Chapter 2
Will just got off the phone with Nigel, telling him they’re on their way home. He tried to call the police, but Abby protested.
“ Abby, I think that’s a bad idea.” Will told her, “The police can help find that guy.”
“Yeah, just-!” She stammered, “Okay, call them. But don’t mention what happened to me!”
“What? But they're gonna need witnesses-”
“Please…” She pleaded, with her emerald irises staring at Will. “I cant let my parents know…”
Will rubbed his neck hesitantly, but ultimately caved in. He called in anonymously and reported screaming around the location.
Will patched Abby up with the First-aid Kit from the truck. She had a few scratches on her arms, one on her left thigh, and the bruise around her neck. He sprayed some antiseptic and bandaged her injuries, but he wasn’t sure how to deal with the last one. He bought a pack of ice from the store and told Abby to pat it around her neck.
It was snowing hard as Abby and Will sped through the western highway. Doecroft's famous birch forest spanned the landscape on the outskirts of the city. The ride going home was silent and awkward. Will drove well above the speed limit, trying to get home as fast as possible. He couldn’t think of something to break the ice, what would you say to a person who almost got killed?
Abby furrowed her eyebrows in frustration. She can’t report to the police or do anything drastic without the risk of getting dragged back home by her parents. The only consolation she has was the memory of the guy getting run over. She only wished she got to do it.
“Thanks for the save, Will.” Abby said, "And… I'm sorry about the truck."
"It's okay." He nodded, "I figured you needed to blow out some steam."
"And... I... Uhh... Sorry for the smell."
"Huh? Oh yeah, don't worry! I don't mind at all."
"You say that, but you're covering your nose with an awfully thick towel right now."
Will faked a cough through his makeshift face-mask, "Sorry, but the smell is just..."
"Yeah, Just get us home already."
Will couldn't agree more. He wondered how many trash cans Abby spilled. More importantly, he was curious to how she was able to fend off that hulking man. He decided to inquire later.
After she gets a bath, of course. He thought.
As for Abby, not only did she smell like shit, she also felt like shit. This was already a crappy day to begin with, and it had to end with an encounter with that son of a bitch. She silently vowed, if ever she gets the chance, she will bring the culprit to justice.
I'm going to crush his balls in a vice-press. She added.
They drove on for a few minutes before Abby got bored once again. She decided to poke on her new housemate.
"So..." she chimed, "How goes the hunting?"
"Huh?" Hunter made a face, "Ah, yeah... I... Didn't see it today..."
Will got excited. He never rarely gets to tell about work to anyone, and he's really looking forward to someone else listening to his stories. He figured Abby would be one of those to be trusted with his secret line of work.
"By 'it', you mean the Mothman?"
"Yeah! I-!"
Abby raised an eyebrow, "Can you please stop it already?"
He blinked, "Umm, stop what?"
"Do you seriously think I believed you when you said you hunt monsters for a living?"
"The Mothman isn't a monster, it's a cryptid."
"What's the difference?!"
"Well for one thing-"
"Just-! Stop... I shouldn't have asked..."
"I'm not lying. Ask the others, they'll tell you."
"I did, and I realized they're nut-jobs as well-!"
"That's kinda rude..." But true, he agreed internally.
"And they told me the exact same thing! Is this some sort of elaborate prank?!"
"Yeah, well..." Will scratched his head, "I guess it's up to you if you'll believe me or not."
Abby crossed her arms and grumbled under her breath for a few minutes, making Will chuckle for a bit.
Will reached a turn over and drove on towards the center of the Eastern district. A few more blocks and they reached Omori nature Park. It’s a Japanese inspired nature park, all the plants and trees were transported directly from japan. In the smack middle, a traditional Japanese Inn and hot-spring bathing house was built. An Onsen. A weird place to put it in, according to Abby. But it gets weirder inside.
They parked just outside the bathhouse. The building was built prominently with dark wood with a stone base. On top, an imposing blue ruled roof took up half the building, it’s eaves extended far beyond the walls and covered the verandas. Abby felt at ease staring at the building, it looked like the ones at home.
This was the cheapest place Abby could find, but with in house breakfast and dinner, she couldn’t possibly refuse a deal like that.
Hunter sniffed at the air as they got off the truck, "Oh! Dinner's ready!"
Abby squinted, "Gee... I wonder what kind of Tuna dish will we have today..."
"What, you don't like tuna?"
"I normally do." She complained, "But having tuna for dinner every single night is making me hate it."
They went through the back door that leads directly to the tenant's living room.
"Where home." Both of them greeted.
"Ah, Welcome back!" Nigel replied.
Nigel Malcolm, the guy who lives in Room 42. A guy with messy black hair. He's quite energetic and annoying despite his sickly-pale complexion. His messy black hair would form fluffy tufts that would sometimes look like animal ears. But what always gets Abby's attention is his blue irises behind his thick rimmed glasses. He wore an oversized purple hoodie and a pair of gray joggers.
"Hi, Nigel." Abby greeted as she stepped into the living room, "What's for-... WHAT THE?!”
The living room was soaked with… Tea? Not only on the floor, but the walls and furniture were splattered with tea leaves. A teapot couldn’t hold this much tea. It looked like a high-pressure garden hose got loose inside the living room, but with tea. Nigel was mopping out a puddle near the TV.
“Yeah…” Nigel looked up to the ceiling, which was also dripping with tea. “A Guest… didn’t like camomile.”
He turned to Will and Abby, and his eyes widened.
“Abby!” He leapt over the sofa and gestured to Abby, “What happened to you?”
She looked up to Will “I thought you told him?”
Will shook his head, “Nah, I just told him we were going home.”
“Ah no.” Nigel made a panicked expression, he took Abby’s arm and checked her bandages. He furrowed his eyebrows at her neck. He sniffed and scowled from the smell. He noticed Abby looked like she was holding in her tears.
“Okay, get in the bath. Get yourself cleaned and I’ll patch you up. We’ll eat dinner after you’re done.”
“Alright.” She wiped her eyes.
“Kogi!” Nigel called down the hall, “Get a bath ready for Abby!”
“Abby’s here?!” A shrill voice replied back down the hall, “Welcome back!”
A sliding door slammed open and a white blur came barreling down and tackled Abby. It was Kogi, the Onsens owner and caretaker. She’s a foot shorter than Abby, with a bob cut silver hair half hidden by a cloth headband. She was still wearing an apron over her traditional Japanese kimono even though it was after store hours.
“Hey, Kogi.” Abby hugged back.
She smiled at Abby, then noticed her sorry state. She worriedly stared at her up and down.
“Oh no!” Kogi touched her face, “What happened to you?”
“I got… ummm-”
“No! Nevermind! Let’s get you a bath!”
Kogi grabbed Abby’s Shoulders and led her down to the bathrooms, chatting with her along the way.
“What exactly happened to her?” Nigel turned to Will, gesturing at the girls.
“I don’t really know what happened,” He put his hand inside his pocket, “I called her and she told me she's getting followed. Next thing I know, I found her getting attacked by that psycho.”
“Let me guess… He got away?”
“Yeah, the fucker disappeared even after getting run over by a truck, I wasn't even able to take a good look at him. But Abby, she did some damage to the guy. Take a look at this.”
Will took his hand out his pocket and gave Nigel a glass vial with a few drops of black fluid inside.
“What's this?” Nigel stared at the vial, curious as to what the black liquid is.
“I scraped this off the front of the truck and the ground.” He continued, “This is what the guy was bleeding.”
“Eewwwkay…” Nigel made a blank face and handed the vial back to will, holding it between two fingers. “Put this on the Doctor’s desk, I think she can find out who and what that guy is.”
“She can?”
“I don’t know. She still hasn’t come home yet.” Nigel shrugged, walking towards the dining room. “Anyway, help me set up the plates.”
“Abby said she’s getting tired of the tuna dishes.” Will blurted out.
Nigel stopped in his tracks, much to Will’s surprise.
“To be honest with you, I am too…” Nigel turned to him reluctantly, “But the fifty dollars for Ten kilos of tuna was an absolute steal and I’d be crazy not to snatch that deal, of course it’s week before it goes bad, but at least we-”
“Are we in the red?”
Nigel sighed, nodding helplessly. “Yes.”
“Alright.” Will put his hand on Nigel’s shoulder, “Let’s get dinner delivered.”
Abby finished cleaning up, she made sure to use half the shampoo bottle to really get the smell off of her hair. Her wounds stung from the soap but she had to scrub really hard just to get that guy's black disgusting blood off her mind. The bruise around her neck really bothered her; it’s not like she can hide it with her collar, plus a bandage would just look unfashionable. She dreaded the thought of going to school for the next day, she’d look really out of place with her injuries.
After she got out of the shower, everybody met up in the dining room. Nigel was bandaging Abby’s wounds, Kogi was setting up the plates, Will placed the food they ordered in the middle of the table.
They ate dinner silently. All of them agree that the taste of cheap fast-food large family rivals that of a 5 star restaurant when they've been eating nothing but the taste of tuna for the last five days. Spirits were slightly raised.
Nigel eyed Abby for a few minutes thinking she got traumatized by what she went through, but she seemed fine enough. She was heartily chomping down on a burger and gulped in two nuggets at a time. He decided to break the ice.
“So Abby…”Nigel said mid-chew, “How was your first week of school?”
Abby shrugged, “It was fine, I guess. The place is huge, it’s kinda overwhelming.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
“Yeah, you’ll get used to it. The university ain’t that big when you get to see it all.”
“Then how come I've haven't seen you around?”
“The college campus’ a couple blocks from the high-school.”
Abby furrowed her eyebrows at him. “Uh-huh.”
“I’ve always wanted to sneak inside that place.” Kogi chimed in, “Security’s too tight though.”
“Why don’t you just… Go through the main gate?” Abby inquired, reaching for another burger.
“The school’s really strict, they just don’t let outsiders in.” Will took a piece of chicken from the bucket. “A lot of students from important people.”
“Important?” Abby tilted her head.
“Yep, kids from politicians, company owners, and the richest people on this side of the country.”
“Not to mention the athletes and prodigies.” Nigel stuffed his mouth with lasagna, “A lot of smart people. The university can’t risk having outsiders in.”
“Oh…” Abby nodded, “No wonder the entrance exams were seven pages long.”
“Yeah, that’s something new actually.” Will mentioned, “The new Student Council President made lots of new rules and measures to only let in… the ‘Cream of The Crop’, and weed out the unworthy if you will.”
“Why? Has there been…?”
Nigel nodded, “Uh-huh. I heard the last people in charge had a lot of favors under the table, that’s how most students got in.”
Abby remembered her first day there. Everyone in there was gloomy. Students were nose deep into their books and notes. It was like everyone was cramming for a board exam, and they’re still in high-school. Was that because of the new rules?
“Well, I guess Abby passed the test! She must be real smart! ” Kogi slurped her extra large soda, “Have you made a lot of smart friends there Abby?”
“Yes!” She excitedly replied, “There’s this girl who I met in the library! She’s really nice!”
“That’s good to hear!” Nigel agreed, “Newcomers usually have a hard fitting in St. Thomas. But you seemed to get by.”
“Actually Im still trying to… adjust…”
She’s still reeling from the culture shock. She doesn’t know how to act around the people of Doecroft. Are they the stereotypical rich people? Coming to school in sports cars, gold chains ‘round the neck, jewel encrusted grills? So far, she hasn’t seen anyone like that.
To be honest , she’s too intimidated by the people from the city. She can’t have anyone know she was from some backwater town. She had no one to talk to. Worst of all, her classmates already formed groups with anyone they know. Abby, who just transferred in, was immediately left out. She decided to lay low for a while, not to get the attentio-
Her bandaged wrist caught her sight. She ran her arm from her wrist, to her the bandaged scrapes, and then to her neck. Her dread welled up in her chest which culminated to her bursting in tears.
Ah, there it is… Nigel thought.
Abby covered her face with her palms and started sobbing heavily. Kogi immediately stood up and hugged her, letting her cry into her chest. She patted Abby’s head to try and comfort her.
“It’s okay, Abby.” Kogi consoled her, “You’re safe here now.”
“No… It’s not that!” She bawled, “I- I- could snap that shit-head’s neck any day!”
Nigel squinted and turned to Will, who was nodding in agreement.
“I’m- I’m… gonna look really weird with these bandages tomorrow!” She sniffled, “What are my classmates gonna think!? What’s Maya gonna think!? ”
“Oh don’t worry.” Nigel inserted, “It’ll be all okay tomorrow”
“No, you know it won't be okay!” She cried out as she stuffed her face in Kogi’s chest, “You don’t understand at all! I’m gonna get ostracized!”
Nigel decided to clam up. Trying to fit in with your peers is really a complicated affair, that much he understands. How can she say ‘ostracized’ straight while crying?
“And-! And-!” She sniffled, “He even broke my phone! I don’t have a phone anymore!”
“Nooo… It’s alright… Everything will be alright.” Kogi continued, hugging Abby tightly. “Let’s get you to bed, you’ll feel better once you’ve rested.”
Kogi led her upstairs and into her room, all the while Abby bawled. Both guys were left at the dinner tables to finish their meals in further silence.
Will cleaned up the table and Nigel washed the plates. Kogi took a while to get back down the dining room.
“Abby was crying non-stop.” She announced, “I had to put her to sleep.”
“Thanks, Kogi.” Nigel nodded. “We had no idea what to do. We could've made it worse.”
“I know.” She smirked, “Let me finish that up, you put out the dishes.”
The TV blared in the background, a news channel outlined a series of eight disappearances around different parts of the city. Will glared at the screen as pictures of the missing people were flashed on the screen.
“Those disappearances…” Kogi looked at the TV, “Could Abby have been next?”
“Perhaps.” Nigel said, “But we can’t say for sure yet.”
“You think this is the same guy who almost got Abby?” Will asked.
Nigel turned from the sink, “We don’t even know if it's the ‘same guy’. Those disappearances span the whole city, not just one district.”
“Yeah, but one person went missing everyday for the past eight days? That can't be just a coincidence.” Will gestured to the TV.
“Maybe…” Kogi handed the last plate to Nigel, “Maybe… it’s not just one guy?”
Nigel put up the plate on the cabinets, frowning at the thought. “A group effort?”
Will leaned back on the sofa, and gave a deep sigh. “Well… That’s going to be a problem.”
Will’s phone rang, breaking the silence. Nigel instinctively checked his own.
“You got a job?” Nigel asked, looking up from his phone.
“Yeah. Tomorrow night.”
Nigel exhaled in relief, “Oh thank goodness it wasn't mine. I'm too tired for a job right now...”
Kogi grabbed the back of Nigel’s hoodie and lightly pushed him towards the bathrooms.
“Alright, go get your bath and go to your room. You’ve still got important school work tomorrow.” She scolded.
“Oh right… Okay.” Nigel scratched his head, shuffled towards the bath. “G‘Night guys.”
“’Night…” Will replied, “I'm just gonna clean the living room from all this tea for a while.”
Abby slept like a rock. She half expected to have nightmares filled with black stained teeth and bulging eyeballs. But no, she slept soundly.
Her alarm clock blared at six in the morning. She felt well rested, there wasn’t an ache in her body and her eyes didn’t feel puffy. She must’ve cried herself to sleep, and maybe that just was the catharsis she needed.
She reached out and turned off her alarm clock. She very slowly got up the bed, trying not to get ever more tangled in her long puffy blonde hair. She slowly stretched, expecting for her wounds to sting, but her body felt like they’ve never been hurt at all, much to her confusion. She unraveled her bandages and jumped in front of the wardrobe mirror.
All her injuries are gone. She raised her arm close to face and tried to look for the scrapes she got but it wasn’t there. Her thighs were back to its smooth and supple touch, not one scratch at all. She closely surveyed her neck looking for that ugly long bruise, yet not a mark on her.
“What the…” She blinked in confusion. There’s no way wounds could heal that fast.
She pondered for a moment before her alarm blared again. She realized she had to prepare for school or she won't make her first class. She put her thoughts to the back of her mind and went to the bathroom.
After she got her bath, she got dressed into the standard St. Thomas uniform, a white blouse with a red tie accented by a purple blazer that Abby thinks it’s too hot and a bright red skirt. She liked the school uniform, very similar to the ones from her last school.
She went down from the second floor to the living room. On the sofa, Will was snoring away while sitting down, a few cans of beer scattered on the table. Kogi was sweeping the dust around him and humming a tune. The living room still smells of tea, which kind of made the place seem relaxing.
“Morning Abby!” Kogi greeted, “Breakfast is on the-”
“Shit!” Nigel scrambled out of the dining room, he was wearing the St. Thomas uniform as well. “Why do I have to go in early?! This isn't fair!”
He bee-lined straight to the out the front door, but he stopped in his tracks before he could open it. He turned to Abby and walked back toward her. “Hey, Abby! Good thing I caught ya’! Here!”
He handed her a new mobile phone, a significantly newer brand than what she had. It looked like it just came out of the box and feels really expensive.
“I- I can't just take this!” She protested, “Come on, You don’t have to-”
“Oh no, you're taking this alright.” Nigel grinned, “You'll have a hard time in this city without a phone. And don’t worry, it’s from the doctor. She got tons of phones.”
“The doctor?”
“Yeah you haven't seen her yet. She hasn’t come home for a month now.” He added, “anyway, it already has a navigation app on there try to use it.”
“Very funny, Nigel.” Abby gave him just a hint of a smile, “But thank you.”
“Sure thing, I gotta run though.” He jogged towards the door and went on his way, Abby could hear his moped speed off.
“Wow! You got a new phone, neat!” Kogi cheered.
Abby fiddled with her new phone as she headed for the kitchen, giddy with excitement. She never had a phone this expensive, she expected her last phone to last for half her high-school life. Maybe it was for the best it broke.
“What was he in a hurry for?”
“Nigel’s got a lot of school work to do, I think? It's kinda complicated for me to explain.” Kogi tilted her head, “Anyways, your eggs and toast are ready!”
Abby’s first class went well. Her morning classes sped by like a daydream. She couldn’t decide whether it was because she was too bored or too focused on the class, either way she was thankful it was over.
The lunch bell tolled, Making Abby jump in her seat. It annoyed her how the school literally uses a big-ass bell from one of their towers as their school bell instead of just blaring a recording through the speakers. It tolls at the start of classes, lunch, and before the school day ends. She hates how the vibrations from the bell make her insides shake as well.
Her classmates stirred from their seats and went on their way with their friends. Abby stood up as well, looking around for her friend. She met her while hiding in the library the first three days of high-school. If it wasn’t for her, Abby’s social anxiety would further sink into lonesomeness.
Before she could escape her chair, a hand tapped her shoulder. Abby stiffly swiveled in surprise, she was met with a greeting.
“Hey!” The girl smiled bubbly, “Ready to get lunch?”
“Y-Yeah!” Abby stuttered, “I'm starving!”
She stared at Sumaya Boustani, she told Abby to just call her Maya. She had warm, bronze and almost golden skin. Her soft cheeks and features accented by her sharp eyes, deep brown irises meeting Abby's. Her dark hair in a bob cut almost like Kogi’s, but shorter. Her smile shone with confidence. Abby could hear a little bit of accent from her.
She still couldn’t believe she was able to make a friend as easily. Well, it was Maya who first approached her. She remember that faithful day quite vividly:
“Hi!” A girl greeted Abby as she sat on behind a bookshelf, “The name’s Sumaya Boustani! You can call me Maya!”
“H-Hello!” Abby panicked, her mind trying to unscramble a coherent sentence. “I’m- I’m Abby! Abby Valerianov! It’s nice to meet you!”
“You going to the cafeteria, Abby?” She asked
“Uh, yeah! I was planning to.”
“Great! How about we go together?” Sumaya requested.
Abby’s eyes widened, “Really? You would?!”
She smiled, raising a curious eyebrow, “Yes, why not.”
FRIEND! was Abby’s only thought she had at the moment.
Abby had to control her grinning. She’s too elated, she finally made a friend. Well, Sumaya made the move, but still it’s a start. Both of them walked towards the cafeteria, one of them has a spring to her step.
The cafeteria was this brightly lit space with tables and chairs scattered about. On the side was a line of counters where students can order different meals. Abby noticed how the selection is very varied, from vegan options to exotic delicacies. Everything seemed to be really shiny and clean, as it should be.
Sumaya looked over to Abby, who looked like she was about to float.
“This is better than sitting in the library, huh?”
Abby’s face flushed red, she panicked she couldn’t think of some excuse. She can't let her know she hides there because she doesn't know how to talk to people.
“You… You knew?”
“Yup,” Maya grinned, “Everyone thought you were studying like crazy in there. I was the only one who checked.”
Abby covered her beet red face with both hands. Maya chuckled and slumped her arm over Abby's shoulder’s.
“Don't worry...” She further assured, “I'm not telling anyone you hide in the library because you're shy! That’s not even really that much of a juicy secret!”
“Thanks maya.'' Abby said, “it's just… I just can't mess up my first impression with everyone.”
“Oh my little sweet pea.” Maya feigned disappointment, “Why are you so insecure when you’ve got nothing to worry about?”
“I… uh… yeah. You’re right. ” She gave up, “I’m still adjusting to this new school. I don’t know how to act around here.”
“Oh I understand… I remember my first day here.” Sumaya assured, “It’s okay to look awkward around your new environment.”
Abby squinted, “I… I looked awkward?”
Her friend nervously laughed and grabbed her by the shoulder, “We should go faster, I heard they’re selling cupcakes today.”
Both of them bought their food and sat on one of the empty tables. One of them got two packs of red bean bread, the other bought deluxe meal #3.
“So Abby, tell me,” Maya split her bread, “What brings you to St. Thomas?”
“My parents sent me here, they think this is a nice school.” Abby took a bite off her chicken sandwich, “I went with it because Doecroft seemed fun. How about you, Maya?”
“I'm a legacy, actually.” Maya nodded, “My parents’ went here, and I’ve attended here since kindergarten.”
“Oh wow, did you go through the screening process as well?”
“Not really. Legacy students get a free pass as long they got good grades. The new screening process is because of the new student president.” Maya started to hush her voice, “He’s a really scary guy.”
Abby blinked, “Wha… Why? What’s he about?”
“Well…” she looked around making sure no one can hear their conversation, “There’s… talk about how he used blackmail to get a vote of confidence from the last president”
“What’s that?”
“It basically ensures he wins the next council election.”
“Well, I guess that's just a rumour…”
“He then went and kicked out a lot of students and teachers. He established a new screening system for newcomers, and put an extreme cut-off grade for every exam. All with the blessing of the headmaster too.”
“Oh… that’s… alarming.” Is that why everyone looks so stressed?
“That’s why everyone’s either really scared or really hates him. The council even got more…”
Abby noticed how Sumaya’s eyes widened as she stared past her. Abby raised an eyebrow, and looked behind her as well.
Coming their way was a tall lady. She had long, dark, smooth gorgeous hair that went past her slender waist. Her skin is as fair as marble but slightly blushed with pink. Her solemn golden eyes radiated royalty, intimidating and calculating. She wore the same St. Thomas uniform, but with dark stockings on her long legs. Her tall and fit physique, not too skinny, not too muscular; she made the school uniform look fashionable.
“Madelin Rheingold.” Sumaya swooned in admiration, “She’s the council secretary.”
She held a clipboard on one arm, she seemed to scan the crowd until she turned towards their general direction. She smiled and started to walk towards them.
“Is she coming this way?” Abby whispered.
“SHE IS!” Maya quickly fixed her blazer, which prompted Abby to do as well. “Quick! do I look presentable?”
“Yeah I think so.” Abby wiped her mouth, “How about me?”
“Perfect!”
The Student Council secretary reached their table. She got really close to Abby; she could smell her perfume.
“Good morning girls.” Madelin smiled warmly at them, “Did I interrupt your lunch time?”
“N-No! We just actually finished.” Abby turned Maya for help, but her friend looked too awestruck.
“Miss Boustani.” The secretary turned to Maya, “Do you mind if the council will borrow Miss Valerianov for the lunch break.”
“Wha-! Wait what?!” Abby swiveled to Madelin, “Did I do something wrong?”
“Huh? No of course not!” She giggled, placing her hand on her shoulder. “We just have something to talk to you about.”
“I…” Maya finally snapped out of her daze, “Sure! I don’t mind! It must be really important!”
Abby looked at Maya for assurance; Maya nodded, I’ll see you after school, seemed to convey. Abby was reluctant to leave her only friend alone, but she seemed to be summoned by the council itself. it must be something important.
“Okay.” She stood up, “Please lead the way.”
Madelin nodded and walked away, Abby reluctantly followed. She looked back towards Maya, who gave a thumbs up and a large smile.
Abby was led to a building near the center of the college campus. She hadn’t visited this part of the University yet, she wasn’t even finished exploring the high-school itself. Thinking about the size of this place made her even more tired.
Unlike the newer and more modern parts of the University, the buildings in the older college campus were heavily inspired by Victorian architecture. The Council building itself was built with red bricks and walnut wood. Two stories high, it stood tall and imposing. Its trimming and gables were intricately carved.
“I’m sorry for the long walk, Miss Valerianov.” Madelin apologized, she hadn’t broken a sweat and she walked from here back and forth. “We really ought to change the council building somewhere accessible..”
“It’s fine I could use the exercise.” She panted, “Also, you can call me, Abby.”
“Alright Abby,” She opened the doors into the council building, “Were almost there.”
The inside of the building was a spanning room, lit with the glow of ornate orange lamps. A low table surrounded by cushioned sofas was in the center of the room itself. Desks and chairs were placed sparsely near the windows. Further in, a wide staircase led up to the second floor balcony which was held up by large wooden pillars.
“Oh wow…” Abby marveled.
“The waiting room is right this way.” They walked past the sofas and went up the staircase. Up the staircase was a pair of doors, up the frame the words “Meeting Room” engraved in a bronze plaque. Madelin opened one door, she let Abby come in first.
The meeting room was large in itself. The wood floor creaked with each step. In the middle was a long table, in each side was a line of executive chairs.
Over to the other end of the room, a larger and fancier chair was facing the away. It emanated such pressure it made Abby nervous. She was about to meet the president everyone was talking about. What kind of intimidating dictator will she see meet? Is she gonna be bullied by the council itself?
“What are you doing?” Madelin pointedly asked at the chair as she went toward it.
“I was trying to do a dramatic reveal.” a familiar voice replied. “Come on, let me have this!”
“Just…” Madelin pinched the bridge of her nose, like she just had a sudden headache. “Get it over with.”
The chair swiveled around. Abby was faced by a guy with dark messy hair, deep blue irises under thick rimmed glasses, and an annoying wide grin.
“Hey, Abby.” Nigel greeted.