THREE YEARS AGO.
12:35pm old clock tower....
___ I walked into the base of the hall and called out Ben's name not too loud as not to make unnecessary noises.
The dimly lit hallway swallowed the sound of my voice, Ben's name hanging in the air like a fragile hope. I strained my ears, listening for any response, but there was only silence. The shadows seemed to press in around me, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
I took a step forward, my eyes adjusting to the darkness. The air was thick with the scent of dust and decay, and I could feel the weight of the building's secrets pressing down on me.
"Ben?" I called out again, my voice a little louder this time.
The sound of my own voice was the only response, and I began to wonder if I was alone in the hall. But then, I heard it - a faint rustling sound, coming from the shadows at the far end of the corridor.
I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. Was it Ben? Or was it something else entirely?
" Are you scared?" A cold whisper like a voice spoke. A shiver shot through my spine making me nervous.
___The whisper seemed to come from all around me, echoing off the walls and making it impossible to pinpoint the speaker's location. I felt a chill run down my spine, and my heart skipped a beat. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I tried to respond, my voice steady.
"Who's there?" I called out, trying to sound calm.
The response was immediate, a low, raspy chuckle that sent shivers down my spine. "You know who's here, Waller... I've been waiting for you."
Suddenly, the lights flickered and died, plunging the hallway into darkness. I was left standing there, my heart pounding in my chest, waiting for the next move.
The darkness was oppressive, like a living thing that wrapped around me, squeezing tight. I strained my ears, listening for any sound, but there was nothing - no footsteps, no breathing, nothing. It was as if I was alone in the hall, except for the voice in my head telling me I wasn't.
I reached for my gun, the familiar weight of it a comfort in my hand. I moved slowly, carefully, trying not to make a sound as I edged forward, my back against the wall.
As I moved, the darkness seemed to shift and swirl around me, like a living thing. I felt a cold breeze on the back of my neck, and I knew I wasn't alone.
"Ben?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
There was a pause, and then a faint whisper, "Waller... I'm here."
The voice was weak, strained, and it sent a surge of adrenaline through my veins. I moved faster, my gun at the ready, as I followed the sound of Ben's voice.
It led me to a door, half-hidden in the shadows. The voice was coming from the other side.
I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest. This was it. I was going to find Ben, and get some answers.
I reached out, and turned the handle...
Entering the room I saw Ben standing facing a window. The door creaked shut behind me, and I felt a sense of relief wash over me. Ben was alive, and he was standing, which meant he was okay. But as I looked closer, I saw the tension in his shoulders, the way his fists were clenched at his sides.
"Ben," I said, my voice low and even.
He didn't turn around, didn't respond. He just stood there, staring out the window, his eyes fixed on something outside.
I moved closer, my footsteps echoing off the walls. "Ben, it's me, Waller. What's going on?"
Slowly, he turned around, and I saw the look in his eyes. It was a mixture of desperation and fear, and it sent a shiver down my spine.
"Waller," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't think you'd make it."
I frowned, confused. "What do you mean? What's going on, Ben?"
Ben's gaze flickered, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flash of something in his eyes. A warning, maybe.
"You're in danger, Waller," he said, his voice low and urgent. "You have to get out of here, now."
I felt a surge of adrenaline as I realized that Ben wasn't okay. He was scared, and he was trying to warn me.
"What's going on, Ben?" I asked again, my voice firm.
Ben's eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, we just stared at each other. Then, he spoke, his voice barely audible.
"I'm the danger, Waller."
Ben's words was like a cold air reverberating off the cracked walls.
" What are you talking about?" I forced my voice steady with the weight of my gun by my side.
His deep exhale made me feel like he's regretting his actions but can't back out.
" Am sorry Waller, if indeed you want to go with this I have to ask, are you willing to join?"
" Join what?" Confused or shocked I can't differentiate between.
" The hollow law. The eclipse. The God's behind it all. Aren't you willing to know more?" He turned slowly like he was to add something then he smiled faintly.
It was like I was to solve a riddle, am a cop and so was he. Asking me to join a group that is bound to bring us all to our knees, and still being part of the case became a dark idea he stuffed up my head.
" To be a criminal?" I managed my words even if I was a bit annoyed by his words.
" Just that Waller. This is our dream to be top of it all, being where I am will not feel complete without my best buddy."
His words by now were clear as the day his expression changed it was like Ben became a new man talking to me.
" I know I look a lot different from what I was, but it's all to block the ideas being in place, I am going to be part of this whole operation and I'll like you to be there."
The look of disappointment and anger.
The room seemed to tilt a fraction, the low hum of the terminal vibrating through the floorboards like a heartbeat. Ben's eyes flickered, the old spark of mischief battling the cold calculation that had settled over him.
"Waller," he said, voice softer now, almost pleading, "the Hollow Law isn't some myth you hear in the precinct's locker room. It's a pact—an old code that the city's founders wrote in blood to keep the power in check. The Eclipse is just the trigger. The Gods… they're the ones who pull the strings, and they're hungry."
He stepped closer, the faint red glow from the window painting his face in sharp relief. "You've always been the one who plays by the rules, the one who'd bend them when it mattered. That's why I need you. Not just to shut this down, but to stand with me when the dust settles. Imagine a world where the badge isn't a shield but a sword. No more looking over our shoulders, no more being pawns."
Mara's silhouette shifted in the doorway, her hand still hovering near her pistol, but her expression was unreadable—part curiosity, part warning.
I felt the weight of my own gun in my palm, the metal warm from the recent use. My mind raced through the faces of the victims, the families torn apart by the Eclipse's promised blackout. The thought of a new order, even one built on the broken bones of the old, sent a shiver down my spine.
"Ben," I said, keeping my tone steady, "you're talking about throwing away everything we swore to protect. The badge, the code… it's not a costume you can take off when it suits you."
He let out a short, humorless laugh. "You think I don't know that? I've lived it, Waller. I've watched the city bleed from the inside, watched good men turn because the system left them no other choice. The Hollow Law is the only thing that ever gave us a shot at real change. And now… now it's our turn to decide if we become the monsters or the saviors."
I glanced at the window, where the moon was almost completely swallowed by shadow, the world outside turning a deep, ominous crimson. The decision felt like a gun pointed at my own head.
" No, I can't." I said bluntly with a soft tone.
He smiled at me the turned back facing the window.
" Funny how I thought it would be easy to bring you along. I guess our ideas towards all this has been different, so this will be where I'll say goodbye. Waller Greene, my good friend."
I just stood back looking at him with an expressionless face, a motionless body, and all I could think about was if the moment was all a dream.
A scuffle like a sound behind me brought my mind back to the present.
I pulled out my gun and turned almost immediately to see a feminine figure standing in front of the silhouette light from the door.
" Who are you?" I screamed.
" She's with me Waller. I figured since you'll be of a disappointment as always, why don't I have another close buddy." Ben said and walked pass me.
I lowered my gun down looking at both of them with a stern look.
" So this is how it's going to go down " I muttered with a soft tone.
" Indeed old friend, sad it is but it has to happen in order for us to evolve into the new world. I'll see you soon Waller, I'll see you soon." Ben said as they both walked out leaving me dumbfounded without ideas.
My body became numb I fell to my knees with my hands covering my face, shame, that all I bathe myself in.
I couldn't believe or allow the idea punch it's way into my mind so that night I went home prepared myself a transfer letter to Boston where I might face something simple than a course I can't really picture out.