Infinite Testament Read Free Page B

“What!?”
    “Come here!”
    Bruce approached Stephen, who was triumphantly holding his
bucket. “What do you think of my castle?”
    Bruce looked at the castle, tempted to kick it over. “It’s
good.”
    Stephen observed Bruce’s face and realized what he wanted
to do. “I’ll kill you.”
    Bruce laughed. He knew Stephen would be mighty mad if
he knocked it over. He noticed the tall tower in the middle.
“What’s that for?”
    Stephen stepped in the castle and gently tapped his tower
with pride.
    “This is where they watch over everybody.”
    “Who?”
    Stephen stopped, confused. He hadn’t entirely thought
it over. “The people in charge.”
    Bruce shrugged. What a weird castle. “You want
to see my castle?”
    The two ran over to Bruce’s freshly deep trench, a crater
on the beach. Stephen pointed out, “That’s a hole.”
    “Wanna help?”
    “No.”
    “Why not?”
    Stephen replied, “I want to make my castle.”
    “Please?”
    Stephen looked back at his castle. It was waiting to
be completed. It would be awesome and only needed a little bit of work be
finished. He looked back at Bruce, who was silently begging him to
help. He couldn’t let his friend down.
    “Okay.”
    Stephen hopped in the shallow trench. “What do we
do?” Bruce launched his hands into the sand. “We dig ‘til we get to
Australia.” Stephen and Bruce dug and dug. For their tiny bodies,
it became a deep abyss.
    Bruce’s hand unexpectedly struck something hard.
“Woah.” Stephen stopped digging and looked at Bruce’s hands.
“What?” Bruce brushed the sand away to uncover something hidden deep
under the surface. Bruce hoped for something fun, like a treasure
box. It became clear what was there: a small, beat-up box with the word
ELPIS indented on the cover.
    “Treasure!” Bruce yelped with excitement.
    Stephen pulled the box out of the sand and examined
it. It wasn’t especially big and it looked ancient. Bruce was
convinced there was pirate treasure inside.
    Bruce begged, “Open it, open it!”
    Stephen unlatched the hook and opened the box.
    Miles rested on Stephen’s lap.
    “Are you ready for this?”
    Stephen’s partner and longtime friend Jay Campbell studied
him. Stephen woke to find Campbell staring at him, inches from his
face. Campbell was always the one to freak out about things. At
least someone did. Stephen needed someone who could look over his
shoulder and question him.
    “Is everything clear on the speech?” Campbell
nagged. Stephen was tired and wanted to sleep. Half-interested, he
replied, “It’s good.”
    The two met shortly after Stephen started his job at the
University of Michigan. Campbell was a lowly student whose social life
consisted of computer games. He donned glasses, a combed over haircut,
and was stickly skinny; he was an all-star nerd. Stephen found it funny;
stereotypes for nerds were always spot-on. Whether it was the looks or
lack of social skills, they were all the same. One day in class, Stephen
felt bad for him and offered him an assistant’s job in the lab just to get him
out of the dorm. Campbell, of course, took it. The two built a good
relationship and Campbell stuck around.
    Campbell insisted, “Stephen, we have to discuss this.”
    Stephen wearily opened his eyes. “You know, it’s
times like this I really don’t like you.”
    Stephen went back to sleep. Campbell leaned in to
nudge him awake but a growl resonated from below. Miles, watching
Campbell’s hand creep forward, did not appreciate the gesture. The top of
his mouth rose to reveal his fangs. Though they weren’t the most
frightening teeth, they would still elicit a shot of pain. Campbell
locked eyes with Miles. Showdown. Campbell was convinced to wake
his boss; Miles was determined to stop him. Campbell inched his hand
toward Stephen’s shoulder. Miles tracked it and moved his eyes with
astute attention. Campbell was about to make it when Miles sprang to
action and bit him.
    “Ow!” Campbell