Count's Daughter

Partners

After LB left, I remember about my purse and the notebooks. All that feels like it's a million years old, but I know it's only a couple of days. I hope. I guess I lost track of time while I was out.

As I start looking around, I spot the purse. Hanging on the chair, where I always keep it. So Spectrum knows all my habits. Why am I not surprised? They know my nickname after all.

I stroll on over and get out my notebook, while also getting out a stick of Juicy Fruit gum. Might as well start writing things down to get clearer thoughts and process what has just happened.

I start writing and keep on doing so for about 2 hours, since I must get all the facts straight and it's hard to write with all the stupid bandages on my hands. As soon as I finish writing, Hitch walks in and motions for me to follow him. I go ahead and do so, but not before hiding my notebook.

We make our way down the hall, fading from pink to red, and come to a fire red door. Hitch opens it and tells me to walk in.

I don't know what's happening, but I do as he says. When I'm in, he shuts and locks the door. Great, I'm locked in. Typical Spectrum, not telling me what is going on and expecting me to be able to read their minds or something and do exactly what they want.

I immediately start examining my surroundings. There's a table, a chair, and a file. I wonder what's in the file.

As I move over to inspect it, I see a note on the file. Now I'm really intrigued.

I move in for a closer look. The note's in flowery handwriting. Shiva, you must take this test and pass to be able to work a case for Spectrum. It's called the 99 second test. You have 62 minutes to complete this test. I wish you luck. LB

So, I must pass a test to work a case for them. To stop my father. Might as well get started.

The first few questions are good and easy, kind of like children riddles. Then comes something that I always have and always will hate. MATH!!

I get it sorta, but I don't see why I have to learn it. I find it boring and stupid. Needless to say I don't like seeing it on this test. The test that will basically decide my future. Now I'm bound to fail it and who knows what will happen to me. I stumble through 8 math questions and over ⅔ of the time is up, and my gum is losing its flavor since I've been chewing it so hard. Great, just great.

As I start on the next problem I see that it's more my subject. History and reading. So maybe I won't totally flunk this. The test now has all sorts of questions for me. Who said let them eat cake, name the 7 reasons anyone will do anything, even one on an old magicians trick. I have never been so glad I read books in my life.

I drop my pencil, finished with 19 seconds to spare. "Not too bad Shiva, not too bad at all." I'm suddenly startled and look up quickly. Standing in the doorway is a smirking Hitch. How long has he been there? I didn't even notice that Hitch had unlocked or opened the door.

"So what's going to happen now?" I ask.

"I'll go ahead and drop off your answers to a different room, then take you back to your room. I'll then stay with you until the results come in. We'll deal with everything else after that." Hitch responds. Snap, now he's going to be with me for who knows how long is my thought, but my response is standing up and walking over to him with the test in hand.

After walking down to a yellow room, we head back to my room. As we enter, I look over at the bookshelf. It's exactly like mine. All the same titles in the same arrangement and everything. Instead of making my way to the bed with a book in hand and reading for the whole time, I decide that it's time I get some answers.

Let's start it off with something easy. "What day is it?"

"The 1st." Finally I'm getting some answers. So it's the first. 3 days since the funeral. Time for something a little more complicated.

"This is my bookshelf isn't it. Everything in this room is really mine, transported from my room here."

"Are you going to flip out if I say yes?" Hitch replies, answering a question with a question. So much for getting answers.

"I'll take that as a yes. So what happened to my mom?" Time to see what's going on. I want to know this answer and I will get it. No matter how annoying, how much lying, and how unShiva I have to become to do so.

Right as he's about to respond, most likely with some smart remark, another question or insult, his watch chirps. Smiling he responds,"Saved by the bell I guess. You'll have to try to grill your new partner and Dr. Harper for answers. Not that Dr. Harper will talk or that your partner knows anything."

Me: "So I passed the test."

Hitch: "Yeah you only missed 3."

Me: "I missed 3?! Stupid math"

Hitch: "No, just ruffling your feathers kiddo. You got all of them correct. Now I'm taking you to Dr. Harper to have her examine you and if she clears you then you and Blacker, your partner, will start a case. If not then, you'll only meet and you'll come back to the room until Dr. Harper does clear you."

We walk to a pale brown door, and Dr. Harper opens it smiling. "Let's see how those cuts of yours are doing."

While she's unraveling the bandages, she smiles. After pocking and probing all the cuts and me doing my best to keep a straight face,(I will NOT grimace or yelp from pain in front of Hitch)she announces "No infection here. You're good to go." As she said those words I let out the breath I was apparently holding. Now I can meet my partner, then more importantly, start a case.

Turning and looking at Hitch as if to say let's go, he just sighs and walks out of the room.

I look at Dr. Harper, smile and rush out of the room after him. When I catch up he opens a new door. "I'll be waiting out here. Blacker is in there. Have fun."

As I walk in, I smile as a young man, whom I suppose is Blacker, jumps out of his seat. "So you're Shiva. Nice to meet you. I'm Blacker, your partner."

All I do is nod and walk over to the empty chair. It may not look like it, but I'm examining everything in the room to figure Blacker out.

He seems nice, though it looks like he just got out of bed. His hair is all rumpled and his clothes wrinkled. By the way he was blubbering, he's not used to children, and is trying to seem friendly, (most likely to gain my trust) and disguise his nervousness all at the same time. He's also naturally social, since he's trying to make me feel at ease and trust him, unlike some people here. The room is a mess and looks like it has been torn apart looking for something, saying that he's not that neat, and doesn't know where everything is. There's no clock which suggests that he doesn't care anything about the time.

So, we're nearly complete opposites, (the only similarity we have are messy rooms, though I know where everything is) and we have to work together. That means I'm spending a lot of time with him, and we will most likely have opposite personalities, which will lead to us having arguments and delaying work. Or it might work out completely well, depending on what happens next.

When I take a seat, I look at him and ask what we're doing.

"Right now LB wants us to get to know each other and give your cuts another day to heal." A response that I definitely don't like. I don't like to talk about myself and I have a feeling that that's what he wants.

"I thought that when Dr. Harper cleared me, we would get to work on a case." I will argue to see if I can get out of this.

"Like I said. LB wants to give the wounds more time to recover and let us know each other before we work together on a case. So let's get started." Ugh. This day just got to be longer than before. Much longer.