Chapter 6: Mystery Key

"Hmm..."

Barry squinted, his eyes focused intently on the whiteboard before him. A thoughtful expression crossed his face, and his hand brushed his chin in contemplation.

Looking at the whiteboard, displayed an array of dozens of pictures, cut-out newspaper articles, and a scattering of sticky notes, all meticulously arranged and interconnected by a network of red yarn.

Reading through them, the clear thematic connection between the pictures, newspaper clippings, and sticky notes became evident, providing a clear narrative or focus to the information displayed.

It was all about the incident that happened 11 months ago...

Indeed, 11 months had passed since the tragic day when Nora Parker was murdered, and Barry's father was unjustly framed for the crime he didn't commit.

And today, he was already 11 years old...

Back then, celebrating his birthday without his parents for the first time was a somber experience for Barry. Despite the melancholy that lingered, he made a conscious effort not to reveal his emotions in front of his Aunt and Uncle, out of consideration for them.

Despite being a child with a promising future, the typical expectation would be to have carefree fun and act his age.

However, Barry diverged from the norm; instead of engaging in typical childhood activities, he found himself immersed in investigating the murder case that had disrupted his life.

Skimming all the details, investigating the crime scene, searching for the unknown assailant, and finding any information in the media...

This was merely a small part of what he did for the past year.

Barry had persistently pursued the investigation ever since his Aunt and Uncle took him in. 

The week he had spent holed up in his room back then was not a retreat from the world, but rather a dedicated period to brainstorm ideas and meticulously study the information surrounding the tragic incident.

To this day, Barry remained unwavering and continued the investigation without a moment's respite.

He refused to take a break, demonstrating a relentless determination to prove his father's innocence in the face of the unjust crime he was accused of.

Despite the intense focus on his investigation, Barry didn't forget about his father. Regularly, once a month, he made a point to visit him and engage in conversations, talking about his life and the things that happened outside.

In one poignant moment, Barry mustered up the courage to ask his father about the truth.

However, his inquiry was met with a stoic silence, and each time, his dad would urge him to forget about him and forge a life without the burden of the unjust accusations.

But there was no way Barry was ever going to do that...

*****

As Saturday dawned, a day void of classes, Barry found himself with ample time alone.

Determined to delve deeper into the investigation, he resolved that it was the opportune moment to revisit the crime scene and scrutinize it with a fresh perspective.

In preparation for his departure, Barry took the time to groom himself and tidy up the room. 

And not forgetting the confidential nature of the investigation, he covered the contents of the whiteboard with various items like stickers, ensuring that the intricacies of his inquiry remained safeguarded from casual observers.

"I'm going out, Aunt May"

"Oh... be careful, then, Barry. Make sure to come back before dinner"

"Got it"

Barry bid a farewell wave to Aunt May as he exited the apartment building and set out toward his former residence.

The journey to his destination was relatively short, only merely taking 30 minutes of his time. 

And as Barry arrived, he couldn't help but gaze upon his old house with a mix of nostalgia and melancholy, reminiscing about the cherished memories he once shared with his parents within those walls.

Despite having frequented the house numerous times over the past year, Barry found himself unable to escape the pervasive sadness and depression that washed over him upon each return.

"Hah..."

Barry let out a deep sigh and resorted to a firm slap on his cheeks, a self-imposed wake-up call that jolted him out of his depressed state.

Steeling himself, Barry took a decisive step forward, directing his attention to the door.

With a deep breath, he took out a key and unlocked the door, mustering the strength to step inside the house that held both cherished memories and the lingering shadows of the past.

And as he entered, his eyes fell upon a multitude of furniture shrouded in white blankets, the air disturbed by swirling dust particles, encapsulating the untouched state of the house since the incident.

"..."

Barry's countenance remained unfazed and unsurprised, having already become accustomed to the sight before him after his multiple visits as he proceeded to go upstairs.

Now one might ask, why didn't they live in this house instead of an apartment?

It was out of the consideration of Barry's comfort as Aunt May and Uncle Ben had chosen to maintain the house in this preserved state, understanding the emotional weight that living amidst such surroundings might carry for him.

And they were right...

Aunt May and Uncle Ben's decision was well-founded, as Barry did experience discomfort upon returning to the house, despite it being his former home.

Each visit reignited haunting memories of the past—the chilling and emotionless gaze of the unknown assailant during that fateful incident. The house, once a sanctuary, now bore the heavy weight of those haunting recollections.

And the memory of the assailant's cold gaze continued to send shivers down Barry's spine, and he had once battled recurring nightmares stemming from that traumatic event. 

However, as time progressed, he gradually overcame the haunting images that plagued his dreams, finding solace in the healing passage of time. The nightmares eventually subsided, allowing Barry to reclaim some measure of peace.

"Hah"

Shaking his head to dispel the distracting thoughts, Barry redirected his focus to the door before him—the entrance to a room he had never dared to enter since the tragic incident unfolded.

It was his mother, Nora Parker's room...

The room, laden with the weight of painful memories, had always been an area Barry intentionally avoided during his visits. It served as a stark reminder of the harsh reality that his mother was no longer alive, a truth he preferred to keep at a distance.

At this moment, fear took a backseat to determination as Barry drew in a deep breath, his eyes adopting a serious gaze. 

With deliberate intent, he extended his hand toward the doorknob, turning it slowly as the door slowly creaked open, revealing the interior of the room that held the weight of his memories, and Barry steeled himself to confront whatever lay within.

"...It's the same"

Surveying the room, Barry couldn't escape a sense of melancholy as he observed that everything remained frozen in the same state he remembered.

Time seemed to have stood still, leaving the room unchanged except for the layer of dust that had accumulated over the passing months.

As Barry sifted through the items in the room, occasionally sneezing due to the dust, a sudden quake shook the surroundings. 

"...!!"

Startled, Barry lost his balance and tumbled down onto the floor, caught off guard by the unexpected disturbance.

"Keuk?!"

The unexpected quake caused a small cardboard box perched on a shelf to tumble and roll beside Barry. As the box opened, an unusual key emerged into view, adorned with numbers and codes that immediately caught Barry's attention.

"A key...?"

While Barry examined the peculiar key and pondered its origin, another quake occurred.

However, this time, it was distinct—the ground remained still, but the very air and atmosphere seemed to quake. 

In the next moment, a deafening roar erupted, startling Barry and forcing him to cover his ears in pain.

"Ugh!?"

As the deafening roar subsided, Barry rose to his feet and approached the window. His eyes widened in astonishment at the scene that unfolded before him, capturing his attention in a way that left him breathless.

There in the far distance, Barry beheld a colossal wormhole or some form of spatial tear. Emerging from it were massive worm-like creatures, accompanied by a multitude of countless black dots.

Despite the uncertainty, Barry couldn't shake the feeling that those dots resembled humanoid figures, or at the very least, were closely related to humans.

Although the details were obscured due to the considerable distance, Barry inferred from the direction and approximate location that the unsettling phenomenon was unfolding somewhere in Manhattan. 

Which left him questioning...

"W-What is happening?"