At The End Of Their Tunnel Vision

Chapter XI

After the impromptu met up with other two security guard, she was sent home. Sure staring at the screen was boring but there were fun times. Especially when some of the employees thought they were safe under the camera's watch. She was also looking forward for the company of her new boss, Ailey and her coworker, Heather.

The next day of her work Ailey carry on with their training. Soon she met the other two member of level 2 security in the department. Eric a goofy cyclops and Gunther a stoic ghoul. They weren't so bad unlike the first pair. But they sure like to tease every now and then. And the rest of the security members that mainly guarding the front door and the back door at the parking were also introduced to her. After the introduction of the whole staff in security her boss gave her the whole month schedule. And luckily her off was Sunday. Speaking of Sunday she remembered about Elliot wanting her for accompanying him in a visit.

So Narelle jolted into consciousness. The remaining drowsiness yanked by fear upon seeing the time at the screen of her cellphone. She overslept again. But Elliot wasn't home yet?

This time when she reached the living room she saw him at his smoking spot. A lit cigarette clipped between his index and middle finger.

"Good you are awake. Any more minutes and I am beginning to think you died in your sleep." Elliot said with the grumpy tone she gotten used upon hearing.

She stretched both of her arms up while yawning. "Good morning too, fruit loops," she greeted even though it was past noon already.

Elliot clicked his tongue from being shrugged off. "Finish your bathroom ritual. And for the last time, Narelle. Stop walking around the apartment without a pants like a witless infant. Have some decency you are no longer a child," he said, eyes focused ouside the view from the window. "I cooked some lunch by the way."

Her face flushed in shame when she looked down and saw her coverless tighs. In a hurry she uttered an apology rushing towards her room.

On her way towards the room she missed the flush of dotted cyan glow on her roommates dark cheeks as he blew a wave of grey smoke in front of him.

Everything happened in that afternoon went into a blurry. After her bath and morning routine she proceeded wearing more appropriate attire for their outing. Since base on the aquamarine turtle neck long sleeves and black jeans Elliot wore. He was most likely waiting for her to finish her lunch before they head out.

But when she was done she saw him perched on the couch into a lazed position. Elliot told her they will head out at night so she had to sleep some more. And so she did without a question.

After her nap she saw him at the door way latching the metal strap on his black combat boots. Where the hem of his pants tucked in his boots neatly. She looked at her roommate, admiring the different appeal he had upon wearing something else aside his working attire. But regardless of what he wore Elliot managed to guise himself in a cool, aloof demeanor.

When she was done tying her shoes, Elliot held his gloved hand at her. She knew what it meant. Heaving a miffed sigh, she took his hands. All she could do was hold tight into the fabric of his black parka jacket, bracing herself from her most hated type of commute; teleportion.

Elliot encircled his arms around her before they teleported. When the sickening affects of transportation magic came off she staggered back. Her hand rested on top of her stomach in an attempt of holding the food from lunch down. Elliot apologized upon witnessing her discomfort, she dismissed him immediately with a smile and wave of her hand. Narelle knew this effects were likely to happened at her because of her lack of magic. From her abstinent lifestyle.

Narelle noticed a significant change in the atmosphere, the air felt cleaner and fresher, yet the breeze were still cold. And it was bright. Wasn't it night time when they left the house? Upon scanning the area she saw red stewn on the ground and on the trees surrounded them. She spun around seeing the same trees looked endlessly aliged beside the path ways towards the establishment, Elliot was strolling casually.

Maple trees. But she rarely saw them in her hometown and not in this ridiculous amount. They didn't teleported in her hometown right? She ran until she was beside her roommate.

"Where are we?"

Elliot stopped whistling. "In Japan."

Narelle halted absorbing the information. Well, that made sense. "Wait? Are you serious? You can teleport that far?" She had to catch up on her roommates laid back gait. Damn the long legs he had covering quite a distance away from her.

"I am serious. We are here in Japan if the daylight did not made it clear for you." he said. Glancing at her under the hood of his jacket.

Is he bragging about his ability just now? Her eyes couldn't resist staring at the breath taking scenery. But she still missed the point of being here.

"I thought we were visiting someone. Not teleporting across the pacific ocean," she said louder than she meant.

Elliot reached towards her hand holding her. "Yes, we are, Narelle. And this is where she preferred to stay."

A lot of speculation formed in her though. For example who was 'she' Elliot mentioned. Some of the ideas were pushed away as fast as her paycheck spent every month.

"Nice place. And I assumed that's the museum?" she asked

Both of them entered the establishment hand in hand ignoring the stares directed towards them. Narelle only let go when Elliot talked to receptionist behind the counter. The receptionist had a terrified and uneased expression while she talked someone at the phone. Her eyes wondered at the board from the opposite side of the wall from the reception counter.

The museum were divided into a three parts. She didn't noticed the place were actually bigger with how the front looked small. Well based on the map they had to walk through a long corridor before entering the main hall. Upon entering the main hall featured the art gallery. While the second floor would be planetarium. And at very back of the establishment after venturing the art gallery were the greenhouse or the indoor garden.

A call at her name pulled her attention away from board and stared at her roommate. Elliot coaxing her on following him. Then he signaled her on looking up and she was amazed at what she saw. Different items where dangling from the strings tied into the ceilings. Most where umbrella, pictures, wallet, note books, dolls and drawing, lots and lots of sketches. She even saw what appeared to be letters.

"What are those?"

"Lost and found items. The owner got creative with those abandoned object, since it accumulated overtime. When recent visitors saw what happened to the ceiling and the story behind this. Some purposely left something. Adding to this pile. A remembrance that once they went into this place and became a part of it."

"Wow. Can we leave something too?" she asked. Staring at the back of her roommate as he continued going through the corridor.

"Of course. I can leave you here if you like."

Narelle could envision his smirk under the shadow of his hood. "Don't even think about leaving me here, Elliot."

Elliot chuckled. "I change my mind. You are better hanging around at the apartment than up there. You will definitely scare some visitor. Thinking how a giant raccoon got stuck in the pile."

Narelle ran again to catch up on her roommate again. When she felt an ache at her neck from staring up for too long. "You're such a meanie sometimes." She huffed in a whine.

They reached the main hall and her eyes roamed around the prestine structure of the inside. She could already sight some art works, placed magnificently in their own post. The big glass windows on both sides of the wall gave the whole place a natural light that emphasized every art work at its simplest form. Every works were there in natural form, just to be discovered without an added effects of extra lights.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

The voice pulled her attention away from her enthusiastic viewing. Narelle was so knee deep in her marveling the nearest painting her eyes caught that she forgot she was only accompanying her roommate. She saw a woman that was obviously an angel. From how brilliant and poised she was in her elegant demeanor. The woman wore a black slack, a neat white dress shirt and a dark grey blazer. The womans hair was like a rope of gold from the braid.

"Her." Elliot pointed.

A set of cyan eyes met with hers. And she realized at that moment if Elliot had a human form this would be what his eyes look like. The woman arched her eyebrows while holding a staring match at her. A clear stamps from the womans stilleto clapped with tiled floor that continuously created a noise. Until the sound stopped.

The radiant energy coming off from the woman agitated her. An angel. The woman was truly an angel. Since her instinct went to instant panic.

"Do not touch her you idiot." Elliot snarled. He was now right beside her. Looking livid as a cat in a hissing fit. She realized her metaphor didn't fit the image she was trying to portray. How about an eldritch cat that came hissing after abruptly woken up from its precious nap time. That should fit the bill.

The woman was stumped from shock. Pulling her arms back at her side she awkwardly smiled. "Ah." She cleared her throat. "Sorry I forgot about your girlfriend being a succubus." The woman chuckled.

"For f**k sake Irene. Can you stop listening at every word that came out from Victor's mouth."

The angel name Irene tilted her head. "Not, yet then. Why must you take so long at courting her."

"Ugh! Stop! I am not! We are only friends."

"Oh, ho, ho." She hovered a hand in front of her lips. "Then why are you blushing?"

Then a flashed out from her phone illuminated the two creature. The glow patches appeared more prominent this time and she tapped the screen of her phone once again. Causing another flash from the backlight of her cellphone. Narelle tucked her phone inside bra. She doubt Elliot would even snatch her cellphone from her chest when he had to practically shoved his hand inside her clothes.

The angel bellowed in laughter. While Elliot remained frozen. It seemed like he wanted to add himself at the art gallery for being a statue.

Elliot's magical glowing iris flared up again but in darker shade of blue. Which was not a good sign. He glared at her for a while then he focused his stare at the still laughing angel. "Get done with the f*****g laughing. Before I choke you with your own entrails."

But Irene only snorted bursting into more giggle. The angel sounded so delighted from her unexpected stunt.

"Listen, Irene. I will leave Narelle here. She showed interest in statues, specifically towards marble statue. So I brought her here." He shoved his hands in his jacket pocket. Pulling out his cigarette packet and lighter. "I will be out for a while." He said.

She watched him walked out of the main hall, as if nothing happened. But knowing the corrupted for two years, she doubt Elliot wouldn't retaliate from what she did.

Oh, well she regretted nothing. That confirmed her theory about what the glowing patches on his cheeks meant.

"You got guts to do that to him. And I never saw him so embarrassed before." Irene finally stopped from laughing. But for a while she saw a gleam of nostalgia in her eyes. Before it blinked away as she giggled again. "Narelle, right? As you heard the name's Irene. I am the owner of this place. A bored angel with unbounded love with arts."

Narelle beamed upon hearing the enthusiasm in the angel's voice. "Cool place. I want to see more." she said.

Irene gasped at her in joyed expression. "A new best friend!" Irene squealed. Too bad she was an angel because she reacted upon instinct when Irene was about to hug her again. They only did the ridiculous air hug instead.

Narelle figured they were in a same vibe.