//------------------------------// // Chapter 2 // Story: Through the Gate // by ScoundrelRaincharger //------------------------------// Chapter 2 Trina burst into her apartment in a huff. “What could it mean?!?” She threw her book bag onto her desk, the contents spilling everywhere. Trina pulled the envelope from her jacket pocket and tried to calm herself. “Maybe Spence was right… Maybe it was just a prank…” She drew the note from its paper sheath and observed it intently. Finally, exhausted, she flopped onto her bed, exhausted, and held the note above her head. It was then, as the paper caught the light, she noticed something that she hadn’t before. “What’s this?” Trina wondered to herself. It was fairly simple, yet quite elaborate in design. Two alicorns encircled a sun and a moon with a banner-like unfurled scroll beneath which read simply: “Per Sol et Luna” ‘By the Sun and Moon, huh?’ Trina thought, “That’s strange…” Looks of weary perplexity were exchanged for those of excited promise. “That’s it!” she yelled as she jumped around the room for a few moments. Without hesitation Trina ran to her computer and started her investigation. For hours she franticly searched making sure not to leave a single stone unturned. She became frustrated to the point of anger, and finally, she slouched in her desk chair and gave up, exhausted. “Urrgh! I can’t believe it! Not a single thing on the phrase ‘per sol et luna’ or anything on this symbol!!!” She placed her face in her hands in exasperation. “How am I ever going to figure out what this means when there’s nothing out there?!? It’s starting to look more and more like what Spence said… but then again, who would go to such lengths as to put a water mark on a prank note?!? There’s got to be more to this.” She sat there in silence for a few minutes when suddenly the thought came to her, and she chuckled. “Why didn’t I think of that before?” She asked as she rose from her chair and stretched. “It looks like it’s time to visit the Library. There’s got to be something on this symbol there!” And so, Trina cleaned herself up, grabbed her book-bag, and left for the Library. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Trina searched the archives deep within the bowels of the local library. The room was a very dim place with flickering fluorescent lighting, a place only a dedicated researcher or student would dare tread. After wearily searching for around an hour, she finally found what she was searching for. “There it is! The symbol!” she exclaimed as she pulled the file from its spot among the archives. The file was as thick as a book with a picture of the same alicorns and banner that Trina had seen on the note. “I can’t believe it! I finally found it!” A slight tikka-tak noise could barely be heard over Trina’s exuberant cheering. The lights went black. Trina was jolted from her jubilations, “I-is someone there” she asked, hoping that the lights simply went out from loss of power. Only the same tikka-tak noise was the response. “Hello? I know there has to be someone down here. I can hear you.” She was truly beginning to feel frightened now. It was as if Trina’s worst nightmare had come to fruition right in front of her, for in response, a monstrous, threatening shadowy apparition of a face appeared from within the darkness. The demon’s eyes glowed pure blood-red as it opened its mouth and released a blood-curdling roar that could have been heard for miles. Trina found herself unable to move, and then, it lunged at her. “OH MY GOD!” Trina yelled before screaming and running out of the room at full tilt, right through the apparition itself. Trina continued running straight out of the front door of the library, still screaming and panting, meeting confused and somewhat frightened stares of others as she went. And who would she happen to see meandering by? Her assistant, Spencer. “SPENCER!” Trina yelled. Spencer turned at the sound of his name. “Wha—?” He was interrupted by a panicked Trina, who was unable to stop from her dead sprint, tackling him. “Ow! What was that for?” Spencer asked from the ground, rubbing his head. As he rose, a chaotic jumble of words burst forth from Trina’s mouth. “Spence! *huff* library… *huff* file... *huff* found… *huff* gone! *huff*” “Trina, slow down. What happened?” Trina caught her breath, breathed in deeply and began again. “I was just in the library archives looking for some information on that note I got the other da—“ “You mean that prank?” Spencer interrupted. “It’s not a prank! But anyway, I was researching and found a file on a school—“ “And why were you searching for a file on a school?” “Because I found a watermark in the note!” Trina pulled the note from the envelope and held it up to the light. “See?!?” “Nope.” “Really? Right there.” She pointed. “Still not seein’ it.” “You’ve got to be kidding me…” Off in the distance Dash happened to notice Spencer and Trina’s squabble, but mainly, she notices Spencer. ‘Hmmm…’ Dash thought, ‘That guy arguing with that nerd is hot.’ And with a sly grin, Dash snuck up behind the two and proceeded to grab Spence by the shoulder in a flirtatious manner. “Hey there stud. What’s hangin’?” Spencer nearly jumped out of his skin. “Wha- What?!?” Spence stuttered. “You heard me. What’s goin’ on? What’s a guy like you hangin’ around with a girl like this?” she motioned to Trina who at this moment had a stern yet shocked look on her face. “What do you mean ‘girl like this?!?’ Who are you to come over and interrupt our conversation?” steamed Trina. “Whoa! Who are you?” Dash asked, and after a moment she said, “OH! You must be this stud’s girlfriend!” She then looked to Spencer and said, “You can do better.” Trina and Spencer both sort of blushed at this comment, because, it’s not like they hadn’t both thought of that possibility before. Spencer recovered first to hurriedly say, “Oh no! No! We’re not together!” To which Dash responded, “Ohh, so what you’re saying is you’re single.” Trina, finally recovered from that fairly personal comment, said, “You know, we were having an important conversation before you so rudely interrupted, and I’d like to finish it if you would butt-out!” “Well excuse me! Wouldn’t want to get in the way of you getting nowhere with this good lookin’ dude.” Dash winked at Spence. Trina, getting more and more flustered by Dash’s personal comments retorted, trying not to trip over her own words. “I’m not trying to get anywhere with Spence! I’m trying to show him the letter I received from Professor Charmichael, whoever that is, the other day isn’t a prank!” Throughout this intense moment, Trina was waving the letter around in the air, and, taking advantage of this, Dash snatched it from Trina’s hand. “Huh. ‘I can help you.’” Dash read aloud while she held the letter up to the sun, just out of the reach of Trina who was trying to snatch the letter back. A sudden look of realization crossed Dash’s face. “Hey! I recognize this!” she said. A look of surprise appeared on Trina’s face, she couldn’t believe this stranger like this would know anything of a seemingly prestigious institution like that represented by the note. “You do?!?” “Yeah, I could never forget it! It’s the crest of my old school.” “WHAT?!?” “Mmhmm. Yeah, but I’ve never heard of a Professor Charmichael or anything. Might’ve been before my time.” “This is GREAT! You have to come back to my place!” “Whoa! Hey, I’m not into that sorta thing sweetie. Besides, I don’t even know you.” “Oh. Right,” the implication passing right over her head, “I’m Trina, and this ‘handsome stud’ is my assistant Spencer.” “Ahh, so that’s your name. Alright, I guess I don’t have any plans, as long as you’re coming along.” Dash shot a flirtatious look at Spence, who blushed. “Oh yeah. He’s coming.” Said Trina. “Bu—, I was sort of on my way to—“ Spence tried to sputter out. “Alright then, let’s go!” Trina excitedly said. And with that, Trina and Dash hurried off towards Trina’s apartment dragging a reluctant Spencer behind them.