Page 43 of Florescentia

Another contemplative pause for the shadow.

“I suppose you have a bargain, then.” The words were nearly a coo, like the delighted purr of a cat.

I reached within my jacket, a delicately shaped flask cool against my fingers. “To feeding curiosity, then.” I took a quick gulp. My eyes squeezed shut, my throat tightened, then I dumped the rest into the shadow.

It flinched, squirmed, then settled.

“I don’t like that much. Please never repeat,” it complained.

“We shall feed you something with more substance, then,” I muttered, retreating along the shore, the shadow remaining in its place. I stopped, staring back at it. It was like asking a dog to recall.

“I don’t subsist on worldly meals,” it protested.

“Eat for pleasure, then.”

Slowly, it caught up to me, then quickly moved back into place in the shape of my own shadow.

If this thing wasn’t as malicious as I initially thought, it couldn’t hurt to use it. My only reservation was its reason for being on this side . . . if not to feed, if not to trade. I had never seen something of its size or sentience. Especially a Peculiar that couldn’t be used to open a door with the help of my ability, if he was a Peculiar at all to begin with. There was no telling how its feasting would affect others. So far, it was content with me.

But what would happen once it was sick of my presence, I couldn’t say.

I could only prepare.

Neither the doctor’s concoction nor the alcohol were enough to keep me sane, even if just for a moment. They were enough to get me to move my mentality, shift to where I could focus on what I needed to get done.

The most momentous task was getting the library back in order. A new rug covered the damaged floor, sparing my feet of splinters. Then there was sweeping up the old papers and separating them into what to keep and what to throw away. If there was a bright side to this upheaval, it was the organizational benefits. The opportunity to throw out the old to make room for the new, for I knew there would be much more note-taking in my future.

The books were shoved back onto the shelves in whatever order I could manage, but I had no time to put them in any sensible assemblage. That could come later. They just needed to be off the floor.

Lastly, watering the ferns and houseplants with old cups of water scattered among the rooms—though the leaves were past being crisp from thirst, so it was more ceremonial than helpful.

When the mess was at least half managed, I had to tend to two more administrative tasks.

“Hello, I’m calling to follow up about some missing papers I left at the Archive last week?” I chewed at my lip, awaiting a response.

“Was this something borrowed or a personal item?” the attendant said over the phone.

“Personal item. A folder and a workbook tucked inside.”

“You are welcome to come and look for it.”

“Do you think I haven’t tried that?” It was hard to contain a pleasant tone. “Could you look in the back room or wherever you put lost items?”

“We do not have a lost item cabinet; we throw abandoned items away twice per week when waste management comes around” was the only thing left she had to offer.

“Thank you for being useless,” I hissed into the receiver, slamming it back on the stand.

I leaned back in my chair, groaning as I pressed my hands to my face. My journal and proposal were floating around somewhere in someone else’s hands, or in a landfill. Luckily, I had one meeting documented already. Everything should be fine, but I would have to redo months of experiments and tests to get another workbook or data to resubmit. An invention was nothing without proof of its conception.

A cool feeling against my leg.

I glanced down at Absinthe, weaving itself around my leg in some sort of comfort.

Technically, I didn’t have to wait for something good to happen.

It just meant a little bit of bravery, and possibly swallowing some ego. I watched my Peculiar crawl along the ground by my legs, then quickly move as I stood.

The beast said he was willing to help. Was it too early to call in the favor? With my new beast at my whim, I wouldn’t have to put my Peculiars through any more labor for a while. As long as the beast was still willing, all I had to do was lure him out.