Book of the Underground

Chapter 1

Loud and heavy rock music was blaring through the stereo system as Charlie James parked his old Dodge Charger at East River High School.

He turned the engine off and stepped out of the vehicle. Junior year man, he said aloud to his best friend, Will Alexander, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

Charlie usually hated school with a passion, but for some reason he had a good feeling about the year ahead of him.

Will stepped out of the car. Yeah, this year is going to be great, he said as he closed the door and looked up at the building in front of them.

Unlike Charlie, Will didn’t ever seem to have a problem with school. Even though he got beat up a lot.

Charlie observed his surroundings. Teenagers were practically flooding the outside of the building. Multiple cars filled the parking lot. It was sunny out and it was a perfect day for another year.

An announcement came over the loudspeaker. Welcome back for another year of East River High. People cheered, including Will.

A nice-looking Camaro then pulled up to the school, loud rap music playing. It was Charlie’s biggest enemy. Greg Thomsen. Well, maybe not his biggest enemy. Little did he know there were much worse enemies yet to come.

Hey girls, check out my new ride! yelled out the big guy named Greg from across the parking lot in his Camaro.

Greg was one of those guys who wore a white tank top, blue jeans, sunglasses, and a backwards hat. His parents were also very rich and he was always spoiled. That’s how he got the car.

Greg showed off the engine of his Camaro. Girls surrounded him. Charlie and Will both turned and looked over at him in disgust. And that’s when he noticed them.

Hey, look who it is, it’s Charlie the Creep and his Little Willy! he said out loud. It was almost expected. For some reason most people thought it was okay to laugh.

Will about ready went to go at Greg with his fists, but Charlie held him back. Greg just laughed.

To make matters worse, a guy on a bike unexpectedly swerved out of their way, coming at them at quick speed. The guy on the bike, almost nearly hitting Will, changed his direction and ended up crashing into a nearby dumpster.

Ooh, that has to hurt, commented Charlie.

Ouch, I’m so sorry-

Ha-ha, did Little Willy almost get hit by a bike? teased Greg. Or did the Creep scare him off?

Charlie completely understood why people thought of him as a creep. It was probably because he didn’t talk a lot in school and he listened to a lot of what people would consider as the devil’s music. He had short dyed-black hair and was always wearing black T- shirts with his favorite metal bands displayed across them.

Will was pretty much the same way, only more talkative and no matter how good of a friend he was, he was kind of annoying.

No matter how much he wanted to hit Greg, Charlie thought of the last time he and Will tried to fight Greg he threw just one punch at him and was then surrounded by his whole gang after school. It was two against a whole gang. Not a fair fight. Plus Will couldn’t fight worth crap.

The two were soon in their desks for their first-hour class of their eleventh grade year at East River High. Their English teacher, Mrs. Guanty, wasn’t the nicest lady. She was one of those really strict teachers in her mid-50’s. She wore glasses, polka-dot dresses, had a really pointy nose, and she kinda looked like a donkey.

Welcome to English 11. I am your English teacher, Mrs. Guanty, the teacher said aloud to the class.

A few people snickered. A nerdy guy sat there at his desk in the back playing a hand-held video-game, not paying attention to the teacher. A few teen girls stared at her from the middle of the room in disgust, blowing bubblegum. Jocks were discussing the tryouts for the new football team. A smart girl was ready to pen down notes. And a rocker-looking goth chick wearing a pentagram necklace was drawing something in a black notebook. She appeared to be drawing her own name, Starr.

The goth girl eyed Will, who was sitting only a couple of desks away. She has had a crush on him for the last two years.

Will looked up and made contact with Starr then turned away awkwardly.

An elder woman’s cough was then heard as Mrs. Guanty wrote her name across the board. This year we’re going to study fictional literature, she told the class.

Mrs. Guanty went on and on about requiring every student to pick out a fiction book for class.

The rest of the day went by pretty slow. Teachers gave their long introductions to the class because it was the first day. Every class was the same routine, which included looking over the classroom policies and listening to a few jokes from the teachers here and there.

Eventually the day was over though. The bell rang to dismiss the students and Charlie and Will were soon at their lockers.

What you got going on tonight, man? asked Charlie.

Not a lot. But we’ve got to pick up our books from the library for English.

She said nonfiction, right? Charlie joked.

Will laughed.

A second later the laughter ended as Greg Thomsen’s fist slammed into the locker where Will was standing, just barely missing him.

Charlie quickly moved Will out of the way. Greg and his gang surrounded the two.

Greg, what’s your problem? questioned Charlie.

I heard your little buddy here has been hitting on my girl.

Said who?! responded Will.

Becca? responded Charlie.

Becca was one of those really attractive teenage girls. She had fine brown hair and bright blue eyes, and a beautiful smile. But what in the world was she doing with Greg?

I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I ain’t hittin on your girl, Greg, replied Will.

Well, if I hear anything again, you’ll be sorry, you hear?

Will swallowed his breath.

Charlie just rolled his eyes. Come on, bro, he told his best friend.

Greg and his gang then walked off down the school hallway.

A few minutes later, Charlie and Will were nearing Charlie’s car.

So, is it true? asked Charlie.

Is what true? questioned Will as he was caught staring off at Greg’s girl Becca in the distance, who was hopping into her boyfriend’s car as they drove away.

You’ve got a thing for Becca?

Yeah bro, he replied with honesty.

Charlie laughed. Man, can I be completely honest with you? Friend to friend?

What?

You’re way out of her league, man.

Will looked down in disappointment. It’s all good.

A short while later, Charlie and Will had arrived at East River Cemetery. Charlie had a job to do for his mother which was to set roses on his father’s grave...

Charlie didn’t remember much about his father. The only memory he had of his father was when he was only about three years old... a strange sort of evil seemed to have gotten into him. He remembered a fight between his parents... and then his father had tried to drown him. His cause of death is still yet unknown.

Will just stared as Charlie set the roses down next to his father’s grave marked Joseph Henry James. Everything was silent.

What happened to you? questioned Charlie aloud, as if his father could somehow hear him. But he may never find out the truth about his father.

After a few seconds of thought, he couldn’t bear to look at the grave anymore.

Let’s go, Will.

The two headed back to the car.

A man in a black trench coat watched from the distance....

Charlie and Will’s next stop was the town library. A big statue of a lion stood in front of the entrance. An old well stood near the side of the building, in the shadows of the trees surrounding it.

That’s the well that’s supposed to be haunted, told Will, pointing it out. Twenty years ago a group of teens were said to have gone into the well late one night, and the security guard never saw them come back out.

It’s just a story, Will.

He parked his car along the curb and they got out. As they walked up to the entrance of the library, Charlie eyed the old well. Is it really haunted? He then stared up at the big statue of the lion as he walked in. The thing was eerie in a way.

Inside, Charlie began following Will around the shelves of the library as he looked for a book for his English class. So what are we looking for? he asked.

A fiction book, replied Will.

Oh yeah. How lame.

Chillax, man.

They were shortly in the horror section of the library. Charlie pulled out a random book.

Here we go, Land of the Dead.

I hate zombies, replied Will.

Well, what do you have in mind?

I’m thinking something classic. Like Dracula or Frankenstein.

Creature from the Black Lagoon?

Nah.

Charlie began to pull a random book off the shelf next to him. As he did, another book fell with it in unison. Damn, he whispered.

He reached down and picked up the other book. As he put it back he noticed in the back of the shelf where the other two books were was a thick black bug.

The bug began to crawl downward to the shelf right below.

He decided to follow the bug, moving the books out of the way where the bug seemed to stop next to a thick dusty book hidden in the back of the shelf, out of place. On the side of the book were strange symbols.

The bug disappeared mysteriously, and Charlie decided to pull out the thick brown book from the back of the shelf.

This looks interesting, he said aloud.

In his hands was an almost evil-looking book. It appeared to be made out of some sort of strange animal skin or something that was stitched together in several different places. There was no picture on the cover other than a bunch of strange black symbols along the edges.

Charlie opened the book to the first page, a really old page, which displayed the title. He read the title aloud…. Book of the Underground.

Chapter 2

Charlie continued to stare down at the Book of the Underground resting in his hands.

Will seemed to have noticed. What is that?

I don’t know yet.

As he was about to page through the book, Charlie felt an eerie vibe around him. He opened it up to the center of the book to discover a picture of some sort of slender sloth-like creature with gray skin and a hunched back. Underneath the picture was a paragraph of strange writing in some weird other language.

He stared at the page with the creature for a few seconds, then someone called his name. Charlie.

Charlie closed the book and looked up. It was Lauren Summers, one of the preppiest girls in their school. She was tall and blonde with blue eyes.

Um, hey there, Lauren, replied Charlie, quickly hiding the Book of the Underground behind his back.

Will turned away to leave them alone. Have fun.

I believe we have the same hour for English, said Lauren.

Yeah, that’s cool, replied Charlie nervously. You sit in the back of the class, right?

Front actually, she replied, giggling a bit.

Oh. My bad.

Well, what I came to ask you is, well, I’m having a party on my birthday on the 25th, would you like to come?

That would be great.

You can invite Will too if you like, she told him. Here, let me give you my number. She then pulled out a piece of notebook paper and a pen.

She tried using the side of the shelf next to them for a writing surface. I can’t write worth crap on this book shelf, it’s falling apart, she whispered.

Here, Charlie insisted, pulling out the Book of the Underground.

Much better, she said. She quickly penned down her number.

Charlie penned down his too, and they split the piece of notebook paper in half. That’s when she noticed...

What’s that? Lauren questioned.

Oh, um, it’s some kind of old book I found, replied Charlie. I’m gonna need it for English.

That’s weird, she responded, admiring the book. Kinda ugly, too. She opened it up to the back of the front cover.

I don’t even think this belongs to the library. There’s no bar code or anything on it. Not even a date.

Well that’s strange, isn’t it?

Hmm… well it looks like it’s yours now.

Ha. Cool, I guess. So what are your plans for tonight?

I’ve got to coach the swim team.

Oh.

Out of nowhere, Will poked his head through one of the book shelves next to where the two were standing, surprising them. So what’s this about? he asked.

Charlie ignored him. Hey, well it’s been nice talking to you, but I told my mother I’d be home before dinner.

Oh, well isn’t that sweet of you, replied Lauren teasingly.

Ha, well, I’ve got a sister I’ve got to look out for.

I see.

Alright, well, see you later then.

See you in class tomorrow.

Charlie and Will were soon in the car again. Heavy rock music was blaring through the stereo as they rode through town.

Will reached over and grabbed the Book of the Underground from the back seat. How in the world are you supposed to read this thing? he questioned, opening it up to a strange page with some sort of bright red portal that almost resembled a black hole and weird writing underneath.

He turned the page, and a zombie-like figure appeared to be drawn out on the next one.

Okay, I really hate zombies, he commented, closing the book. Really man, you’ve gotta check that thing out. I don’t know how you’re going to write a 1- page essay on it. He threw the book into the back seat.

They soon arrived at Will’s house to drop him off.

Later, said Will.

See you tomorrow, bro.

And Charlie was set on his way home.

Charlie parked his car in front of his house, a big old white house on a hill in the countryside of town.

As soon as he was inside, he sat down in his bedroom on his bedside. Snack wrappers and empty pop cans were all over the place. Charlie really liked to pig out on food first thing when he arrived back at home. On every wall in his room were posters of random metal bands. He was a true headbanger.

He set his schoolbag down on his bed then put in a CD by his favorite local metal band, Decimate the Masses. He played the second track off the album, It’s Only A Nightmare.

He set down the CD case. The album cover displayed a design of the band’s faces as skeletons.

Charlie rocked out for a bit then remembered about the book.

The Book of the Underground was laying on the edge of his bed, face down. It had fallen out of his bag.

He picked it up and examined the cover again. It was such an odd book.

A second later a little girl with short brown hair, a blue shirt and a sundress entered his room. It was his little sister, Tara James.

Unlike Charlie, Tara was adopted.

She appeared to be holding a black cat in her arms. Charlie, I found him, can we keep him?! she asked in joy.

Charlie closed the book and looked over to where she stood there in the doorway. Where did you find that, Tara?

Outside.

We’ll have to talk to Mom about it, but now’s not the time to bother me, okay? I’ve got homework to do, and I’d like some privacy please.

Disappointed, Tara left the room with the cat, a sad look on her face. Charlie disliked cats.

A call then came in on Charlie’s cell phone. He answered it. Hello?

Charlie?

Hey, Mom.

His mother Sharon was on her way home from work.

Hey, just calling to let you know that I’m off work early so I’ll be home in a minute.

Okay.

I’ll need some help bringing the groceries in.

Okay, Mom, I’ll be outside.

Charlie walked outside to see his mother Sharon pulling up in a mini-van. She parked her vehicle next to Charlie’s old Dodge Charger and got out.

Hey, how was work? asked Charlie.

How was school? she replied, ignoring his question and asking her own.

I asked you first, how was work?

It was fine.

Fine? questioned Charlie as his mother handed him a couple grocery bags.

So how was school? she asked again, laughing.

Pretty lame, I guess. Didn’t learn anything much. Just the first day, you know.

I see. When we get inside could you do me a favor and do the dishes, please?

Charlie knew he didn’t want to, but he respects his mother. Okay, Mom, he replied.

Oh, and stack the wood for the fireplace?

Alright.

Out of nowhere, Tara ran up to her mother with the cat she found. Mommy, look what I found! she said out loud in excitement, holding the black cat in her arms.

Charlie stared at it again in disgust as it made a creepy hiss noise and Sharon couldn’t make up her mind after that. Her eyes just went wide and then she finally gave in.

Fine, Sweetie, she said. But it stays outside, okay?

"But I want to keep him in