TWO: SPI Agent Stewart

Danica

*Beeeeeeep!

The elongated ring startles me to consciousness. I struggle with the duvet, falling shortly off the bed with a dull but painful thud.

"Ughhh... stretching my hands, I grope about the nightstand until I feel and slam the alarm clock. Then yawning hard, I pry my eyes open, just before daylight attacks them, pricking like tiny needles.

I shut them immediately, and then quickly, I move away from the light before trying to open them again with rapid blinks.

"Shit... I'm late." Sighting the red coloured digital time on the nightstand, I grab the clock tightly with wide eyes. It rang late again.

"Brie's going to kill me." I throw the alarm clock and jump out of bed.

In a flash, I am in and out of the bathroom, packing my short hair in a messy bun. Then throwing on a light blue jeans trouser and a nude oversized jumper, I reach for my glasses on nightstand.

Then after gently placing my laptop in a bag, I put on a pair of heels.

"Keys... where are my keys." In less than ten minutes, I am ready to leave but I cannot remember where I left my keys.

Hurrying to the sitting room, I scatter the couch before checking the decorative bowl of "absolutely everything" placed on the table but also to no avail. Frustration settles in the creases, forming deep ridges on my forehead as I scatter my apartment some more.

Think Dani think, I rack my brain trying to remember. "Shit, I so dead." I glance at the half past eight continuously moving time on my wrist watch and make up my mind. At this point, I wish I could call my keys.

Placing my fingers on my forehead in deep thoughts, I bite down on my lower lip.

Wait…my eyes lit up as an image pops up in mind.

"The fridge." I make a beeline to the kitchen, then stretching my hands to the top; I grope about until I feel my bunch of keys.

"Yesss..."

"Good morning Bexley, it’s a beautiful day to start with a smile..." From the car radio, the anchor man's voice rents the air as I drive out of my apartment.

"Up next is The Petals charity event of which our very famous anonymous donor has made yet another gratifying donation, but before we dive into that, let's go on a short break."

"Anonymous donor?" I recount the statements of the anchor man as my phone suddenly rings.

"Hello Brie!"

"Girl where the hell are you? I'm right here risking my butt to cover yo tardiness again." Brielle shouts into the phone, startling me.

"Jeez, I'm on my way okay. I will soon be there." I reply chuckling at my best friend's reaction.

Actually they are two, Brie and Harry. We have been friends since internship at Spectrum Paranormal Investigations (SPI), until we were all hired. I bet it’s the weirdness of our personal lives that brought us together; I've never thought of what keeps us though but I will never stop being grateful for having those two in my life.

A sad smile traces its way on my lips and I remember my growing years after the death of my parents.

"Dani, get yo ass back on the phone, I know you zoning out on me again." Brielle screams again dragging my mind back to reality.

"I'm not." I reply laughing out loud, knowing she got me.

"Hmm mm... I bet you didn't listen to the 7am news about yo research did ya?"

My eyes widen, "What? What did you say?"

Underneath, the anchor man is back and the talk about the anonymous donor continues.

"They walk among us", yo research, have you checked to see what's going on online? Its fire girl, you literally exploded the net now everyone is talking about it. That alone has saved yo ass from getting really kicked out this time." Brielle's voice echoes from a distance as I zone out again, recounting her words.

"Dani... DANI!!"

"Yeah! Yeah I'm here." I answer quickly.

"Hmm. Girl get yo ass here quickly and be safe okay?" She says.

"Okay! I'll soon be there." I reply and end the call.

What does she mean? My mind goes back to her words, then with a shrug; I reach for my phone in my bag and search through my page. Seeing the views, reads and comments, my eyes pop before a scream escapes from my lips.

I cannot contain the joy as I slam on the steering screaming excitedly before doing a victory dance; moving to the music currently being played.

Finally, it's a success. Mom, Dad, it's a success. A smile stretches my lips as I stop the dance. An unexplainable tear drops down my cheek.

Dropping my phone I step on the gas, hoping to get to office to properly go through the comments for leads to the next step of my research.

I slow the car to a stop inside the parking lot of SPI and take the elevator up to floor 10. Then sneaking past my boss office I walk stealthily towards my table.

"Miss Danica Stewarts." The heads of Parapsychologists and Paranormal researchers in floor 10 rises up in my direction immediately, including Brielle and Harry.

"I tried..." Brielle mouths pulling the "You're so dead face" at me. Harry smiles pitifully, his gaze remains on mine.

I did not know I have been holding a breath until I begin to feel choked.

Sighing, my shoulders slump as I slowly turn and with heavy feet, I enter Mr. Gary's office.

"Mr. Gary, sir I can explain." I begin but he cuts me.

"No you cannot Miss Stewart. Your tardiness has become a bad routine and what do I say about bad routines?"

"Do do not share room with you sir. But sir—"

"Yes indeed so what are you still doing here?" He shouts, startling me. Slowly, I turn a take a step towards the door, hanging my head.

"STOP!" He startles me again.

"Yes sir?"

"You are forgetting your badge for outdoor research." My eyes pop out and my jaw hangs open.

The statement chants like a mantra in my head.

"S...Sir?" I stutter.

Mr. Gary beams brightly, "congratulations Miss Stewart, despite the tardiness which I hate, you have managed to make SPI proud, with your article. Because of your article, RS Enterprise has agreed to sponsor your research." He stretches a black and grey colour badge with SPI written in full and my name.

"Congratulations again, SPI Agent Danica Stewart." I cannot believe my ears as I stand rooted to the ground, totally dumbfounded.

Slowly, I stretch out my hands and reach for the card, feeling my dreams come through in my very hands.

I really have reached and touched my dreams. Is this what it feels like?

"Thank you sir!" I reply him, mustering a very normal tone. Then quickly I turn and walk out of the office, still in a daze of what just happened.

RS Enterprise, the most affluent organization in England?

"Girl!" Brielle shouts and crushes me in a bear hug. "Congratulations."

Snapping out of my daze I flash a bright smile.

"SPI Stewart reporting." I play the role of a special agent, flashing my card before her with wide smiles on my lips as we begin screaming again.

"Congratulations Dani, drinks on you tonight." Harry says with a bright smile and I give him an excited embrace.

"Hell yeah! You know, our usual spot" I reply him with very large smiles.

More colleagues on floor 10 rain congratulatory messages on me and I receive them with cheery smiles which slowly die out as I sight Megan Grayson walking towards me.

"Dani, Grayson 12 o'clock." Brie hints.

"Hey! Megan. Coming to congratulate me too?" I start with a raised eyebrow, feigning a shocked expression. .

"No, I know its all rubbish and will lead to yet another dead end. That's the pitiful life of a failure." She crosses her hands with a sly smile stretching her lips.

Now feigning disappointment, I answer her immediately. "Doesn't sound like congratulation but well, we'll see about that." Then also crossing my hands, I lock eyes with her and we remain still in an eyes battle until at least one of us gets pulled or get tired.

"Oh I see you are a special agent now. What a waste, I doubt your tardiness will allow you even get a gig." She rolls her eyes but they remain on the card.

"A lopsided smile stretches my lips as I reply her slowly, "Should it have been given to you instead? I don't think that will ever happen Megan or maybe if it eventually does, I would be your boss by then." I grin, feeling satisfied with my reply. "So just keep on dusting your desk and arrive earlier, maybe you'll be noticed one day. I could also put in a good word for you."

"Damn girl" Brielle's voice draws our attention.

A scroll settles on Megan's face as she balls her hand into a fist.

Megan is extremely brilliant, I sometimes feel insecure with her around. I guess she feels same for me to because we are always at each other’s tail. I count the days until we will engage in a hair pulling contest.

I sigh, hard.

Sometimes she becomes really sweet, but most days, I just want to scratch her eyes out. However today is not that day so instead of remaining in the staring contest, I walk away, choosing to ignore her.

"You okay Dani? That's surely gonna ruin her day." Brie taps me softly, just as Harry leans I from his table.

"Yeah, I'm good. Well I'm not about letting her ruin mine for me." I muster a bright smile and bring out my laptop, gently placing it in my table.

Harry smiles briefly at me before retreating to his desk next to mine. Our office is a bit spacious with the desks placed in a joined circle, barricaded by boards to provide privacy for each worker.

By my left is Harry's desk and by my right is Brie's.

At the corner is a coffee machine and beside it are cabinets for papers.

Thinking back on Megan, I feel a bit sorry for having to speak to her in such a manner but she asked for it. She started it and I just couldn’t let her walk over me.

I've had good, bad and worst days and fifty percent of my bad and worst days are caused by Megan. I've never cared to ask why she treats me the way she does. It remains a question without an answer.

Biting my lower lip, I run my hands through my hair as my laptop comes to life, showing my page. I scroll downwards and click on my most recent article.

Then ever so slowly, I go through the comments of my article with about two million views and counting.

The site of this number still surprises me. This is the largest I've had of views on my articles.

What makes this peculiar?

"Special agent Stewart, have you seen what happened at Westminster Bridge?" Harry leans from his desk. "You already got your first task", he smiles briefly.

"No? What happened?" I ask directing my attention to him.

“Something very weird, I’m afraid. Do you remember the police cold cases of missing persons?” He asks.

“Yeah I guess, why? What’s wrong?” Spiking my curiosity, I have been working on that case for a while, when people started disappearing all of a sudden. The families are not called for a ransom and neither are the bodies found. It is an oddly strange phenomenon; one which I was beginning to give up on but why is he suddenly talking about it now?

“They have been found.”

“What?” I gasp.

Quickly, without waiting for his reply, I type in Westminster Bridge and pause as the images begin flooding in.

What? What is this? This place? Staring intently at the screen, my lips quivers and my fingers begin trembling.