Chapter #35More Mysteries by: Seuzz   It's impossible to know what to think. You've got Gordon's mask on, but you can make yourself "think" almost anything for him. Your instinct is that he's playing it straight and telling you the truth. But what he's saying is so squirrelly that you feel like you must confirm it. On the other hand, you also feel reasonably sure he won't be able to stop himself from extracting a lot of pain from you when he has you in his power. On principle, if for no other reason.
But maybe putting himself in his power is the only way to demonstrate that you do trust him. You lock the door, so no one can get in, then return to sit cross-legged in front of him. You have rub your face a few times before you can work up the nerve to rip the mask off.
* * * * *
The back and forthing is tedious. Getting him out of Justin's mask; getting his own mask onto and off of him; getting it back on yourself; and getting Justin's mask back onto him. You wake at one point to find the real Gordon Black staring down at you with a black spot showing in his forehead. But his powers of self-control--meager though they are--are enough to keep him from abusing you in your vulnerable moments.
When it is all done, both of you sit quietly and meditate on your newly exchanged memories. He is right: there is no sign in his own memories of anything that you didn't already know. (The only significant new memories are the ones of "Gordon Black" hauling him up to the loft and screaming at him.) He too has some points to ponder. "Chelsea's gonna hear about what you said to Mansfield about her," he says quietly.
"It was worth it," you brusquely retort.
"Mm. So what was that crisis that the golem was bitching about?" he muses under a wrinkled brow. "I don't--"
"I don't either," you say. "There's a big blank spot in there after we put the mask on it yesterday, like the 'record' button didn't get pushed."
"Fucker is definitely malfunctioning, then," he says. "So we can't use it to replace ourselves. I guess we could still use it for fucking." He rakes his fingers through his hair, leaving it standing up all over. "And it's out there playing you now," he continues. "I hope it's not doing stuff you really ought to remember doing. Or that Roth needs to remember when he--"
"Do you think Roth's behind it?" you ask. "Maybe he set up last night's meeting, wanted to get you out of that mask long enough to get another copy of you, or something?"
"I thought you said you moved all their shit up here."
"I did. It's in that crate. No, wait, I moved it into the cabinet." You nod at it.
He leaps to his feet and crosses over to open it. He peers inside, up and down and to the side. "Where?"
You scramble over. But the cabinet is empty. "Fuck! I put it--!" You point.
You look over to find him eyeing you coldly. "You were also talking about telling Roth and them that Steve found it and threw it away," he says.
"You think maybe Steve did find it?"
"Patterson never picks up after himself. We both know that. That's why we let Lynch up here. Neat freak that he is."
"So maybe Jason--" You grimace when you realize what he's implying. "Fuck, man, I am not playing games. I'm not pretending it really did disappear!"
"Am I supposed to trust you?"
You bridle, and get that blood rush over your scalp again. "You don't trust me, fucker?" you say in a very strained voice. "You want to check inside my head?"
"Look, if you say--"
"Just wait here. I'll be back in two minutes."
He makes some inarticulate noises as you charge out the door. Probably he was trying to call your name, but got confused as to which name to use.
* * * * *
He's sitting with his friends in a rough semi-circle, his back to you. But Carson Ioeger and James Lamont and Caleb Johansson and Keith Tilley and Jenny Ashton see you coming, and fall quiet as you walk up. Prescott starts to turn around, but you grab him by his scrawny neck and haul him to his feet before he even knows it's you. You drag him back toward the school.
"What do you think you're doing, you fucking gorilla?" Jenny yells shrilly after you. "I'm talking to you, you fucker! You let him go or I'll kick your ass myself!"
You turn around, and pull Prescott closer, wrapping your arm around his neck. He makes a choking noise. "Just a friendly chat, guys," you say in a pleasant voice. "I hear this little dude is having girl troubles. I'm just going to give him some pointers. How to talk to her, and how to ask her out, and how to get her clothes off, and all the different ways he can bend her over that will leave him and her feeling satisfied." You squeeze him tightly. "It's not like you losers have any worthwhile advice for him."
"I fucking swear, Gordon--" Jenny says.
"You kiss Lamont with that mouth? Must be exciting for him." You turn again, and drag the unwilling Prescott-golem along.
There is one amusing moment during your procession back to the gym. You have to pass the cafeteria, and the door opens as you're approaching it. Geoff Mansfield, along with some friends, step out. They all stop when they see you, and Mansfield turns the color of chalk. Then he sees who you've got in the crook of your arm. His lips twitch briefly. Then he turns green as you turn to stare at him as you pass in front of his group. Fucker will probably burn out a ball bearing as he tries to make the calculation: Gordon Black, interested in Mansfield and Lisa Yarborough, is now taking an interest in Will Prescott, the kid Mansfield displaced in Lisa's affections.
Something else catches your eye as you're staring in Geoff's direction. Behind Gardinhire, waiting to leave the cafeteria themselves, are Joe and Frank Durras. Frank in particular seems to be watching you with a keen curiosity.
* * * * *
Again, masks go on and masks come off. When you're done, you're back under Gordon's mask--appearances need keeping up, in case Patterson or Lynch or Chelsea knock at the door--but Gordon himself is lying back, hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, looking like Will Prescott.
You're both quiet for a very long time. There's much to digest, though none of it relates directly to the puzzles that have pulled you up here. Gordon must know now that you had nothing to do with the disappearance of the supplies from the loft. The golem itself--divested of all disguise--is laying nearby, and shows no indication of moving. But that doesn't signify either. If there is a problem with its "record" function, it didn't manifest while it was under the Prescott mask, for you now have all your memories of today's events, up to the moment Gordon Black dragged Will Prescott into the fuck room and grabbed at his face.
But there is at least one oddity to consider.
"So maybe it was these Durras assholes?" you ask. "But how would they know about this shit?"
Your friend just bores holes in the ceiling with his eyes. His brow furrows with concentration. Then his eyes clear. "They were at Besandwitched," he says. "That's where I remember them from. You remember, right? Joe was the crazy waiter that came over and--"
It comes back to you, more strongly for having just gotten out of your own mask. Joe coming over to offer refills; Frank watching from another booth; and Joe seeming to materialize and dematerialize behind your truck as you were leaving. You'd been talking in a too-loud voice about magic. In fact, it was that conversation that sent you off to talk to Justin; the conversation that landed you in this present mess.
"So they overheard?" Will Prescott continues to muse. "And they transferred out here? Just so they could talk to me this morning and ask me about magic and that book?"
"And you told them everything," you growl. "Or the golem did. Piece of shit that it is."
"Except it lied to them," he says. "Told them it-- He-- I-- You--"
"Whoever!" Fucking pronouns. "Told them Walberg buried it in the time capsule. At least it stopped babbling in time to not give us away."
He chews furiously on his lower lip, then rubs his forehead hard. "I'm all confused. Jumping in and out of too many heads. Wasn't somebody saying something about how there'd be other people out there who knew about the book, and how we wouldn't want to meet them?"
Sounds familiar. "I think that was Roth. So maybe these guys had it first and lost it, and now they want it back?"
"Fuckin' weird, that it keeps winding up with high school kids."
"Unless they're not. Could be older dudes in masks. There's something weird about them."
"Well, you're in a perfect position to scope them out," he says. "Them now being on the basketball team and all."
"Maybe you want to keep an eye on them this afternoon?" you ask. He looks over at you. "Go back to being yourself?"
"Where would you go?"
"Back to being myself?" you ask hopefully.
"You're thinking of that date with Lisa, aren't you?"
You have to blush, which is probably an odd expression for Gordon Black to have. But it's true. While playing your part, Justin has been busily worming at her defenses, and Will Prescott is supposed to meet up with her tonight for supper. Just the two of them.
"Who takes over for Roth?" your friend asks. "I don't wanna use the golem."
"Leave it out of commission until we can talk with the others."
"And leave me with the job of handling the Seth-and-Cindy business," he says sourly. | Members who added to this interactive story also contributed to these: |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author