The Mountain - VI

VI.

                Lana had one drink and listened as Carol harped on about her current man. Carol always had one man or another on the hook buying her gifts or dinners or giving her sex. Lana wasn’t fascinated at all by the conversation and tried to tune her out. The bar they were in was playing some old music, jazz and blues, that caught Lana’s ear. The sound of a weeping saxophone gave her pause and sent a chill up her spine. Lamentation in the form of music reminded her of her youth, and how she stole away in her small house hearing her father’s records play as she read alone. She could escape and the music facilitated that journey but Carol was keen on keeping her companions attention.

                “Lana,” Carol snapped her fingers, “are you listening?”

                “Yeah, sorry.” Lana blinked and the world’s noises came back in a rush almost drowning out the sax. Then there was a balance and she was back in the chair holding her sweating glass.

                “So what do you know about this University?”

                “Hmm?” Lana was confused. Carol never asked about work.

                “Miskatonic, what do you know about it?”

                “Not much. You really want to talk about work?”

                “I’m just curious, what do you know?”

                Lana raised an eyebrow but acquiesced.

                “Just some faint recollections. I know that it’s defunct, otherwise we wouldn’t have its materials. Other than that I don’t know much. I was planning on doing that research tonight but…” Lana motioned around her and to Carol who sipped at her drink not blinking.

                “So you don’t know much?”

                “Like I said just faint things. It does seem familiar like I should know more, or that I’ve heard something about it. What do you know?”

                Carol’s gaze was fierce.

                “Not much. But I know it’s pretty shady. Some creepy things happened at that school. probably why it was closed and the contents dispersed.” Carol said in an uncharacteristically serious tone.

                “You’re acting strange.” Lana commented.

                Carol leaned in closer.

                “See that guy over there? Don’t look too quickly, at the bar five seats away.”

                Lana froze and her eyes grew wide.

                “Pretend to laugh and look.”

                Lana nodded and forced a laugh spinning her head around. At the bar she saw a man sipping a drink looking in their direction.

                “He’s been looking at us the whole time.”

                “So? He’s probably looking at you.”

                Carol shook her head slowly.

                “He’s been looking at you.”

                “Why me?”

                Carol shrugged and downed her drink.

                “Can we leave?” Lana whispered.

                “Are you scared?” Carol chortled.

                “I’m just not interested. I want to get back to work.” Lana pushed her drink away.

                “I wanted to get another round.”

                “Well I’m leaving, see you later.” Lana said putting her scarf on. She stood from her chair and threw a few bills on the bar then made her way to the door. Before she could make it a hand was thrust out before her and she stopped in her tracks. Her heart was pounding out of her chest. The man who had apparently been looking at her was impeding her from leaving.

                “I have a question.” The man said.

                “I’m not interested.” Lana said stammering.

                “What do you know about Miskatonic?” the man asked his eyes were piercing. Lana’s heart skipped a beat.

                “No…nothing. Now excuse me, I’m trying to leave.” Lana said attempting to step aside. The man stood and blocked her. He was wearing a trim black suit and nearly blended into the darkness of the bar. He adjusted his collar and she saw a tattoo on his hand but it was faded.

                “Let me walk you out, there are dangerous people afoot.”

                “No thank you.” Lana looked back to see if Carol was still at their table but she was gone. She felt completely alone in the crowded bar.

                “Don’t go snooping too far.” The man whispered.

                “What?”

                With that Carol appeared behind her ushering her out back into the street, the man stayed behind but his gaze never left them as they retreated.

                “He was gorgeous. Did you give him your number?” Carol asked giggling.

                “No! I hope I never see that man again.”

                “Want to come over? Have a girl’s night in?”

                Lana was taken aback, she was never invited over for a ‘night in’.

                “No, I’m going home to my cat.”

                “Oh you’re no fun.”

                “I’ve had enough ‘fun’ for one night. I’ll see you later Carol.”

                “Be safe honey.” Carol called out as Lana made her way down the street towards the bus stop. Luckily it wasn’t too late and the buses were still running. The wind picked up and sent a chill up Lana’s legs. She liked winter for the view, when there was snow on everything, she hated it for the cold. Standing in the lamplight from the bus stop she played over the interaction in the bar. Men never confronted her, ever. She wasn’t a beauty she knew that but for him to ask about that school. Had he been eaves dropping? How would he know about that?

                She pulled her collar tighter as the bus rounded the corner. Next to her approached another person but she gave them no credence until she saw his hands. The same tattoo but this one was more prominent. She looked up at the man’s face. He was stern and sinister but said nothing. Lana turned on her heel and started to walk away as the bus came to a stop. She felt compelled to not get on the bus with the man but felt stupid after a few steps realizing that walking away into the darkness was the worse of the two options. The man followed behind her without a word.

                Lana picked up her pace but heard the man follow suit. She started to panic. Why would someone be following me? she thought as the bus trundled away into the night. She was blocks away from home and had no idea what to do. She could feel the man getting closer and closer closing the gap between them as he advanced. He didn’t’ say a word then she heard a grunt. She spun around to see the man who had been following her yanked into the darkness of an alleyway. A scuffle ensued, a bang like he was being thrown against a trash can then silence. A few moments later the man from the bar emerged straightening his jacket.

                “You should get home.” The man said.

                Lana was speechless.

                “Lana!” Carol said running up the sidewalk breezing past the man without a glance.

                “What?” Lana said confused.

                “You missed the bus stop silly. Come on, you shouldn’t be walking alone.” Carol wrapped her arm around Lana’s and led her away back towards the bus stop. When she looked she could barely make out the man laying unconscious in the alley obscured by shadows. The man from the bar was gone and Lana’s heart was going a mile a minute.

                What is going on? Lana thought. She tried to calm herself down but didn’t feel safe until she was back in her small apartment. She left Carol on the bus and practically ran inside almost tripping over her cat Hank. The big orange lump of fur meowed long and loud at her.

                “I’m sorry Hank, it’s been quite a night.” She said petting the long hair and lifting her up to her face. The fat cat purred and leapt from her arms heading for her food bowl. Lana indulged the cat by giving her a little extra in her bowl then sat down in her lounge chair going over the events of the night.

                “What’s so special about this Miskatonic?” Lana said rubbing her temples. She had a lot of work to do tomorrow.

                Upon entering the storage room she found Tatiana working the desk. Lana was astonished to never see more than one of her coworkers in at one time. It was always herself and one other. Either Meredith, Carol, or Tatiana. She wondered if they took it in shifts and just gave the others the day off. It didn’t really bother her much but Tatiana was the worst to work with. They were both of Polish descent and probably would have been friends in the old country or under other circumstances but Tatiana, being from a more prestigious family, owners of some money and influence back home that fled before the war,  had a stuck up air about her. She was the most upset about the job they had. She also did the least amount of work. She didn’t even answer the phone when it rang. Tatiana had told Lana once that she was simply bidding her time, and putting in her hours so she could transfer. Beyond that she was a useless do nothing. Normally that wouldn’t bother Lana, she didn’t need the help, but Tatiana wouldn’t shut up when someone was around. And she’d grow furious if she wasn’t responded too. Owing to her upbringing and getting what she wanted at all times, being jilted and thrown to the storage room left a chip on her shoulder and she took it out most on Lana.

                “A call came this morning.”

                “Oh?” Lana looked over Tatiana surprised she answered the phone.

                Tatiana noticed her face and commented.

                “No one else was here so I had to answer it. Couldn’t stand those damn bells ringing.”

                “Who was it? What did they want?”

                “Someone from Theology calling about a requisition. Do you know about it?”

                “Yes, are they upset?”

                “No, sounds as if they had forgotten about it themselves until now. Here’s the slip.” Tatiana pushed forward scrap of paper with crude scribblings but Lana could make out Miskatonic and Necronomicon.

                “What is this?” Lana asked pointing at the last word.

                Tatiana shrugged.

                “A book I suppose. Just find it.” Tatiana shooed her away and spun in her chair flipping through a magazine.

                Lana obliged and skulked away into the racks. She thought back to the first conversation on the phone and she didn’t remember them asking for a specific book. Lana wondered if Tatiana had spoken to the same person or someone else. The men that followed her in the night crossed her mind but she dismissed it just as quickly. Even if the man at the bar had overheard her he wouldn’t know where she worked or know to call. She brushed it off and went deeper and deeper into the theology wing to seek out the transfer documents from almost twenty years ago. She had her work cut out for her. She flicked on the desk light and pulled down the first box of records.

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