That evening was my meeting with Johnson. I hadn’t wanted to meet with him, but I was doing it. Not out of obligation but out of coercion. My choices had become less and less my own since the Blight got its gnarled roots in my mind.
As I slowly made my way from shadow to shadow between buildings and dodged streetlights, I remained out of sight of any stragglers on the evening streets. I was headed towards the ARC office building. Thankfully a new void opened up not far from the location, which made my trek through Neo MarCaeli much shorter than it otherwise would have been. While I was glad for the shortcut, I knew that also meant the Blight was becoming more rooted in our world. Part of me wished it would speed up and get it over with, but what was left of my rational thinking shoved that thought out of my mind.
The ARC office windows were lit up with a warm glow when I arrived. I paused before I entered. Only a couple people had seen me since I began to show signs of infection, I hated the way it made me look. Now I’d be seen by more people. They’d stare tantalizingly at the growths from my fingers. Would they notice my hair has thinned? It was hard to say. These people were also infected but had gone to great lengths to keep up appearances where possible. I clearly hadn’t.
I felt like a wild woman as I walked through the front door. The office used to be a second home to me, now it felt like a cage. A trap I’d jut willingly waltzed into. The receptionist looked up and was unfazed by my appearance. She simply smiled as she put down what I assumed was her evening snack. Even the receptionist has stared to gnaw on that damned fungus. I thought as I stared back, forgetting I needed to say something.
“Kadi it’s good to see you.” She said with a grin almost too wide. “I see the Blight is with you, how has that been?”
Awful. Is what I wanted to say. “Fine.” Is what came out.
“Good! Follow me, Johnson has been anxiously waiting for you.” With that she rose from her seat and started towards the back where Johnson’s office was located. I begrudgingly followed her, that’s when I noticed something was missing.
“Where are your shoe covers?” Shoe covers had been commonplace in the office as to not track any spores around outside for a long while now. She half glanced down and then back to me with a chuckle. “Oh we’ve done away with those Kadi so don’t you worry about it!” I was worried about it anyways. They’re spreading it on purpose now, huh?
The receptionist knocked on a closed office door twice before she opened it, waiting for me to walk inside. I did just that and took a seat in the empty office.
“Johnson will be right with you.” And with that she closed the door, leaving me alone for a few moments.
I could just leave. Walk right back out and say “Thanks but no thanks!” It was tempting but my feet wouldn’t move. They were firmly planted to the spot, as if they’d sprouted roots of their own. I belonged in this office now, and the Blight knew that.
It hadn’t taken Johnson long to open the door on the opposing side of the room. From behind his desk the door creaked as it opened and he stepped through into the light. I immediately knew things were worse than I thought. Not only were his eyes wild, it looked like he’d been sweating. And on top of that he too had Blight growing from his nails and his already thinned hair was even more thin than the last time I’d seen him. There had been no attempt to keep up any normal appearance.
“Kadi.” Johnson said in a flat tone. “There’s much to discuss, but first I need to tell you-“ He paused and cleared his throat as he sat down at his desk. “We’ve…had a death in the ARC.”
I was shocked that was his opener. “A death? Who? What happened?” The inner circle of ARC members was close, even if we butted heads frequently. I wasn’t expecting what came next though.
Johnson cleared his throat again before continuing. “Clyde is no longer with us. My only hope is the Blight can use his body for its doing now.”
My mouth hung open in a state of shock. I’d just seen Clyde the other day. He and Janelle were the ones who got me here in the first place. “How’d this happen? How’s Janelle?” Janelle was my biggest concern at first. The two were nearly inseparable.
“Janelle is taking it pretty hard, it’s difficult for her. But…that’s not the part you need to know about Kadi.” I leaned in over the desk waiting anxiously for the part I needed to hear.
“Molly killed Clyde.” When Johnson spoke I froze. That doesn’t make sense. I must have stayed frozen for more than a few moments before Johnson finally continued. “I don’t know what happened. I sent both Clyde and Janelle to check in on her and to ask about the tapes. I didn’t expect Molly to grow violent.”
My mind as racing. Was that really what happened? It was hard to say. I felt inclined to believe Johnson, but I didn’t know if that was from the Blight’s influence or my own beliefs. Finally I spoke.
“Well where’s his body? Don’t we need that so he can be properly fed to-“ Johnson raised his hand to stop me from continuing “Molly kept it.”
She kept it, but why? “That doesn’t make sense what does she need with it?”
Johnson leaned back in his chair. “I don’t know but we have to consider her an adversary and plan our next moves accordingly.”
I didn’t know what to say to him. I hadn’t expected Molly of all people to resort to violence of any kind. I simply nodded in response and kept any more questions I had to myself. I’ll find her and talk to her myself.
Johnson continued with a determined look in his eye. “I think she saw what we have here Kadi. She wants it for herself. She’s already been into the voids, hasn’t she?” He was waiting for me to respond. I nodded. “I knew it.” He slammed his fist on the desk. “We can’t let her tarnish our findings.” He looked directly at me. “We need those keys Kadi.”
“I-I don’t have enough anymore.” I stammered out. “I’ve only got one.”
“God dammit!” He slammed his fist on the desk again. “Well get them back then!”
“Okay.” Was all that came out of my mouth before Johnson stood up and disappeared back into the door he came from. I stood up too and took my leave.
———
After my meeting with Johnson I made my way back through the streets and to the void I had emerged from. I didn’t know what to think of our meeting. Did Molly really kill Clyde? I had no intention of taking the tapes back, but I was afraid I had little to no choice in the matter. Johnson thinks Molly wants what he wants: access to the Record Room. He can’t stand the thought of losing out on such a discovery, especially to someone not working for him.
Johnson’s been consuming more Blight too. I could tell by his appearance. He must still think if he devotes enough to the damned thing it will grant him the immortality he’s after. In reality it’s just speeding up the end of the world. But I’d already tried telling everyone that years ago. No one wanted to listen. The Blight wants to tear holes in our world, and the ARC is all too willing to let it happen.
That’s all the voids were, holes. Strange holes that lead to forgotten spaces behind reality full of forgotten creatures. The backstage of a world. And the Blight was nothing but an incessant pest. Like a cockroach it seemed impossible to get rid of once present. It just spreads and eats.
I tried to tell them. I thought as I entered the void once more.