How do I get to Heaven?

Chapter 18- Scouting Mission

The early morning breeze ruffled my hair, bringing a smile to my lips. I arrived in Topsail Island, North Carolina just as the sun began to rise. I sure wasn't a morning person, but a sunrise over the ocean had the chance to turn me into one.

Aiden had approached me last night after dinner with my very first solo mission. There had been Tenebris activity around this small beach town, and they were sending me to scout it out.

I was nervous, but the constant, soft roar of the ocean crashing onto the shore calmed almost every fear I had when I crash landed on an empty beach half an hour ago.

Dumping sand out of my pockets, I took one final look at the ocean. Gentle pinks, vivid oranges, and wild rose reds danced over the horizon, casting a shimmering glow across the sea.

I heaved a content sigh before turning towards a set of stairs that led off the beach. My boots echoed underneath the bridge that stretched across the dunes. Long tendrils of grass reached through the railings and tickled my legs as I made my way across.

I bounced down on the other side and looked out across the street. I seemed to be in the heart of tourist country. Multiple souvenir shops sat quietly, waiting for their owners to come and open their doors. A diner was perched on the corner, and directly next door was a building advertising the "Best Ice Cream in Town." I chuckled, wondering if it was the only ice cream on town.

I mentally flipped a coin in my head, and decided to turn right. My orders were to spend the day scouting the area and seeing if anything odd was going on. If I were to see somthing or to see a Soul or Tenebris, I was to report back to Bellum and find Aiden ASAP.

So far, everything was calm on this sunny Saturday morning. As time went on, more and more cars began to crawl onto the streets. I watched lights flip on inside homes and in shops. Soon, I could actually start my mission.

The easiest way to spot Tenebris activity is sudden changes in human behavior. If a crowd goes from calm and happy, to agitated, agressive, or stressed for seemingly no reason, a Tenebris was likely hanging around somewhere. They loved to feed off the bad emotions humans feel.

I wandered the streets for a while, but found myself back where I started by about 9am. Topsail wasn't very big as far as the busy town area was concerned. I felt optimistic that the size of town would make my job easier.

I followed a young family into a souvenir shop and was greated by a girl with long brown hair and a much too chipper smile on her face. I smiled and nodded as I slowly paced the isles. I listened to the chatter of the families that steadily trickled in behind us, but my eyes combed every shelf.

All the corny knick knacks thrilled me. Every shelf held shells or bottles of sand, or sharks teeth suspended in resin... and air wanted it all. I took some time looking through the tank tops that looked almost hand designed with spray paint, before picking up a yellow and white one with the name of the town sprayed across the front.

By the end of my shopping spree I had grabbed myself and Travis matching keychains, Violette a stuffed dog, and Aiden a sand dollar, suspended in blue and white resin. I felt it would be a nice addition to his book shelf in his livingroom. I also grabbed a few framed photos of the ocean, and other various beach themed decor items for my apartment.

I paid with the black credit card I was given, and headed out the front door. I had spent a solid hour and a half in there, and wasnt complaining in the least.

Every other store I went to was the same. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their vacation. Not one person I came across was in a bad mood. The only odd thing was that after I left the front door of the small Burger King... I felt like I was being watched.