The Double Cult Cha-Cha: An Al Squires of the Protectorate Story (Book 1)

Ch. 6.2: Who and/or What Are You, Norah Navarro; or, Prepare for the Fight Scene

'How did she see passed the Paper?' I thought to myself in another annoyed huff, as I went towards the 7th floor vending machines to grab a snack while Norah was asleep, and the agents were guarding her door. I wasn't kidding, I had a light lunch. 'She's a Blando-Rando; they're not supposed to have the psychic training to see past the Paper or any other psychic devices.'

I looked at the vending machines' wares, and I chose a soda and some corn chips. I won't mention their brand names; they probably weren't the brand that you might be familiar with, dear Readers. Not that I'm purposely trying to avoid brand names, mind you. That's one of the things about Parallels: some may be so similar that only a few things are different. Whereas some are so fundamentally different, one could spot the differences in a minute.

I took some money that was more or less appropriate for this Earth out of one of my coat pockets, put it in the vending chine, made my selection for my corn chips, and out popped my selection from the little hatch. I could've gotten them in a number of ways, but I needed to blend in, among other reasons that I've already mentioned. I went to do the same thing with the soda, but just as the machine made that cha-chunk sound that signified that your drink was coming out, someone in the hospital entered into the Still.

How did I know that you might be asking? Because they unknowingly brought me into the Still with them. It's thanks to a defense mechanism that my Still watch- and every other Protectorate agent that needs one to enter the Still- comes equipped with; it automatically sends its Protectorate agent into the Still when someone nearby has entered it. The more obvious answer would be that everything and everyone around me stopped moving and every went orange, light wise. Remembering my training, I fought the urge to move around quickly- and complained about my drink hanging in mid-air between the 'cha' and 'chunk' on the other side of its fiberglass and plastic screen- in order to acclimate myself into the Still. After that, then did I moved around quickly and complained.

"Oh, come on," I groaned to nobody in particular. I rested my forehead right on the fiberglass, making a squeaking sound as I moved it slowly downwards. I was halfway to the floor, when I remembered that only people In The Know can enter the Still, and I had a sneaking suspicion of who it might've been. With that, I ran back to the hallway where Norah's room was located, with an opened bag of corn chips and placing a newly liberated soda in one of my pockets. Indecently, I used Magick to get the soda out from mid-air. What? I paid for it, and nobody saw me use Magick. Luckily, it wasn't far from the vending machines, and the door to VIP wing was still opened. That's probably how they got in.

As I turned the corner, I saw agents Continos and McTeer, frozen and leaning on the wall on either side of the door as though they were placed there. From what I could see from where I was, agent McTeer's clothes looked disheveled, as though she might've been groped. I ran to the room, but the heard a gruff voice and a whiny one. I then ran back behind the door and carefully peered around it. My suspicions were proved correct when Big-Beard came out backwards carrying Norah by the shoulders; with Rat-Boy following him, carrying Norah's feet.

I quickly moved my head back behind the door as Big-Beard looked around. I then heard him say in a deep, gruff voice, "Boy, ya been pawin' at women folk when we is in the Still again, ain't ya?" I was all the way down the hall as he said it, but I could hear him clearly; it's amazing how faster and more clearly sound travels in the Still. There are other reasons for why I heard him so clearly, but now's not the time.

I heard Rat-Boy stammer his answer before Big-Beard cut him off. "Don't ya lie ta me, boy! I can see this here lady fed's clothes all messed up. Y'all didn't come in da the room with me right away; just enough for ya ta get a handful."

"I-I couldn't help it none, Pa," Rat-Boy whined, "she just looks so purdy."

"Dern ya hide, boy," Big-Beard growled angrily, "Ya'all lucky I got my hands full, or I'd cuff ya on the head. Ya always does that when we's on a mission in the Still, pawin' at women when they's standin' still. That's why you're handlin' this her 'bomination by her legs; and don't let me catch them hands of yers go up pass her knees. When we get back, it'll be three days on the Penance Wall fer ya, and I'll add another day fer every word that comes out of yer mouth. As the Prophet said: 'The bricks above in a wall must respect and revere the bricks below...'" He paused for a bit, like he was waiting for something, until he said, "Well, ain't ya goin' ta finish it?"