Chapter 2 – Iris: Making plans

That leads us back to present day and me looking at my laptop. Booking flights, searching hotels and figuring out what to do with Finn. And how long exactly I’d need to be gone for. Finn was used to me travelling for work purposes and if it wasn’t a school/college time he would come with me. But at the moment college is more important, and I’d have to have my adventure on my own this time. After chatting with dad and organising with him and Finns other grandparents, we decided 14 nights should be enough time to do what needs to be done. However if I needed more time they would be happy to keep looking after Finn. Since he pretty much looks after himself I knew he wouldn’t be too much trouble. I just didn’t like leaving him too long. We are thick as thieves and do pretty much everything together. Don’t get me wrong he has his own little life with his friends, college and hobbies etc. But we actually enjoy hanging out together, movies roller skating, walking, museums pretty much anything. As he has gotten older our time tends to only be once or twice a week now but he still asks to spend together, so until he stops I’ll always spend that time with him. Which means if I can I’ll get things done sooner, rather than later.

My flight is all booked and set. In two weeks’ time I will be on my way. That gives me time to get my hair re-dyed, business and house crap sorted, buy a few essentials and buy new luggage, the last luggage got forced open at the airport security. Just a routine bag check but they couldn’t get the lock open so they cut the whole zip. This caused my suitcase to fly open as soon as I picked it up and the whole contents spilled out all over the place. Finn was mortified. More embarrassed than I was since it was his mother’s under garments all over the floor. He still harps on about how it has mentally scarred him for life. My new luggage I’ll make sure opens easily and has a compartment to keep my objects and book safe from prying eyes. By the end of the two weeks everything was set and when the morning of the flight came round, I was getting more excited about the whole trip. I had even pencilled in some sightseeing with Rae the museum’s curator. We were both looking forward to meeting each other finally and spending some fun girl time. Of which we both needed.

I check the mirror admiring my new hair colour. My hairdresser really is a wizard. I’ve always dabbled in hair colours having all kinds of colours and tones. I usually stay away from purple since my eyes have the weird lilac blue colour, but this time I caved in and let her loose. She had used a deep lilac for my roots and it faded to a pastel lilac the further down my hair it went. It did truly look amazing, my hair came to just past my bust line she had created waves through my hair. I looked and felt like a movie star minus the body. My eyes really did look beautiful with my hair this colour. I packed minimal clothes. They were always interchangeable key pieces. I always had fun with colours and styles, some might say a little wild but I know what I like and what suited me. My travelling clothes I decided would be my trendy ripped jeans, my 80’s retro t-shirt, a trendy blazer and what Finn calls my reliving my youth trainers, they were super lightweight and fit easily into most of my handbags without being too bulky. I also stuffed in a couple of books for the plane, my vintage Walkman a couple of cassette tapes for it, some headphones, and my roller skates in for good measure. I made sure I booked a hotel right near the closet park to the museum so I could at least keep fit whilst away.

Everything ran smoothly the flight and the walk through the airport was uneventful. My undergarments managed to stay in their case this time. Which I was incredibly grateful for. It was early evening when the plane landed. The sun hadn’t quite set yet.  As soon as I stepped off the plane I could immediately feel the difference in weather. Back home whilst still spring, the air felt fresh and crisp, whereas here felt stuffy and heavy. A completely different feel to the temperature even though there was only a couple of degrees in it. While I was waiting for my cab outside the airport, I stood people watching. I took my sunglasses out of my handbag and popped them on. This was my favourite way to people watch. You could look to your hearts content and no one would know I was gawking at them. I noticed a few auras coming through my senses, mostly blues which I decided over time that must be just what everyone else must be, since dad Finn and my friends and most people I knew seemed to be pink or pink fading to blue. I looked around some more seeing if I could see any other colours when I noticed a horrible black one. It was like a deadly smoke all around him consuming his whole presence, all over his outline. I always knew black came in many shades but this was just the blackest black I’ve ever seen, the way it surrounded him sent a frightening chill all around and through me. I analysed the man and he looked no different to anyone else, there was nothing significant about him at all. I looked around again to see if I anyone else had a similar aura. When I glanced back over to the man he had gone. He was nowhere in sight. Strange.

A got a blip from my phone telling me my ride was here so I quickly glanced around again and headed over to my taxi. My hotel was right around the corner from the city’s largest park. The park covered miles and miles of land and looked beautifully picturesque. Most hotels around the city were overpriced shoe boxes and mine will be no different. I opted for the cheapest closest one to the park, so my room will undoubtedly be tiny. The reviews seemed average not the best but not dire either. At the end of the day it is just a place for me to sleep and re-charge. The last time I had been here I had stayed on the opposite side of the city, it was a little more expensive but it had more things to do with kids over that side, and at the time I had taken Finn with me. But it lacked the park which I wanted this time. When I finally arrived at the hotel it was much darker and the undesirables that usually plague the cities at night had started to emerge. I asked the cab driver where the closest place to eat was and he told me there was a nice place just at the end of the block. Great, I won’t have to wander too far.

I head up through the doors and up the grand staircase to go check in. The reception was enormous. The ceiling was covered in shrubbery/vines, they were draped in waves all across the ceiling. I imagine all fake but effective nonetheless, Modern chandeliers hung down over the desk that ran the whole length of the room. The floors and walls were a deep walnut and there were deep red leather chairs and sofas dotted around the room. Each looking like they were set out in their own mini living room. It smelt oddly sterile but I imagine they just like to keep the place nice and clean. I get checked in, my room was on the 4^th floor. As I entered the lift I noticed two men seated in the far corner together chatting animatedly. They were surrounded by that same dark aura. They didn’t notice me or look my way. Again there was nothing outstanding about these guys just the weird and disturbing aura. I really need to figure out what this means and a nagging feeling makes me feel that I needed to do that sooner rather than later.