The Unicorn Papers {Yang ~ Sun}

THE UNICORN PAPERS

{ YANG ~ SUN }

By J. F. Manning

Smashwords Edition

v.010514b

Copyright 2013 J. F. Manning

License Statement:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

jfmanning.com

for

Jason Alexander Manning

October 2011 - June 2012

Dedicated to my beautiful wife, Kelly

Be strong, think positive, get well

CONTENTS

Prologue: Paradise Regained

I. Wannabe Vampire

II. White Queen of the Nile

III. Is Jacob Keats Dead?

IV. Midnight Flower

PROLOGUE

PARADISE REGAINED

Jacob Keats emerged from the utter darkness of the cave into the intense brightness of daylight. An abundance of energy surged throughout his body. Feeling the warm sun on his face, it occurred to him that he was not suffering any adverse effects from the direct exposure. Only slightly surprised by this revelation, he momentarily contemplated the irony of the fact that he now felt more alive than he had ever felt before in his entire life.

Wedged between the snowcapped arms of sheer mountain ranges, Jacob stood at the edge of a high precipice overlooking a vast, bowl shaped valley that stretched to the distant horizon. Far below, a long, undulating ribbon of water bisected the center of the lush, green landscape in a snaking pattern.

Elation overwhelmed Jacob as he looked up into the clear blue sky and spotted a long-winged bird of prey descending in his direction. As the graceful bird rapidly approached, he noted the white feathers of its head in contrast to the deep charcoal gray of its body and wings. The massive creature landed on a nearby roost at the edge of the very cliff where he was standing. The majestic king of the skies looked in his direction and screeched an ear-piercing cry.

In a moment of clarity, Jacob understood exactly what had happened. An incredible feeling of exhilaration washed over him as he absorbed the world surrounding him. The crispness of the cool air, the mountain realm spreading out before him, the extraordinary string of events that all led up to this precise moment in time...

Jacob took several long strides forward and leapt from the cliff--swan diving into the vastness of the shear chasm below.

I

WANNABE VAMPIRE

August 21, 2004

1:30 A.M.

Jacob swoons slightly as he rises from a table at the Epic Café’s sidewalk seating area. He nods graciously to a stunningly beautiful woman with dark, piercing eyes and long waves of brunette hair. She remains seated, watching him with mild amusement. He grins foolishly and makes an awkward bow as if to acknowledge his exceedingly intoxicated state, then turns to leave, puzzled as to why he suddenly feels compelled to head home. A few steps later a significant thought occurs to him, and he takes a backward look at the table where he just spent the entire evening talking to the mysterious woman wearing a little black dress, but she has already vanished into the night...

The dead air of the hot summer night is muggy and oppressive. Jacob struggles with an uneasy feeling as he ambles slowly along the avenue, wandering home through the hazy drunkenness that engulfs him. In a brief moment of clarity, he realizes he is unable to recall where he has been or why he feels so intoxicated. His footfalls are heavy and sluggish as he passes a long row of small businesses: a pet store, an appliance repair shop, bail bonds, check cashing, a pizzeria. Where the storefronts come to an end, a long row of duplexes and townhouses begins--square brick structures with narrow porches, some enclosed by weathered screens. Ranging from the immaculate to the condemned and separated only by narrow walkways and alleys, the buildings loom in occasional street lamps at the edge of the boulevard, looking ominous against the charcoal sky. In the light polluted city complete darkness finds it difficult to survive. Darkness is the great equalizer, Jacob thinks to himself with a smirk.

Crossing the intersection at Fifth and East Main, Jacob follows an uneven sidewalk that leads up to a small porch enclosed in darker shadows. The screen door opens with an ominous creak and slams shut with a loud crash behind him. He ascends a narrow flight of rickety stairs to his second floor apartment. He places his hand on the knob--but pauses momentarily as nausea attempts to overcome him. Recovering his composure, he enters the utter darkness of the apartment. With drunken precision he methodically navigates piles of dirty laundry and boxes of unpacked belongings haphazardly arranged around mismatched furniture. Just when he thinks he has successfully made it through the home made disaster safely, he smashes his shin into his great grandmother's solid oak coffee table and collapses in a heap of pain on the couch, but the excruciating discomfort in his leg is quickly overwhelmed by a throbbing buzz in his head. Jacob feels himself irrevocably slipping into the grasp of an alcohol induced stupor. As he drifts into semi-consciousness, a vision of a beautifully mysterious woman in black enters his thoughts before melting into a dark mist that spirals out through an open window…

* * * * *

A continuous downpour of cold rain has soaked Jacob to the bone as he sits alone at a sidewalk table at the Epic Café. The place is deserted. There is no one at the café, on the street, in the buildings, or anywhere as far as he can tell. Where has everyone gone? He feels lonely--more alone than he has ever felt before.

Then she walks out of the darkness.

The rain presses the nearly transparent black gown tightly against the pale skin of her lithe body. Her long, dark hair is so drenched the water is running off her head and face and shoulders like a river. He is unable to look away as she approaches. Her obsidian eyes gleam like moonlit pools--he feels lost in their profound depth as she reaches out to touch his face...

* * * * *

The incessant ringing of his cell phone on the coffee table finally brought Jacob up from his abysmal dream world depth. He tried to ignore the incredibly annoying sound, but it just kept ringing, which amplified the throbbing pain in his head. Realizing that further sleep was impossible, he opened his eyes to a blinding beam of sunlight blazing a wide path through an open window.

Hello? he answered with a gruff voice.

Are you coming into work today? It was Cynthia.

Sorry. Jacob coughed. I'm on my way. He staggered across the room and closed the window, shutting out the daylight.

It was already well after three o'clock on an excruciatingly muggy Saturday afternoon. Jacob cringed and shaded his face with his arm as he lumbered out into the dazzling light of another blast furnace day. He could barely see through squinted eyes that ached with throbbing intensity. His head felt like it was about to explode, and he was certain his pale skin might burst into flame at any moment. It occurred to him that wearing a black t-shirt and jeans might have been a bad idea.

The walk through hell felt like it was dragging on forever as he made his way down East Main Street toward the Central State University campus. Passing the Epic Café, Jacob noticed no one was brave enough to sit outside in the heat. A block further he came to an abrupt stop. He looked to his left at a dreary shop entrance he had passed a hundred times before without noticing. Above the doorway was a forlorn wooden sign bearing the legend Pearl's Pawn in faded black lettering. The glare of the mid-afternoon sunlight made it impossible to see through the large plate glass windows to the right of the entry. His image looked dim and distorted reflected in the dingy glass surface. Despite the uninviting gloominess of the storefront, Jacob felt an overwhelming urge to get out of the sun.

The dinging of a small bell announced his entrance. It was cool inside. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the half darkness of the small place. A hefty elderly woman with gray streaked hair and a friendly expression looked up from where she stood behind the counter near the entrance.

Welcome! I'm Pearl. Can I help you? she said cheerfully with the slight hint of a foreign accent.

Just looking, Jacob replied as he glanced around. Framed works of art in various sizes occupied the walls among a disproportionately large number of decorative clocks and ornate mirrors. Rows of shelving were lined with an endless variety of pottery, vases, statuettes and porcelain figurines. Numerous display cases were stuffed with all manner of gold and silver valuables, jewelry and miscellaneous trinkets. Old books, historical magazines and newspapers of yesteryear were stacked everywhere on the floor, tables and any other item of furniture with a flat surface. Interspersed between all this--filling every remaining nook, cranny and corner--was an endless variety of odds, ends and miscellaneous items, all of which looked very interesting and collectible.

It occurred to Jacob that the place appeared to be more of an antique store than a pawnshop. Making his way further into Pearl's Pawn, he came face to face with an enormous suit of armor standing in a space between rows of shelving. It bore a battle worn appearance that lent an uncomfortable authenticity to its countenance as it rested gauntleted hands on a giant sword. Jacob felt it frowning at him as he made his way toward the back, drawn to a massive tapestry that covered a large portion of the far wall of the place. The drab material was faded and worn. In the dim light of the shop it was difficult to clearly discern what appeared to be dense forest surrounding a moonlit pool of water. Looming in the farthest corner, at the edge of the tapestry, was a hand carved oak cabinet. Although the item was half masked in a fine layer of dust, it seemed to emanate an aura of significance.

An Italian Renaissance wine cabinet it is, Pearl called out.

Startled from his deep fascination with the object, Jacob made his way back toward the counter where Pearl stood watching him patiently. He was drawn to a small display case. Some very fine jewelry items were inside, but what caught his attention was a miniature ivory unicorn on a gold chain. The detail was exquisite, and at that moment he knew it was perhaps the most beautiful and fascinating object he had ever seen.

"It is a wondrous item. Moving slowly and with a slight limp, the woman made her way to the end of the counter. A majestic beast the unicorn is, and endowed with the regal power of legend. Pearl lowered her voice to a whisper and winked knowingly at Jacob as she questioned, Clearly this item is destined to be bestowed upon one such as yourself? Yes? Or perhaps there is one to whom you would give it?"

The woman's uncanny ability to seemingly know what he was thinking made him feel slightly uneasy. How much? Jacob was skeptical he could afford such an exquisite item.

For you it is a special day! The woman exclaimed with an approving grin. So I make you a suitable offer--I give you the unicorn for a promise.

What? Jacob was dumbfounded.

Promise Pearl you give the unicorn to the one who has your heart. That is to whom it belongs. She unlocked the case and carefully brought out the unicorn necklace. You come back and visit Pearl soon, she said as she came out from behind the counter and fastened the chain around his neck. Oh! And take these as well. You need them. She smiled knowingly and pointed to a pair of dark lensed, black framed sunglasses that were sitting in an intricately engraved silver goblet near the cash register.

Jacob turned in a daze and left the shop to the sound of a bell dinging as the door closed behind him. The blazing inferno outside seemed greatly subdued with the sunglasses on. A block further he reached the mostly deserted university campus. I love dead week, he thought to himself with a smile as he stood at the intersection of First and East Main, waiting for the walk signal. He enjoyed the relative tranquility of the brief period between the end of the summer session and the start of the fall semester. A moment later the walk light signaled it was safe, and he crossed the street to where the five-story brick and concrete Computer Center Building stood, starkly towering over the surrounding buildings of the small municipality's historic downtown area.

Entering the CCB, Jacob crossed the lobby to the main stairs and took them down to the lower level. He passed several empty classrooms on the right as he followed the pristine, white hallway. Large windows along the left wall provided a clear view of a vast computer lab--there was only one student present. At the end of the hall there was a glass door stenciled with Department of Computing Machinery and Engineering. No one was in the main office. Jacob used a key to unlock the door, and then locked it behind him. At the elevator on the opposite side of the room he punched in his code number and waited a moment for the elevator doors to open. He entered the elevator, inserted an access key into the control panel, then pressed the button labeled LL2.

A few seconds later he exited the elevator to a short passage. A solid oak door immediately to his left bore a gold name plate that was emblazed with the moniker Richard F. Burton. Approximately ten feet further, the hall ended at a reinforced steel door. He walked up to it and said Jacob Keats as he pressed his right thumb against a square panel mounted on the wall. The steel door zipped open and then zipped shut behind him as he entered a massive chamber known as the cave. Row after row of enormous black towers occupied most of the dimly lighted room's space. The temperature was maintained at a chilly sixty-five degrees, and the only sound was the constant buzz of the myriad electrical components and the intermittent low roar of the dedicated HVAC units.

Jacob grabbed a white lab coat from the stand by the entry. He pulled it on as he took the short flight of steps down into what he and the few other graduate students who had access to the supercomputer room called the pit. The pit was a modest sized oval area with a conference table, an electronic whiteboard, and five high end computer workstations. Along the wall that separated the lower work area from the monolithic towers looming in the background, a bank of twenty-one monitors (three rows of seven) brightly displayed hundreds of monitoring programs.

You're late--and you look like complete crap, Cynthia said with an accusatory, yet concerned tone as she looked