Read The Somnibus: Book I - Finding the Mark (A Paranormal Thriller) Online
Authors: Craig McGray
The Somnibus: Book I - Finding the Mark (A Paranormal Thriller) (11 page)
A
young blonde girl stood next to Barnes’ desk
holding a stack of folders in her arms and she looked up when I walked into the
lobby. Her blue eyes held mine for a moment. My heart skipped a beat while a smile
played at the corners of her mouth before she turned and walked away. Barnes
stood from behind his computer screen and shook my hand.
“Michael, how have
you been?”
“Good. I need to
grab something from the vault.”
“Sure,
Michael.
You need help getting
down there?”
“No thanks. I think
I remember the way.” I walked down the hallway to the entrance of the labyrinth
below the bank.
Hissing
open, the
sealed door to the vault gave way to reveal the box sitting in the room right
where I’d left it, the lock still intact. I hadn’t noticed before, but the lid
had an odd emblem on the top, some sort of diagram. It reminded me of the way a
child night sketch a house, a square drawn with a tiny triangle set on top for
the roof. I lifted the box from the floor, surprised by the effort required to
lift such a small container. After putting my key in the door and tucking the
box under my arm, I headed back to the lobby. Before I entered the elevator, I
noticed a door I didn’t remember seeing during my last visit.
EMPLOYEES ONLY
Something pulled at
me, urging me to peek inside the room. After checking over each shoulder, I
stepped inside and the door snapped shut behind me.
My fingers searched
for a light switch on the wall. I flicked it up and the lights flashed on. My pulse
raced when my eyes followed the towering walls to the top. A domed white
ceiling sat overhead. The pure white walls magnified the light, creating a
cold, sterile environment. Sitting in the middle of the room, the table from my
dream sat empty. I walked over to the table to find a small key lying in the
center.
My ears pounded when
I set the box on the table and picked up the key. My hand trembled while I put
it in the lock and the shackle released, my chest hammering with anticipation.
Lifting the lid, I
noticed the contents from my dream sat in the box, well almost. Three
unfamiliar stones, each one with a hole bored through the center, were in the
container. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my trace. I rolled it
between my fingers, contemplating if I should set it in the middle of the box.
Curiosity screamed for me to do it but my rational side held me back, for a
moment.
Ignoring my brain, I
reached in and set my trace in the middle of the box. Something sucked it from
my fingertips, like metal drawn to a magnet, and it clunked to the center. I
stepped back, but remained close enough to peer in over the sides. The stones
hummed and shivered in their corners. The center of my stone swirled, and the
stones in the corners moved, inching their way towards my trace. My head
pulsing, the stones slid towards the middle and I waited for the light to burst
from the box, but the stones paused just short of connecting with the center
trace.
The middle of my
trace remained motionless, but the other traces snapped back to the positions
from where they began.
That’s
it?
Disappointed,
I grabbed my trace from the container. After closing and locking the box, I
stuck it under my arm and put the key into my pocket. Taking one last look
behind me, I headed to the door and clicked the lights off before leaving the
spacious room. As I stepped into the hallway, Barnes came around the corner. He
quickly closed the distance between us and stopped just short of my face.
“What were you doing
in there?” His face twisted into a scowl and his forehead wrinkled all the way
across. Planting his feet shoulder-width apart, he crossed his arms.
“I got lost for a
second and
I
...”
Barnes cut me off.
“This room is private.” He poked his plump index finger into my chest. “If you
go in there again, I’ll have you arrested,”
My ears heated
instantly, like those of a kid being busted thumbing through his dad’s
magazines.
But
Barnes had crossed the line.
I leaned into is
face. “You lay a finger on me again, you’ll regret it. Understand?”
He stepped back,
cleared his throat, and straightened his wire-framed glasses.
“Fine, Barnes. I was
just leaving anyway.”
Barnes took a step
back. “You’re free to go.”
“I know I am.” I
widened my shoulders, bumping him when I passed. “It’s just a big empty room
anyway.” I strode down the corridor and into the elevator.
My days of standing
down were done.
FROM
THE AUTHOR
Thank
you so much for taking the time to read my work. I know how valuable free time
is, and I am honored that you have chosen to spend some of yours reading my
book.
Works by Craig McGray
Novellas
The
Somnibus: The Complete Edition
Short Stories
Visit the link for more books by Craig McGray
HERE
