The Phantom Agency and the case of the missing souls

Chapter 1

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 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 enquired.

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 are 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.

''First of all, 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.