Kaylee Series: Courage Chapter 2

2

Tyson spent the entire day looking for the mysterious girl. Campus isn’t that big but she still managed to disappear, sometimes right before his eyes. He’d spot her one time, follow her through a corridor or a classroom, he’d get distracted for a millisecond and she’ll vanish. By the time the sun had set, he was already tired and his legs were ready to give in.

He stopped in front of the door to the rooftop. The forbidden rooftop. Students weren’t allowed in it and it was always locked. But some of the goth people said they saw someone with her description going up to the roof; it wouldn’t hurt if he tried.

He checked both ways of the corridor to see if anyone was watching him before he reached for the knob. He expected it to catch and find it locked but it didn’t. It turned easily in his hands and the door swung open smoothly.

He stepped cautiously on the wooden steps of the stairway, hearing it creak as he rested his weight on his feet. He’d never really figured out why it was forbidden to come up the rooftop. Nobody in his group of acquaintances even tried to find out why, not even him; it just didn’t occur to him before. Although he has heard some rumors about what goes on up there; like stuff being dropped from a height by someone as to make the rooms below quake, but nothing really definitive.

The double doors atop the stairs gave way easily as he pushed them open. The bright orange sunlight greeted him as he stepped at the rooftop. He squinted for a moment, letting his eyes adjust to the brightness before he turned to inspect

The roof was dirty, to put it short. There were unused wooden crates at one side, the railings were rotten and most parts had disintegrated. ‘So this is why the roof is forbidden.’ He said to himself.

‘No,’ a soft voice, barely above a whisper from behind him arose. ‘This isn’t it.’

It was her.

Tyson couldn’t help but smile. The sun looked great on her. If only she had a little more color… ‘I’ve been looking for you.’ He blurted even before he could stop himself.

She ignored his statement and faced a solitary building at the end of the rooftop. It looked like an abandoned house. The walls were painted white but it now looked an ugly shade of yellow and the windows were caked with dirt. More wooden crates were at the side blocking what looked like an iron railing of a fire escape leading down to the room below.

‘The last time it was used for something was before this building was a movie theatre.’ She said, ‘Before that time, this was a hospital. And that— is the morgue.’

The mere mention of the word ‘morgue’ sent shivers down Tyson’s spine and somehow her voice made the sensation even worse. There was a certain coldness at how she mentioned it. He tried to change the subject, ‘You do realize you’re not allowed to be here, right?’

‘I like to live on the edge.’ She replied, ‘I know you know about that. I hear about you often enough.’

He smiled. So she knew him already; always a good thing, he knew. ‘What’s your name?’

She glanced back at him, her eyes slightly glazed, ‘I’m Kaylee.’

Kaylee. Kaylee.

‘It’s nice to meet you, Kaylee.’ He said in what he thought as his most soothing voice. ‘Listen, it’s getting kind of cold up here, plus the sun had nearly set. What do you say you join me at the restaurant by the corner?’

But she wasn’t listening. She had made her way in front of the building and was forcing the door open, making a huge racket with the iron door.

Tyson found himself rushing towards Kaylee, ‘What are you doing? The guards downstairs will hear you.’

He tried to grab her shoulder but before he could touch her, she whirled around and avoided him. She faced him squarely and looked him straight in the eyes, ‘Open the door for me.’ She ordered.

Normally, Tyson would’ve turned away and felt the need to break things if anyone dared order him to do something. But it was different for Kaylee was different somehow. Maybe it had something to do with those eyes. So despite what his brain was telling him, Tyson walked towards the door and pulled it open.