Re-Animating From Beyond

Prologue

  "Come on, Herbert, we're going to be late."

  "Give me a moment, Daniel."

  Things were not going well.

  For the better part of 20 minutes, Dan had been badgering his roommate to hurry up because they had a physics class in less than a half hour and one Herbert West seemed to be doing everything in his power to make sure they didn't arrive on time.

"Can't you log your formulas in the car?"

"With your driving?" Herbert scoffed. "We're lucky to arrive in one piece at all."

  Dan bit back a snippy retort. He knew it would do nothing but provoke Herbert further and the last thing they needed right now was to waste time getting into a fight. Though Dan was seriously considering leaving and letting his roommate fend for himself, he knew his conscience would never let him.

  Dan had made a habit of driving to school with Herbert whenever the two of them shared classes or shifts at the hospital. Having only ever seen Herbert walk from location to location, Dan suspected he didn't have a driver's licence – or if he did, he obviously never used it. Dan tried to make a point to carpool with Herbert when he could because it was polite, because that's what a good roommate would do. And because it was November and the temperature was rapidly dropping. As inhuman as Herbert seemed, Dan doubted he was impervious to the cold and couldn't just leave him to freeze.

  Though the thought crossed his mind more than a few times during the last 20 minutes.

  "Let's go," Dan stressed, pushing himself off the doorframe of his roommate's bedroom. "If you're not out here with your coat and bag in 5 minutes, I'm leaving without you."

  He left the hall, crossing the living room to the crudely built coatrack by the front door. He shrugged on his coat, gathered his bag and books, and waited. He heard Herbert shuffling around in his room and soon enough, the scientist emerged with his coat hastily thrown on and books haphazardly shoved into his bag.

  "Let's go," he grumbled as he opened the front door, stepping out into the frigid morning air.

  Dan merely chuckled and followed him out.

/ /

  "Where is it, where is it?!"

  Things were not going well.

  After his alarm had refused to go off at the correct time – or at all – Crawford found himself battling the most chaotic morning he had ever experienced. On the verge of being late to his first class, Crawford had to hustle, but of course, that just made anything and everything go wrong in the process.

  First, his lab coat was no where to be seen. Then, he found his bag had a hole the size of a meteor crater in it and had to spend the time searching for a suitable replacement. He burned the same hand twice on the coffee pot and now, the one textbook that he needed for his class today was missing.

  After extensive searching, his physics textbook was finally found under his bed of all places – heaven only knows how it wound up there – and Crawford bolted from his flat, barely taking the time to lock the door behind him.

  Crawford shivered as he sprinted into the chilly November air, wishing he had worn a thicker sweater. He hailed the first cab he saw and mercifully, it stopped for him. He rattled off the school's address so fast, he had to repeat it twice before the cabbie understood him.

  As the car finally rolled into motion, Crawford let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. With any luck, the roads would be good, the traffic minimal, and somehow, magically, Crawford wouldn't be late.

/ /

The halls of Miskatonic University were practically empty by the time Dan and Herbert arrived, save for a few stragglers. Dan had to practically drag his roommate towards the classroom to ensure they made it on time. Why Herbert was so blasé about the urgency of their schedule, Dan would never understand. Probably viewed it as beneath him, or unimportant compared to his personal research.

However, Dan managed to get the two of them into the classroom and seated with mere seconds to spare. He didn't miss the way Herbert was glowering at him, probably resenting being yanked around like some petulant child. Dan thought the comparison only too fitting.

  The professor blindly walked in whilst thumbing through a binder, miraculously avoiding every obstacle in his path. Mere moments afterwards, a disgruntled looking student stumbled into the classroom. Unfortunately, he tripped over the carpet divider and went sprawling across the floor.

  Immediately, Dan had hopped up from his seat and rushed over to help the fallen student who clearly wasn't haven't the best of mornings. He knelt down in front of him, helping to gather his books and notes.

  "You alright?" Dan asked.

  "Fine, thanks," the student responded breathlessly, hurriedly shoving his strewn belongings back into his bag.

  Dan stood and offered a hand, which the student gratefully accepted. It was only then that Dan saw his face and he felt his heart stop in his chest.

  He was staring at the face of Herbert West.

  Except...it wasn't. The eyes weren't full of hidden malice, weren't hidden behind thick lenses. The hair was a little longer and not quite as neat, and the relieved smile he wore was genuine instead of malicious. He was the spitting image of the Herbert West Dan had come to know, yet so...different.

  "Nice of you to join us, Mr. Tillinghast," the professor spoke up, eyes never leaving his lesson plan.

  The Mr. Tillinghast in question muttered another quick 'thank you' to Dan before finding his seat. Dan returned to his own, feeling quite perplexed and possibly like he was losing his mind. He glanced in Herbert's direction and found the scientist studying the newcomer with obvious distaste. Clearly there was more going on here than Dan could understand in the moment. The upcoming physics class was all but lost on Dan as he pondered the idea that Herbert West had a brother – no, twin brother – now attending Miskatonic University.

  Somehow, the thought of two Herberts was not a comforting one.

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i finished this at like 4am last night because i was having so much fun writing it

that also means i didn't edit it cuz i'm lazy lol so sorry for that but i am legit so excited about this story

i'm having a great time and i hope y'all are too💕💕

i am already like 400 words into chapter 1 so hopefully i can put that out soon☺️