Allen
Ding.
*Hiiiiiisssss*
Shocked by Midnight’s sudden animosity, Allen shooed her away with a few firm pats. What’s gotten into her? The customers didn’t appear menacing or like trouble-causing ruffians. Perhaps she dislikes children as well?
“Welcome.” Allen greeted the family of four, a rare demographic of patrons. His usual customers either wandered in by themselves or with a single close acquaintance.
The two children laughed as they ran between the shelves, playing a game of tag. Allen’s brows twitched. Children. He inhaled deeply as he took a closer look at the two irresponsible parents who lingered near the door. At least they knew the importance of introducing their children to the pleasure of reading at a young age.
An average little family unit. They didn’t appear wealthy, but Allen knew better than to judge anything by its cover. Appearing satisfied with what they saw, the adults strolled over to the desk. The woman was startlingly thin. Returning his pleasantries, the adult female asked, “Hello, are you the owner here?”
“Yes, I know the location of everything in the store. Is there anything specific you’re searching for?” Allen noted the stiffness in the woman’s behavior as if she’s been stressed over a subject for an extended time. The bigger man appeared much more relaxed and didn’t seem to notice his wife’s condition at all. “I can also recommend a novel if you’re unsure.”
“Thank you, we will keep that in mind.” The wife offered a rigid smile after glancing at her husband. “Apologies about the children. I will make sure they don’t break anything.”
Allen nodded. The wife went to the shelves to locate the children, while the father made himself comfortable on the newly-installed seats near the window. The golden pin on his chest glinted in the natural light.
Thump.
“Children!” A hushed reprimand drew Allen’s attention. “You stop running this very instant.” The mother bent down and retrieved the fallen book. She dragged one of the little brats over the desk by the forearm. The older sister trailed behind her mother and crying brother.
The woman handed off the crying child to the father who reluctantly rose from his seat and took him outside. She apologized as she handed over the book, “I’m so sorry about the child. This is the book he dropped. It’s not visibility damaged, but I would like to purchase it anyway.”
After settling the book down on the desk, the daughter impatiently tugged at her mother’s dress. The older woman sighed as she offered Allen an apologetic smile, but she followed her daughter to one of the shelves.
Allen felt exhausted for the mother. It can’t be easy dealing with two brats and an inattentive husband. He had just finished packing the first book when he noticed a buzzing in his pants. Reaching into his pocket, he fished out the phone that had been put on silent. Seeing the mother and daughter pair were still busy, he hurried upstairs to take the call after setting up the “Away” sign on his desk.
Closing the door behind him, he answered the call, “Hello?”
“...Allen…$#%^&…”
It was difficult to make out the words through the static. Are prank calls so popular these days, but how did they know my name? Allen stared at the screen perplexed after the call disconnected. The voice had a touch of familiarity despite all the static as well.
Allen’s thumb paused as he noticed a new square on the screen that hadn’t been there before. There was a new ‘app’.
-
With a conflicted expression on his face, Allen made his way back downstairs. It would be unprofessional to keep a paying customer waiting for too long. The first thing he noticed was the peaceful silence that had returned. The silence that he was once bored of before he realized the terror of children.
A glance through the shelves told him they had indeed left. There were no traces of them outside of the store either. Something metallic on the desk caught his attention. Coins.
Allen counted the coins on the counter, surprised by the generosity. The book he packed was still there. Did they take a different book? Even if they did, the money was enough to cover a couple more. Perhaps there was a time-sensitive emergency. Although he hoped they hadn’t encountered any major troubles, he was happy to accept the money.
He felt more certain of his decision to accept the invite from before. Perhaps he could welcome more of this type of generous customer if he played his cards right. With that thought, he quickly confirmed his decision and sent a reply to reserve his spot.
-
Midnight
Bad intentions. The newcomers reeked of bad intentions. They weren’t customers, they were intruders. Midnight would eat her own droppings if she was wrong. The hair on her neck stood up as she hissed at them. Her hiss got cut short as she was reprimanded by Master.
She meowed pitifully at him, but he didn’t seem to care. She turned her attention back onto the intruders, eyes narrowed into slits. They got her punished. It was all their fault.
That’s alright, she is a patient cat. Midnight settled onto one of the bookshelves, pupils locked onto the family of four. She licked her paws leisurely, waiting for them to mess up. She was prepared to pounce at the smallest mistake. It wouldn’t take long.
Meanwhile, the male child had moved closer to her shelf. Her ears twitched at the unnatural laughter as she stared unblinkingly at the blank face of the human child. A spark of life lit up in his pupils. Was this the main body?
Suddenly, as if he felt her gaze, the child’s head jerked up, and his eyes locked onto her. Something flashed across his eyes before crocodile tears welled up in them. Thump. Midnight tilted her head in contemplation as she watched the show play out in front of her.
Was it recognition? Fear? She was sure she’d never seen them before. Or perhaps they saw something…her gaze sharpened as her legs tensed. The docile hunger stirred and ached for substance. Patience.
She didn’t have to wait long. They showed their little claws as soon as the master left. Did they truly believe the great being didn’t know what they were up to? Although he wouldn’t lower himself to deal with sneaky rats, Midnight didn’t mind.
The mother and daughter pair shared a glance and hurried over to the desk as if they didn’t feel the pair of vertical pupils locked onto them. The daughter reached for Master’s journal, a journal that could breathe life into his sacred words. How dare they!
It’s time. Midnight released control and opened her mouth wide in a silent screech. Their heads turned in synchronization, eyes wide and mouths forming ovals. The young one bore the brunt of Midnight’s attack. Her body rattled, cracked, and then shattered into numerous porcelain shards. The cat vacuumed it clean as if she’d been starved for years. Too greedy.
Indeed. Midnight frowned at her actions before shifting her attention to the older woman who was frozen in shock. No, she was just an empty shell, abandoned by her master. That’s the outcome of a weak master.
‘How dare they disrespect me, the greatest cat to ever grace this world!’ Midnight was very clear that disrespecting her master was an insult to her. How could she let them set a precedent of that being alright? She never allowed second chances when she was with the other cats, and she would not start now.
More power, more responsibility. It was her responsibility to keep the lesser beings in line and remind them of their place lest they become too comfortable.
The father and son pair had long disappeared from the store and back to whatever sewer they crawled out of. Unlucky. Midnight carefully wrapped up the remaining puppet and offered it up to her new companion, TT.
{ ‘ Hello, I’m Taotie. ’
“Meow? Too complicated. I’ll just call you TT.”
The book remained floating in midair and did not reply which Midnight took as acceptance. Pretending she didn’t care, she returned to her slumber on the shelves. However, she kept a close eye on the tome. After all, Master was out, so she should still practice some semblance of caution.
Finally, the book replied, the words echoing in the feline’s brain. ‘ I can offer you power. ’
Midnight yawned and tucked her nose under her paw.
‘ He won’t protect you forever. He will become bored and leave you behind. ’
The certainty in its words tickled the fears caged in the back of her mind. A heat burned in her chest. Even if it was true, who is it to bring up her insecurities? Midnight glared at the glowing tome.
As if sensing her patience running thin, the book quickly got to the point. ‘ We can work together to get into the good graces of his M- of Master and fight for the chance to be remembered. ’
Midnight straightened at the mention of Master’s memory. Focusing her dilated pupils on the book, she asked, “How?” }
-
Issac
“Another failure.” Issac sighed as he tossed his gloves to the side, leaving the cleanup to his assistants. “What a waste…”
An assistant handed over a clipboard. Issac barely glanced at the content before scribbling his signature. His eyes lit up as he took note of the letters that briefly flashed over the document before disappearing. Complete.
“Dr. Issac?”
Issac met the wary eyes of his new assistant who appeared confused by his sudden change in mood. “Good news, my dear, calls for a celebration. Let your master know that he was overcautious as usual. Has he been playing in the sheep pen for so long that he’s forgotten his true identity? What a disgrace.”
In a good mood, he hummed a little tune as he returned to his work. Although excited about the show that had been scheduled, his attention didn’t waver in the slightest as soon as he donned the new gloves.
The rattling against the restraints, the symphony of muffled screams, the fountain of red wherever he laid his attention…none of it distracted him in the lightest. He is the definition of a professional.
“Commencing trial 67.”
Mm I want more. Cookie
!