Page 10 of Bound by the Mad Scientist

“It’s already pretty far from the rest of campus, but still on school property. Let’s go check it out.”

“No way, man. I’m good. Just tackle me and bring me back. Or we can count you pinning me against the tree, then eating my load as good enough.”

The corner of his lip rose. “There might be something there that can help your vision problem…” He took his old glasses from his pocket and swung them around. The thick glass caught the dim moonlight.

“Did he really fix your vision?”

“Yup.”

“How?”

“Let’s go to the lab and check it out.”

Was he being for real? Or did he just want me to, like, fuck him or something? Would that be the worst thing in the world? Fucking Kelvin in his very round and perfect-looking ass? He already blew me. He might even let me go in raw. Then again, if he could help my eyesight, wasn’t that the smarter choice? And furthermore, if I delayed him long enough and returned after two, I’d be the hero that saved the underclassmen from cleaning duties…

“I just want to get out of the woods. If the lab is closer, yeah, okay, let’s check it out.”

He lit up. “Fantastic.”

Chapter Six

The forest was less scary when I trudged through it with Kelvin. I still didn’t like it, but I wasn’t ready to jump out of my skin at any moment either. At least the moon had fully come out, and I could see a little better.

The clearing appeared without any kind of warning. Not that I’m at all versed in what woods are like, but I assumed that—I dunno—you’d sense the trees were about to part. But no. Nothing but dense nature, and then boom, we were on the side of some building.

I followed Kel around the side. It looked like just another part of the campus. The same reddish brick with concrete accents. Except plants had grown up the walls, it was in dire need of a power washing, and a few windows were broken. It gave off a probably dangerous vibe. Then we got to the front.

“Wait… why does it say The Manchester Family Center for Scientific Advancement?” I asked.

Kel rolled his eyes. “My grandparents donated the land and the cost of the building right before my dad started his freshman year.”

“Wait, wait, wait, when you said this was your dad’s lab, you meant that literally? This is like your family’s… whatever the fuck you call it?”

“I guess. But it wasn’t really his until he became the dean.”

“Dude, there’s a difference between being the boss of some place and having it named after you!”

Kel laughed. “Half the student body has their name on something around campus.” He looked me up and down. “Actually, you’re one of the only people I know here who isn’t a legacy.”

“You’re like rich-rich.” I was having a hard time processing. I had always thought Kel was well off, as I just assumed everyone at Whitcomb was. But the building with his fucking name on it was bigger than my high school. That was generationally wealthy.

“I’m not.” He poked his chest. “My grandparents are. And considering my dad isn’t exactly advancing his career at the moment, I doubt my immediate family ever will be.”

“Won’t you like… inherit all that, though?”

“No,” Kel said, and looked forward without further explanation. “C’mon, let’s go in.”

“Yeah, okay,” I said, very much wishing I hadn’t.

It smelled like rot had set in. Probably from years of exposure to all four New England seasons. What furniture remained looked worse than anything else, as if it had sat exposed to the elements for far more than four years. Spiderwebs clung to the corners, and thick layers of dust and grime covered every surface.

There was no light but the moon, and while it helped near the windows, it was still dark as shit. Kel turned on his phone’s flashlight, and I did the same, following him deeper inside.

At first it was silent, but the farther we went, the louder it got. Droplets splashed into a pool of some unseen liquid, and wind echoed through the broken windows like a banshee’s wail. But the smells were the worst. From rot to active decay to something that made me want to gag.

“Dude, what the hell are we doing here?” I asked.

“You wanted to see if my dad’s old work could help your eyesight, right?”