The phantom agency and the case of the missing souls

It was quiet. Still. No sound. Not even the birds had started their dawn chorus yet. A silent figure sat on a park bench. Waiting…. Waiting… Always waiting.

The girl looked around her, this park really was beautiful. A typical English stately garden. Complete with a large foreboding house and shiny blue lake. It even had a few swans and ducks.

Like I said, beautiful.

The girl on the bench was restless, you could see it in her visage. She tapped impatient fingers on her crossed leg. If she were not careful, she would wear out the simple synthetic leggings that she wore. She completed this simple outfit with an eyesore of a top that had writing in neon pink and yellow. Spouting some maudlin diatribe, no doubt.

‘’Will you shut the fuck up! You're doing my head in. I’m not bringing you again. When we get back, I’m dumping your arse in the shop and that’s where you’ll stay’’. I said, snapping like a turtle at the teenager sitting next to me.

It had been a long night. Catching up with the young girl and bringing her home had taken longer than it should. I was in a dark mood, and it was getting darker by the minute.

It didn’t help that the little shit sitting next to me had decided to narrate my life to quell his own boredom while we waited.

‘’Sor..ry’’ the teen said. ‘’I’m bored, Dess. What time is it now’’?

I turned my head slightly in his direction, too tired to do anything else.

‘’It’s pointless to know the time. You know when it will happen. Just be patient, for fuck's sake’’!

I closed my eyes and sucked in a slow breath.

‘’I’m sorry, that was mean. Triss, I don’t know the exact time and the little bitch we are helping home broke my watch when she slammed me back against that wall’’.

Triss nodded, as if he were remembering now.

‘’Yeah, she threw you good, that must have hurt, did it hurt”? He inquired.

I closed my eyes again and counted to ten, a trick my dad had taught me to do when I found myself dealing with dickheads.

‘’You know very well it didn’t hurt. Asking stupid questions like that is the reason you’re no longer invited along with me again’’. I stated firmly.

‘’I’m just trying to get our minds off the wait, we’ve been here ages. I’m bored. I know, let's do something. How about skinny-dipping,” he said as he waggled his eyebrows in my direction.

‘’Firstly, you are 14 years old. Secondly, I am not striping off and climbing in a freezing cold lake just so you won't be bored, Triss. Act your age for once’’!

I folded my arms across my chest in a bid to show Triss I meant what I said, and my word was final.

‘’You’re only a few years older than me here, so you don’t get to boss me around, and I don’t care what you say, because I’ve just decided that I don’t like you’’.

I turned my head in time to see him leave the bench. I called after him; ‘’thank Fuck for that, I was beginning to wonder if the ringing in my ears would ever stop, you talk so much’’.

As I sat on the bench in the beautiful stately garden, I huffed. My breath streamed out of my mouth and hit the frigid air, making it visible. I loved this time of day, just before dawn, the birds had woken up now and had started their songs. The ground was damp with dew and a slight mist could be seen at ground level. The signs that another day was starting. I should have been completely zen at that point, instead I was pissed off. Triss didn’t know what he was talking about most of the time. He wasn’t used to this place. I only brought him this time because he begged me.

To be fair to him, he had been stuck in doors for a while, and I did feel a little sorry for him. I liked him, except when he opened his mouth, then I could cheerfully smack him one.

I felt his return, but he didn’t sit next to me.

He was standing behind the bench, bobbing up and down on the balls of his feet.

‘’I’m sorry,” he said quietly. ‘’I don’t want to argue with you, Dess. Not when we are on our way home’.

I felt him touch my shoulder. I sighed.

‘’I don’t want to argue either, Triss. I am sorry I’m such a grouch tonight. It took me longer than normal to track this girl and even longer to get her ready to leave with us.

I’m tired. I just need my bed. I need to recharge.’

Triss squeezed my shoulder; I knew he had accepted my apology. Besides, he was right. If we arrived squabbling, Mum would be pissed off. And I would be forced to man the bookshop as punishment.

As I thought about this, I started to see the sun rise. As it did, its rays hit first one tree, then the other. Like a spotlight, it shone on their proud branches and gorgeous foliage. The trees were old oaks. No one I knew had any idea when they or, indeed, any of the small woods were planted.

All we knew was this was the only way in or out.

As the second tree shone with the winter sun's rays, you could see where the branch of one tree rested side by side with its neighbouring branch. Now, the woods beyond the two large oak trees were receiving the sun's rays. As the dawn progressed into morning, the two strong branches that were laid side by side made it look like there was a doorway leading into the forest. A secret garden of twists and turns just waiting to be discovered.

I gestured to Triss and we both started moving towards the small woods. Heading for the two oak trees and the path that lay in wait. As we reached the trees, I stopped. I withdrew my phone, typed a text message out and sent it.

Within seconds, the natural space between the trunks of the trees and the overhead branches shimmered. This is what we had both been waiting for. Stepping forward, I allowed Triss to go before me. I was older, after all, and needed to make sure my younger counterpart went before me.

I walked closer to the ‘door’ of the trunk and branch. It was no longer quiet; I could hear people. Lots of them. Rushing around, getting on with their lives. This made me smile as I too walked towards the now brightly lit pathway that led into the dense trees and shrubs. I can hear a certain voice now. It made my smile even wider; my Mum had come to welcome me back and to help take the little girl home. When she saw me, I was pulled into a deep long hug. ‘’goddess, I hate this part of your job. You could have gotten lost or something much worse’’ the words tumbled out of her mouth without meaning to. I took her hand in mine and looked at her pale face.

‘’Mum, I know what I’m doing. Dad trained me well. He wouldn’t have let me sign up if he didn’t think I was ready. It’s OK Mum’’.

I get a small, tight smile off her as she lets me go and pulls Triss to her. So, she could hug him. ‘’I’ve been worried sick, young man. You know you’re not meant to be there. I just wish you would listen to me for once. And don’t point the finger at our Dess, I know how persuasive you can be. You shouldn’t put her on the spot like that. You are grounded young man. You will come with me now, to the bookshop. Your sister can follow when she has finished what was started’.

Triss started to argue but soon realised it was pointless. You would not win the argument with her anyway. It was like her superpower. If nagging and fussing could be called that. Still, Mum was right to reprimand Triss. He was a little young to be going on retrievals. As she walked away from me, I could still hear her nagging at my little brother. Triss had pink cheeks and his head bowed as he listened to her. Mum never yelled. She didn’t have to. It was the firmness in her voice, the stance of her body that let you know you were in big trouble.

I looked around me, trying to make sense of the sea of faces before me. I knew I needed to get the little girl home, but I had been hoping that my father was among the throng of people walking around the village square. But alas, he did not come. He didn’t like a lot of people. He didn’t like the hustle and bustle of a crowd. My shoulders slumped a little, but I brought my head back into the game and set off for Conner Street. That was where the little girl needed to be. And her parents were there waiting for her. I wasn’t sure what generation I would need to walk into. I was hoping that a chat with the little girl would have yielded some sort of information. However, the fact that she is 7 years old should allow me to dial the right code into the entrance box.

Suddenly, the crowd started thinning out. The people had finally found the right area for themselves and were happily going about their business.

I reached Conner Street and knocked on the pale green door with a large number 8 stuck to it. As I waited, I felt the girl struggle. We all knew this was not what the girl wanted. Well, I said ‘Tough.’ Her parents wanted her home and that is what I made happen. The door to number 8 opened and a thin woman stood there. Not quite illuminated enough for me to see her face. But her voice seemed pleasant enough. ‘’do you have her? Dess. Did you bring her home to us’’?

‘’Yes Mrs Pool, I did.’ as I said this, I handed her a medium-sized thermal cylinder. Mrs Pool thanked me and closed the door. I let out a sigh. Handing the girl over meant I was no longer on the case and responsible for the child. I could finally go home. But first I needed to pop into the bookshop to see my parents. Otherwise, I would be the one grounded, even though I didn’t live at home anymore. It was expected. If I were here, then I would pop in. No hesitation. No excuse. I sometimes had to face horrid situations in my line of work. But none of those jobs were scarier than my mother, if she knew you were home and didn’t go see her.