The Reaper that loves me

Chapter 15 - The calm before the storm

*Her*

Elise was now on her third day of probation. Between University, and her work at the dream association, Elise would come home exhausted. She would then get three to four hours sleep before she needed to get up for university again. 

Melinda picked her up as usual and noticed that Elise had big bags under her eyes. "Whats up with you? You look like the zombie that's currently being held by my father.." Elise laughed at the comparison. "Yeah, in tired. It's ironic isn't it? Because I work for the sleep association." 

Melinda bit her tongue. "El, do you think you are doing too much? I mean..." Elise stared at her friends features but she was hard to read because she was driving and was watching the road. Elise looked at her hands in her lap. "I don't know Mel. Working for the head office is more exhausting then doing my assigned sleep list. I miss the owl who delivers my parchment." Melinda clenched the steering wheel but the remainder of the trip to university was quiet. Elise sat through her lectures but was barely able to stay awake untill she finally fell asleep for the last half hour of her last lecture. 

She awoke to Melinda gently shaking her. Elise blinked and sluggishly spoke. "Wha?..." Melinda smirked. "You fell asleep during class. It's time to go home. Maybe you should get more sleep before work?" Melinda stressed the last word as Elise rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on her friends face. "Hmm yeah.." Elise picked up her bag and roughly shoved everything into it. She vowed to sort it out later. Melinda helped her up and out to her car. Once in the car, Melinda stuck her workbook under Elise's nose. "Here. Read my notes for the last lecture." Elise took the book and they drove home.  

Elise waved her friend off and slunk inside. She sloppily kissed her mother on the cheek and headed to her room. She threw her bag onto her desk and collapsed onto her bed face first and it didn't take her long to sleep. Her phone alarm woke her up and she crawled off her bed. She blinked as her phone screen lit up brightly blinding her temporary. She rubbed her eyes and switched the alarm off. She went into her bathroom and rinsed her face with warm water. When she looked up at her reflection in the mirror she squeeled in fright. Her makeup had all smudged and her hair was a mess. 

She cleaned her face with Miceller water and cleaning pads and then she brushed her hair out. 

She clocked her fingers and did her hair up in a neat braided updo. She then clicked her fingers again to put on her work uniform and sandals. 

She spun around and was finally happy with her appearance. As she walked out of the bathroom she checked her phone for messages and realised what the time was. She was running late!

She quickly mumbled the incantation that would take her to the dream association. 

In a blink of an eye she was transported to the dream association main foyer. She sighed in relief that Alora wasn't around and so she quietly tip toed to her station. However, she didn't count on Somnum standing at her desk tapping his sandals on the polished floor. He had his clipboard in front of him and he gave her a stern look. "Miss Pendal, it's nice of you to join us...five minutes late..."

Elise gulped. "Ah yeah sorry about that...I was just really tired...and..." Somnum held up his hand.

"Sigh. Elise, you need to take your work here seriously. What we do is timed to a schedule which evolves around human sleep cycles..." 

Elise didn't mean too, but she let out a yawn but was quick to stifle it before Somnum got mad. 

Somnum cleared his throat. "So today, you are working independently. You won't have Alora supervising you today, your three day induction has been finished, and you will be working in the parchments department. You will learn how parchments are made and assigned with humans and magical deliverers alike....come along." 

Elise followed along behind him and she let out another quiet yawn. 

They stopped in front of a red door. Somnum opened the door Elise stared; there were people running around with blank parchments and owls flying around picking up full parchments ready for delivery. "Wow..." The workers all stopped to bow to Somnum as he and Elise passed them. Somnum approached the podium that overseas the floor and cleared his throat. "Ah hm. Attention workers! Today and for the next few days you shall have an extra pair of hands. This is Elise. She is here under a...work order by the magic council. Teach her all you know and how you work. " He gestured for Elise to step forward and she did with careful steps. 

She didn't know what to say except.."h..h..Hi... I'm... Elise..Pendal." Somnum nodded and a little goblin, that came to Elise's knees in height, took hold of her hand startling her. He grumbled in a high pitch voice. "Well are you coming or not? We a deadline to fill...." Elise gulped. "Ah...sure..." The goblin persistently pulled her along untill they reached a big industrial size bin that housed a harsh cotton sack. In it were thousands of parchments. Elise picked one up in wonderment. It had been already filled as it had signatures beside all target names. The goblin snatched the parchment out of her hands with a scowl on his face. 

"Here." The angry goblin thrust a clipboard into her hands. It had a whole list of names and numbers. She had a confused look on her face. The goblin sighed. "These are the filing cabinets for completed parchments. They are filed in a specific manner. They are listed alphabetically and then by date completed. Your job today is to help me in filing." He tapped the clipboard. "Get to it." With that the goblin put on his little gold glasses and stepped up onto his little step and retrieved a parchment. He cross referenced it with his own clipboard and then magically opened a filling cabinet and the parchment glided over with ease and neatly placed itself in place. Elise then looked snack at the goblin who was scribbling away at his own clipboard. She sighed. "How hard could this be.....?"