn’t concern your ass, so leave it.†The brown coated man remained phlegmatic and ignored the threatening presence before him.

“Hey guys. Nice morning chat I see.†Callum interjected before Church had time to slug the taller man. “So, where are we going?â€

“I’m going to the ruins of Nowhere. I’ve got business to attend to. I’m not going to make you join me, I’ll be back by the equivalent of nightfall tomorrow, roughly thirty six hours is all I need.†Daniels replied with a slightly perked up tone.

“I’d rather come with you and see what you’re so interested in.†Callum answered almost immediately. His curiosity was only half to blame for the impulsive decision. He was definitely not going to convince the man not to go through with his plan so it was most clear that he’d just have to go along with it so as not to create a schism of dislike with the one guy he was on moderately workable terms with.

“You can come if you want.†Daniels said with a kind of aloof disconnectedness hanging in his voice. Church scowled worse than ever and nearly growled as he spoke.

“Callum, you can’t be serious about this, every minute we stay in this world is another that we could be killed in, I don’t know about you but this is not my ideal situation.â€

“Okay, you hold down the fort, we’ll be back.†Callum said with an absurdly bright air about him.
“Stupid fuckers.†This time he really did snarl.

-

The two set off without another word. Daniels led the way over the barren misty wastes as they gradually gave way to gusting deserts. The day that began in a pearly white haze had given way to a brighter, more punishing climate. From the sun that could be seen through the clouds of sand it must’ve been from midday well into the afternoon that they walked the desert. All the while the itinerants remained perfectly tacit as they traversed to wide open lands. Eventually however, Callum broke the mutual silence with an inquiry.

“So Daniels, I know this isn’t my problem but I’d like a little insight if I’m going to follow you on this.†He spoke softly only just loud enough to be heard over the winds. When Daniels looked back to the following traveler and made a confused face Callum repeated himself, louder this time, getting used to using his voice again.

“Last time I was here I lost one fight, the guy spared my life under the condition I’d come back and challenge him when I next happened to be here. It’s simple as that. Church would say I’m being dumb and naïve but I have some pride unlike him.†He explained unexpectedly tersely before continuing on ahead.

“So that’s why you didn’t tell him.†Callum thought aloud.

“Not really, it’s just that if he wasn’t going to involve himself with it he really had no reason to know.†Daniels said without dropping his pace; Callum jogged up beside him and spoke again.

“Could you tell me something else, you knew about Church before we fought, what did he do to get so notorious?†They did not stop this time but rather kept perfect pace with each other as they conversed.

“He told you his names right?†Callum nodded slowly. “The Life Thief, doesn’t mean he takes lives like a killer, he’s literally a guy who can steal everything from a person. Identity, money, love, possessions, it’s all his for the taking. He’s never once been caught nor has he ever met a mark he’d been unable to hit.â€

“So he lied when he told me he was a killer.†Callum sighed instantly regretting it when sand entered his throat forcing him to cough for several seconds.

“Not really, he just does it to remove obstacles, nothing more. He’s not a guy that gets anything out of it if it’s not for his own gain, or another’s loss, he likes to see people bedraggled and weak rather than dead. Probably has an ego the size of the Central Enigma. He’s ruined or by his own terms “stolen†the lives of several really powerful people, it’s gotten him a big name around Escher. That‘s pretty much it for him.†Daniels explained.

“I see, seems like I hurt his pride a bit.†Callum replied, smirking ever so slightly.

“Yeah, you beat him and stole his lock, it’s pretty much that, that’s kept him around, he wants to get you back for that but he doesn’t know how yet.†Daniels looked up at the sand clouded sky and paused for a moment. “At least that’s how I see it.â€

“Seems I’ll have to find my way around it before he does.†Callum answered calmly.

“That’s just like you.†Daniels scoffed, he probably smirked too beneath that bandana of his.

“What do you mean?†Callum queried.

“I haven’t known you very long but I can see it very clearly, you’re always the one asking the questions, never the one giving the answers. Always the one working the tables but never the one playing them. I wonder why that is.†Callum fell silent and did not respond with anything but a cautious look in the fading sunlight. “Would you like to tell me anything about yourself?â€

“No.†The black haired boy replied firmly.

“I know as much about you as Church, he’s satisfied with that much, you‘re nothing but a mark to him, once he‘s got enough info to take you out he‘s straight, but me, I’m curious.†Daniels said clearly ignoring the boy’s response and cleared his throat pointedly. “You haven’t told anyone anything real since you got here, nothing about you that we couldn’t figure out on our own. You just fake it when you’re talking to anyone about anything. Are you really that guarded or is there something else with you?†He shifted his glance over the boy for a moment, just to get his expression in sight for a bit.

“If you really want to know I could make something up just as easily.†Callum replied almost instantly.

“I’d just like to here something.†Daniels said with an over exaggerated understanding tone.

“I’ve never been much of a socially inclined person, no one in my family was, except for my mom. She was really outgoing and talked to anyone and everyone. But when my mom was killed by my neighbor, a serial killer who did in several other women in the area, my dad and sister couldn’t deal, the police didn‘t find the guy until I had the evidence in hand and was half done bashing his head in. My family still was broken but I just let them go it alone and concerned myself with only myself after that.

"Partly because I feel like my dad disapproved of my actions and my sister was afraid of me after the two of them saw me dragged into the house covered in blood, kicking and screaming, and partly because they still couldn‘t get over the death of mom and talking to them would only hurt them more. People pitied me for a while, both for my supposed psychotic break and my mother’s death,hat was nothing more than an act, a simple courtesy to a stranger out of nothing but good will. Happy now?â€

“How much of that was true?†Daniels asked with a slightly disinterested tone in his voice.

“I don’t care.†Was his disgruntled sounding reply.

“Most of it I’m guessing, with some embellishment.†Daniels smirked.

“If you want, it’s not like knowing about someone changes who they are or what they‘ll do.†Callum scoffed defiantly.

“Whatever you say kid, whatever you say.†With they fell silent and walked the rest of the journey into the desert in silence until Daniels stopped and held a staying hand in the twilight, they had arrived.

 

Ok, so it took me awhile to read this whole thing, and I have to say I like it. Sure I say that about a lot of things, but this sticks out to me. The basis of the story is impressive, character development is well drawn out, and your use of words is amazing. I hope a lot of people read this story.
Keep it up and enjoy writing it

 

wow for some reason this chapter felt...short.

but it was interesting, and the characters are all so....particular.

church...is really something, lol.

i have to say your writting feels so fluid to me, and reading feels so easy with your story.