Into the Pages

Chapter 1

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

Tick.

A young, curvy woman of Asian descent with long, hazelnut brown hair tied in a thick braid reached her mid-back slouched in a black plastic chair. She rested one hand on her head as the other hand, covered with jeweled fingernail claws in gold and silver, tapped against a large windowsill. Her warm-ivory skin shined under the fluorescent lights in the ceiling.

Her foot impatiently bounced against the tile floor as she glanced at the analog clock for the umpteenth time in as many minutes. Sitting across from her was a man of similar ethnicity to her seat, dressed in a mailman's uniform, hiding behind the plastic window. One chubby elbow rested against the counter with his cheek against the knuckles while the other held a manga in his hand. His face was close enough to the central station to take deep gulps of a jumbo-sized soda. He only moved from the drink to slowly flip the page.

Heavy snowfall covered the empty streets of Beijing. Her body twisted to the window to gaze at the scene behind her. Then her round brown eyes landed on her wristwatch in front of her alexandrite bracelet. On her lap were an off-white winter coat, a scarf, and a pair of gloves, all neatly stacked. By her feet was a thick leather dark messenger bag that resembled a small duffel bag with a single buckle to keep it shut.

'Quarter-past eight on Christmas Eve. What the actual fuck?' She thought to herself. She scratched the base of her neck before she jumped out of the horrible chair, leaving her belongings to keep her seat warm. She pulled the edge of her great sweater top over her black jeans as she walked toward the desk protected by a plastic barrier.

"Ni Hao. It's the customer who's been sitting there for just over six hours on a package that came yesterday?" she sarcastically jabbed in fluid Chinese. "How much longer do you think it will take?" All the employee did was avert his gaze from the book to her. Unsubtly, his gaze fell to her bust before her own eyes. She tapped her jeweled fingers on the counter repeatedly. "My daughter is waiting. How long does it take to get a package? Could you take a look for me, please?" She offered.

He gave a loud sigh that burned her nose hairs from the pungent odor. "I would love to. However, I am the only person at the front desk. If someone comes in, I need to assist them,"

"I've been here for six hours," She started with the anger bubbling in her veins. "No other customers have come in! No one has come in for the past four hours. It would only take a few minutes to find the package." She countered valid points. He rolled his eyes at her words before they moved back to the graphic novel, completely ignoring her.

The anger inside her boiled over. She slammed her hand so hard on the wood desk he jumped. His drink toppled over and splattered a huge mess onto the ground, staining his pages. He moved his glare to hers. "What the hell do you want, lady? You just ruined my book!" He declared with an angry glare. She gave off a deep, demonic growl that shook the whole post office. His eyes went wide before they locked with her own. Her eyes melted into blackness with blood-crimson irises.

Instead of backing away in fear, she locked with his gaze as the energy in her body transferred to him. His chunky face fell into a stoic expression; his eyes lost any sense of light in them, his mouth locked in a slacked-jawed gape.

"I want you to get off your lazy ass," She declared in a calm, even tone that echoed in his mind. "Go to the back room. Tell your sloth employees to move their sorry asses. And don't come back until you find my package," She barked in a leveled voice, her nails digging into the countertop. Obediently, he turned his body towards the door at the far side of the room. His strides were slow, deliberate, and precise as he followed her orders. "Jackass," She hissed under her breath in perfect English. Her vampiric eyes reverted back to her original golden-flecked gaze.