The Dark Side Ep. 01

"No, I'm not," I shook my head. "I thought you were also tired."

"I can tell you a secret," he said, finally taking eyes off the TV screen and gesturing towards me, to come closer. "But, you must promise to keep it just between you and me," he continued in a quiet voice, when I was next to him on the couch. "I'm an iron man," dad revealed in an almost whispered voice, after I nodded in agreement.

"Fuck you dad," I laughed and slapped my palm to his chest. "I thought it's something serious."

"Well... Well..." dad chuckled, putting his arm around my shoulders. "Looks like my little Annie hasn't yet brushed her teeth and wants to clean the driveway from the snow."

"Dad! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that," I apologize.

"Ok," dad was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I won't tell your mom what you just said, if you tell me what's happened upstairs and that door slamming was about."

"It was nothing. Really, nothing," I said, as we heard the bathroom door opening.

"Are you sure?" dad asked. Receiving my nodd, he audibly inhaled and made a move to shout out something to mom. Before he could do that, I poked him.

"Ok, ok. I'll tell," I said, drawing his full attention back to me. I told him about Ms. Pine's suggestions for my final semester and recent argument with Marta. As I was rounding up my explanation, mom came in. Hearing that I was looking for our tablet,she said that in the morning she saw it in the kitchen, on the fridge.

After talking with mom, as well as watching final news reports on evening newscasts, and a trip to a bathroom, I finally got to the kitchen and found the tablet exactly where mom saw it - on top of the fridge, still with some battery power left inside.

"Hey, sorry, it took me a bit. I found..." I said as I entered back in our room and stopped in my tracks. Marta was laying on her right side, facing the wall, still in my bed. Her knees pressed to her breasts. She was tightly hugging her left knee with both hands and touching top of it with her lips. Her reddish face glowed in the room light. When I reached her, I lightly touched her cheek. As I examined the wetness on my fingers from her face, I sighed a relief. These were just tears. For a moment I was afraid that it could be blood. Something could have happened or she could have done it to herself, because of me. Thankfully she just cried herself to sleep.

With a quick move, I slided the tablet on the desk and returned to our two story bed. I fetched the blanket from her upper level to cover her sleeping body on my lower level bed. As I gently wiped away tears from her cheek, she lightly snored. For a moment I thought I had awakened her, but it didn't seem so. After making sure that her face is free from tears and she's warmly tucked under the blanket, I went to turn off the lights in the room, and finally could get to that website on the laptop.

The website surprised me. It was designed in a simple academic style, but contained a lot of information about daily life and opportunities this school and the organization behind it, offers to their students. More I read, the more interested I became. If previously I thought that I'll check it out just because I promised, now I was curious. They even featured some videos and pictures from students' personal Instagram, Tic Toc, and Youtube channels where they show and tell about their life and experiences in the school.

Studying there sounded like a heaven - with 24/7 on-site library, almost private tutoring - with only 4 to 6 students in a class, and guaranteed admission to any university program with all expenses covered, if any, upon successful graduation. The website promised, no - guaranteed to provide the students with necessary equipment and living space, as long as they study or work with the organization. All that and much more, as Ms. Pine said - free of charge under one condition - extremely high marks.

All my deal breakers suddenly seemed very waivable. If I would study there, they would provide me with a new laptop. A laptop and tablet which I don't need to share with my sister or brother, when mom and dad's devices are occupied by their respective owners. The on-site library that works 24/7 - where I'll be able to read whenever I want - as late or early as I want and no need to worry about Marta who can't sleep, because of the light in the room. If that means to study hard and go an extra mile, I'm willing to go two.

The only thing that seemed odd was the lack of the address of the school, but thankfully, there was a lot of other information for me to find. I used the organization's name, registration number, school accreditation and licensing information while googling and checking official governmental websites, but the only address showed up was an office building in Riga city center. Probably, if I would be able to pay, I would be able to get more specific information. I switched back to the school's website to examine more carefully the pictures and videos to determine possible locations. Sadly I couldn't pin-point the place even after two more replays of media and I decided to click on a link that led to the transfer application page.

The page concisely stated requirements for transfer and admission. Everything fitted me. I moved the cursor lower and clicked on "Start Application", but instead of application form a dialog box appeared on the screen and I felt like awakened from hypnosis.

The dialog box said: "Unsupported browser. Please use Tor browser to access the form. Would you like to download and install the Tor browser?" with two possible answers - "Yes" and "No".

"What am I doing...?" I asked myself, taking my hand off the computer mouse and looking away from the screen. "I can't just ..."

The room was so quiet. Even sitting next to the desk I could hear Martas quiet breaths. I looked around the darkened room, with only light coming from the laptop's screen, but I didn't and couldn't find what I was looking for. I quietly stood up from a chair on which I was sitting and with slow and silent stepps moved across the room and slipped out of the room.

"After all, decided to clean the snowy driveway?" noticing me getting on my winter coat and boots, dad who still was sitting on the couch in the living room and watching TV,asked.

"No, just going for a walk," I replied.

"Isn't it a bit too late for walking?" my mom's voice sounded from the kitchen. "It's almost 10 PM."

"Marta is asleep, I need some fresh air, and have some things to think about," I explained.

"Don't forget your phone," mom appeared from the kitchen. "And check the battery level."

I took my smartphone out of coat's pocket. I turned its screen on and scanned for any missed calls or notifications. Nothing. Then I turned the screen to my mom and said: "See, 54%. Don't worry. I'll be nearby. I'll be back by 11 PM."

My mom closed her eyes, exhaled, turned around and went back to the kitchen.

"I got you," dad waved his phone, "Call if anything. Batman ready to serve."

"I thought you said, you're Iron man," I put the keys into the keyhole and unlocked the door.

"As any superhero I have multiple personalities," dad laughed.

On that I could only roll my eyes and leave. In seconds I was out on a cold, dark, and snowy street. I didn't have a plan where to walk, I just needed to think. Unintentionally I started walking towards my boyfriend's home. When I realized it, all my thoughts diverted from school to him.

In my mind I played out various scenarios of our conversations and even came up with an idea that he could transfer to that organization, but I didn't have a clear plan how it would work, since he's already a university student and that led me to a realization - I don't know anything about his grades. Maybe a discussion of his marks just slipped out of my memory. Could be.

Accompanied by these and a lot of other thoughts, I walked on snowy and icy sidewalks. Twenty minutes later my path led me past the apartment building where Intar was living. I remembered him saying that he'll be out with his sister and I didn't expect him to be at home, but probably out of habit I glanced up, towards his apartment windows. At first I was surprised to see a light coming from his kitchen window, but then I assured myself that he just forgot to turn it out when left. I stopped next to his staircase and stood there, looking up to a window on the second floor.

I don't know for how long I stood there and was lost in thoughts about him and our future, when suddenly a light came on in the room, next to the kitchen. A bit surprised and unexpectedly unsure about my actual location, I checked the plate on the site of the building. The street name and house number was right. According to the apartment range written above the staircase door, the staircase also was correct. There was no doubt that I was looking at the windows of Intar's apartament. It was just a few minutes past 10 PM - quite early for being back at home when you're "going out". When he said that he's going out with his sister, I assumed that they're going to a club in Riga's old town or somewhere else in the city center.

A thought that something might have happened appeared in my head. Suddenly I wanted to see him. Madly. Just to make sure he's alright. I stepped a few steps forward and reached the keypad, next to the staircase door. I dialed his apartment number and pressed the call button. Domophone was calling. It produced calling beep after beep, but no one picked up the receiver in the apartament. After a few calling beeps I noticed that lights in his apartment were being turned off. First light disappeared in the room, then a moment later in the kitchen.

Another thought appeared in my mind, that they're leaving now. That would make sense, because I've read in a Cosmo magazine that there's nothing to do in a nightclub before 11PM. I waited next to the staircase door for another3 or maybe a bit more minutes, but no one came out. I didn't even hear any sound coming from the staircase. Probably, they aren't coming over all. I glanced up one more time to his apartment windows. They were dark. It was strange. Unusual. Intar never ignored when the domophone receiver ringged.

"Maybe he went to bed?" I asked myself, but that also can't be true. Intar just loves staying up late in the night. "Usually I'm the one who falls asleep before midnight," I shook my head. Since his apartment has windows towards the street and to the backyard, I decided to walk around the building and check if there's a light in his other room.

As soon as I reached the walkway passing through the backyard of the building, I looked up towards the latticed and glazed balcony on the second floor. There was definitely a light in the room and there can't be an even smallest chance that I have mixed up balcony for Intar's apartment with someone else's.If I would be there during the day, I would count balconies, just to make sure that I am correct, but now, on the back side of the five story building, without any street lights with only light coming from windows in nearby buildings and relatively white snow that reflects that light, it was quite hard to accomplish. So, I was left there with my belief that I'm right.

I took out my smartphone from the coat pocket, unlocked the screen and tapped on WhatsApp messenger.Intar's profile said that he was last online just a few minutes ago. I quickly typed a message which read: "Hey! How's your night out? Still partying or back at home?"

The message status changed from "Sent" to "Delivered". I glanced up at his balcony again. Light was still on. Then I looked around, I was the only person out here. When I looked back at my smartphone, in my hand, I saw that the status of the message had changed from " Delivered" to "Read" and the word "Typing..." was showing under his name. I held the device in my palm until the screen turned off. Then I unlocked it again,but the status said that he was online a minute ago, but no sign of a new message or that he would be still typing that message. That was unusual. He always answered my messages after reading them. I kept waiting for his reply, but nothing came and the phone's screen turned off again. I slipped it back into the pocket.

A strange, unexplainable feeling overtook me. I looked around. Still alone. No, it wasn't a feeling of being watched, it was something else. Something else which I couldn't explain and probably never will be able to. It was so strange. It never happened like that before. I had to know... I had to know - what's happening. Why suddenly he ignores me. I looked around one more time and for another time made sure I'm still alone out there. One step forward, then another and I stepped off the walkway into the snow. I kept moving forward till I reached the wall of the building.

Interesting thing, for apartment buildings that were built during the Soviet era in Riga, especially the ones which feature a balcony for each apartment, including the first floor residents - first and second floor balconies are latticed. Lattice made from a metal that won't break under heavy pressure or multiple strong hits. The balconies were latticed because otherwise it's an open invitation for thieves to climb in, break a window between balcony and the room and take anything they desire from an apartment. Third floor and above usually doesn't have a lattice, because it's too risky for thiefs to climb that high and may not give desired results. People who live in such apartments usually aren't rich and make less than 1000 euros per month, like teachers, doctors, and police officers or firefighters. As I read in a book, in the 1990s people started glazing their balconies as an additional security measure, especially for first two floor apartments. Glazing prevented people from stealing clothes that were hanging out on rope, in the balcony, as well throwing in various burning things, like photo films that were put on fire, which consequently meant causing a fire in the apartment.

All this gave me an idea - I could climb up to the second floor and check whatIntar is doing. Since I've always been quite good in sports, especially in the Alpine wall climbing competitions, as well swinging rope climbing, using lattice for climbing shouldn't be a problem. I inspected the side of the first floor balcony and found places where I would be able to put my feet while climbing up. Not a whole foot,just a tip of my boot, but that's better than nothing. The problem was that I had to get high enough to be able to start climbing up, because the first floor in apartment buildings doesn't start with a ground, but about 1.5 meters or 5 feet above it.

I looked around. There was no-one, except me.Nothing that could help me get higher, to start climbing. I felt like the last person on the cold, dark, and snowy Earth.Then I thought about it one more time. There was something that could help me. I looked down. I was knee deep into the snow. I took some pieces of snow and stuck them together. It was cold and stuck together very well. I dropped the snow piece next to my legs and started rolling a snowball. I rolled it, rolled it, until it looked like something more syllindric. When it was big enough I rolled it next to the first floor balcony. Sadly, it wasn't high enough to help me start climbing and I rolled some more cylinders. At the end there were three cylinders on the ground, two more on top of them, and the last one on the very top. They gave me the necessary lift for climbing.

The climbing wasn't easy, moreover- it was much more dangerous than the alpine wall challenge. While doing the wall challenge we're given safety belts, here I was on my own. I've seen what happens with someone who falls backwards from about 5 meters high and I didn't want to experience that on myself.

It was hard to move up. The horizontal bars that extended a bit beyond the balcony frame weren't long enough to support my whole feet and I had to balance myself there just on my boot tip. Similarly for my hands which I used to push myself up.There was not much space to hold on the lattice, due to glazing behind it. But, I managed to climb high enough to be able to see what's happening in the room. The scene that appeared in front of me made me hold to the metallic construction even tighter.

Already topless, Intar was sitting on a couch and taking off his socks, which were followed by his underpants. At the same time, on his right side, with her back to the balcony, stood an already naked female who not only had long blonde hair, but also an enormously big tatoo on her lower back. She was looking for something in her purse. Shortly after Intar was finished undressing himself, she turned around towards him, holding something in her hands. Her eyes smiled and her rosy lips moved, but I couldn't hear anything. From what I could see, her body was fit, with round breasts and already erect nipples. From where I was, It was hard to tell how big her boobies were, but definitely they were not small, and for sure not extremely big. I would describe them as an average size for an average 23 year old, as she was. She was too far from the window and some sort of glare didn't allow me to tell it for sure, but it seemed that she also had a belly button piercing.

Intar already had started touching his manhood and it started slowly,but steadily to grow in size. The girl, his sister, as she made a few steps across the room, said or asked something, and pointed at his growing thing. In response he shook his head and said something, looking straight at her. Upon reaching the couch, whatever she was holding in her hands was dropped on it. Stopping in front of her 19 year old brother, she shifted herself forward and leaned over him,looking into his eyes from above. Stroking his member who kept growing, my boyfriend looked up in his sisters' eyes. SHe smirked and poked him in the chest, while saying something, and moving her hand down. My eyes got wider and wider as I saw how her hand reached Intar's dick, slapping away his hand and taking over the stroking. But, my heart stopped beating and almost jumped out through my wide open mouth when a few strokes later the twenty three year old blondie kissed her nineteen year old brother.

They kissed. Very passionately. Not like brother and sister, and not like people for whom this was for the first time, but more like lovers who haven't seen each other for centuries and now we're ready to eat each other alive. I think I never had such passionate, no - hungry kissing with Intar. I couldn't see if they used tongues, but just a thought about it made me jealous and I had to clasp my fist around metallic construction even harder, while the blondie used her free palm to cup Intar's cheek and Intar, who in return, with one hand played with his sisters hair, on back of her head, but with other - caressingly stroked her lower back.

I couldn't bear watching it. I had to do something to stop it. I freed one of my hands and reached into the coat pocket for the phone. I thought that I'd be able to call him to distract them from what they're doing, but I had trouble unlocking the device. The only thing I could do was turn on the camera and take pictures or record video by double pressing the power button. The power button on the side of the phone was the only thing I could reach with my thumb, if I wanted to keep the device firmly in my palm.

I looked back into the room, where their lips finally parted and the girl moved her hungry kissing to his neck, while she kept stroking him. Based on his facial expression and how he held his hands around her, I assumed he enjoyed it. With her free hand, she scratched his chest in the middle, on the sides, like she was drawing some kind of letters or pictograms there. Her hungry lips trailed down from his neck to his chest and her tongue shooted out to lick scratched places. She reminded me of an animal who liked to lick up wounds. Her tongue circled around his non-existent breasts and nipples, until she put her lips around his right nipple and most probably sucked it in, which made him pull his head back.