Standing in the Past
The Call
‘It’s way too early.’ Collin thought as he groaned at the incessant beeping beside his bed. Cracking his vivid blue eyes open, he looked up at the ceiling above him. It was yet another day. Glancing over at his clock, he saw he only had a half hour to get ready and out the door if he wanted to get to his class on time. With another groan he pushed the sheets away from his body and got up.
After taking a shower and doing other necessary duties in the bathroom, he quickly pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans and a plaid, blue shirt. Still feeling the warmth of the shower, Collin rolled up the sleeves. Taking another glance at his clock, he noted he had ten minutes before he had to be out of the apartment. Choosing to use the time to grab a quick breakfast, he went to the refrigerator, only to find that the milk was gone as well as the left over pizza from the night before.
“Leave some food for once, dude.” He said into the air. Shaking his head, he closed the refrigerator door. Not finding food because of his roommate was a usual occurrence. He’d talked to Marcus about it in times past, but it was sufficient to say that the conversations had gone in one ear and out the other. Marcus wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but it was safe to say that he was one of Collin’s closest friends, which left Collin to just deal with all his quirks and quirks the man did have.
Figuring that he wasn’t going to get to eat this morning, he just went over to where his bag of books sat. Then a slow smile crept over his lightly freckled face. Closing his eyes and focusing, he felt a familiar tightening around his navel. When he opened his eyes again, the apartment was dark and he could hear the snores of his roommate coming from one of the bedrooms. Moving slowly and quietly, he made his way to the refrigerator and opened the door. This time there was food. He grabbed the last two slices, then froze and closed the door when a sound came from the direction of his own room.
Crouching down, so that he could remain unseen, hoping beyond hope that his own self wasn’t making a sleep walk visit to the kitchen, he watched as he made his way to the bathroom. Letting out a silent sigh of relief, he pulled his pen out of the pocket of his shirt. Quietly taking a piece of paper from the message pad beside their phone, he wrote a message by the light of the moon.
‘Don’t eat the food, you’ll die young
Sincerely,
The Boogeyman’
Turning to look at the bathroom, he was satisfied when he saw the door still closed. Opening the door to the refrigerator, he placed the note in the empty pizza box and tried not to laugh at his own actions. As he closed the door, Colling closed his eyes. After five seconds he opened them, to find himself still in the kitchen, just this time the sun was once again shining in through the window.
“Maybe now he’ll learn.” He pulled his bag over his shoulder and took a bite out of the pizza he’d brought with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Collin pulled his 2008 black Toyota Camry into a parking spot in front of Arps Hall, the building meant mostly for education majors. Since choosing his major back in his freshman year he had spent a majority of his time in Arps Hall. Really most of the people he spent his time with were education majors, it was a little pathetic.
The chorus notes of Breaking Benjamin’s “So Cold” resonated from his pocket. Stopping in front of the doors to the building, he took his phone out of his pocket. Without bothering to see who was calling, he flipped it open.
“Hello.”
“Collin O’Brien?” the voice on the other questioned.
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“My name’s Jonathan Wilson. I’m a professor in Ohio State’s physics department. My colleague and I would like to speak with you at the earliest date possible.” Physics department? He couldn’t understand why anyone there would want to speak with him. He was in the education program, early childhood to be exact. It had nothing to do with physics and he’d already taken all the required sciences.
“What’s this about?”
“We’ll tell you when you get here.” He guessed it wouldn’t hurt.
“Would Friday at 6:00 work?” his last class ended at 5:30.
“Perfect, we’ll see you then. Smith Laboratory, room 112.” The call was lost then. Collin looked at his phone, a little confused, but shrugged it off. He was late for class.
After taking a shower and doing other necessary duties in the bathroom, he quickly pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans and a plaid, blue shirt. Still feeling the warmth of the shower, Collin rolled up the sleeves. Taking another glance at his clock, he noted he had ten minutes before he had to be out of the apartment. Choosing to use the time to grab a quick breakfast, he went to the refrigerator, only to find that the milk was gone as well as the left over pizza from the night before.
“Leave some food for once, dude.” He said into the air. Shaking his head, he closed the refrigerator door. Not finding food because of his roommate was a usual occurrence. He’d talked to Marcus about it in times past, but it was sufficient to say that the conversations had gone in one ear and out the other. Marcus wasn’t the brightest bulb in the box, but it was safe to say that he was one of Collin’s closest friends, which left Collin to just deal with all his quirks and quirks the man did have.
Figuring that he wasn’t going to get to eat this morning, he just went over to where his bag of books sat. Then a slow smile crept over his lightly freckled face. Closing his eyes and focusing, he felt a familiar tightening around his navel. When he opened his eyes again, the apartment was dark and he could hear the snores of his roommate coming from one of the bedrooms. Moving slowly and quietly, he made his way to the refrigerator and opened the door. This time there was food. He grabbed the last two slices, then froze and closed the door when a sound came from the direction of his own room.
Crouching down, so that he could remain unseen, hoping beyond hope that his own self wasn’t making a sleep walk visit to the kitchen, he watched as he made his way to the bathroom. Letting out a silent sigh of relief, he pulled his pen out of the pocket of his shirt. Quietly taking a piece of paper from the message pad beside their phone, he wrote a message by the light of the moon.
‘Don’t eat the food, you’ll die young
Sincerely,
The Boogeyman’
Turning to look at the bathroom, he was satisfied when he saw the door still closed. Opening the door to the refrigerator, he placed the note in the empty pizza box and tried not to laugh at his own actions. As he closed the door, Colling closed his eyes. After five seconds he opened them, to find himself still in the kitchen, just this time the sun was once again shining in through the window.
“Maybe now he’ll learn.” He pulled his bag over his shoulder and took a bite out of the pizza he’d brought with him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Collin pulled his 2008 black Toyota Camry into a parking spot in front of Arps Hall, the building meant mostly for education majors. Since choosing his major back in his freshman year he had spent a majority of his time in Arps Hall. Really most of the people he spent his time with were education majors, it was a little pathetic.
The chorus notes of Breaking Benjamin’s “So Cold” resonated from his pocket. Stopping in front of the doors to the building, he took his phone out of his pocket. Without bothering to see who was calling, he flipped it open.
“Hello.”
“Collin O’Brien?” the voice on the other questioned.
“Yeah. Who’s this?”
“My name’s Jonathan Wilson. I’m a professor in Ohio State’s physics department. My colleague and I would like to speak with you at the earliest date possible.” Physics department? He couldn’t understand why anyone there would want to speak with him. He was in the education program, early childhood to be exact. It had nothing to do with physics and he’d already taken all the required sciences.
“What’s this about?”
“We’ll tell you when you get here.” He guessed it wouldn’t hurt.
“Would Friday at 6:00 work?” his last class ended at 5:30.
“Perfect, we’ll see you then. Smith Laboratory, room 112.” The call was lost then. Collin looked at his phone, a little confused, but shrugged it off. He was late for class.
♠ ♠ ♠
First chapter in a joint story