Lunacy- Answers?

Aaron Bilek

I could not contain my excitement. All of my colleagues ridiculed me for even considering taking on this quest, and the knowledge that I was the correct one was enough to keep my spirits up the entire trip home. Not once did I remove the cloak, not that there was any need to. The external temperature, no matter how hot, couldn’t affect the internal temperature, which kept me cool. The curious thing is, that when I asked a few people how I looked in my new attire, all I got was quizzical looks, as if they didn’t notice anything besides my clothes. I didn’t pay too much attention to them and decided to research the cloak some more when I arrive at my apartment. 
I hailed a taxi from the airport and gave him my address. As a test, I inquired about how my cloak looked on me. The driver just smiled and rose the barrier between us. He wouldn’t speak to me the rest of the trip and didn’t stay long enough to accept my fare.I filed the information in my head and made my way up to my home sweet home, apartment 523. Due to the age of the building, every step I took creaked under my weight. I reached my floor and headed to my door. Halfway down the hallway, I heard movement from behind me and wildly spun around. My face flushed with embarrassment when I realized that it was just my elderly neighbor Arty. he flashed a smile and complimented me on my new cape. It was my turn to be quizzical since nobody else seemed to even acknowledge its presence. I told myself I’d talk to him about it later, since now, I was starving. My door yielded easily, and after locking it behind me, I rushed to my kitchen and prepared a feast, for after all those meals I had skipped on my adventure, I had worked up quite an appetite. After consuming most of the food I had stored, I grabbed a final sandwich and sat down at my desk. I opened my aged laptop and considered applicable keywords for a search. After all, my journey wasn’t over with the discovery of my childhood goal, it went much deeper than that. I had to know why.
 Why was the cloak just left there? Why did I create a map during my blackout? The list went on and on. The details of my search online isn’t important, but what I learned was. Long ago, when humans were still in a hunter-gatherer society, an internet conspiracy stated that extraterrestrial beings brought technology and knowledge to the human race in order to further our advancements. once humans had built up enough power however, they wiped out the aliens and stole items of power from them. The humans built secluded shrines to these relics and the shrines were lost through time and war.
 Now, I’m not one to follow silly stories written by silly people, but when I read this one, I had a gut feeling that this was the closest thing that I would find to the truth. I wanted to venture further, however the pocket of my jeans spontaneously burst into flame. I ran into my shower and hopped in whilst turning on the cold water. The flames subsided, but the searing heat remained in place. After about ten minutes of residing underneath my shower fully clothed, the heat dissipated. I limped back over to my desk. Suddenly, I remembered what I had stored in my jeans pocket. I shoved my hand inside to see if I could find any remnants of the map that resided there. 
Expecting the worst, I found a paper fragment. Except it wasn’t just a fragment. The entire map was still intact somehow.  I was baffled. Even more baffling was that once the map was unfolded, it was an entirely different map than what was once there. instead of a chart ringed with symbols, this version of the “map” featured a list of what I soon translated to be coordinates. I sat in stunned silence at yet another miracle until there was a knock at my door. Shaking my head, but still in disbelief, I rose and headed towards the doorway. I peered through the lens to the hallway, but it was void of any life
 After I opened the door and confirmed my suspicions, I turned around, ready to go back from whence I came. Fortunately, I was looking at the floor, for if I wasn’t, I would have missed the white envelope resting there. I picked it up and my heart skipped a beat when I saw that the language written on the envelope was identical to the language on the map. I opened it warily and pulled the note out of its case. The note boasted the same language as the envelope and the map, so I sat down and translated another shock of a lifetime.

    Mack-
        It’s time you knew. After all, you have claimed your first artifact and I feel the
    ground shudder as the wheels you have set in motion roll. That cloak of yours, yes I
    can see it, triggered a countdown once it was removed from its resting place. This
    countdown ticks down to the release of an evil beast, one held captive by the magic of
    all items similar to your cloak. The only way to defeat this beast now is to collect and
    master the rest of the items. Your map should show you the way. I’ve kept an eye on you
    since your childhood, and I made sure that that map was ingrained into your life. The
    blackout was an unfortunate side effect of the bonding process, but it worked in my
    favor. You, and you alone, have been chosen to access the knowledge of the stars and
    unite the items to destroy the beast. Best of luck, we’re all counting on you.
                       
                                -Artemis “Arty” O’ryan

A countdown? My map? The beast? This answered many questions, but left many more in its wake. I sighed and re-packed my bags, for this was a journey that needed all the time I could give it. The only was I could figure out more was through experience. And boy, this journey, and epic journey, that will last throughout the ages, well, it’s just beginning.

Lunacy -The Conveance Cloak

 Aaron Bilek

Immediately, I tried the bolt, but to no avail. After examining the bolt, I concluded that it must have rusted shut. I reasoned that if the trapdoor was old enough to have a rusted bolt, it must have rotting boards as well. I searched my pack for a hammer I had brought with me and extracted it for my pending act of vandalism. Bringing the hammer up for the full-on assault at my goal, I noticed some strange symbology on my intended target. Paying it no mind, I smashed my hammer into the theoretically decaying wood. A crash could be heard throughout the orchard and flocks of birds were sent flying away. Before the impact I had closed my eyes. Now, upon opening them I could see no damage whatsoever on the trapdoor. My hammer, however, featured a broken head. I was too desperate and so close to give up on my life’s goal completely. Pacing back and forth, reconsidering my approach, my eyes fell again on the strange symbology I had noticed earlier. With a much calmer mind, I set about examining these runes. Pulling out my map, a comparison could be noticed. In fact, the markings on the trapdoor matched the symbols on the map exactly. I read aloud my interpretation of these markings, and was granted instant gratification. With a long, loud squeak, the trapdoor opened, revealing a pitch black hole with a ladder propped up on one side. I threw a stone inside to determine the depth of such a seemingly endless hole, but unfortunately, I could not hear any collision from below. Turns out the thing WAS endless. At that point, I had half a mind to ditch this project and get away from this dark anomaly. In fact, I started doing just that. But then I noticed night had begun to fall, and in the countryside, I could easily see the beginnings of a beautifully starry canvas. If I had left at any other time of day, my adventure would be over, and I might have had a normal life. But I didn’t, and my sense of determination returned to me, bringing bravery and courage along with it. I strapped me bag over my back and with flashlight in mouth,  began the descent. Periodically, the inside of the shaft was searched by my flashlight, never finding anything of importance. I continued down, never losing my resolve, never once thinking about returning. However, minutes of climbing turned into hours and my muscles became fatigued. Hours passed by until finally I reached the point where I physically could not go any further. Hooking an arm around the ladder for assistance, I took the dying flashlight out of my sore jaw and looked around one last time. Nothing new, my ladder extending infinitely above and below me, surrounded by bare, grey walls. I was about to return the flashlight to my mouth, but exhaustion reached me first. My last thoughts were of the beautiful night sky I had seen countless times. Then, I fell.

***

I landed with a hard thump. After taking a second to regain my breath, I realized that I was on a moving platform. With a shudder and groan, it slowly transported me to a doorway which blended into the surrounding walls. The door recessed and revealed an Egyptian-esque entrance to a tomb. My residing platform tipped forward and I stumbled into the awaiting hallway. My escape from falling until I died astounded me, but I had more pressing matters on my mind. I took a step forward, exploring the passage, when suddenly, with a resounding thud, the recessed door closed again. Turning back around, I noticed my path was illuminated by sandstone basins containing fire, but there was no obvious signs of fuel or smoke. Although this intrigued me deeply, I ventured down the path instead to expose more of this secret site. My journey seemed to be longer than it actually was,due to my tiredness. However, I made it. I entered a room similar to appearance as the hallway leading to it, just larger and containing a black coffin at the center. After my excitement faded, I explored the chamber. Without finding anything noteworthy, I turned my attention to the box in the center. I felt the smooth surface of the box and could not find any means of opening it. Before giving up, I remembered the words I had spoken to gain entrance to the endless hole. Once the words were said, the tomb yielded its secrets to me as quickly as the trapdoor and I eagerly pushed the lid aside. Inside was the most beautiful garment I have ever seen. It was a cloak, possessing an alluring and captivating presence that only the night sky has been able to replicate. It came to my mind that this cloak was indeed the night sky, but I pushed the silly idea out of my head. The cloak came out of its resting place and ended up upon my shoulders. The tomb rumbled and my thoughts raced to escape. Suddenly, the cloak engulfed me in its dark essence. There was a slight movement under my feet, but my panic engulfed any other observations. Just as quickly as it covered me, however, the cloak unfurled itself to reveal that I now stood atop the entrance trapdoor. I passed out for the final time, looking at the starry skies. I woke up around midday and tried to replicate the abilities that had allowed me safe passage from the tomb. No such luck. Planning on exploring more in depth later, I set out on my way home. If only I knew that that day was the first of many, with more challenges and prizes than I could ever imagine.

New Strike Series- Lunacy

Aaron Bilek

As I lay here on my deathbed, rather than letting my bold adventures and stories die, I confine them to the pages of this book. I can write indefinitely, thanks to my nearly infinite spring of memories.

    Starting life on June 12th in the year 1954 named Mack Creb Adden, I was already considered strange. Not strange in a bad way, for when I was birthed there was a significant lack of crying in the hospital room. Growing up, I continually exhibited abnormal, but benign behaviour. I always ate my vegetables, went to bed on time and never complained about anything. When it came to school, my grades consisted of straight A’s and the only calls that were made home about my behaviour were those praising it.

The only really strange thing about me that could not be attributed to good behaviour was my extreme obsession with the moon and stars. I could be found atop my roof for hours on end, gazing at the brilliant luminescence of each point on the night sky. My interest of the heavens increased daily, until I was twelve years old, watching TV when my obsession increased tenfold. Imagine my excitement when I heard Kennedy’s announcement that man shall reach the moon within ten years.

Every night since then, if I was not stargazing, I was watching television for updates on the “Space Race”. Then, they did it. On July 20th, 1969, man reached the moon. I remember distinctly being crouched in front of our television set with mom and pop perched on the loveseat behind me. The lunar lander came in on its final descent. The hiss of the door exposed the men inside to the darkness surrounding them. Braving their fear, my new heroes took their first step on the moon. Unfortunately, I don’t remember much after that because I blacked out the instant that astronaut’s foot came in contact with the lunar dust.

I woke up the next day in a hospital bed, my mom asleep on a sofa, my dad crouched over me in prayer. I moved weakly, but it was enough to catch his attention. My dad cried tears of joy, hugged me all over and roused my mother from her sleep. She gave me a similar treatment. They explained to me that I suddenly fell over while watching the moon landing. When they rushed over to help me, I sat back up just as fast, claiming to need “a pad of paper and a pencil”. My parents thought nothing of it when I left the room. However, when I did not return within a half an hour, they became concerned and headed to my room to check on me. That’s when they called an ambulance after finding my body keeled over on top of my desk, unresponsive to outside influences. Once done with their story, a doctor was called in to look at my miraculous recovery from a comatose state.

I was released after three days of recovery. Once home I was regrettably confined to my room, for fear that outside sources could trigger another coma, this one more permanent. Tired of lying down and sleeping, I make a sport out of crumpled pieces of paper and my waste basket. I went through a notebook fairly fast, and went on a prowl for a new projectile source. My eyes fell on a pad of paper on my desk and I eagerly snatched it up to use for sport. However, when I analyzed the top page, I forgot about paper balls.Instead, I realized that this is what I must have done after I blacked out. This project utterly perplexed me because the symbols surrounding the main chart were unlike any I’ve ever seen.

My surrounding friends and family, if asked, would say that they noticed a distinctive change in my personality over the next year I turned from a free-thinking kid into a one-tasked machine. I did only what was necessary to decipher this chart, going to professionals, getting scans of the paper, even going as far as to seeking the help of psychics. Every result from my research came as a negative. But this would not deter me from my goal. As an exceptionally bright, albeit not social, student, I was given generous scholarships to colleges of my choice. I ended up pursuing degrees of cryptography and ancient languages to further my understanding of my one-minded goal.

When I reached the age of twenty-eight, sixteen years after the chart incident, I came to a breakthrough. By combining Roman numerals with ancient cuneiform to form symbols matching those written on the chart. By comparing the symbols to the symbols on the chart, I was able to decipher the chart to English. However, upon decoding, I realized that it wasn’t just a chart, but a map.

A map pointing straight to the heart of Old Jack’s Apple Orchard, on that was situated not five miles from the house where I grew up. I packed my bags and took the first flight to my hometown. I could barely contain my excitement to have finally decoded my lifelong obsession. After getting permission from Old Jack himself, I oriented to the exact location on the map. Using the natural landmarks outlined by the map, I made quick progress. Upon arriving, my hopes were shattered. Nothing. My life’s work. Nothing. Not so much as a sign stood where the map pointed. The only thing here was a decaying pile of leaves. I laid down to better cope with my loss.

A loud thump could be heard when my head hit the pile of leaves I was planning to use for a pillow. Using my bare hands, I cleared the pile away from my new glimmer of hope. In the absence of leaves, a bolted trapdoor exposed itself to the afternoon light; and to a man about to uncover secrets that have the potential to destroy the world.