The Box by Brian Harmon Read Free Book Online Page A

“Yeah. I think so.”
    “If you decide you want to come along, that’s fine. I’ve got two flashlights. Otherwise, I’m fine solo too.”
    Brandy looked at him without speaking. Something stirred in her eyes, something he did not quite understand, but thought was a struggle. A part of her wanted to go, he could tell, she wasn’t really trying very hard to talk him out of it, after all, but it was only a small part of her. He hadn’t expected her to go, and why should she? Look at her. She was a beautiful young woman. He did not very well picture her crawling through dirty tunnels.
    “No pressure,” he promised.
    She said nothing more about the matter, and when class was over, she quickly gathered her things and left ahead of him.
    Albert was disappointed. It would have been nice to have her along. It would have been sort of like a date, although a terribly unromantic one. He stuffed his books into his backpack, taking his time, and started home.
    He’d done his best to invite Brandy on this adventure. He’d wanted her company, to spend some time alone with her. He had hoped that they would be able to get to know each other a little better. But it was also the right thing to do. He felt that whatever was down there belonged as much to her as to him, and he would not have wanted her to set off into the tunnels without him . And if she was right about the dangers, then at least someone would know where he’d gone if he didn’t make it back.
    Besides, he’d already known that she would likely refuse the offer. He’d already resigned himself to proceeding without her. This was why it came as such a surprise when he found Brandy waiting for him outside the main doors, a cigarette in one hand, the other clinging to the strap of her bag. Her hair whipped across her face in the breeze and she squinted against the bright sunlight. She didn’t look at him, but rather out at the sprawling campus around them.
    “I just know I’m going to regret this,” she said.

Chapter 6
    They met on the back steps of Juggers Hall. Some research had revealed to Albert that this was the business building up until the construction of the new Craw Building a few years earlier. Now it was the music building.
    Albert arrived first, dressed in blue jeans and a long sleeve shirt and wearing his bulky, green backpack. It was a little chilly, but he chose to leave his jacket at home. He counted on being out of the wind and doing a lot of walking. Brandy arrived shortly after, dressed in jeans, tennis shoes and a dark blue sweatshirt. Her purse was slung over one shoulder. It wasn’t as sexy as the dress she’d been wearing that afternoon, but she was no less lovely.
    Albert had told her to meet him here at midnight. From here they would slip into the service tunnel by way of the entrance he’d found. Even on a Monday night, there would be people out at all hours on a university campus, but he counted on the traffic being light by midnight. It would have been safer to wait until after two or three, but then they ran some risk of surfacing in the morning when traffic on the sidewalk would be terrible. The university would not take well to students walking around in their steam tunnels. It was likely a major violation.
    The area was deserted. Two girls passed by just after Albert first arrived, but he’d seen no one since. There was no traffic to worry about. There were no roads within sight and from here all the buildings stood with their backs to them. No lights shined in any windows, the custodians either at work elsewhere in the buildings or, more likely, finished for the night. Luck was with them.
    “Well,” announced Brandy, not sure what to say. “I’m here.”
    “Yes you are.” Albert was looking around, checking again for anyone who might have crept near enough to see them, but the area was still deserted. It was almost eerie in its still silence. During the day this area bustled with foot traffic almost continuously.
    “So