Abnormally Normal

Chapter 25: Abnormally Normal

"We can't. Only Zephrine can see that map and only Celestino can read the book that you can also read." Mr. Jareth said.

"What book?" I asked.

"Well, you know, the one that you read here?"

"I read lots of books here." Mostly because I don't have that much to do.

"The old one."

"Lots of books here are old."

"Well, the oldest one."

Oldest—Ah! "Oh, that folk tale fantasy weird ass book!" I exclaimed.

It was that old book that Mr. Celestino made me read. That weird fantasy old folk tale about demons and humans and stuff that belongs in folk tales. What is so special about that? Why can't they read it? Because all I read there was some Drifida Folk tales.

"It is the Book of Knowledge which can only be read by the Mind and you, the beat." Mr. Celestino said.

I am the Beat? That is a very nice nickname. So should I be able to beat some music? Or beat some ass?

"Me?" I asked, eyes wide and confused and probably looking very disturbed. I didn't get e respond when Ms. Alderei suddenly stood up.

"I see her! And the darkling! They are moving away! Near the northern border!" Ms. Alderei exclaimed, looking intently at the map.

"Cast a physical border around the area. We'll go." Mr. Celestino said as he stood up from his desk.

"Ms. Irene you should stay here with Mr. Willard." Mr. Celestino said as they all got up from their seat.

I didn't have time to open my mouth to protest. They suddenly disappeared when they touched Mr. Jareth. Wow. To disappear that fast. I wish I could do the same, though if it's like the teleportation that I went through earlier then I don't want it. 

Shouldn't I be there? I'm the beat. I have a title. Though I doubt cheering them with some beat will make them any better at fighting, they'll probably improve their dancing skills though. In a more serious note, they look really disturbed, if only I could help them even a little then I would.

"Let's go and wait for them. The employees will swarm in any minute now. Megan will need a two-page explanation, probably around five hundred words explanations coming straight out of your mouth." Mr. Willard said as he led me outside the conference room.

Megan, yeah. I didn't go home for the past two days. She'll probably kill me if she sees me alive. Probably cry and get angry at me and probably ban me from using her coffee maker.

And what would I tell her? That I was teleported somewhere in Europe and I am now, I don't know, part of the supernatural world. Or maybe I should just tell her I got lost and my phone got lost too and I saw the Ayers building and viola I'm back!

"Now, you need to inform everyone of their secretaries that they are currently having an emergency meeting. Emergency meeting that cannot be disturbed, like the usual." Mr. Willard said as he looked me in the eye, "You will also not tell Ms. Megan anything about the supernatural world."

I nodded.

I nodded even though I was still confused. And I'm still not sure what should I tell Megan. And I'll probably look so confused the other secretaries won't believe anything I've said.

I proceeded to get out of the office and took a deep breath before proceeding to Mr. Jareth's office. Now that I remember, the secretaries that I'll have to inform are only Mr. Jareth's; his two secretaries, and Ms. Alderei's which is Megan. And Megan will probably be the hardest to talk to.

I sigh, now I know why this job is hard.

Mr. Jareth's secretaries were easy to convince, they didn't even blink when I told them about the usual emergency meeting. Perhaps they are already used to Mr. Jareth's quirks that these emergency meetings are the most normal thing that they've experienced being his secretary.

Before I went to Megan's, I brewed her a coffee, a bitter coffee with little creamer and sugar. Because she likes bitter things, bitter food, and bitter personality. I was about to knock with my best smile while holding the cup of coffee when the door opened before I even get to touch the door knob.

Her face was bitter, I mean dark. As in dark eyes, dark eyebags, dark lipstick, and dark outfit. It was as if she was mourning! Oh, is she perhaps already mourning me?! Wow. Her negativity is out of this world.

"Hi!" I cheerfully said and gave her the coffee, she looked at me confused, angry, worried, whatever it was I'm not sure because of that awful black eyeshadow!

"I'm here to inform you that Ms. Alderei is having a meeting right now with the others," I said and she just looked at me. "You know. The usual emergency meeting that cannot be disturbed." I said and went inside the office.

"You're alive." She said as she closed the door behind her. "And here I was ready to mourn you."

"Oh well, here I am!" I laughed.

"I thought you were dead."

"I'm alive and well."

"You were not answering my call."

"My phone got lost."

"The police can't track your phone."

"It's probably dead somewhere."

"You were gone for two nights and you didn't call me."

"I forgot."

"How could you forget?! I thought you were dead! I was really worried!" Megan shouted and drank the coffee that I gave her.

I wasn't able to answer. First, because Megan shouted at me, she shouted but not directly at me. Second, she looks so worried I know I fucked up, Third, I don't even know what to say because I'm not allowed to say anything, Fourth, her tongue probably hurts because she drank that coffee fast.

"I—I got lost in the woods and I saw the Ayer's building last night because It's super tall and modern and bright. And I followed it, thankfully Mr. Williams was still there and let me stay at the office for the night." I rambled the lies that I could think of.

"You're not fooling me." She said as she drank from her tumbler.

"Well, everything is weird but It's kinda normal—" I sigh, this is too hard. "Just believe what I told you and let's go back to normal."

"Tell me the truth or we won't go back to normal."

I can't tell you the truth and you won't believe me anyway.

"You know this company is weird right? I stumbled upon something weird but I am fine." I said.

She didn't reply, she walked towards me and hugged me. A hug that we haven't done in a long time. We were not the affectionate type of friends but we cared for each other. And with this hug, I felt her worries for me—even though her face doesn't show it.