L'affaire Bob

2. Surprise, surprise!

And that's how, the next day, I found myself aboard the first train going to the station Saint-Lazare. A cool breeze penetrated through the half-open window and caressed my face with the sweetness of a mother caressing her child. I'm joking; there were no windows on the train. I was just testing my poetry skills.

-"It's clearly an innate gift to you."

This sarcastic remark made me jump and a little cry escaped my lips. I looked around and scanned the faces of each passenger. Yet no one seemed to be paying attention to me, let alone speaking to me.

Fear began to seize me. Who could have read my thoughts?

"It's me, silly," the voice went on.

Thousands of questions ran through my head right now; the confusion was clear in my mind. Practically the only thing clear to me now.

A long sigh echoed in my head.

-"I have apparently forgotten to talk to you about this little detail. Our communication by telepathy. And hurry up, darling. I have to show you the base quickly; I do not want to be late for my meeting."

The driver's voice announcing our arrival interrupted our little discussion.

And that's when I recognized the voice.

Not only does she make a sudden intrusion into my life; she also has the nerve to enter my head and read my thoughts! Hello privacy! She's impossible, Nat ... no Elis ... what was her name actually? Ah yes! This bitch didn't even tell me her name. I hate her so much! Who does she think she is?

I walked in the station with these thoughts filling my mind for several minutes while looking for our "guide". Strange, she did not comment on my little reflection about it. Maybe she finally decided to leave me alone and stop bothering me.

-"Not so fast, dear, not so fast. I'm not the type who gives up at the first hurdle. Remember that", she told me, but this time it didn't echo in my head. She actually said it out loud. I turned my head and saw her. She was, God knows how, standing near me. Where did she come from?

 This annoying woman was really pissing me off.

-"Watch your language dumbie. Oh and, by the way", she said, "you're late."

I looked at my watch: it was 10:01.

Ohhh what a big delay! I missed half of the day! I'm sooo sorry.

What is going on with her? I'm only one minute late. That's not a big deal! I was trying hard to restrain myself from slapping her because she deserved it right now.

-"What, do you think I'm not strong enough to defend myself?"

"ENOUGH !!!" I exploded, with the most threatening tone I had.

Instead of looking intimidated, she had the nerve to burst out laughing.

Seeing her laugh like that, I couldn't help but notice, how beaut...

I stopped at the last second restraining myself from continuing my sentence, now that I remembered that she could know what I was thinking.

I blushed when I saw a grin forming on her lips. Apparently, she had guessed what I was going to say, or rather what I was going to think.

She then took my hand, concentrated intensely on the clock, then snapped her fingers. The next moment, I found myself caught in a sort of whirlwind. A cold sensation made me shudder. The gusts of wind seemed to wrap around me, making me spin in the void. IN THE VOID!? But how did we get there? Oh my God! We are dying! I knew I shouldn't have trusted this woman...

A small voice inside my head whispered: yet you did...

-"Ughh, boy, shut up! I will explain everything to you when we arrive."

When we'll arrive, huh? And where exactly, in heaven? In Paradise? Oh no! She will take me to hell !!

A sudden shock stopped this stream of thoughts. The next moment, the only thing I was feeling was pure pain. It took me several minutes before I become aware of my surroundings. I was apparently laying on the floor, face down, in a room as large as a football field. Hundreds of offices filled the place. Most were occupied by elderly, their age about 65, and maybe more. There were some young people too, but only a dozen, all from 20 to 40 years old.

-"Ouch", she said, scratching her neck. "There would be much more work than I thought. You don't even know how to get up on your feet", she said sarcastically.

I looked up at her. She was on the verge of laughter.

I gave her a murderous glance. I mean, I tried my best to look terrifying.

She quickly put back her serious expression and raised an eyebrow.

Well at least a part of her appreciates humor, I noticed. So she was not so serious after all.

I saw on her face that she heard my reflection, but didn't answer it.

Was she ashamed of it?

Suddenly she pulled me by the hand and started running. I had no choice but to follow her. We zigzagged between the offices, her running without bothering to slow the pace, and me trying to retrace it, in vain.

She stopped during our "run" a dozen times to talk to one, ask another for a piece of information about the job-as abruptly as when she'd grabbed my hand and started running.

I was expecting her to repeat it at least once more. As expected, she stopped in front of another office. A familiar figure was installed there. When she looked up from her computer, I immediately recognized her.

-"No way!", I blurted out.

                                                                                    ***