He glanced across at the nearest other student to him and broke into a fit of laughter. The prank had been sprung and he’d fallen for it completely! It eased his tension completely, and instead of being embarrassed he could only see the funny side totally. It was probably not the reaction the others had expected from him.
‘That was ACE guys! You had me totally fooled. I just think it was a perfect joke. Just perfect. I never expected that!’
His closest friend, Martin, stared at him and pulled one of his stupid faces before breaking into peels of loud laughter. Soon to be followed by others of the group.
‘Hey lads? Maybe you are overacting? Hey?’ Bart interjected before continuing with his own laughter, ‘ha. Maybe it IS that funny after all?’
Their loud laughter echoed around the oak panels of the common room. Its echoes drifted along the maze of corridors in the vicinity breaking the gloom of the labyrinthian college. Temporarily releasing the centuries old tension that resided in the walls. The sound waves of their tomfoolery penetrated the lower layers of the college. The places which were strictly forbidden to the students. Indeed all students since the beginnings of the Magical Foundation which it was in the early days.
Within those dank and dusty places, where the atmosphere was inherently malevolent, as if the devil itself resided there, something stirred. Something ancient had been disturbed in its slumber, sending out waves of anger outwards into the college. Emanations of menace which did not go un-noticed as there were souls there, within the labyrinth of the college, which became quickly aware of the displeasure. Minds of dark intent noted the signals and searched with purpose within the college boundaries for the source of the disruption. Tentacles of sorrow and despair began to travel through the mind fields in the vicinity of that source. Servants to the dark mind were also sent and were programmed to discipline the cause of that disruption.
Happy with the resultant steps, the dark force settled back in its slumber. It was not yet time to waken. Not long, but not yet. It would have its time. But it had to wait a little longer. (Extract taken from 'The Alchemist' written by Matthew James)