learn more about the full length novel featuring Tronaugh, The Demon of Petty Disturbances
True Blue Lou
page 7
by K. Kylyra Ameringer
"Don't want to hurt Phoebe, do you, hmmm?" A voice crept out from the shadows. "That's what they all say, all them that wants to hurt Phoebe ... Phoebe-ee-ee..."
"Phoebe," Lou spoke up. "Phoebe, do you remember me?"
A moment of silence ticked by. "Lou, Lou. Blue Lou. Always true, Lou," the voice said.
"Lou is your First Liaison, Phoebe," Lou's manager interjected. "Do you know where you are?"
"Yes, Phoebe knows. Phoebe is at the place that isn't. Phoebe is nowhere. Phoebe is lost, lost," the voice began to sob.
Lou saw the members of the Special Ops team move stealthily around the room. He glanced over at the first station where Gloria concealed herself. She wasn't supposed to be here, and if Special Ops found her ... Well, it was best to not mess around with Special Ops.
"Phoebe," Lou said, raising his voice, "This place is real. This is where the ponies go up and down." He stated his code phrase forcefully, trying to jolt Phoebe into submission.
"Where the ponies ... up andÉ" The voice trailed away. "Lou!" Phoebe's voice gained some strength. "Why so many people, Lou? Phoebe doesn't like. Phoebe won't come out! Too many people, plotting, plotting ... Make them go away!"
Something hit a Special Ops member standing by a pillar. Lou's head snapped up to the ceiling to behold Phoebe hanging onto the large crystal chandelier overhead. He groaned and looked over to his manager.
"Alright, let's head out of here," Lou's manager told the Special Ops team. The pelted team member was rubbing at his jacket, smearing whatever it was Phoebe had thrown at him deeper into the fibers. The other team members were already putting their tools of the trade away and heading toward the exit in a haphazard manner, breaking ranks more than any other Special Ops team Lou had seen.
Lou's manager approached him. "Get her down," he said, waving his hand towards the chandelier, "and clean this place up. I'll want a full report on my desk in the morning."
Lou slumped a bit as he watched the others retreat out the room. He heard tinkling from above and looked up to see Phoebe swinging back and forth on the chandelier. Spotting movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned to see the Tech leaving the station. The Tech glanced up at the chandelier then down to the piles of broken glass on the floor and shook his head.
Lou waited for the Tech to disappear through the exit. "Okay, Phoebe, everyone's gone now. You can come down."
"No, no, no! Phoebe not come down now! No one here to help Phoebe when they try to get her, no!" Phoebe was scrambling around on the chandelier, grabbing at the dangling crystals. Lou wasn't too concerned; the chandelier had been reinforced after Phoebe's antics last time.
"Phoebe, no one's coming to get you. Besides, I'm here to help you if anything happens," Lou called up to her.
"They come, they come," she chanted away, a vacant look on her face. "You know!" She screamed out suddenly. "YOU KNOW! You're in on EVERYTHING! You try to make Phoebe come down, try to control Phoebe. Then when Phoebe is at home, yes, at home with her things and her friends and Phoebe is happy then you try to make Phoebe leave and go back! Always plotting, always scheming to make Phoebe go back."
"Phoebe, there's no plotting or scheming going on in the entire complex. We're doing our jobs. You're doing your job. Give yourself some time and you'll remember that."
"Plotting, plotting..." Phoebe trailed off. "Phoebe will NOT come down! Too much open, too much space."
"Okay, Phoebe, hold on a moment," Lou said. He glanced towards the first station and saw a rustle of movement behind the curtain. "Gloria!"
Gloria peeked out from behind the curtain and stared up at the ceiling. Phoebe spotted her and clinked her way around to the far side of the chandelier.
"Who is it? Who is it?" Phoebe asked from her perch.
"This is Gloria," Lou said, nodding towards Gloria who was creeping towards him while keeping an eye on Phoebe. "She works at the arrivals desk. Do you remember the arrivals desk? It's right over there," Lou kept his eyes locked on Phoebe. This was a dangerous moment, he knew from experience. Phoebe's Second, Third, and Fourth Liaisons were still in Medical recovering from their wounds.
Phoebe silently stared down at them then leaned over as much as she could. "You once brought me a cup of coffee," she said to Gloria.
"Ye-e-es," Gloria said, nodding her head and clearly not remembering the incident at all. "It's a pleasure to see you again."
True Blue Lou by K. Kylyra Ameringer
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learn more about the full length novel featuring Tronaugh, The Demon of Petty Disturbances
