Did I miss a week? Psssssssssh
I should be writing more, but things happen. My new job requires me to be sitting all day at a desk...all my previous jobs involved me standing and walking around doing things. So I feel this urge to always be on my feet when I can and choosing activities when I can...excuse me for not wanting to be 500lbs...
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[Pure Human - Big Men on Campus]
"University at Albany
State," Blake said again as John parked and they made for the campus
"It sounds odd to say no matter how many times I try it."
"Well it's a real place if you can't tell," John said "Kind of makes Cazenovia pale in comparison when you look at it up close."
"Pretty sure the McDonalds in Central Square makes Caz pale in comparison," Blake said as he lit up then laughed at a "We are a smoke free campus" sign as he walked by it. They walked through, getting more than a couple sideways looks from students as they passed on their way to one of the academic buildings. "This the first time you've been on a campus since Caz kicked you out?" John asked. "Meh," Blake replied "I might've wandered into SU territory when I was drunk a couple times."
They made their way inside a building and up to a floor where the professor offices were. "Bryant, Bryant, Bryant," Blake kept repeating as he made his way down a hall, reading every door label. "Bingo," he said as he found the right door and immediately knocked several times. "Is anybody home?" he asked as he knocked again.
"Check the office hours," John suggested as he pointed to a schedule posted right next to the door. Blake looked to the post and leveled his gaze as he read "All hours and classes: cancelled until further notice." He looked back to John. "Might be a coincidence," John suggested. "You know how I feel about coincidences," Blake said before pounding on the door again.
"I know you're in there!" he yelled as he pounded on the door "Dr. Kenny Bryant, open up!"
"He's obviously not in there," John said.
"If I were trying to avoid people, this is where I'd hide. Put up a sign saying go away and just chill in my office."
"Yeah, well if he's really laying low in there, what makes you think constantly pounding on the door is gonna make him come out?"
"I just need to say the magic words."
"What? Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top?"
"That last one might work, but I got a better one." Blake pounded yet again on the door as he shouted "Let's talk about Derek Melrose!"
Almost immediately there was a scrambling heard behind the door and it quickly opened. In the doorway was a man also in his 30s with short black hair and a poorly grown mustache. He wore a white button down shirt with a brown tie hanging loosely around his collar. He had thin framed glasses that Blake suspected weren't really needed and dress pants held up by cheap looking suspenders. He didn't look as ragged as Melrose was earlier that day, but he too looked like he had seen his fair share of stress recently.
"How do you know that name?" he asked with a worried look on his face. "The real question here," Blake said "Is why do you know him?" Bryant was taken aback, but didn't look like he was going to answer. "I suggest you go and find him yourself if you have any questions that need answering regarding Dr. Melrose," Bryant said as he attempted to close his door, but Blake stuck his foot inside.
"The last time someone blew off my inquiries and shut a door in my face ended up dying minutes later," Blake said "So excuse me for not wanting to walk away from you so easily." Bryant gave a confused look. "What are you talking about?" he asked. He stopped trying to close his door and Blake withdrew his foot. "We tracked down Dr. Melrose earlier today," John explained "He ended up committing suicide. Left a note begging for forgiveness, and he implied more than just he were guilty of something."
Bryant closed his eyes and sighed. "He also set fire to most evidence of his wrongdoing, whatever that was," Blake added "So now we're here, and we need answers. Half a dozen people are dead, maybe more." Bryant took a step back, but maintained himself in the doorway to bar entry. "So what led you to me?" he asked "Did Melrose implicate me?"
"Blake here took all remaining notes and such and organized them, eliminated what he felt was unimportant and looked for anything that stood out in terms of other people or information," John explained "I'm pretty sure he's autistic."
Blake elbowed John as he took over "Your phone number was written a couple times on different papers, not to mention your initials written various times on his calendar. He had a lot of dead end jobs, and we figured he had to once be important as a doctor, so we searched and came up with him once being a professor here. Found your name on the website and noticed you were both associate professors at the same time. You two were up to something, even before he got canned."
Bryant bit his lip as the two men talked. "Start talking," Blake said "You know something about the things running around, time to start spilling." Bryant shook his head. "Not here," he said. "Why not?" Blake asked impatiently. "No, please," Bryant begged "I can show you!"
"Show us what?" John asked cautiously.
"Show you were those things came from," Bryant explained.
Blake and John looked to each other. "What do you think?" John asked as Blake turned back to Bryant. "Do you own a gun?" he asked. Bryant shook his head. "Do you plan to off yourself in any way to avoid having to face whatever it is you did?" Blake asked. "Christ, no," Bryant said "Let me give you the address on where to go. We'll meet a 7am sharp tomorrow. There, I'll explain everything. Just, please leave now before people start asking questions."
"Why not leave now?" Blake asked "I'm not interested in putting this off."
"This is something my family and peers know nothing about that I'd prefer to keep that way."
Blake rolled his eyes. "Crack of dawn, tomorrow, "he said "Be there, or I come back with a megaphone." Bryant nodded and shut his door. "Hope this one doesn't find a way to kill himself before tomorrow," John said "But at least he gave us something to work with in case he does." Blake shrugged and went to leave with John. "Now we just need to figure where to spend tonight," he said.
"I'm sure Joey has calmed down," John said "We just have to be a little more respectful. And by we, I mean you."
"I'm just gonna let you do all the talking."
"Look at the bright side; We're making headway. Maybe tomorrow we'll figure this all out and be out of this town."
"That'd be nice," Blake said as he dug around for a cigarette "I'm taking it as a victory that someone didn't just off themselves after meeting us."
"Did you get to calling 9-1-1 about Melrose?"
"I thought you did."
"You have my phone still, how could I?"
"Oh, well I guess now is a good a time as any."
"Jesus, Blake!"
"Well it's a real place if you can't tell," John said "Kind of makes Cazenovia pale in comparison when you look at it up close."
"Pretty sure the McDonalds in Central Square makes Caz pale in comparison," Blake said as he lit up then laughed at a "We are a smoke free campus" sign as he walked by it. They walked through, getting more than a couple sideways looks from students as they passed on their way to one of the academic buildings. "This the first time you've been on a campus since Caz kicked you out?" John asked. "Meh," Blake replied "I might've wandered into SU territory when I was drunk a couple times."
They made their way inside a building and up to a floor where the professor offices were. "Bryant, Bryant, Bryant," Blake kept repeating as he made his way down a hall, reading every door label. "Bingo," he said as he found the right door and immediately knocked several times. "Is anybody home?" he asked as he knocked again.
"Check the office hours," John suggested as he pointed to a schedule posted right next to the door. Blake looked to the post and leveled his gaze as he read "All hours and classes: cancelled until further notice." He looked back to John. "Might be a coincidence," John suggested. "You know how I feel about coincidences," Blake said before pounding on the door again.
"I know you're in there!" he yelled as he pounded on the door "Dr. Kenny Bryant, open up!"
"He's obviously not in there," John said.
"If I were trying to avoid people, this is where I'd hide. Put up a sign saying go away and just chill in my office."
"Yeah, well if he's really laying low in there, what makes you think constantly pounding on the door is gonna make him come out?"
"I just need to say the magic words."
"What? Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with sugar on top?"
"That last one might work, but I got a better one." Blake pounded yet again on the door as he shouted "Let's talk about Derek Melrose!"
Almost immediately there was a scrambling heard behind the door and it quickly opened. In the doorway was a man also in his 30s with short black hair and a poorly grown mustache. He wore a white button down shirt with a brown tie hanging loosely around his collar. He had thin framed glasses that Blake suspected weren't really needed and dress pants held up by cheap looking suspenders. He didn't look as ragged as Melrose was earlier that day, but he too looked like he had seen his fair share of stress recently.
"How do you know that name?" he asked with a worried look on his face. "The real question here," Blake said "Is why do you know him?" Bryant was taken aback, but didn't look like he was going to answer. "I suggest you go and find him yourself if you have any questions that need answering regarding Dr. Melrose," Bryant said as he attempted to close his door, but Blake stuck his foot inside.
"The last time someone blew off my inquiries and shut a door in my face ended up dying minutes later," Blake said "So excuse me for not wanting to walk away from you so easily." Bryant gave a confused look. "What are you talking about?" he asked. He stopped trying to close his door and Blake withdrew his foot. "We tracked down Dr. Melrose earlier today," John explained "He ended up committing suicide. Left a note begging for forgiveness, and he implied more than just he were guilty of something."
Bryant closed his eyes and sighed. "He also set fire to most evidence of his wrongdoing, whatever that was," Blake added "So now we're here, and we need answers. Half a dozen people are dead, maybe more." Bryant took a step back, but maintained himself in the doorway to bar entry. "So what led you to me?" he asked "Did Melrose implicate me?"
"Blake here took all remaining notes and such and organized them, eliminated what he felt was unimportant and looked for anything that stood out in terms of other people or information," John explained "I'm pretty sure he's autistic."
Blake elbowed John as he took over "Your phone number was written a couple times on different papers, not to mention your initials written various times on his calendar. He had a lot of dead end jobs, and we figured he had to once be important as a doctor, so we searched and came up with him once being a professor here. Found your name on the website and noticed you were both associate professors at the same time. You two were up to something, even before he got canned."
Bryant bit his lip as the two men talked. "Start talking," Blake said "You know something about the things running around, time to start spilling." Bryant shook his head. "Not here," he said. "Why not?" Blake asked impatiently. "No, please," Bryant begged "I can show you!"
"Show us what?" John asked cautiously.
"Show you were those things came from," Bryant explained.
Blake and John looked to each other. "What do you think?" John asked as Blake turned back to Bryant. "Do you own a gun?" he asked. Bryant shook his head. "Do you plan to off yourself in any way to avoid having to face whatever it is you did?" Blake asked. "Christ, no," Bryant said "Let me give you the address on where to go. We'll meet a 7am sharp tomorrow. There, I'll explain everything. Just, please leave now before people start asking questions."
"Why not leave now?" Blake asked "I'm not interested in putting this off."
"This is something my family and peers know nothing about that I'd prefer to keep that way."
Blake rolled his eyes. "Crack of dawn, tomorrow, "he said "Be there, or I come back with a megaphone." Bryant nodded and shut his door. "Hope this one doesn't find a way to kill himself before tomorrow," John said "But at least he gave us something to work with in case he does." Blake shrugged and went to leave with John. "Now we just need to figure where to spend tonight," he said.
"I'm sure Joey has calmed down," John said "We just have to be a little more respectful. And by we, I mean you."
"I'm just gonna let you do all the talking."
"Look at the bright side; We're making headway. Maybe tomorrow we'll figure this all out and be out of this town."
"That'd be nice," Blake said as he dug around for a cigarette "I'm taking it as a victory that someone didn't just off themselves after meeting us."
"Did you get to calling 9-1-1 about Melrose?"
"I thought you did."
"You have my phone still, how could I?"
"Oh, well I guess now is a good a time as any."
"Jesus, Blake!"
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