Unexpected Company

Katrina grabbed her keys from the desk and looked around herself in wonder. Toby had been there three times that day. Ari, twice. And at least one hundred people had been flowing in and out throughout the day, always saying hi or asking Kat a question. She was getting paid exceedingly well, but she was exhausted at the end of the day. Katrina hit the lights and headed towards the door. She punched in the code for the security system, waited for the ‘all okay, exit now’ message, and headed out the door into the dark, cool night.

She loved the Mid-state weather. They were in the middle of nowhere, and a smooth breeze was flowing through the air like a soft waterfall. There was barely any rain, and when there was, it didn’t last for weeks. She had come from Texas, and there, the weather was disgustingly hot at all hours of the day. Granted, the main hall was kept at exactly the right temperature – never too cold, never too hot.

She had offered to take the secretary job with no idea that they would actually accept. It was just that by taking classes, but not paying tuition, and not even paying for food or an apartment, she felt useless whenever she wasn’t in a class. She had always been taught by her parents that she should repay kindness. But how do you repay kindness to an entire race of immortals? Katrina had found the way – service.

So she had finally found an excuse to stay there and not feel like she was wasting her time by not getting a job and getting married. She had all of her life to do that, and now she had the prime environment for finding a boyfriend. A bunch of people just like her. She had always known she was... different.

Katrina’s power – she felt – hadn’t been completely discovered yet, but it was nothing as interesting as you know, turning into a fish, or growing wings like her boss, Toby did. But prior to being invited – she had been assuming it was her current work that had brought her the invitation – she had been a working musician, just about to... okay, run out of money and starve. Her compositions were beautiful, and everyone agreed that when she performed them, she held a captive audience. But her compositions did not have the connections or money behind them, and so she had attained the classic ‘starving artist’ classification. Granted, Texas may not have been the best place for folk-classical-country mixed music and instrumentals. But she hadn’t had any money to move to New York or Nashville.

Plus, here, the grass was always green, and refreshing, and crisp. It was perfect, here. Like heaven – Olympus – on earth. There was almost no one outside, even though it was dark and most were out playing glow-in-the-dark football or other random, fun activities. Maybe the pool was open late today. Katrina didn’t know – she wasn’t in charge of that building. She was in charge of the main one.

So was that her power? Music? Maybe she was a daughter of Apollo with lyre? Katrina could almost imagine it. But it would be almost too majestic, being the daughter of the God of the Son. And that would make her aunt, Artemis. The virgin hunter. Wow.

Katrina’s feet echoed hard as she made it to the sidewalk by the apartment complex. Everything about this place was beautiful. Katrina lifted up her keys to the light as she made it to the door. Secure, too. She opened the door, easily, and headed up to the second floor to find her room. By the end of the first week of the apartments opening, each door had a beautifully designed stone plate with the owner’s name written on it. Hers was no exception. Katrina finished the stairs and found her room, two doors from the left hand side of the hallway. Since she had begun working for the gods, she had been upgraded to a two bedroom apartment, one room for herself, and one room for her work room. Most people had to use the meditation rooms downstairs or in the main building to meditate ‘on campus’. She had a sound proof room right in her own quarters.

“Hey baby.” Katrina cooed at her small puppy, Bernie. Bernie was a beagle mutt of some sort that had never really made it up to size. In fact, the only beagle part of him was his coloring. He thankfully did not inherit the trademark yowl of beagles. He was a long dog, reaching all the way up to Kat’s waist when he stood on his back two legs.

“You have a good day?” She asked her dog as she removed her coat and placed it on the table. The furious tail wagging seemed to be all the answer that he was going to give her. “I guess so, huh baby.” She stretched out, listening to her back crack with a grim satisfaction, then flipped on the lights for the kitchen and moved through it to the living room. She flipped on the lights there, too, and sat down on the couch. Patting the seat, she waited for Bernie to hop up with her and get cozy.

“Just for a minute. Then we’ll go for a you know what.” She promised him as he hopped up and obediently lay down, head on her lap. Katrina leaned her head back, gently striking the wall with it. What a day.

What seemed like seconds later, the puppy whined at Katrina and she awoke with a start. She looked at the clock, realizing that she had drifted off to sleep. Bernie whined again and she shook her head and leaned back, getting enough momentum to propel herself forward and out of the couch’s comfy, warm seat.

“Sorry buddy. We’ll go for a walk now. Sit.” Bernie sat obediently as Kat attached the leash to his neck. Kat grabbed her keys and headed out of her door, double checking the lock as she left.

Walking downstairs with the dog, she almost felt comfortable enough to call this place her home. She pushed the door open and held it as Bernie waddled through it. Silly dog. She walked back out into the cool, crisp night. Bernie yanked Kat’s arm forward and laughing, she was pulled towards the dark end of the building.

She waited as the dog lifted his leg towards one of the freshly planted trees. The wind was getting stronger – a storm must be headed towards Choice. Her dog finished his business and returned to her, wagging his tail furiously. She looked down at him and crouched down, giving him a hug.

“Good boy.” She cooed at him, and he lost his attention span quickly. He made a bee line for the line of trees in the distance, and the leash fell out of her hands.

“Bernie! Bernie!” Kat yelled at her dog, trying to get his attention. She struggled back onto her feet and ran towards the dog. He must have seen a squirrel.

“Bernie! Come back here!” She yelled once more in vain as he began to bark, his paws on a tree in the distance.

“Ass hole.” Kat muttered to herself as she slowed from a full out run to a jog. She realized the wind had completely died, as if allowing her dog to wake up the entire apartment complex. The storm was heading there, soon, probably. She looked up and the sky was startlingly clear. Maybe she was wrong.

“Bernie!” Kat yelled, trying in vain once more to get his attention. “No more walks!” She yelled at him, and his bark just kept echoing. What if he had chased something else up a tree. Who knew what the hell lived in these woods, surrounded by half gods and other gifted.

“Bernie! Stop that!” Kat neared her dog and stepped on the leash in triumph, glad he had not kept running. It would not have been good if he had ran off into the woods. She bent down to grip the leash. Her dog stopped barking momentarily to look at her, then resumed his position, both paws up on the tree, furiously sounding his disapproval at whatever he was after.

“Bernie!” She admonished her dog, striking him lightly on the head to get his attention. “Its time to go. There isn’t a squirrel.” She pulled the leash, dragging the dog several inches away from the tree. He was still balanced on his hind legs, stubbornly refusing to give up. “Come on!” She shouted at him, giving him a good yank and pulling him away. He came willingly, as if giving up. Seconds later, before she could even turn around, he ran straight for the tree.

“Bernie! No!” Kat yanked on his collar, to no avail. She didn’t want to hurt her dog. Resigned to the fact that she would have to look at whatever he was barking at, she let up on the leash, allowing him to put both paws on the tree. She walked over, shushing him and looking up. Two very human, very frightening eyes looked back at her.

A scream let out and she tightened her grip on the leash, turning around to run, with her dog, to get back to safety. She ran smack dab into a very large, very strong chest. An overwhelming aroma surrounded her, and Katrina struggled against the strong arms that held her. She was gasping for air, and realized she had released her dog’s leash. She heard him growling and could only imagine what the bastard’s leg would look like. Katrina screamed again. The last sound she heard was a yelp. Had they hurt Bernie?

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