Dark Matter ( Unknown Origins Book One)

Episode 1

Sounds of chaos echoes everywhere; glasses breaking, women, children, and even full-grown men could be heard running for their lives as endless screams chases after them.

Suddenly, light lights up an empty warehouse dimly as a door opens up.

A lady gradually walks in, seemingly undisturbed by the chaos happening all around her. She is clothed in black with dark long hair, and a hood hung over her face.

** “Don't be scared.” ** she said

** “I'm really not the one you should be afraid of” **

The sounds of agony spike, still it gradually calms.

She slowly raises her head, revealing pitch-black scars that covered her eyes from her forehead down to her chin.

** “Your time is not yet due. But you should learn how to fly while it hasn't yet reached.” **

Bending her head to allow the hood to cover up her face, she stands still and lets the dim light reflect her shadowy body.

** " We were all once students, attending classes, camps and just having fun. Just like you”**

** " This is a story of love, a story of betrayal, a story of ignorance and fate~ a race against time.” **

Massive waves of black dust is seen moving upwards through the top windows of the warehouse.

** " I hope you learn that there are things money can't solve. Hold the ones you love dear because you don't know how much time they have left.” **

Part of her body gradually begins to fade into black dust.

** "Maybe there was a way all this would be avoided, maybe there wasn't. As you go deeper into the story, you will learn why you have to fly, but I hope you will never need to fly.” ** she said with a sad expression on her face.

** "The story begins with a boy,"*

She concludes as her face faded lastly. The dust circles round the warehouse for a few moments, before disappearing into the ground.

…

…

Jason, a sixteen-year-old boy walks back home as always in deep thought, tomorrow is another school camping trip that though necessary will take several months before he will come back home. Cool wind blew pass his ear as the scent of damp sand hits his nose. How he loved it, especially because it reminds him of the home he left years ago.

Pushing his thoughts away, he approached the door to the duplex his uncle built, where he now lived in. Swinging it open, warmer air greeted him as he landed on a sofa breathing heavily with the relief that he was away from society, the main reason why he didn't want to relocate to a new country. The house was quiet strangely in the evening because his uncle was surprisingly sleeping, and his aunt still at work. Back home he was never used to this quiet because of his siblings and the neighbourhood where generators for electricity was a constant noise. Finally, he now had electricity constantly along with fresh water, but he was still not happy. There, though they had access to them, they were not constant and weeks could go by without them. Perhaps, it's because he barely adapts to a new surrounding talk less of a new race that were extremely rare in Nigeria.

After the delicious dinner, Jason carried himself upstairs to his unkempt room where he shoved his cloths on the closet, leaving only his shorts on, and went fast into the deep pit of sleep.

The next day, Jason made his way to school after breakfast and was soon in a bus with other students getting ready for the journey ahead. Observing his surroundings as usual, his eyes soon caught sight of someone standing in front of the array of silver-blue suits as she enters the bus. Her hair was as golden brown as the soft soil, with heavenly brown eyes and brown skin–his crush and his age mate– May. As she goes to her sit a few seats in front of him, he suddenly remembered just how much the girl drove him crazy. He started his crush on her since the very first day she welcomed him to class, but of course wherever there's a beautiful princess, there's always an ugly Dragon that keeps a close eye on her. Mike, the bane of his life the white jerk have always bullied Jason to make things worse he is ALWAYS with May even right beside her in the bus, but Jason never understood why.

Soon the bus arrived at its destination, “The Asteria Woods” and the beautiful site the camp was in. After the long, boring rooming arrangements, the place was enough for each student to have a room for themselves.

Jason after packing went outside the camp as usual, enjoying the nature which he loved dearly, just outside the camp. He is dressed in a black PE (the uniform assigned to the students while in the camp, blue, black, pink, and red) and goes to sit down on a tree's enormous root tying up his shoe lace and dusting his trousers. He suddenly thought that his eyes were deceiving him. Was in a black PE too, was coming right at his direction. He then looked left and right to check whether there was anyone else, but they weren't, so he took a deep breath as she came closer.

“Hey Jason! “ She called.

“H-hi”

“We are going strolling, would you like to…ugh” May stopped as Jason just stared at her with his mouth semi-open?

*awkward what is wrong with this kid* May thought. It was if he couldn't hear her, and this wasn't the first time she caught him doing that.

“Ugh… go on”

“Oh, so would you like to jo …”?

“Yes”

“Oh” May giggled, “okay! We're waiting” May said before leaving.

Jason stood up and followed her, he could barely believe that he was walking with her, but before he could remember to think what she ment by “we” it was too late. Mike, who was in blue and as usual always with her, didn't look happy and his dark blue eyes proved it.

Jason stopped moving for a moment before deciding that running away will be cowardly, so he just kept moving with them. Mike, who was then waiting patiently until May, was a few blocks away, pushed Jason to a tree. Being a year older and more biult than he was, it was quite easy for him to intimidate him.

“Hey jerk”

“let me be Mike”

“listen, if I ever see you close to her again…” punching Jason supposedly, so his words will hit deeper “I'm going to make sure you regret it all your life you imbecile”

“guys quit it and come take a look over here” May interrupted while Jason was about to try to defend himself

Letting him go, Mike ran towards her

“what's up”

*imbecile me! I'm not even that ugly* Jason thought, he was right, his face looked innocent and adorable. Going there, Jason looked towards where May was pointing, and a few meters away was pitch-black sand that seemed to be moving in a semicircular pattern.

“Whoa !! What the heck is that ?” May asked in amazement.

“I don't know, hey jer… sorry Jason, go check it out "Mike said right when Jason was about to turn away.

“ No, it could be dangerous" “What? It's just sand, are you scared? “ May rebuked.

“Coward” Mike insulted then May hit his hand “sorry” Mike apologized to her.

*I'm not a coward * he thought as he went to the sand even though his mind kept warning him not to. He turned when he was right in the middle and said:

“It's nothing, just sa …” interrupted as something like a hand gripped his leg.

May, who was not expecting him to walk right into him, screamed in horror at the sight of an arm pulling his leg.

Jason looked down as several series of black, sandy hands grabbed him and pulled him to the sandy grave. May rushed to help him, but Mike grabbed her by the shoulder.

“Are you insane” he said, horror being written all over his face as he struggled and eventually dragged her back.

“Help me !! He…” hands covered his face and his last sight was of the bully and his crush running away.

They covered several miles running before they could stop to breathe properly

"I … I only told him” she managed to say while panting heavily “to check it out! Not to walk right into it.”

" Hey! … calm down it's not your fault” Mike said reassuringly.

"It's not my fault! Jason is dead Mike” May shouted at him, there was grief written all over her face and her heart kept pounding heavily as tears kept pouring out of her eyes. She was too sad to notice that Mike barely showed any emotion at all, but only heard his reassuring words. He managed to calm her down enough to walk to the female students lodge after several hours.

Later, Mike noiselessly entered his room and fell on his bed, exhausted. The room was light up and was painted white with the rest of the rooms in the camp.

He then picked up a magazine, about to dive in, when a knock interrupted him.

“ Who is that?”

“ It's me, Mike!” Liam, his childhood best friend and classmate, answered as he entered the room. He is still dressed in his normal uniform (white shirt, silver blue suit and trousers). Knowing his friend well, he expected him to be too lazy to get up.

“What's up”

“I should be asking you that question, Mike! What were you doing in the woods this late at night,” Liam asked, standing aside his bed and combing his hair backwards with his other hand in his pocket. He gives Mike a serious look, but he just keeps reading his magazine, uninterested. Mike has always had pride for his friend's cool fringe hairstyle that matched his golden brown straight hair and his spectacles with the same golden brown colour perfectly. Usually, he tried to imitate him, but his hair is too wavy, so he could never reach Liam's perfection.

“Nothing!" Mike responded sharply.

Liam kept silent for a few minutes before sitting down on Mike's bed, wearing a worried look on his face. He asked, “Where's Jason, Mike! “

“why are asking! I'm not his keeper, Liam!” Mike said, not surprised at the question at all, for he was well aware of his friend's cleverness.

“ This is the first night in two years that you did not come to complain to me about Jason.” “So we sorted things out"

“Sorted things out?” Liam said, raising his voice before remembering that it is ten'o'clock close to midnight, so he lowered it.

“If indeed you have sorted things out you should've told me first but, here you are lying on your bed reading a magazine… so I ask again Where is Jason? Mike!" Liam asked again, the redness growing in his white face told Mike that he was getting angry, so he decided to take his friend more seriously. Pulling himself of the bed, Mike opened the door and looked left and right of the hallway, making sure that there are no students around. Sure enough, there weren't because most were already fast asleep in their rooms.

“Listen, this may sound crazy” He said, sitting down next to Liam and rubbing his hands together in preparation to tell his tale. Liam adjusted his spectacle with a finger, opened his ears wide, knowing fully well that this won't be a happy story.

**” You remember the time the principal was giving rooming arrangements. “**

“how can I not, You weren't there, so I had to carry all the instructions that were ment for you including your luggage” Laim answered rolling his eyes.

** "Well, I was in the woods exploring”**

“You were what?"

** “shhh !! Listen. So, I was exploring the woods when something caught my eyes. Not too far 'way from camp there was this sand, not like an ordinary one because it was pitch black and moving in a concentric circular motion.

I ain't stupid, so I only got a bit too close to it but…”** he paused looking to his right and back at Liam demonstrating with his hands showing seriousness **" A hand! A freaky black hand stretched out of the sand.”**

Liam's eyes grew wide, he never expected Mike to mention “a black hand” and there was no scientific explanation in his mind to say what it actually was

** "I fell back fortunately, so it didn't get me. So then I had an idea, a really good payback. ”**

“oh no!” Liam exclaimed silently, putting his fingers on his forehead.

Mike continued, putting a grim smile on his face. ** "So in the evening I made May bring Jason along with us for a stroll and I made them go towards the path where the sand was. Good enough, May saw it and called us and I told that idiot! To check without and May boosted him up so…”** smiling more in enthusiasm making his face look stupid and eviller.

** "The idiot walked right in the middle of the sand”** Liam stood up suddenly, sweat trickled down his cheeks knowing what will happen next, so Mike stood up too.

Demonstrating with his hands the more, Mike continues ** "The hands! So many of them gripped the dumbass and buried him there, and I grabbed my babe, and we ran 'way from there”**

“oh my! Jesus Christ !!” Liam exclaimed putting both hands in his head, his face grew pale, and his heart pounded wilder on seeing the stupid look on his friend's face, he had no idea of how bad what he had done is.

“Why didn't you warn him?” Liam shouted at him

“shhh !! Shhh !! Calm down”

"I'm not calming down, Mike! How do you think poor May will feel? This is the second time you're doing this to her.

“ Relax !! No one will find out, we didn't kill him you know”

“ Are you stupid Mike !!! May is most likely not even sleeping now and first thing she would do tomorrow morning is to tell the police AND You're GOING TO PRISON MIKE !! A FREAKING PRISON." Mike's face suddenly turned pale and his eyes grew wide and grief stricken.

“Oh no…you're you're right !” he stammered

“of course I'm right Mike! I'm always right, why do you keep doing this to yourself? This is the tenth time you're getting yourself in trouble because of, DAMN Girls! And the second time you're risking a decade and, in this case, the rest of your life behind bars MIKE !!” shouting his name out loud at this a student knocked at the door shocking them down to their spines.

“He… hey what's up” Liam asked faking a smile when he opened the door to check who it was.

“Hi Liam, what's with the noise man” the student asked sleepily.

“Sorry, we were… eh playing video games”

“uh you know that isn't allowed here… well, keep it down”

“oh, sorry! Sorry !” Liam apologized while closing the door.

He turned and looked at Mike who is now seated crying on his bed

“Hey don't worry, I… I'll fix it” He said, reassuring him

“You will…” Mike asked subbing, “how ?”

“I'll talk to May and after tomorrow we can continue to pretend that we know nothing…she's a good actor. She can do it”

“OK buddy, thanks…” Mike said shedding tears in gratitude, “I will never ever do anything like this ever again.”

“Alright I'll be going, which me luck mate”

“ 'K thanks buddy” he said cleaning his eyes and lying down on his bed wishing Liam the very best of luck.

Liam managed to sneak through the girl's lodge undetected and slowly approached May's room, his heart raced as he walked closer but then…

“Hi Liam” Stacey, his classmate and age mate shouted out loud behind him, obviously catching him sneaking red-handed.

“Hush !!” Liam said, eyes wide with his middle finger on his lips, urging her to be quiet.

She was almost his height, had a blonde ponytail hair, green eyes, and on a pink PE.

“Oh sorry” she said quietly putting both hands together trying to look as apologetic and as cute as ever “what are you doing here” she asked, blinking and waving her body to and fro.

Liam wore an“ ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME, RIGHT NOW !?” look on his face, but just smile and gave her the silliest excuse ever, which she believed and hopped back to her room with her ponytail dangling behind her.

Liam finally knocked on May's room but entered when she didn't reply. He caught her with her head buried on her knees, weeping on her bed.

“Hey !… May .” He called calmly.

“ Mike told me what happened. How are you feeling?”

“ Guilty … very, very guilty,” May answered sobbing, “I only asked him to check it out… why … why did he walk right into it” she said looking at him. Her dark brown eyes depicted fear and guilt.

“ Hey, it's not your fault, what has happened, has happened. "

“ Yeah I know, but now I have to suffer for it. Tomorrow I'm telling the cops first thing” she said, confirming Liam's worst fears.

“Hey, hey !” he said holding her cheeks, “you loved Jason, right ?”

“Ho … how did you know” she said her eyes growing wide with surprise

“he would've wanted you to live out your life and not suffer in prison”

“ After ending his ?"

“ Hey, he must've known that it wasn't your fault… did you push him inside the sand?”

“No”

“Did you force him?”

“NO !!”

“Then why are you blaming yourself” he said slowly lifting her head up and cleaning her tears with her long dark brown hair

“Yeah !!” she said bringing back some light on her beautiful face, “I didn't cause his death, he did in a way… though it's my fault, but I shouldn't go to prison…”

“Because it's not, so listen”

“yeah?"

“Tomorrow we are going to pretend that nothing happened, okay?”

She remained silent for some time, then nodded in agreement.

“If we're asked we act, can you do that ?” Liam asked slowly smiling to brighten her mood then put back his serious face

“ Sure I can” she replied “thanks Liam” she said wiping off her tears. She should've hugged him standing, but she was relatively shorter than him, so they hugged knelt down instead. Accomplishing his mission, he left, not noticing Stacey and her worried look.

Mike immediately opened the door when he heard the knock and saw Liam.

“Hey how did it go ?” he asked worried

“ It went well” Liam answered, entering his and wearing a smile to warm Mike up.

“ Thank God!" Mike gasped closing the door and landing on his bed

“Hey! Make sure you never do anything like this ever again.” He said, still standing, then he sat on the bed.

“Hey bro, look at me” Mike turned his head looking at Liam curiously.

“Girls are not everything. Don't do crazy things just to win them because one day…” he paused, “one day I may not be able to help you. Always think my friend THINK. Before doing anything” Mike nodded as he spoke words penetrating deep into his heart.

“I just hope what you do never catch up with you before you change "Liam said, finally leaving Mike's room.