Last Words

~Knock knock knock~

“Just a minute!”

Who could this possibly be?

Crossing the room I peered through the peep hole; the sight of a courier greeting me. Opening the door, my face clearly perplexed, “Can I help you?”

Without missing a beat, the gentleman turned a small electronic pad towards me.

“Could you please sign here sir?”

Pushing the pen into my hand he fumbled with the small case under his arm.

Why is he uncuffing it from his wrist? Where is he even from?

In a confused daze I attempted to question him.

“I’m sorry but I wasn’t expecting anything …”

“Is your name Damien Langston?” cutting me off before I could continue.

“Yes?” I responded rather on guard.

“Then this is for you.”

Barely finishing the signature, the pad it was yanked from my grasp and replaced with a small silver case; the cuffs still dangling from its handle. Handing me the keys the courier bowed solemnly before heading off.

“This was the dying wish of Professor Drissen. Thank you for accepting. Good luck.”

Taking off he jetted down the hall and out my apartment building.

Professor Drissen? Professor Drissen? Who was that?

Closing the door, I locked it before returning to my recliner, dropping the case on the nearby coffee table. I could only imagine what was inside. The name continued to haunt me for a few minutes before I reached for my cell phone. Searching emails and contacts one name popped up. Professor Rigel Drissen, Geneticist and Biophysicist at LaRoe University, a prestigious school located here in Larton where I currently worked as a janitor.

Why would Doc Dris want me to have something though? Especially something that needed to be handcuffed to the courier.

My eyes wandered to the case, mind racing. The last time I had seen the Professor was a year ago. He mentioned that he’d be back in touch, but he never reached back out. At the time I was nothing more than a lab rat to him. I had seen a flyer in the common area about them needing participants for a trial. Since I needed some extra cash I decided why not, couldn’t hurt. Upon leaving I remembered him telling me that there was something special that came up in the results for me, but he’d need some time to fully analyze it before moving forward. Within a month he disappeared, no one knew where he went.

Fumbling the keys in my hands I continued to mull over the situation and the cases contents.

Screw it! Nothing ventured…nothing gained.

Leaning forward I shoved the key into the lock. Twisting it ever so slightly, I half expected it to hiss more than the clicking response of the two latches releasing. Opening the case, I allowed the lid to fall back onto the table. Filled with a red composite foam, a little black book sat neatly packaged within; the foam perfectly cut to fit its exact shape and depth. On top a white envelope with my name greeted me.

This is some kinda creepy. And here I thought my Saturday morning was going to be uneventful.

Not one to postpone the inevitable I opened it only to find the following message.

“Greetings Damien,

I’m sorry I couldn’t reach you under better circumstances. I’m sure you were made aware of my departure from LaRoe University last year. Whatever you heard do not believe. Thanks to my discoveries from your “participation” my team and I were able to finally achieve a perfected process. The genetic recombination of human and animal or plant DNA! It is quite astounding really. However, there are those who want use it for less than positive means. You are my last hope. Within you I left the last key; a genetic marker that we were only able to cultivate with your gene sample. I apologize for not alerting you to this before but as recompense I have left you with this black book. M. L. Skine believed in the power of handwritten expression. He believed it was an essential expression of human civility and power. An act that could unleash the human genius, foster its development, and ultimately be used to share that same knowledge. With this in mind, I leave to you the notebook containing the notes I took during your experimentation. You may have yet to realize the true value of the being which is you, but I…I hope you enjoy what is to come. I will reach out to you again soon, but until then please take the $20,000 within as a token of my gratitude.

Yours,

Professor Rigel Drissen

P.S. The pages where the money resides. Please take heed to the notes. Once the money is removed, the message will only remain for 1 hour. And Damien, be careful. “

I reread the letter over and over; almost a half dozen times trying to understand the hidden meanings behind his words.

What does he mean by unleash the human genius? Genetic recombination? Who should I be careful of? Wait, I thought he was dead?

Dropping the letter to the table I rose. Way too much for my mind, I went to the kitchen for a drink. The biting taste on my tongue numbed the initial edge of the words my mind now feverishly attempted to dissect. Pacing the kitchen clearly was getting me nowhere. Crossing back to my seat I now reached for the book. Black leather bound with a single snap latch, I ran my hand over its binding. The initials M. L. Skine engraved along it tormented my mind.

How do I know that name?

Popping the latch, the first page read.

“To attain the highest sights, one must complete the hardest quests. Taming the beast within, guarantees final victory. This first $1,000 brings your hardest test. Give this to an individual named Tafari Manchi. This must be done by the end of the day or forfeit the rights to a glorious future. This message will erase one hour from its initial reading.”

WHAT?!?!?

Thoughts now clicked by at lightspeed.

Who was Tefari Manchi? How was I supposed to find him? What if they were on the other side of the planet? What if I just took al the money and said screw this? Who would be the wiser? And what did they mean by the message would erase.

A small chuckle turned into roaring laughter as I sat there thinking about all the old spy movies where the pages would explode after they received their message. Pulling my phone out I took a picture of the page.

“This is 5098, we can keep anything as long as we want.”

Turning the page, a crisp set of $100 bills were nestled and locked in place by a small built-in envelope. Opening the binding I removed them, counting each bill as I went.

To heck with it, I’m going to splurge. I’ll just pull all of the money out and throw the book away.

Moving past the envelope the page read, “Day Two.” But continuing to flip there was nothing left in the book. Each page as blank as the last. No more envelopes, no more crisp $100 bills, nothing. Turning the book upside down I attempted to fan the pages, seeing if maybe something would fall out, to no avail.

What the heck, I thought he said $20,000 was in here?

Setting the book aside I ran my hand over the inside of the case it had arrived in. Sensing no hidden compartments or missed funds, I again sat back in my seat. My eyes wandering from the book, to the letter, to the picture still sitting on my phones screen, and back again. Shaking my head in an attempt to rattle some perspective I stood closing the book and case before heading towards my room.

I’m gonna just go out tonight. Have a few drinks, clear my head. There’s no way I’ll find that Tefani guy…or whatever his name was.

Gingerly taking my time, I pulled out a few outfits, hopped in the shower and turned on some music. The entire time I could not get the thoughts of the book out of my mind. The letter and the message in the black book repeated over and over. Stepping out the shower, I ran my hand through nonexistent hair.

“Ugh, that was definitely needed.”

~BEEP BEEP BEEP….BEEP BEEP BEEP~

What is that sound? Why is there a fire alarm….?

Almost slipping on the towel draped from my waist I burst from the bathroom to find the living room and kitchen filled with smoke.

I never turned the stove on! What the hell is causing the smoke?!

The plumes generated were coming from the book. Opening my patio door, I tossed it outside. The cover flopping to the ground, revealed the ink burning from the page. A soft purple smoke pouring from them. Fanning the rest of the cloud outside, I eventually returned to find every word that had been written was gone. The page clean as the day it was purchased, the envelope I had removed the cash from missing, as though it were never there. Walking back inside, I placed the book back on the coffee table. Coughing a little from the lingering ambiance, I grabbed my phone looking at the time and rereading the message one more time.

Good thing I took that picture. Can’t believe it actually disappeared after an hour.

Reading it, my eyes had to adjust. The farther down I got, the more the words above it faded. It was as if the words never existed. Within 5 min of the books cleansing, the picture also had become a blank page. Cautiously I reached for the $1,000 on the table, counting it again.

Well its all here, so at least that as real. What the hell is going on around here?

Unfathomably confused, I went back to getting dressed. A drink was definitely needed, that and some fresh air. Coughing from the remaining gasses, my mind was made up.

A nearby club was having a poetry slam before the night’s festivities started, so I decided to head over.

” Hey Barry what time you starting?”

Barry was the club manager and promoter; nothing got past him.

“You’re right on time, we’re just about to get goin.”

Shaking hands, I headed in to see were they had set up the stage.

“You ok D? You’re not looking too hot. Something on your mind?”

Still rattled by the days events I shrugged him off.

“Yea, I’m good I’m good. Just a long week, you know?”

Nodding his understanding he pointed out a seat for me while the announcer began the opening deliberations.

“Tonight, we have some Poetic Royalty in the house, hailing all the way from Atrizius the lovely Madame Manchi.”

My mind immediately froze.

Manchi…nooo. That has to be a coincidence. There’s no way.

“Thank you all for having me. I’d like to start off with a piece I wrote called, Flower.”

The sound of her voice lilted over the crowd mesmerizing everyone in attendance. Her stance powerful and sultry gripped the very fibers of my soul as her words crept into my veins. Her locks swayed with her movements, speaking love and life into each and everyone of us. When she left the stage there wasn’t a body seated as the applause thundered. Turning I reached to get the bartenders attention.

“Excuse me, Angie. Can I get a tequila on the rocks with a splash of lime juice?”

“Make that 2.”

The goddess who had just graced the stage was now beside me. Leaning back, I allowed her some room to slide in.

“You’re Madame Manchi?”

The near stutter in my voice must have been cute because a slight giggle was elicited.

“Yes, but just call me Tafari. Sooo…How’d you like the piece?”