The House of Grey- Volume 5 (6 page)

“But you came anyway?”

Kylie nodded.

Grayson interrupted. “And you didn’t find anything, did you?”

The group glanced around at each other, baffled. Grayson grinned playfully in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“I remember the story. It was the biggest scandal in the school’s history. Everyone was talking about the security breach at Coren. It only blew over when it was ruled by the authorities as a runaway student and the press found something else to get worked up about.”

Kylie gawked at Grayson, not a flattering look for her.

Grayson scratched at his nose, a clear sign he was trying to be clever. “My family does run a detective agency, after all.”

Kylie pressed her lips together but almost instantly let them relax. “He’s right. It wasn’t long after Sage’s
disappearance that Damion made his first big splash on the football field; from zero to hero just like
that. Sage’s story became less and less publicized from there.”

Monson thought of a question. “So if you’ve been trying to find information about Sage’s disappearance, what have you been doing in the library all this time?”

“Trying to trace the beginning, middle and end of Sage’s witch hunt,” said Kylie.

“What do you mean?’ asked Monson.

“As weird as it sounds, Sage was a secret lair kind of gal. She liked to go exploring to find forts, caves, ruins and all that stuff, and sort of set up camp there. She had been doing it since we were kids. I knew if I could find what she was looking for, I might find some clue as to what happened to her.”

Monson eyes narrowed. “You didn’t answer my question.”

Kylie smiled weakly. “Sage came here for one reason and one reason only.”

She glanced around at everyone while wearily running a hand through her hair. “The Midday Darkness.”

Artorius and Grayson started to laugh, drawing a cross look from Marie. They desisted immediately, and Grayson spoke up.

“Kylie, the Midday Darkness is an urban legend, no more valid than Bloody Mary or the story of the Snake in the Toilet.”

“Don’t say that Grayson,” interrupted Artorius. “That one is totally true. My great Uncle Larry—”

Casey groaned. “Not the boa constrictor and the Port-o-Potty story again. I just ate, Arthur.”

Artorius scowled. “Shut up Casey, it’s totally—”

“Guys!” Monson clapped his hands together. “Hello, a lost sister, girl who’s emotionally drained, pouring out her soul. Can we focus here?”

Casey and Artorius glanced around uncomfortably.

Monson started again. “Back up a second. I’ve heard about this—Midday Darkness, was it? But someone explain it to me.”

Grayson answered. “The Midday Darkness is a legend about the Coren Valley. In the history of the valley, there have been—”

Monson interjected, “Three different groups have settled it. Yeah, I know that much. Sage wasn’t looking for the reason why the Indian tribe and the settlers disappeared, was she?”

Grayson smiled. “You’re surprisingly well versed—”

Monson shrugged. “Yeah, I think we’re supposed to cover this in Mr. Gatt’s class at some point.”

“But it sounds like you only know half of the story. In answer to your question, I doubt she was looking for the Midday Darkness; if I were to guess, she was probably looking for the Garden of the Gods.”

Artorius chuckled a second time. This time it was Casey who joined in. Grayson also cracked a smile.

Monson glared. “I don’t think I’ve heard that one.”

“The Garden of the Gods actually refers to two different places. One is as real as you and I. It’s a park of natural sandstone formations that was gifted to the city of Colorado Springs in the early 1900s. The other garden is a legend. Possibly where the city got the name for the Colorado park, though I doubt they would ever admit it. This legend is even older than the Midday Darkness. God’s Garden for short, it was originally spoken of by a chief of the Yakatory Indian tribe who said that the Garden was where the powers of all the gods of creation touched the earth and anyone who witnessed its power would unlock their potential as a Sumpa.”

Grayson sped up, anticipating the question about to be asked.

“Sumpa in Yakatory means ‘Being’. The Garden was supposed to unlock the true potential of beings, but only those who were worthy could access the Lock. Anyone else would be destroyed.”

Monson finished the thought. “Destroyed by the Midday Darkness.”

Grayson pointed at Monson. “Bingo.”

Monson looked confused. “Wait, what are they talking about Lock? Lock to what?”

“Unknown,” said Grayson. “Cultural anthropologists seem to think that the Garden wasn’t actually a Garden but rather some starting point for a spirit journey of discovery. The Lock isn’t a lock at all but sort of staring to point for the journey.”

Monson pushed forward before Grayson could continue. “Why did they call it a garden?”

Everyone including Grayson stared at Monson blankly.

Monson glowered. “That is a totally valid question. Think about it. How does The Garden of the Gods translate into some sort of hero’s journey? Where’s the symbolism in that? A garden is well, a garden – a place where things grow. It seems pretty idiotic to me to assume its anything else.”

Grayson ignored him, which enlisted a glare from Monson. “Treasure hunters have a different take. They think the Garden is a treasure cave of some sort, but no one really knows. I’m not even sure where they developed that theory.”

Grayson paused considering his own words. “The Garden of the Gods in the context of a location and Midday Darkness haven’t been given much in the way of real attention, as there isn’t anything to verify their existence. Heck, there’s next to nothing to give any sort of understanding as to what they even were, though there was a rather amazing discovery a couple of years ago. I’m going to assume you understand at least some of the story, so I’m glossing over much of it for the sake of time.

“Contrary to popular belief, not everyone died in the 1889 disappearances of Coren Valley. An explorer named Milary
Dean not
only survived, but also had some idea of what happened to everyone. Unfortunately, she disappeared after Washington authorities assumed she was responsible for the state of the town.”

Several voices objected almost at once, but Grayson stifled them all.

“I know what y’all are gonna say. I understand that it doesn’t make any sense that everyone blamed her, but we are talking about some really scared people. They weren’t thinking logically. Everyone but her was gone. Not a trace of any of the other townsfolk, only massive claw-like marks left in the buildings and a dark, oily ooze in the streets. As stupid as it was, they assumed she was responsible.”

The objections were replaced by an attentive silence.

“Two days after the incident, Milary disappeared and was never seen or heard from again, at least not in the physical sense of the word.”

Grayson pulled out a small electronic device. Monson wanted to say it was a phone but it was a bit too big. It looked more like a tiny computer. He touched the screen, bringing up a logo: Windows Veranda 2.0. He spoke to the computer.

“Simon. Program directive: Firefox 3000.”

The pocket PC sprang to life as the browser loaded. The small group watched as Grayson’s fingers moved quickly across the touch-based keyboard. He continued like nothing had happened.

“Years later, actually two years ago to be exact, treasure hunters claimed to have found Ms. Dean’s journal, a journal that gave a strange account of that day back in 1889. In the record—we can debate whether it’s real or not later—Milary talks about the town’s obsession with the Gardens and how new exploration tunnels were being excavated constantly, mostly at the base of Kellos, the northern peak of the Four Lords. Milary decided to try something a bit different; the account doesn’t say where. She probably didn’t want her discovery written down, but her journal says she found an entrance to the upper caverns of the Four Lords. She followed it through, and to make a long story short—”

Monson drew the conclusion. “She found the Garden of the Gods.”

“Two points for Mr. Grey.”

Casey laughed. “There’s goes the cultural anthropologist position, eh?”

Grayson continued. “Milary exited her undisclosed location and eventually made her way back to town. Only there wasn’t anyone in town. You know the rest.”

“What?” spouted Monson
indignantly.
“That’s it? The journal didn’t say anything else?”

Grayson shrugged. “We don’t know, as the family has Milary’s journal under lock and key. Doesn’t surprise me. They are those sort of people.”

Monson cocked the eyebrow. “Those sort of people? You sound like you know them.”

“I do know them, Grey. And so do you. Milary Dean is the great, great grandmother of Dean Dayton.”

Grayson showed the others his pocket PC. He tapped the story that discussed Milary, the dean, and the legal battle surrounding the journal. A photo of the journal and the family magnified at Grayson’s touch. Dean Dayton’s smug expression came into focus.

Monson tried to exclaim, but his throat had gone dry. Dean Dayton, someone he had almost totally forgotten. Monson followed the thought, directing it at Kylie.

“So let me see if I can guess where all this is going. You think that Sage was looking for this Garden of the Gods, attempted to get ahold of the journal, and disappeared because of it?”

Kylie pulled her hand through her hair. “I honestly don’t know. That’s why I need Sage’s journal. I need to know what she found and the possible location of her hideaway, if there was one, and I need to know before Baroty finishes ripping this place apart.”

Monson asked the question without thinking. “So how does the Diamond play into all this?”

Kylie’s expression turned questioning. “No idea. Before I got to school and did some digging, I didn’t know they were friends, and I haven’t found the courage to directly ask him. I guess I can’t really bring myself to open up to him—something about Peterson seems…off.”

Monson chuckled inwardly. He knew that feeling all too well.

“Has Damion actually spoken to you about Sage?” Indigo asked. “Surely he knows you’re his sister.”

Kylie shook her head. “The fact that they are friends just came up recently—and no he hasn’t mentioned it, though we haven’t exactly had much opportunity to speak.”

Kylie looked over at Monson. “I actually owe you an apology Monson.”

Monson cocked the eyebrow. “For what exactly?”

“The first day of school.”

The first day of school…an obvious reference to the time when Kylie balled him out. He had totally forgotten about that.

“Oh don’t worry about it. I haven’t given it a second thought.”

“Don’t you want to know why?”

“Not really. Wait, you weren’t simply hormonal?”

Kylie smiled. “I was hiding in plain sight.”

Monson smiled back. “Whatever that means.”

Artorius raised a hand. “Question. And maybe we already went over this and I just missed it. But how did Casey get Sage’s journal?”

Kylie addressed Artorius. “I found the journal in the library’s lost and found. Sage was a big fan of the library. I looked in her old room and found squat–nothing from her. No pull-away floorboards or removable panels. So I figured she didn’t leave anything around there. I must have dropped it the night I was running from Ba
ro
ty’s men. Cassius picked it up. ”

“How did you figure that out?” said Artorius.

“I knew I had it with me when I was running away from those goons. I also knew that someone jumped them—the rumor mill here at Coren should not be underestimated,” said Kylie anticipating the question.

She continued, “Once I heard what happened to them—short term memory loss, burnt hair—I knew it was Casey.”

“So what’s your next step?”

“Get the journal back,” said Kylie, “and hopefully figure out what happened to Sage.”

Everyone in the group glanced at Casey, who stared back defiantly. “Fine, but I take no responsibility for what happens.”

He stood and made his way towards the door. “I’ll be right back.”

Monson was not finished, however. He still had questions. “Grayson, you said that this journal of Milary’s was found only a couple of years ago, right?”

“Correct as usual,” replied Grayson calmly. “Why do you ask?”

Monson was not sure, but he answered anyway. “That seems to be a common theme these days, doesn’t it?”

They all shifted their attention to him, staring with blank looks.

“Well, it has. Mr. Gatt covered it extensively in class and he seems intrigued by this unprecedented time of new discovery.  Look at all the finds in the last, like, ten years: the Dome of the Loch Ness, the Carthaginian sand pits, Merlin’s castle, Excalibur’s principle forge, and let’s not forget the Dakota labyrinths. Even here at Coren with this Midday Darkness and God’s Garden business. Why are all these coming to light now?”