Soul's Quest - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

He walks through the main doors of his work and is greeted by a good friend standing behind the reception. "Good to see you, Sam. I had a bad night, bro. How was yours?" Sam, with his chilled ways, replies, "Easy, man, easy. Why was the night so bad?" "Well, let's just say, I'm questioning reality again." Brandon responds with a smile, "I think you need to lay off the herb, bro." Sam responds, holding back his laughter. Brandon shakes his head, "Man, everyone thinks that. I'll tell you the full story later, you can bet on that. Is the bar full?" "Yes, man, full of those rich folks you love to hate." Sam implies, "I don't hate them, well, actually, it all depends on how they act with it." Brandon heads to the bar. The duty manager walks towards him, "You okay Brandon?" "Yes, boss, all good. Nothing I haven't encountered before." "Good. Just a piece of advice: watch out for the lady in black. She's a right one." They both laugh. "Will do." "Everyone has left already, and there's not much for you and Sam to do. Just tidy this place before the morning staff arrives." "Will do, boss, no problem." The duty manager taps Brandon on the back and heads out. An awful stench of Sambuca comes from the little washbasin, and the sideboards are sticky from where the shots were poured. Brandon realizes this night could be a long one. He paces up and down the bar floor, waiting for any customers to serve, while glancing over at the table where the lady in black is sitting. She is loud and confident, with an unfamiliar accent, but she is English. Brandon catches a couple of locals looking over with displeasure, although there's something quite unique about this lady that's causing a stir. Sam, with a bemused look, walks into the bar. "Brandon, all good?" Sam quietly expresses. "Yes, Sam, you good?" "Yep, I could hear that lady from reception." "Yes, she is loud but not off-putting. Can't quite work it out. The locals are having issues with her, though." Sam looks over and laughs. "Now that gets on my nerves," Brandon stresses as if on the verge of a rant. "Oh no, here we go," Sam mutters and smiles."Does my head in that people can be that way, that's all. Look, Sam, she's not as bad as that lady we had in a couple of nights ago. Her voice lingered for hours, sounding like a cat drowning. Yes! This lady is loud, and I get that, but it clearly states when entering the bar: Business Party in progress. She might not be from around here, but that's no reason to turn their noses up!" Brandon tries to stay focused. "People should accept it. Everyone should just accept! And these old bastards with all those years of experience should understand that, Christ!" Brandon breaks up with laughter. "I didn't mean that. I love the Butchers." Sam starts shaking his head. "B, the locals are leaving," Sam says, nudging him in the side. Trying to keep a straight face, they both wave. "Good night, Mr. and Mrs. Butcher. Have a good night's sleep." Sam turns around to Brandon. "Right, come on then. What happened last night?" "Sam, what is your wisdom on dreams?" Brandon asks. "Well, B, it's like you always say: everything is connected. I believe dreams can be a message, a guide for many things. From a religious belief, dreams are doorways for another form of communication." Brandon nods without judgment. "I would accept that as a form of truth, really I would. Interesting... Would you say this is a cop-out if I told you dreams are meaningless? Our dreams are visualized thoughts our minds are allowing us to see when our eyes are closed. With our eyes open and with this entire world's visualization, we still can have dreams, but we call them daydreams?" Sam, perplexed, responds, "Yes, man, big cop-out. I don't want to believe that." "Yes, same here," Brandon agrees. They continue as a gentleman walks towards the bar. "So what was your dream?" "Well, it's strange. First, I was lying beside Kate, just letting my thoughts flow out. One second—yes, sir, how can I help? Oh, sorry, sir, can't accept cash. It just goes on to your room, and you pay when you leave." The gentleman comes across all confused. "You can't accept cash? That's a first. Whatever, can I have a shot of Oban, please, in a warm glass, with one cube of ice, oh, and a little glass of water so I can wash it down." "Yes, no problem," Brandon responds as he reaches for the bottle of Oban. Brandon continues his story to Sam, "Yes, so I was lying there, and I found myself walking down this corridor. What room is that, sir?" The gentleman replies, "81." "Right, thank you. If you could just sign there. I was walking down a corridor past rooms with numbers on, a hotel corridor basically. Thank you, sir, enjoy your drinks. Flash, a light sweeps across the walls revealing a message that said, 'I am getting closer, not long before I realize the truth.' Me, so into this daydream, I shout out, 'Truth to what!' That, of course, wakes Kate up, and when I told her I wasn't asleep, she gets all concerned, which is understandable. Anyway, we have a bit of a disagreement, and she ends up going home. The morning comes, and I finally pass out. I dreamt I was in an old hotel lobby, but the strange thing was, I was tied up. Suddenly, this dark figure appeared and welcomed me back. He told me my wake-up call had been set for 21:00. When I woke up, it was that exact time. You can't tell me that sounds normal?" Brandon asks. "lady in black is coming over," Sam answers while Brandon prepares to serve.

"Well, B, that's simple. Take a look around you. You work in a hotel, you serve customers, so you know the lingo. You were probably pre-thinking of your alarm clock because you've been late twice in the last week." Brandon looks at him impatiently, not wanting to accept that response. He turns around, looking at the upcoming customer. "Hello, how can I help you?" "Please may I have a gin and tonic?" the lady in black requests. "No problem. Lemon or lime?" "Oh, lime, please." Brandon gets ready to make the drink. "Sam, I need more," Brandon insists. "Brandon, there's not much more I can give you, other than maybe you're thinking of work too much recently or that you need to lay off the herb." They laugh. "Thank you, and enjoy." "Thank you, I will," the lady in black responds as she walks back to her table. Brandon is almost stunned for a couple of seconds. "B, you didn't get her room number?" "You're right. Damn." Time passes, the customers have all left, and Brandon and Sam are left to tidy up. "Right, B, I'm out of here." "Peace, Sam, you wannabe day walker!" Brandon continues cleaning the bar, reciting one of his poems. "I have no name; allow me to be your guide. It will be hard for you to follow, but with my outstretched hand, I will lead the blind. I have looked over you for some time, and still, no change. You have memories you want to forget, and as a result, you are trying to hide." "Sorry, excuse me?" The lady in black enters the bar. "Yes, how can I help?" Brandon reacts swiftly. "May I have a glass of water?" "Yes, of course. Ice?" She nods in agreement as Brandon bends down to grab a glass. "Who were you talking to, if you don't mind me asking?" "Oh, no one. I was just talking out loud." "They say that's the first sign of madness," the lady in black responds with a mischievous grin. "Well, if that's the case, I've been there and back again." They both smile. "There you go." Brandon hands over the glass of water. "Thank you... I like this time of the night. No one is about. It's peaceful, don't you agree?" "Yes, of course. Best part of the shift. Did you enjoy your work's do?" Brandon politely asks. "Not really. I'm sorry if I was loud; I noticed you were looking at me." Brandon tells himself to hold back his embarrassment. "Oh, well, I was warned about you before I even pulled my first pint." "No, really? Oh, God." She replies, "Who warned you? What did they say?" "Nothing really, just 'watch out for the lady in black,' that's all. I couldn't work out why, though. I mean, you were loud but not disturbingly loud." "Well, that old couple in the corner thought otherwise." A smile hits Brandon's face. "Yes, that was great, though. Thank you for that." "No problem, any time." She smiles and takes a sip from her glass. "May you join me for a couple of minutes?" Brandon looks around to think of his response. "I do not see why not." They walk to a bar table surrounded by sofas and a chair. The lady in black sits on the sofa while Brandon pulls out the chair.“So, why didn't you enjoy tonight?" "Oh, I don't know really, just felt everyone was against me. Stupid, I know. Have you ever been in a situation where you're not getting through to anyone, so you have to raise your voice to make a point?" Brandon smiles. "Yes, countless times. I'm guessing that's why I didn't find you to be a disturbance." "Good, well, I'm glad you understand. So, what were you saying when I came in for this water?" Brandon looks down. "Oh, it was nothing." He looks back up and notices she wants a better response. "They were just words sprung from thin air." "Stop it, come on. Please tell me? It was very poetic." Brandon finds it very hard to refuse. "Well, you're right, it is a poem. You have to understand, though, I don't tell anyone my writings, so be privileged." They both smile. "Oh, I am." Brandon does a little cough and begins reciting his poem. "You know what you know. Everything around you is immaterial. We are not set here; this is not our time. If you want me in your dreams, so be it. I will show you how to predict your future. Your questions will be answered; your thoughts will be real, and you will have the luxury of nothing to decide. I will be with you in time." "That was very good." She leans back with a confused look. "You okay?" Brandon asks. "Yes, you just remind me of someone." "Do I?" "Yes, never mind. So, what is your name?" Brandon looks down, realizing he is not wearing his name badge. The lady in black intercepts, "Yes, you have no name badge." She smiles. "It's Brandon, and I never like wearing it anyway." "So tell me, Brandon, do you enjoy working nights?" "It was tough at first, but I'm used to it now. I know the bad sides of working nights, but unfortunately, the good outweighs them." Brandon smiles as the lady in black moves forward. "Are you a confident person, Brandon? Sorry, I know I'm being nosy. You don't mind?" she asks. Brandon, taken aback by her question, responds, "No, no, I don't mind at all. It's quite refreshing. Am I confident? Well, I have enough confidence to survive, although it has been dampened through the years, but that's my own doing." "You come across as confident, though. That's what I think." Brandon express to the her, she tilts her head and smiles. "Well, Brandon, I'll tell you a secret: it's all a cover-up." They both chuckle, and Brandon nods his head. "I know what you mean." "So, Brandon, do you have a lady by your side?" "Yes... Her name is Kate, and she means a lot to me. She can be a bit paranoid with jealousy from time to time, but that's nothing I haven't witnessed before." The lady in black nods. "So if she walked in now, what would she do?" Brandon laughs. "She would be cool about it. I'm guessing she would sit next to me, acknowledge you, and ask you how you are and join in. We would get home, and round one would start." They both laugh. "She sounds sweet." She smiles. "Yeah, she is. So, do you have a partner?" Brandon asks. "No, I don't, but that's okay. You and I will be together soon." Smash! The glass of water goes all over the place, and the lights switch off. The sounds of squawking crows pierce Brandon's ears as if coming from within the same room. The lights turn back on. Brandon is alone, looking at an empty sofa—no water in sight, no smashed glass. He gets up and runs to the toilet, slams open the door, and runs to the cold tap. He splashes his face, uncovering his reflection in the mirror. He takes a deep breath with a confused look on his face. "Am I really this messed up?" He walks out of the toilet and heads back to the bar. He sits back in his chair, looking at the empty sofa. He looks down at his watch and is shocked by the time. He reaches into his pocket and turns on his music player. He puts one of the headphones in his ear and begins to finish tidying up to try and keep his mind clear. "Morning, Brandon, you okay?" "Yeah, I'm fine, thank you. It's all been done for you." "Thank you, Brandon. Have a good day." "Will do, have a good day yourself," Brandon quietly replies to a colleague. With a slow pace, he puts on his jacket and walks out. While heading home, he walks past fields of heather, trying to understand why recently he's started to see things that are not real. He continues past a big playing field covered with long grass, watching the crows swoop down from the trees, squawking as they fly. He reverts back to his daydream and realizes their sounds aren't similar to what he heard. He puts his head down and carries on walking. He reaches for his phone and sends Kate a message: "Hey babe, if you can come to me after you finish work, I want to see you! XX." He puts his phone back into his pocket and grabs his music player from another; he turns up the volume and carries on walking. His phone receives a text: "Will do, babe!!! Hope you had a good night!! XX."

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