Lost In Time

New Experiences

The calm before the storm...

From my standpoint, the only good outcome of being injured within an inch of your life was that you get to skip a lot of school. I stayed in bed literally the rest of that week and the majority of the weekend. I begged off Herbology on Monday, using the same excuse. But the Tuesday before Halloween I hauled my pretty ass out of bed and went to my morning class, doodling the entire lecture. Traveler's Program was a joke, what can I say? Unfortunately, Professor King thought he would be funny and assign us all ten page essays. I wasn't the only one moaning about it, I mean, who wants to write ten pages worth of crap for the Theory of Magical Evolution? I was all for History, but...no. Thankfully, Pop was there to give me a hug and make it all feel worth it. I had my family, and good friends. I had the best job ever, clothes, food, a place to stay, and money. What more could a girl ask for? Besides more cupcakes of course, you couldn't go wrong with those.

Pops and I walked in companionable silence, and my mind turned to my most recent problems. I needed to get that damn broach. It was driving me crazy, and yet I had stalked Professor Parris for three days last month, and she never took it off. Ever. That would require some more creative thought processes than I had had lately. And now another item was placed on my Urgent list: Dracula's button. Rosa had gone and documented it and placed it back on the shelf, I couldn't just waltz in and snatch it, not if I didn't want to get into immense trouble and lose my job. I wasn't sure how she would feel about giving it back to Drac though, he was crazy powerful enough as it was. But I had a blood oath, and a debt that had been waiting thousands of years to collect. I was at a loss of what to do.

We arrived to work and separated, heading to our own offices to do our daily dose of torture – I mean paperwork. Simon was relentless in his pursuit of documentation. Heaving a tired sigh, my bag slumped to the floor, and I winced as I took a seat. I was still bruised and had little cuts everywhere, but I was forever thankful to still be breathing. Now if I could just avoid a Trip like that for a while, I would be golden.

Eyeing the thick stack of innocent looking manila folders in my paper tray, I unzipped the front pocket of my bag and pulled out the artifact bag that held the mysterious necklace Dracula had given to me, the bag now looking crumpled and worn. Biting my lip, I frowned thoughtfully as I gently set it down, beginning the necessary paperwork. It was one temperamental necklace, and scary powerful. All week the bag had smelled of nothing but burnt butter and popcorn as it zipped and zapped, flashes of light straining to penetrate the foil bag. It had thankfully held while I was recuperating, but I feared it was on its last leg of life. Hence my tending to the paperwork and documentation required for a permanent display in the Vault.

I listened and hummed along to some music while I worked, and the time flew by, until the paperwork was all done and I was all stiff. Then it was just time to go grab the right type of container and some thick magic resistant gloves and make the swap. Easy peasy, oh how I wish it was so. I entered the Vault, necklace contained in a nice new home, hair slightly smoking and my eyebrows gone from my face. Note to self: do not keep angry artifacts in those bags for any longer than a day. I would look like a goof if I didn't take heed that mental note in the future.

Rosa and Pop were having a hearty laugh over some of the newer artifacts as I made my way to the assigned shelf space for this necklace. Aurora's Charm. A simple thing, a rope with seashells on it, but it had once belonged to a little girl who wished to be the moon, and her wish manifested into power. Power that transferred to the thing she cherished above all else. Unfortunately, because of this the clergy burned her to the stake, wrongfully accusing her of witchcraft when things went haywire around her at night. The moon's a harsh mistress.