Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 21:21:17 -0800 (PST)
From: Jordan Douglas <jjbird87@yahoo.com>
Subject: Night and Day: Part Three

      Adrianna unlocked the side door and pulled it towards her, inhaling
the night air as if to decide whether the night was fine enough to
venture out in.  It was.  She quietly signaled for Kye to follow,
pressing her index finger to lips.  Kye glanced over his shoulder.  They
had left the dining hall, sneakily meandered their way through hallways,
pausing now and then to make sure they were not being followed.
Presently they were standing at the base of a grand staircase, Kye could
only assume that they had entered the West Wing and up the stairs were
the girl's dormitories.
      But they did not go up the stairs.  They proceeded through the door
Adrianna unlocked and before shutting it, she glanced around to make sure
no one was on their tails.  Kye found himself standing on a flagstone
pathway, which was entirely concealed by an arch of thick shrubberies.
In fact, the ceiling of arched leaves was not very high and as they
walked along twigs kept on scrapping and getting caught in his hair.
      Nevertheless, the tunnel had an everlasting affect.  Strange warm
lights positioned strategically guided their way.  "I'm usually not this
cautious," Adrianna finally spoke, figuring it was safe to talk.  "But
seeing that you are the President's son - I had to take precautions."
      "Understandable," said Kye shoving his hands into the pockets of
his slacks.  "Could you tell me what we are doing here?  I feel like I
just stepped into fucking Alice in Wonderland."
      "So you feel like you are on drugs, then?" Adrianna asked slyly.
"A feeling you of all people would undoubtedly be used to."
      The subject was dropped.  They were coming upon a fork in the
path.  Kye thought he heard the trickling of a fountain hidden somewhere
in this maze of shrubbery.  He anticipated which path Adrianna would lead
him down, but was startled when she stopped just short of the fork and
parted the wall of green leaves.  Kye hesitated.  "Go on," she
encouraged, keeping the greens parted.
      He had adopted the habit of looking around to make sure no one was
looking - and after surveying the scene he decided all was fine and slid
through the wall of shrubbery, having to turn sideways.  Adrianna
followed suit.  Kye's eyes had a difficult time adjusting to the sudden
blackness that enveloped them.  They were now located in a vast clearing,
the large stone wall with ivory creeping up the side stood to their left,
behind them was the tunnel of leaves and warm lights, and ahead of them
seemed to just disappear into the abyss.
      Adrianna hooked her arm with his, propelling him forward.  "This
way," she informed him in a whisper.  There seemed to be no true reason
to speak softly, except for the fact that a normal or louder tone would
penetrate the surreal darkness.
      They were moving swiftly forward.  Once they hit a chink of
moonlight that partly lit the grounds - Adrianna stopped Kye.  Her eyes
glowed in the faint light.  She allowed her shoulder bag to slip to the
ground and began scrounging around in it.  "I brought along some clothes
for you to go incognito," she said in a hush tone, pulling out random
clothing articles.  "Hope you are a New York Yankees fan," she tossed him
a Yankees hat.
      Familiar with the incognito setup, Kye pulled the cap down tightly
on his head and over his eyes, while prompting the question, "What is all
of this for?"  He felt slightly agitated that Adrianna was leading him on
this wild goose chase without an explanation.
      "You'll see shortly," she attempted to console him and took off
into the darkness - with Kye trudging wearily after her.
      Before long they covered the length of the grounds, putting a good
distant between them and St. Francis academy.  The next time Adrianna
spoke she asked, "You are good climber, right?"  Kye did not need to ask
why, for they had reached the yards end where a stone wall stood.  Sounds
of traffic could be heard on the opposite side.  Adrianna did not allow
Kye to answer, "You go over first, I'll toss over my shoulder bag and
meet you on the other side."
      Kye laughed, but it was the laugh of a man caught unawares by
something funny at a time when he saw nothing to laugh at in the general
situation.  "Adrianna, do you actually understand who I'm the son of?  I
have no doubt in my mind that he has men on duty throughout St. Augustine
keeping an eye on me.  It's not a big deal if I go out during the day -
but I'll end up all over the tabloids the moment people see me scaling a
wall late at night."
      "Which is why you have that cap on," she persisted.
      "A hat barely cuts it.  I need a whole new body in order for me not
to be recognized.  If we want to leave campus - why don't we go out the
regular way instead of playing fugitive?"
      "Curfew is at two.  Gates close at two.  You're either trapped in
or trapped out - unless you know how to climb walls." She explained
hurriedly.  "Just start climbing."  Adrianna was becoming impatient.  A
mutual feeling held between the two of them.
      Deciding that he has done worse things, Kye hitched up his pants,
secured one foot on the base of the wall, reached out with his arms and
pulled himself upwards.  Other than having his foot slip half-way up, the
climb was surprisingly easy and once on the top he made sure there were
no men in suits present and then dropped to the ground.
      "Here comes my bag!" Adrianna called out in a whisper.  Sure enough
seconds later her shoulder bag, which was securely zippered, came soaring
over the wall.  Kye caught it, but stumbled back at its unexpected
weight.  His foot slid off the curve and within moments Kye landed
roughly on the pavement.
      Agile Adrianna on the other hand, nimbly scaled the wall, leapt
over the top and landed squarely on her feet in a crouching position.
"Your bag," Kye groaned.  His hands were scrapped and burned fiercely.
      She took the bag, saying, "Thanks, Kye.  It's not far now."
      Adrianna took what Kye assumed to be a short cut, through an alley
way that cut between the quaint buildings that clutter St. Augustine.
They walked uphill (or what could be considered as uphill in Florida) to
another quaint building - but this one was clearly abandoned and right on
the shores edge.  Sky and sea were indistinguishable.  The waves breaking
spread their white fans far out over the shore, sent white shadows into
the recesses of sonorous caves and then rolled back sighing over the
pebbles.
      Stopping at the front doors of the abandoned building, Adrianna
stole another quick glance around to make absolutely sure they were not
being followed.  But the darkness had washed down streets, eddying round
single figures, engulfing them; blotting out couples clasped under the
showery darkness of palm trees in full summer foliage.  Feeling assured
that they had been protected by the shadows, Adrianna inched the front
door open.
      Motivated by morbid curiosity, Kye stepped inside.  The building
was completely gutted and now stood as just one gigantic room, with floor
to ceiling windows that looked out at the rolling waves.  He had expected
to have to adjust his eyes to the dank darkness, but was relatively
surprised when he noticed a circle of candles burning cordially in the
center of the room, splashing soft yellow and orange lights across the
empty room.
      From the moment Adrianna closed the door behind them - Kye knew
perfectly well that they were not the only ones in the room.  He jumped
slightly at the sound of another voice not belonging to Adrianna.
      "Kye Darryl," a familiar voice said.  From the shadows emerged
James Total.  He was dressed properly in his St. Francis uniform: tie,
button shirt, and good slacks.  Once again, Kye could not help but to
notice the paper-thin scar sliced through his left eyebrow, giving James
the bad-ass appearance.  "I was hoping you would come tonight."
      Kye eyed up the burning candles.  "Could I ask what is going on
tonight?"
      Adrianna left and walked to the opposite side of the room, skirting
the perimeters, while Kye walked with James to the circle of candles.
"To put things simply - we want you to join our society."
      Kye gave him an eyebrow raise to signify surprise.  "For this I
climbed through bushes, went incognito, scaled walls, and risked being
seen by the public?  When we could have just done this at school?"
      "It's a society us first years just recently established.  It means
eternal brotherhood for your time spent at St. Francis."
      "So a Fraternity? With the addition of a few girls," Kye added,
spotting Adrianna and a few other girls watching them.
      James rocked back on his heels, hands rammed into his pockets.
"You don't know much about St. Francis academy, do you?"
      Kye paused, slightly bemused and amused at the same time.  "Should
there be more to know other than the fact that it's a strict school?"
Following his question a few people still hidden by the shadows
sniggered.  James thin lips were curved into a tight, entertained smile.
      "There's a lot to know," James said, still smiling at Kye's
ultranaivete.
      Kye's retort was quick.  "Well, what makes you such an expert?
You're a first year, as well."
      "I spent the summer here."
      James's snappish reply swept by Kye so quickly, it almost blew out
the candle positioned between them.  "Well - I'm sorry - but conformity
isn't my cup of tea," Kye said simply.  "I'll have to think it over."
      "This is your only chance," James called out to Kye's retreating
back.  "If you leave tonight you'll be stuck learning through mistakes -
or through Lucas."
      Kye stopped.  Turned.  "This is really 'do or die' isn't?"
      The tight smile slightly returned to James's face.  "Something like
that."
      Kye looked around, speaking quietly: "James, no offense, but I
barely know you.  And this society thing," he waved a dismissive hand,
"sounds like a bunch of BS."
      "What better way to get to know someone than through a society?"
      After intense contemplation of the allegedly immaculate society,
Kye set aside his predominant wary feelings and prompted the question,
"Say if I do join, hypothetically of course..."
      "Of course," James said in his natural smooth tone.
      "What is the initiation process? I can only assume it has something
to do with these candles - and that table in the middle," said Kye, just
now noticing the rather large mahogany table in the ring."
      James cool blue eyes flickered alive.  Sparkling in the candle
light, like the blue sea sparkling under the sun.  "It's quite simple -
you lay on the table - completely disrobed - and I make two small
incision: one over your right side, the second on the left side of your
rib cage."
      "Simple!" Kye blurted out before thinking. "You're completely mad
if you think I'll let you cut into me!"  His voiced echoed magnificently
around the room.  As far as Kye was concerned no one was getting a hand
on him, even if James was good looking.  For a brief moment Kye was at a
loss of words, finally finding his tongue, he spluttered, "W-whatever
happened to SANE initiation processes - you know - where I sign a paper,
maybe do some godforsaken dare and the be done with it?"
      "This is a different kind of society..."
      "You can say that again!"
      "...for a different kind of school," James continued, pushing aside
his shaggy black hair, as if he had not heard Kye.  James looked over his
shoulder at the others, and, seeing them still eaten by the shadows,
began to unbutton his white shirt.  Once it was completely unbutton, Kye
saw James slim chest outlined by the plain white t-shirt, which James was
now lifting up to expose his chest.
      Kye felt extremely hot under the collar.  James did not have a six
pack - but he had a nicely fit chest, and a quarter of his black Calvin
Klein waistband poked up from above his pants, enough to expose the
"Calvin" part before diving back down out of sight.  But this was clearly
not what James wanted Kye to notice - he was pointing to the marking on
the far right side of his rib cage and on the left side, so that they
were almost on his back but not quite.  One was a moon and the other a
sun.
      Kye looked away and met James's eyes.  "Does it still hurt?"  James
shook his head, no.  "That's a lie," Kye spat, "you winced just now as
you lowered your shirt."
      "It twinges every so often that's all," James replied, buttoning
back up his shirt.  "Listen Kye, don't think I thought this was normal
when I had it done.  Practically slugged the guy who cut into me, but I
have never regret it."
      Shifting uncomfortably, Kye offered an alternative, "What's wrong
with getting a tattoo?"
      "Several unexplainable things."  James left it at that.
      Any intelligent man would have made a dignified retreat, but this
was St. Francis academy lot, where dignity always runs a poor second to
the pleasure of getting in someone's face.
      Kye leaned forward, his chin just over the flame of a candle.  "Cut
me open, huh?"
      "A small carving," James calmly corrected Kye.  "This isn't
surgery."
      With fumbling fingers Kye started to remove his layers of
clothing.  Where "chivalry" entered into this, he thought ruefully, he
was not entirely sure, unless it counted as chivalrous that he was not
running out of here.
      He could hear the constant ebb and flow of the sea, like some
great, slumbering creature as he stripped off.  Despite the warmth of
Florida he shivered, and yet he continued to strip off until at last he
stood there in his snug red boxer briefs, barefoot against the floor.
James had moved to the table, with his back towards Kye, but he still
called out, "Everything, Kye," as if he could see that Kye still stood in
his underwear.  "Nothing comes between the society and you."
      Without bothering to look around - because surely the others were
watching - Kye slipped off out of his boxer briefs and felt a chill run
up his spine.  He wasn't ashamed of his body - having the press hound you
during vacation spots at the beach he had to stay in shape - he just felt
awkward standing completely nude in front of strangers.
      "When you're completely flat on the table - we may proceed," James
said, back still turned towards Kye, who then grudgingly slid up on the
table and laid perfectly straight, staring up at the ceiling.
      James finally turned around.  Not smiling.  Not frowning.  His eyes
did a quick sweep over Kye's body and something was glittering in his
hand.  The other students closed in around the table - undoubtedly
noticing every aspect of Kye's body, whether they wanted to notice or
not.  James coolly drifted up to Kye's right side - and Kye had this
unexplainable urge for James to start touching his nude body - but Kye
remained rigid, his facial expression contorted in anger.
      "You'll feel a slight pinch..." James said, but Kye had already
bolted up, scuttling backward.
      "The fuck!" he yelled - noticing the glimmering thing was a knife.
"Is that sterile!"
      His startled reaction caused James to touch him - he laid a firm
hand on Kye's bare chest, trying to get him back down - but Kye would not
budge, his eyes were glued to the hand holding the knife.  "I assure you
it is sterile," James said.
      "The hell it is," Kye snapped.  "You just pulled it out of your
pocket!"
      "Kye," James said firmly.  "The more you cooperate the faster we
can get this done."
      Anyone could tell just by Kye's bare chest rising up and down
quickly, that he was suddenly panicked.  At that moment a thought dawned
on him, which caused his pulse to quicken, if possible.  "Wait a second,"
he said in alarmed tone, "is this going to end up in the tabloids."
      It didn't take much to turn James tight smile into a tight frown.
"Kye," he said stubbornly.  "If this were the tabloids wouldn't we be
taking pictures?  Now trust me."
      Insanity corrupted Kye's body.  That's the only excuse he could
make for himself as he hesitantly laid back down on the table, gripping
both ends.  He stared up the dark ceiling, breathing heavily.  The sound
of the waves outside seemed to start crashing louder.  And soon inside
his head there was a cacophony of noises: his harsh breathing, the waves
crashing, his internal words yelling for him to get the hell off of the
table, then the breathing, the waves, the words...James fingertips still
on his chest...the waves seemed to be raging...
      Kye could do nothing to prevent it, James had a firm, and yet
gentle hold on him...he dared not look at the knife nearing his body.  He
felt its point penetrate his side and blood seeping down his skin.  It
was excruciating pain.  Kye bit down on his lip to prevent a bellow until
he tasted blood in his mouth.
      Seconds later, James slowly walked around to Kye's other side.
From the pain of the first incision he was unsure if he could tolerate
another carving - but before he could protest James pierced his skin.
      After what seemed to take a few years - but was probably only a
mere few minutes - James backed away from the table, smiling.  Kye slowly
and cautiously sat up, for his sides hurt more than ever.  He examined
both of his markings.  One was a moon and the other a sun, though with
the current blood oozing from the incision the figures looked
indistinguishable.
      "Fucking insane..." Kye muttered, using his finger to wipe up the
blood.  It wasn't until he saw his clothes lying on the floor that he
remembered he was still naked.  But his body was old news to the
spectators in the room - so he did not bother to scramble off the table.
      James was still smiling.  "You belong to us now, Kye, night and
day; you'll have eternal brotherhood and our protection."
      "Protection?  Well what if I don't need your protection?"
      James smile turned into a smirk.  "Trust me - you'll need it."  He
tossed Kye his clothes and exited the room, leaving Kye to not only
bleed, but doubting that he'll ever need anyone's help.