Chapter 4: Normal Day

"What *cough* is going on" I ask while trying to clear my throat from the harsh sound.

"You don't remember," Abraham asked sounding deeply concerned. I couldn't see his reaction, my head was looking down at the ground trying to compose itself. I shook my head too confused to answer verbally. A wave of exhaustion washed over me for what couldn't have been more than a few seconds making lose my defenses and my eyes lost focus. I could feel my head nodding from its own weight.

"You are tired, rest," Abraham said.

I didn't know how he knew I felt spent but I didn't care. I rested my head against the side of the counter and immediately fell into my dream world.

I could feel someone carrying my somewhere. I could hear the steady beat of their heart and the soft sound of their breathing. I could tell they had a build body; not a lot but not wimpy either. Their skin was somewhat cool, yet it made me feel warm inside. The pleasant feeling caused me to automatically curl into the warmth and emit a small sigh. Whoever they were, I didn't want them to let me go. I could stay like this forever. When I shifted my weight they slightly moved their arms to accommodate to the change. Then like a switch of a light turning on, I woke up.

I didn't know why I was in Abraham's arms being carried like a child down the hall, but for some reason I liked it. I brought myself back to reality and quickly remembered who was carrying me throwing up my walls of defense, shifting into my protective self.

"Umm…could you let me down please," I asked trying to sound embarrassed. I mean, that's what most people do when they find themselves in the arms of someone, right? Not a person who demanded to be let down and be rude.

"Oh yes sorry," he said while letting me down. "You know, you don't have to pretend around me."

"What," I asked.

"You do not have to act different around me," he responded.

"Well…it's just," I said, rubbing my neck while I try to think of the right words to say, "I uh… I always had to hide my real self in front of others. I never truly trusted someone, not even let them in, you know get to know me," my voice still sounding foreign to me. "I'm gonna to go get some rest, I'll see ya later. Good bye Abraham."

I walked back to my room vaguely aware of my surroundings. I couldn't stop thinking about the resent events. I was dreaming I heard a voice in my head and kicked the trolls butt, but was it a dream? I kept rerunning my dream through my mind as I got into my room and changed my clothes, a red tank-top and a pair of navy blue sweat pants. I climbed into bed closing my eyes to get ready to sleep, but it never came. I was too wired up from the mission even though it was 4:00 in the morning. I decided to go to the library to see if reading a bit would make me tired.

I slipped out of my room quiet as a cat stalking its prey before the pounce. I didn't know if there was a curfew or something and didn't feel like getting caught just because I couldn't sleep. I walked down the halls without making a sound with each step of my foot. On occasions I would see someone leisurely walking down the same hall as me and then I would act as if I had every right to be there to avoid suspicion. When I stood in front of the massive gold doors I couldn't help but stare at it again for a moment. I silently opened it to see no one inside. I thanked whoever was watching over me at the moment in my mind and proceeded to search one of the bookcases for anything that caught my eye. I eventually settled with Diverse Lands of the Fair Folk. Its faded green cover and yellow pages made me want to see why the Bureau wanted an old book like this.

I spun around on my heels out of reflex as if was as normal turning around like normal did since I've been doing that my whole life. I saw where I sat with Abraham and went to sit over there. I sat in a comfortable position with my back propped against the glass and my legs stretched out in front me.

I don't know how far I got when everything was getting out of focus and I fell asleep.

I couldn't see anything but I could hear things. I knew I was in a dream; I was always able to be aware of that .Someone was talking but it sounded muffled as if they were in another room. Then I heard a door opening. Two people were arguing by the shouts and protests. Wait, they just suddenly stopped. I could feel someone getting closer to me. I try to run by my limbs are stuck in the same place as my waking body. Then I feel strong arms lift me up but they're not the same as the other ones that held me before, not Abraham's. They were stronger, more built. The person said something and walked somewhere and set me down on something soft. I curled up and went into my dream world where there was no shouting or strange people picking me up.

I woke up in the library. I didn't know why I was in here. I looked over to see a green book on the end table and then I remembered. I came in here last night because I couldn't sleep. I fell asleep near the tank; then someone carried me here. I picked up the book and placed it back where I found it amongst the many others on the shelves. I looked over to observe the tank across the room and saw it was empty. I wondered where he went but brushed it off. I mean it wasn't my business to know where he was all the time. I walked out of the library and roamed around just to occupy my time. I saw many doors that led to some place that either was a meeting room or a room that I wasn't allowed in. I saw about a dozen of these rooms until there was one Prof. Broom was in along with the troll from the sewers, Manning, and Abraham. They were all examining something about the creature because they kept looking at it while they talked. It didn't seem important until they started talking about me.

"She couldn't have…"Manning said.

"…but she did…" Abraham interjected.

"I know but…" He continued to babble.

"…some other time…" Broom stated to end the discussion. They dispersed after that.

I quickly backed away to not be seen and slipped out to the elevator. I needed some time to think and a walk might do me some good. The platform rose and filled the hole of the first floor of the building concealing what lay beneath. An old man stared at me with uncertainty in his eyes but he didn't say anything, just watched. I walked through the doors, past the gates, and down a street out of random. After some time I saw a book store and decided to waste my time in there. I walked in to be greeted by the smell of coffee from the café that resided in the center of the store. I look for the teen's section and pulled out a book titled Dragon's Song. I found one of the reading areas and sat on a soft chair. I was wary of keeping the price tag covered especially when a worker came by. I got about half way through when someone took it out of my hands forcefully.

"What do you think you're doing," he asked suspiciously.

"Reading," I responded with no inclination that I'm doing something wrong.

He scanned the book then showed the price tag to me.

"Get out and don't come back or pay for it and leave." He shoved the book at me.

I grumbled under my breath about him being a selfish jerk and him having a fat head with other things as I walked up to the counter to pay for the book. I took out my savings and spend almost all of it on the stupid book. I walked out with a sour taste in my mouth. I somehow made it back to the Bureau since I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going. I walked onto the square that held the company's logo and waited for it to descend.

When I stopped at the lowest floor I saw an agent with four bowl's of chili on one of the carts they used for all kinds of purposes.

"Who's food is that?"

"It's Red's, he tends to eat a lot," he responded. I looked at him questioningly wondering who this 'Red' he was referring to.

"Hellboy," he restated.

I just looked at him with a smile before leaving for the kitchen on the second floor. I got the clam chowder and walked strait to my room. Putting the book on my nightstand, I pulled out the money I had left from buying the stupid thing. Five dollars, I sighed. I pushed the thought out of my mind and eat my chowder in peace. I finished it and set it on the stand while taking the book into my hands to finish reading. I was just about to finish a chapter when a bang was heard around the room. The sound had the room shaking and the lights flickered for a moment. Slowly I get up, setting my book on the bed, and walked out of my room to see where the noise emitted from. I smelled something burning to my left so I followed it to see a huge hole in the wall. Through the smoke I saw Red and Liz on fire fighting. I watched from afar, quite enjoyed what was happening in front of my eyes. Suddenly someone put a hand on my shoulder. My walls were put up and I whip around to see Abraham.

"Hi," I say.

"Hello Jasmine," he answered back.

"So do they do this every day," I asked sarcastically.

"In retrospect, they sometimes do this more than once a say," he responses.

Just as he finished his sentence the alarm went off making the room light up in red. The two others didn't seem to notice. I turned to Abraham to see no emotion portraying the situation.

"You might want to cover your ears for this," I warn him.

"Actually I do not have ears, I have sensory receptors," he stated.

"Well you might want to cover them." He complied but not without a questioning look.

I yelled at the two, "Hey are we just going to stand here er are we gonna get movin?"

The two stopped long enough to listen to me shout at them and walk out of the room. The problem was that they picked up where they left off as soon as they started walking. I trailed after them, shaking my head in disbelief; Abraham walking behind me. We went directly to the hangers to see Manning talking with a 'man'.

He had a glass dome for a head with white smoke swirling around within it. The smoke was trapped within the metal suit. He didn't seem like the type to slack off.

We all board and sat around a makeshift table composed of crates. I sat between Liz and an agent. Then Manning addressed us on the situation.

"Prof. Krauss was off leave but has returned and will be in charge of this mission. So onto business…"

I didn't hear the rest of what Manning said. I was too busy staring at Prof. Krauss. I leaned over to Liz.

"Who is that," I asked pointing to Krauss.

"Oh, that's Prof. Krauss. He's a medium specialist and one of the best agents in his division." I sat up straight and continued to stare at him. 'I guess this is a normal day for them' I thought as the plane landed at our destination.

~Darkness reins for its Night Princess


Hey everyone, I hope you liked another chapter from me. Yes it was short but it was necessary to put this in here. Remember I have another story, The Best Gift for the Special Day. I do hope to write on other subjects but maybe a few reviews will encourage me to post them.

please review :p

next: Kisa