Deep Into That Darkness Peering- Part Six by: Enemyoffun Ryan Roth is a college freshman with a good life. He has a great girlfriend, a good best friend and seems to be starting his college career off on the right start. But something dark and dangerous comes into his life and things go from bad to worse.

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Author's Note: Sorry for the massive delay but I've had a real busy week. Ch. 6 is a transition chapter so don't expect much from it. I'd like to thank djkauf for the editing and Freya for the continued use of the Allens. I'd also like to thank DC Comics for the characters.

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Chapter Six:

I found myself walking in that dark hall again. This time I was one hundred percent certain it was a dream. Not only that, but the dream from before came back to me in full detail. It was like I had much more clarity here than in the waking world. How messed up was that? As I walked, I wasn’t as freaked out as I was before. I knew where this hall led and I knew what was at the end of it. The only question was why. It had been pretty clear last time that I wanted nothing to do with that Thing behind the door. It was dark and twisted and had admitted to killing Katie. There was nothing it had that could convince me to let it out. As I walked, I was flooded with memories of our earlier encounter. The closer I got to the door, the more I wanted to turn around and run the other way.

I shook my head. I didn’t want to see. I didn’t want anything to do with it. I turned away and started to run. The desert dissolved around me. I ran until I couldn’t run anymore then I collapsed. I fell on my side from exhaustion and cried. I closed my eyes and willed myself to wake up.

When I woke up, I half expected to be in the desert for real. I was genuinely surprised to open my eyes and find myself in a nice comfortable bed. It took me a few seconds to figure out where I was though. I’m used to waking up every morning and nearly hitting my head on the ceiling. It was a very nice surprise to not have the ceiling a foot or so away. It was also nice to sleep on a mattress that didn’t feel like a damn rock. When I sat up and the blanket gently slid off my body, I looked down and saw my new friends waiting for me. I sighed, almost forgetting the pair of interlopers on my chest. I say almost because it was made painfully clear last night when I woke up and had to sleep on my back. I hated sleeping on my back and was never going to get used to that.

I sat in bed for the longest time, trying to think things through. This time I seemed to remember everything about my dream. I had one of those awful tastes in my mouth because I almost slipped up again. I knew that Thing behind the door was evil and yet once again I almost let it go. This time it was even harder to resist her. I don’t really know how to describe the feeling. It was like she was inside my head, trying to force my hand to unlock that door. What’s worse, now she had leverage? She had the necklace and I wanted that more than anything. How she got it, I don’t know but I just knew she was going to keep on trying to use it to get what she wanted. I just had to figure out a way to outsmart and outlast her. Easier said than done I suppose.

A knock on the door broke me from my thoughts. It was followed a few seconds later by Iris’ voice: “Rachel, honey, are you awake yet?”

“Yeah” I said, not really sure, of the statement but at least I was sitting up.

“I have a fresh set of clothes for you here and a towel in case you want to use the shower.”

I smiled. A shower sounded good right about now. I thanked her and then slipped out of bed. By the time I got to the door and opened it, she was gone. The clothes and the towel were sitting on a little end table near the door. I grabbed the bundle and made my way down the hall. The bathroom was the next door over, wide open. I slipped inside and shut the door. I dropped the bundle in the corner and went to the mirror to splash water in my face. I froze at my reflection. I got a good look at myself last night in the second hand shop but I looked different somehow. I was still the same pale girl with long black hair as before but I looked more girly if that was possible. I also bore a striking resemblance to the little girl from the ring---plus a couple of years. I’m glad I at least looked eighteen like before. I couldn’t imagine changing into a girl and looking like a twelve-year or something.

After staring in the mirror, I used the toilet. That was definitely different and something I was never going to get used too.

I stripped off after that and went in the shower. I tried my hardest not to pay attention to my new body as I soaped myself up. Instead, I closed my eyes and let the soothing water caress me. It felt nice actually. I always liked showers because they were a good place to think. Unfortunately, for me I could only think about one thing: Katie. Her face kept popping into my head and no matter how much I tried; I couldn’t stop myself from crying. It wasn’t until I opened my eyes that I released I was no longer standing. I was in the back of the shower with my knees pulled up to my chest and my arms wrapped around them. The water pounded off my head and shoulders, streaming down my face to mix with my tears. It was more painful now than it was yesterday. It was a hole that was never going to be filled and right then and there, I vowed never to do so. No one was ever going to be able to fill the void that Katie left in my life. Not that I could even think about that now but I made a promise that I wasn’t even going to try. Katie was my life---my soul mate---and no one would replace her.

I finally managed to get myself together. I wiped away the tears and finished up. When I climbed out of the shower, I grabbed the towel and wrapped it around my waist. I started for the door when I realized that some things were showing. I cursed and redid the towel, this time wrapping it around my chest. I was never going to get used to this. After securing the towel, I grabbed the clothes and opened the door. As soon as I did, I nearly walked right into a tall, brown haired man. I looked up and blushed. I couldn’t help it. I bit my lip and looked away. Then looked back at him. It was clear that it was Uncle Barry. I’d only met him once and only briefly. It’s kinda funny because the first time I never noticed how cute he was or how much he looked like Bart. I groaned. I did not just think a guy was cute?

“I’m sorry Miss,” he said quickly, adverting his gaze. “I didn’t realize there was anyone in here.”

I shook my head. “My fault” I said, hugging the clothes to my body and slipping by.

I was halfway down the hall when I felt something. I stopped and turned around. He was still standing in the bathroom door, looking at me. When I looked at him, I felt something familiar. I’m not sure how to place it but it was just like the feeling I got off Barbara last night. He didn’t have any color though. Instead, his body had this green glow about it, like an outline. I stared intently, wondering it could be. I stood there and stared at him for the longest time. He stood and stared, too. I didn’t stop staring until he disappeared into the bath, closing the door slowly behind him.

I walked back to my room, confused. Why was he green like that? I thought about it as I closed the door behind me and walked to the bed. I dropped the towel. Then I sat on the edge of the bed for a while, thinking about what just happened. There was something about him, something that didn’t quite add up. I couldn’t quite place it but I knew it was there. I thought about it for a couple of minutes before I dried the rest of myself off and got dressed. They weren’t my clothes: it was a new shirt and shorts. They were my bra and panties though or rather the others I got yesterday. The other clothes must have belonged to Barbara. After dressing I wrapped my hair in the towel like Katie used to do and left the room.

I was halfway down the hall when I smelled the bacon. My mouth watered as I tried to remember the last time I’d actually had a home cooked meal. The food in the dorm’s private dining area was OK but one could only eat so many breakfast burritos. When I got into the kitchen, Uncle Barry and Aunt Iris were sitting at the table. Absent were Bart and Barbara. But there was a setting at the table for me, which made me smile. I walked to it slowly, not taking my eyes off Barry and his green glow. I sat down and Iris put some pancakes and bacon on my plate. She was watching me stare at her husband. I assume he told her about our encounter outside the bathroom.

“Rachel” said Iris as she sat back down. “This is my husband Barry, Bart’s uncle.”

I smiled. Then he spoke. “Sorry about earlier. Iris told me you two were staying but I expected you to sleep in like my good for nothing nephew.”

I smirked. “I’m not lazy like him. Bart sleeps in when he’s not practicing or going to class.”

Their eyebrows went up. I cursed. Now it sounded like I spent my mornings with him. Which was true but I was seeing it as no big deal because we were roommates. But I was sure they were seeing it as a guy and a girl spending the night together. I cursed my stupidity. I’m definitely never going to get used to this girl thing.

I quickly recovered. “Bart’s roommate likes to blabber a lot. We have a couple of classes together.”

They gave each other a nod but a knowing smile. I gritted my teeth. It was clear they didn’t believe me. So I decided to change the topic. “So where’s Barbara this morning?”

This time the two of them looked really awkward. I stared at Barry and though the green color didn’t change, I got this strange feeling from him. He was worried and nervous like he had something to hide. This time I raised an eyebrow.

Iris shot her husband a glance before quickly answering. “She had to get back to the dorm. She has an early class.”

That kinda took me by surprise. “She’s in college?”

Iris nodded. “She’s in her first year of Graduate school actually.”

“At ASU?”

Barry nodded. “My old alma mater of course, she wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I turned to Iris. “Is that where you went to school too?”

She shook her head. “I went to the University of Arizona.”

“Then why would she be going to Barry’s old school. Wouldn’t she want to follow her aunt and not her aunt’s husband?”

The two of them quickly looked at each other. I still felt nervousness from Barry but he was still green. Iris on the other hand was both nervous and changing color rapidly. There were too many colors to keep track actually. I looked from one to the other. There was definitely something strange going on here. They knew it too. While Iris looked a bit frantic, Barry kept staring at me. This time I got nervous. Why was he looking at me like that? We stared at one another for the longest time, neither of us saying a word. A few minutes later, he picked up his fork and started into his pancakes. I did the same just so I didn’t look so out of place. As the two of us ate, it was like we were competing to see who could eat the most normally. I think I was succeeding because he was eating pretty fast. Iris got more nervous, sending him glances. I studied her face. It was clear that she was afraid something was going to happen. For a moment, she was a bit yellow but then it quickly changed to an orange color. Barry was still outlined in green but I could get a nervous vibe off him.

Finally, we finished eating. Iris got up quickly, too quickly, though. She jostled the table. As soon as she did so, her coffee mug fell. One second it was falling and the next it wasn’t. It happened so fast that I nearly missed it. I’m not sure how I saw it. But Barry moved quick, too quick for a human. It was less than a blink. The cup was falling and a second later was back on the table. I stared at the cup and then looked up at him. Iris didn’t seem to notice a thing. I’m not sure how I noticed. But I looked from the cup to him and back to the cup again. He looked at the cup and then at me. His eyes opened wide for a second as if my seeing what he did was a shock.

“Nothing happened,” he said as if to deflate the situation.

I nodded as if to agree with him but said. “Yes it did.”

Barry and Iris shared a nervous look.

He cleared his throat. “What did you see exactly?”

“I’m not sure really. It was only like a second but I could swear the cup fell off the table and then it was back up. Like a blink and you miss it moment.”

Iris’ eyes opened wide as she stared at her husband. Barry stared at me for a few seconds then sighed heavily.”If I show you something will you promise me not to tell Bart?”

I nodded.

He sighed and raised his hand. There was a ring there I didn’t notice before, it had a strange green glow to it. He reached down and pulled it off his finger. As soon as he did, he disappeared. Ok so he didn’t really disappear but it was like he shimmered then faded away. The green outline was gone in a second and Barry was no more. In his place was Barbara, sitting in his chair with a big frown. I stared wide-eyed and speechless. Iris dropped numbly back into her chair. It was clear she knew what was going on. The look on Barbara’s face was a mixture of fear and relief. Me, I was dumbstruck. Somehow, Barry and Barbara were one in the same.

“So” I finally said after several minutes of staring.”Which one of you isn’t real?”

Barbara sighed. Iris reached over and took his hand. Then she spoke. “They’re both real honey except Barbara isn’t Barry anymore. You see there was an accident and well Barry turned into her. She’s what you might call a…”

“A Meta” I said and the two of them nodded.

I was completely floored. But something clicked in my head. I remembered reading about that girl from Houston, the one called Terra. She was a guy before she transformed. Then there was Booster Gold. She had been a big college football star before she transformed into the beautiful Myka Carter. I remember because Bart still had a hard time believing that one. In fact, he had a huge poster of her in a blue and yellow bikini on our dorm wall. Both of them had been guys before. It just never occurred to me that that seemed to be the norm. Another something clicked in my head. I guess it was always in the back of my mind but it never really came to the forefront until now. But it explained a lot, hell it explained almost everything.

I gasped. “Oh crap.”

Iris looked at Barbara who smiled. Barbara cleared her throat. “You’re Bart’s roommate aren’t you? The actor we met a few months ago?”

I nodded. Iris leaned forward took my hand gently. “It’s OK sweetheart, you’re not the first one we’ve met.”

That kinda floored me. How many others were there out there?

Barbara frowned at me. Something else clicked in my mind and I pulled my hand out from underneath Iris. I jumped to my feet, nearly knocking the table over. I just remembered what Bart’s uncle did for a living. Oh shit he works for the cops. I didn’t even take a breath as I turned and bolted out of the room. As much as I liked these people there was no way that, he could overlook the fact that I might be a murderer and that I escaped from police custody. I thought I got a pretty good head start as I bolted through the kitchen and made my way to the front door. But in a blink of an eye, Barbara was standing in front of it, shaking her head.

I skidded to a halt and cursed. How in the hell? Then it occurred to me how she was able to catch that cup. She wasn’t just any Meta, she was Phoenix’s Meta, she was the Flash. There was definitely no way I was going to outrun her. I felt a feeling of dread overwhelm me and I stumbled backwards. My emotions overwhelmed me, making me dizzy and lightheaded. I dropped to the ground, burying my head in my hands. I broke down; I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I felt arms wrap around me and pull me close. I thought maybe it was Barbara but I realized the embrace was much more warm and comforting. It had to Iris. She held me a long time and I cried on her shoulder. It was like being held by my mother and it made me feel safe.

She held me a long time. I cried for even longer. I’m not sure what made me stop but when I did, I turned my head back toward the front door. Barbara was still standing there as if she was expecting me to run again. I suppose I could but I knew there was no way I’d outrun her. I suppose if I wanted to I could have used my Mind Trick power on them but I didn’t. I liked these people. They helped me. They took Bart and me in and didn’t ask any questions. Now looking at Barbara standing there, giving me a stern look I knew there was no way I could avoid the questions.

I wiped my eyes and my cheeks. I took a deep breath and stared her down. “I didn’t kill Katie.”

For the longest time she just stared at me. She gave me this narrow-eyed look. Her color was red and I could read the distrust off her. Even if she had me cornered, she still couldn’t trust me. But not Iris. When she spoke, it was with a reassuring tone.

“Of course you didn’t kill anyone sweetheart,” she said, shooting her “husband” a look. She helped me to my feet and led me over to the couch. “Why don’t you sit here and tell us all about it.”

I sighed as I sat with my head on her lap. I took a deep breath and let it all out. I told the two of them everything, not leaving out a thing. OK, maybe one thing. I left out the dreams. I didn’t know what to make of them. I knew that they were somehow telling the future but I was afraid Barbara would think I was somehow involved. It was clear that she didn’t trust me and I didn’t want to give her any more fuel for the fire. So leaving out that little tidbit, I told them everything that happened, everything since finding that horrible necklace. Iris cried a little with me when I told her about Katie and finding her like that.

When I was done, she wrapped me in the tightest hug possible.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t honest before” I said, “I was scared.” I cast a glance at Barbara who was still standing like a sentry by the door.
“I was scared she’d try to arrest me.”

Iris frowned. “She’s not going to arrest you sweetheart” She stroked my hair. “Though I think it might be best if the two of you go down to the station together and explain things.”

I shook my head. “I’m not going back there.”

Barbara sighed, finally walking over to us. “It wouldn’t make much of a difference anyway.” She sat in the chair across from us, sitting with her legs apart like a guy. Iris cast her an evil glance and she quickly pressed them shut.

“What happened?” I asked, tearing up again.

She sighed. “Nothing bad. In fact it’s something very good” She smiled weakly. “The coroner came back with the results last night. Your girlfriend’s death was ruled a suicide. There were some doubts of course but in the end all her wounds were self inflicted.”

I nodded numbly. But that still didn’t get over the fact that I killed her. Not intentionally of course but I still made her do it.

Iris seemed to be a mind reader. “You did no such thing.”

She hugged me again. I looked over at Barbara over her shoulder. It was clear that she didn’t think so. She kept giving me this look like I was made of something truly evil. I knew that look all too well. It was the same one that I was sure I gave to the Thing behind the door.

Iris spoke to her husband. “Barbara, is there any way we can convince the police to stop looking for Ryan?”

She nodded. “If we can convince the authorities that she’s a new Meta and that she didn’t know about her powers then maybe it will get her off the hook.”

“My powers?”

She rolled her eyes. “Clearly you’re some kind of teleporter. How else do you explain disappearing from the holding cell and ending up in the middle of the desert?”

I hadn’t really thought about it. But it made perfect sense. Not only did I “teleport” there. But I also did the same thing when I went from the desert to the pizza place. But there was something else too. It wasn’t just the teleporting; it was this other thing too. The mind tricks and the way I was able to tell what other people were feeling. Was it possible for Metas to have more than one power? I wanted to ask her but I was afraid of what they might think. So I kept my mouth shut and let the two of them keep on thinking I was a teleporter.

Barbara stood up after that. She reached into her pocket and slipped on the ring. As soon as she did so, there was a shimmer and Barry was back again. “His” body was surrounded by that funky green outline again. He sat back down and quickly explained what he wanted to do. Iris held my hand then he got up to go retrieve his kit. While he was off into the other room, there was a noise from the hallway. We all turned as Bart came stumbling down. We’d completely forgotten about him actually. I looked at the couch and realized there was no pillow or blanket.

“I let him sleep in the other spare room, explaining that Barbara wasn’t spending the night,” Iris whispered quickly.

Bart walked into the living dressed in a t-shirt and boxers. He scratched his butt and dropped into the chair Barbara vacated a few minutes before. I couldn’t help but smirk at him when I thought about his hitting on his own uncle last night. Now I knew why Barbara had felt so uncomfortable.

“So I miss anything ladies?” he asked with a yawn.

Iris and I looked at each and couldn’t help but break out into laughter.

Author’s note: As I’m sure all of you know, comments are life blood to an author. I’m not begging or demanding, but I certainly would appreciate anything you have to say (or ask). It doesn’t have to be long and involved, just give me your reaction to the story. Thanks in advance...EOF