60. Day 4 Part 15

"... And if that stupid tomato headed freak thinks he stands a chance with me, he's got another thing coming! Though I must admit, his turquoise eyes are kind of cute. Sort of like a sad puppy dog's. Anyway, back to my former best friend, Sabrina. Now, she's a real piece of work. That useless nerd couldn't even break into a person's room to steal their diary without messing up, and then there was the time she forgot to do my homework, and…"

"Chloe, as invigorating as I'm finding all this gossip about your personal life, and as much fun as it was hearing about your 100% accurate replica Ladybug costume and solid gold toilet seat, that's not what I'm asking about. Could we get back as to what made you want to be such an insufferable goody two-shoes in the first place?"

"Shoes? You want to talk shoes? I'm your girl. I had the best of the best… Gucci, Miu Miu, Jimmy Choo… I think even the wife of that weird foreign dictator we learnt about in class would've turned green with envy at my collection. Of course, they're totally gone now, all given away to charity. I was a bit upset at first, but what with my new responsibilities I'll have in the future, I doubt I'll miss them. After all, saving the world takes precedent over everything else…"

"Chloe, your new philanthropic endeavours are truly admirable, but I don't think they're the difference between planet-wide destruction or not. And, you're muddying the waters once more. I suppose I should expect that, what with you being the daughter of a politician. Let's stop with the trivial nonsense, and return to one simple question: Why do you no longer wish to follow in your esteemed father's footsteps, and instead associate with the undesirables who inhabit the slums of our fair city?"

"Because that's what my mother would do. My father told me most of my life she was bit of a headcase who rejected the aristocracy because she had a minor mental condition, but he was wrong. She did it because she was the most wonderful, compassionate person in the entire world, and who knows… maybe I wouldn't have grown up to be the superbitch I am today if she'd been around to teach me the right lessons. Fortunately, I have the chance to rectify my mistakes now thanks to my new friend, and devote the rest of my life to defending those who need my help the most. I still have a long way to go, but with time I hope to be as lovely and perfect as my Mum was…"

"Very nice Chloe, but let's take a break from the sanctimonious claptrap for a minute. Of course, for what it's worth, my own views are in direct contrast to yours. Paris has far too many wastes-of-space who clutter up our fine public parks and historic streets begging for loose change, or grotty single mothers popping out children like wildfire that they can't even support. Our over-generous socialist president has decided, in all his infinite wisdom, to raise taxes for hard-working professionals like me to fund welfare for undeserving people like that, and it stinks. If only your father was in charge of the entirety of France instead, things'll be very different indeed. Anyway, considering the fact you're not going to remember any of this afterwards, I'm about to ask you something else very important, so listen up."

"What is it, Mrs Philippes?"

"How would you like having me as your new mother, Chloe? My little romance with the Mayor has been going quite nicely ever since we began dating behind your back, and from what he'd told me about you, I thought we had a lot in common. Of course, this was before I found out about your current brush with insanity this week, which I suppose apart from the large fee I'm being paid, has given me kind of a personal interest in your case. I want a daughter who I can drive around with in a limousine every day and laugh at all the riff-raff we pass, not one who'll ask for the car to be stopped so she can hand them bouquets of flowers. I will restore you to who you were before this unfortunate occurrence, even if I have to see you every evening until our wedding. You'll be the head bridesmaid, naturally."

"I-I'm not insane, Mrs Philippes! This is truly who I what to be now. My friend… she helped me to understand. Now, instead of being horrible and mean-spirited the way I was before, I'm going to use every resource at my disposal to make this city a place for the many, not the few. Not only will I make a lot of people happy, but I'll feel a lot happier with myself, too. And that's all I could ever ask for."

"Aha, now we're finally getting somewhere, Chloe! Not all that mindless piffle you just recited about being the next Mother Theresa, I mean about your friend. I want you to tell me everything about them: Their first and last name, where they live, what their intention is with trying to ruin my fiancee's daughter…"

"How many times do I have to tell you, Mrs Phillipes? No-one is 'ruining' me. On the contrary, Zzubo is the best thing that's ever happened to me. That's her full name, by the way. As for where she lives, I have no idea… she comes and goes as she pleases. First, she started off in a box, now she sort of stays in my bag all day when I'm out and shares my bed at night. We keep each other warm, you see. I love the sound of her soft buzzing…"

"...Just when I thought we were making some progress Chloe, you come out with a complete bunch of baloney. You mean to tell me, the girl that's been messing up your head with all this Good Samaritan garbage is so little she can fit inside a tiny box? And you carry her around with you, in your holdall? I must say though, I'm intrigued. Once the Mayor found out the identity of this traitor to our city, he was either going to drive them out permanently or have their entire family jailed on trumped-up charges. If the culprit is as small as you say, maybe I can just step on them now and all of our problems will be over. Mind if I take a look?"

"Not at all, Mrs Phillipes."

"I was going to anyway, but I thought I'd ask just out of courtesy. Hmm… there doesn't appear to be anything in here, other than a bag full of nougat crumbs and a sappy drawing of a heart. Yuck. How nauseating. Still, it was just as I suspected… no signs of life. Now, I don't know how you're resisting my hypnosis, but that's going to stop this instant. After all, you don't want me to have to take more… extreme measures do you, Chloe? How would I explain the abrasions to your 'Daddykins'? "

"I wasn't lying, Mrs Philippes. She just isn't in there anymore."

"Well, where is she then, Chloe? Gone to join the cast of the new politically correct Snow White movie, to be the token female dwarf? What sort of mother calls her child 'Zzubo' anyway?! Admit it girl… you're making it all up!"

"No, and I can prove it. She's flying right behind you."

"Huh?"

Mrs Philippes spun around to see a small black and yellow figure hovering in the air which resembled a bee, it's two arms and four legs crossed in disapproval and with a most angry expression decorating it's usually cherubic features.

The psychiatrist rubbed her eyes in amazement. She turned away, blinked a little, then looked back. Nope, still there. Then something more unbelievable happened… it spoke.

"Hello there, Mrs Philippes. My name is Zzubo, and I am the official guardia… no, make that mother for this child. Your attempts to brainwash her back to her former self will fail: She will grow up to be one of the great heroes of Paris, long after your sorry name will be long forgotten. In fact, something tells me, will be much sooner than you think. I mean, Lila only needed a warning… but you? I reckon we need something more permanent. Are you ready for your special 'appointment' with me?""

Upon hearing this, and despite the implausibility of what she was experiencing, Mrs Philippes laughed disdainfully at the floating figure. "Now I know I'm only imagining things! Whoever heard of an insect adopting a teenager, and a very ugly one at that?! That's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard! And, I've listened to some doozies in my time from various patients. Very useful for future blackmail, it has to be said. Anyway, why am I even acknowledging you? You don't even exist. You're just a grotesque illusion, brought on by too many hours burning the midnight oil. Now, if you don't mind you fictional-hornet-beastie-thingie, I have a future daughter to restore to default settings. A good stiff drink will take care of you later…"

Turning away from an outraged kwami you've just grievously insulted is never a good idea. Just as soon as Mrs Philippes looked back at Chloe thinking how silly this whole affair was, she found her head jerked forward of it's own accord, the very real Zzubo not taking very kindly to the manner she was being addressed at all. So incandescent was she, her antenna were twitching with undisguised fury.

"I will not be ignored." She stared directly into the eyes of the suddenly speechless woman, as if delivering a final address. "And your days of mistreatment of others will soon be over forever. You'll also never see Chloe or her father again, and pack up your things to leave Paris tonight. This city is in enough of a mess with all of Hawk Moth's minions lurking about as it is, without shameless profiteers of human misery like you residing here."

" B-But what can a little thing like you do to stop me?" Mrs Philippes was sure that she'd rouse from this terrifying nightmare any moment now, but even if this was just a deranged hallucination she still refused to submit to a tiny nectar scrounger.

Upon hearing this, Zzubo smiled in the same trademark manner as the corrupt psychiatrist usually did: which is to say, there was little humour in it. "Plenty," she said, before getting to work.

…..

Life wasn't exactly a bed of roses for poor old Bernard. Ditching school at the tender age of 15, most days the under-qualified secretary to the over-demanding Marie Philippes simply found himself buried under mountains of paperwork, other times he was so bored even his favourite Sudoku puzzles failed to give him any relief.

So he didn't think much of anything when the girl with straight blonde hair wearing a daggy school uniform came bustling in to see his employer early that evening, even when the door was locked as per common practice when his boss had a 'difficult' case. It was to stop them from running off in the middle of the session, Mrs Philippes always told him, before adding that he should mind his own business. Seeing as she was his employer, he had little choice but to take her words at face value.

After all, the loan payments on that motorcycle weren't going to pay for themselves. And, he had to move out of his parents' basement sooner or later.

Today however, normal events took a somewhat different turn.

First, came the incessant banging from behind the door. I wonder what that could be, he mused, lifting his head up from his absorbing lines of single digit numbers.

Then, came the loud smashing. What the… this was the point where he jumped to his feet, his puzzle book and pencil dropped onto the floor.

Finally, the sound of something whooshing, as if a rogue whirlpool had somehow appeared in the area. By now, Bernard was already halfway to the door, frantically searching for a key to unlock it with.

I forgot, she never actually gave me one. Mostly, because I've never had to use it, pondered the secretary, as everything inside suddenly went quiet.

Well, there's only one thing for it…being a bit of a skinny fellow, it took him around thirty attempts to break it open, with his left elbow and leg especially feeling the full impact afterwards.

The stinging pain he felt all over though was soon completely overshadowed by the destructive spectacle which greeted him inside. Torn up certificates and diplomas everywhere. Expensive mahogany desk split in two. Numerous blinds torn down. All the windows to the outside wide open…

...And no sign of his boss or her patient anywhere.

Despite surreally feeling like he was on the set of a disaster movie in lieu of his usual workplace, Bernard nevertheless possessed the presence of mind to reach for his mobile.

"Hello?" Came the monotone female voice at the other end of the line. "Which emergency service do you require today?"

"...E-Er, I'm not quite sure…" Bernard confessed, as he stepped over the remains of a Socrates bust. "Maybe… all of them?"

….

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Next part will be the end of day 4, I promise. And I'd like to extend a special thanks to those who helped me to understand what's really important in life, so I could carry on writing with a clear head. You know who you are… ;)