Norbert stared up at the stairs, sighing at another flight they would need to climb. Turning towards Count von Count Norbert asked, "Is there an elevator?"
Count von Count began walking up the stairs ahead of Norbert. "It's good exercise." The vampire replied.
Norbert just signed in response, beginning to make the climb back up. I thought there should have been a quicker way to their main base than taking the stairs.
***
Finally starting to move horizontally, there are no more stairs to climb down in the concrete world again. Norbert stared at the entrance he was looking at, a ladder leading up. Heading up first, Norbert lifted the trap door again, the ladder going up, needing to be careful with his backpack scraping on the wall behind him. Lifting the door, Norbert climbed forward, finding himself in a closet.
Moving to the side, he banged against something; looking down, Norbert saw a blue bucket with a mop inside it, the wooden handle leaning against the wall. Count von Count stepped out, closing the trap door behind him as he pushed past Norbert, opening the door, the bustling airport opening up to the two of them. People rushing past them trying to get flights, none of them looking at the janitors closet.
With a hand on his back, Norbert was pushed forward, Count von Count staying within the cupboard, his arm out, a ticket in there. Reaching forward, Norbert examined the paper, seeing it was his boarding pass to get on his flight.
"You better hurry, or you'll miss your flight." Count von Count said to him.
Looking down at his ticket while pulling out his phone, Norbert saw the time.
"Last call for flight 321, please, last call for flight 321. Norbert, please come to gate 12." Echoed over the loudspeaker.
He looks down at his ticket; Flight 321 written on it, its bold text staring back at him, a deer in the headlights.
"SHIT!" Norbert exclaimed, spinning around and running away from Count von Count, trying to locate the appropriate gate. Hearing a final laugh from the vampire, the door closed behind him as Norbert raced through, shouting to people to get out of his way, the crowd parting for him.
Glancing at maps, Norbert found hanging from the ceiling, seeing the numerals 12 hanging there, in blue font on a white background. "Please hold it!" Norbert shouted, unable to see the attendants if they had packed up.
The person working there, in their red uniform, has a look of surprise rather than a smile on their face. Breathing in a final breath, Norbert calmed himself as he presented his flight ticket, it being scanned with his passport, a smile on the attendant's face, hair neatly cut, slightly dusted with makeup, seeming not to have any on them but there.
Norbert smelled himself, not having showered a day after his run in the morning through the forest.
"Thank you for making it, Mr Norbert. Please go on board; the plane would like to take off immediately." The attendant said to Norbert.
Nodding, taking his boarding pass, and jogging through the passage.
"Please do not jog through the tunnel." The attendant came from behind him.
Slowing down, Norbert waved his hand, confirming he had heard it. Obsius chirped to him, Norbert just shaking his head, not deeming to give the bird a reply.
At the next set of doors, the two women, wearing the same uniform as the man before, smiled, looking over the ticket and showing him down one of the aisles.
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Sitting in his chair, thankful for getting an aisle seat, backpack stowed above him, taking out his phone, he sent a text to Sarah, notifying her she was on the plane before turning it to flight mode.
Obsius jumped off his shoulder, sitting on his lap as Norbert belted up. He was surprised that he was able to get the bird once more through customs without a cage and even onto the plane itself.
As the plane did its final checks and began to take off, feeling his stomach beside him, he looked out the window, seeing the airport as he left the ground. The next time he would touch down again, he would be home again.
***
The plane landed once more on the runway, Norbert pushing himself back into the seat as the wheels touched down again, once more landing on the ground. Obsius hopped over from the boy sitting next to him, the two of them playing and entertaining each other on the quiet flight while Norbert just read some of his textbooks and reading for the week, needing to refresh his information about them.
The plane finally stopped on the runway, the announcement coming over the loudspeakers asking for everyone to stay seated until they were ready to un-board.
Everyone stood up, a queue in the aisle as they impatiently waited to make their way off the plane, Norbert following behind them as they made their way onto the tarmac. Obsius says bye to the boy, now resting on Norbert's shoulder. The sky above them was without a cloud; as the morning sun came down around them, Norbert made his way through the crowd, wondering how he would return to his place, needing to get onto the train to make it there.
Through the doors, now far ahead of everyone else, shadows painted on the far side. The white hallways as he power walked, through wanting to get through the last bit of customs before everybody from the plane came behind him, hopefully to leave the airport with no complications.
On the travelators, Obsius jumping around on the rails, Norbert just standing there, letting the bird burn off some of that energy it had, being all cooped up in the tin can flying through the sky.
Off the travelators, happy that he rushed to make it where he was, nobody at the customs desk as Norbert walked straight up to one of the attendants.
Passing it over and being let through, Norbert made his way forward, happy that he was now on home turf; for the moment, all the strangeness was away from his mind, and he could focus on his everyday life.
The last turn, Norbert made his way, heading to the below-ground train station; the only focus was getting back home and his rumbling stomach. Passing by the people, reading the signs of the names, seeing them talk to each other and whispering if the person they were looking for had made it.
Phones to their faces as they discussed what was happening, some in hushed whispers, others in loud voices. Some are looking to be paid and mindlessly scrolling through their phone, waiting for the person to seek them out.
All through the list, Norbert found one, chuckling at the stupidity. All wrapped up from head to toe. He wore a hat, sunglasses and a trench coat with pants on the legs going to the floor. Snickering to himself, the person reminding him of the invisible man, wondering what he was doing, Norbert looked down at the sign; who was this weirdo waiting for?
"Norbert, this is for you. Yes, you, now come over here; the sun is annoying."
Stunned, Norbert stood there, staring at the sign and then at the man. Pointing to himself, the man only nodded in response. Standing before him, the sign between them, Norbert asked, "And who are you?"
Norbert felt a grin behind the mask of the stranger standing before him, as his hand went to his glasses, moving them up. Norbert saw the eyes and bridge as the cloth mask over the lower mouth was lowered. The canines go over the lower mouth, a smile over them.
Grinning at him was Count von Count. Letting the face mask go as it slapped back into place and lowering the glasses, the vampire turned around, heading to the stairs leading to the station.
Norbert stood still as he closed his eyes, breathing in and out slowly, calming his nerves, not wanting to make a scene in a public place. As he followed after Count von Count, a thought occurred to him. How was it possible that a man was able to get under his skin so quickly?
Going down the escalator together, ahead of everyone else who was far behind him. "So, how did you make it over here?" Norbert asked Count von Count.
"Well, legally, I was always over here. An issue if your passport has a missing stamp." Count von Count said.
Norbert nodded along. "So, why couldn't I just hop on the same ride that you did, pop up at the airport and walk through customs?" Norbert replied quickly, not caring if anyone saw him at this point.
"That's because the entrance over here is on the other side of customs; it's made that way so you won't need it." Count von Count replied, stopping himself from adding duh at the end.
Norbert sighed, rubbing his eyebrows. It made sense to him. "Ok, fine, but where are we going now?" Norbert asked.
"Back to your place, of course. Also, what days would you be available for your assistance?" Count von Count replied, continuing before Norbert could respond, "Also, what’z ya phone number."