Darkening Days

Chapter 32: No More

The seconds pass like minutes, the minutes pass like hours, and the hours pass like days. Time goes by so slowly when you're anticipating something.

I wake up early, and find myself staring at the same ceiling of the same cell where I've been sleeping for the past few days, the only two differences being that this time, I'm in this cell as a trusted asset rather than as a suspicious criminal, and I'm secured by a sleeping bag rather than lying on a cold stone bench.

So this is it, the big battle. I wonder where I'll be after today.

With that thought in mind, I unzip my sleeping bag and crawl out.

I make my way out of the cell to the bathroom, where I go to a sink and splash my face with water. Hunching over the sink, I stare at myself in the mirror. Seeing that my hair is a bird's nest, I make an effort to run my fingers through my tresses to straighten them out, though that doesn't do much; they don't look any different than they did when I crawled out of my sleeping bag. After settling with my looks, I leave the bathroom and join everyone in the meeting room.

When I walk in the room, the Sovereign announces, "It seems that everyone is here. We have seven hours until the battle. We must use that time wisely to prepare. We need a battle plan; we must discuss this with everyone, being my men and yours. I'll expect you all outside, in front of the station, in an hour. That will be all, dismissed."

Meade catches up with me as I'm walking out. "Since when did he put himself in charge?" He asks, though not in a complaining manner, but nonetheless, I take his question seriously.

"I don't know. It just seems to me that he has more adroit than any one of us when it comes to fighting these monsters, so I think it's proper for him to be in charge."

"Oh, I know."

"Yeah."

My starkness repels him, and I can tell that it also makes him feel awkward, for he walks away and joins the other cops.

Now the Sovereign catches up with me. "Do you feel that you are prepared for this, Krystal?"

"Prepared enough, given that I've only had two days to train."

"Don't underestimate yourself. If you would recall, you've had many more experiences with the Eccentrics than any one of these policemen."

"That's true, I guess."

"Use this time to calm yourself. Don't be nervous."

I divert the conversation away from myself. "It seems that you've dealt with battle before."

"I've witness many battles in my lifetime."

"Just how old are you, anyway? Definitely not older than those Eccentric hags back at the convenience store, I'm sure." I ask, negligent of the fact that he probably doesn't know who I'm talking about.

"After fully maturing, which, mind you, takes just as long to happen for vampires and Eccentrics as it does for humans, Eccentrics age less gracefully than vampires do."

"Oh. Well, when this is all over you'll have to tell me about some of them."

"As you wish."

I puff, not having anything more to say. "I'll just be over in the lounge."

With that, I go where I said I would be. No-one's there, so I help myself to a cup of coffee.

I drink the entire cup in under five minutes, but I have nothing else to do, so I pour myself another cup.