into the corner of her mouth, her auburn hair pulled back into an unruly bun, held together by crisscrossed pencils. Totally engrossed in her work, she didn't notice them until Stud let out a none-too-subtle grunt.
"May I help you?” she asked, obviously startled by the strange-looking pair.
Breathred fell into his slayer mode. “Breathred Petrifunck of Petrifunck Paranormal at your service. We spoke this afternoon."
"Ah, yes. Thank you so much for coming,” she said with a hint of doubt in her voice, which raised a notch when Stud eased his head around Breathred's side. “Excuse me but is that a chimpanzee behind you?"
Breathred shoved Stud back behind him. “Pay him no mind. He's my assistant."
"Mr. Petrifunck, I think I may have made a mistake in calling you. I hate to have wasted your time.” The professor stood up from the desk and began ushering them back toward the door.
"I don't think so ma'am. You're obviously in need, otherwise you wouldn't have called.” Breathred stuck his hand against the doorframe to halt his untimely expulsion.
"You silly button. She called you because I told her to do it,” Luna snorted, ducking under Breathred's outstretched arm to enter the room.
"Luna?” Breathred's jaw dropped a full five inches at the sound of her voice.
Luna gave him a peck on his confused cheek. “Who else, Sweetie?"
"Ms. Walking Batch, as I told Mr. Petrifunck, this was a mistake."
"Wrong, Doc. You showed me the ancient tablet. I guarantee Breathy here is the only one who can help you figure it out,” Luna said, folding her arms.
"Well, I'm already here after all,” Breathred interjected. Normally, he wouldn't come between Luna and her folded arms, but this was a special occasion. “You have absolutely nothing to lose by explaining the situation now, do you?"
The professor threw her hands up in resignation. “All right, come back in."
"Hold everything, Toots. We ain't doing nothing until we discuss our fee. We have expenses to think of,” Stud jumped in.
"The monkey talks!” Dr. Grayson shouted, stumbling back to her desk in shock.
"Course I do. And it's a chimpanzee, if you please, Hot Stuff. Otherwise the human there wouldn't know his head from his ass.” Stud pointed back to Breathred.
"B-but monkeys don't talk."
"Look, we've already been over that. I talk. I walk. Hey, hey I'm the monkey. Get over it so we can get to the good part,” Stud said, sounding frustrated by the whole thing.
Breathred finally found his voice. “Stud, shut up!"
"That's right, Honey. Let us humans figure this out,” Luna said in her best schoolmarm impression.
"Doctor Grayson, I'm truly sorry, but you have to understand. You called Petrifunck Paranormal , not the police or even a private detective. We operate outside the bounds of human understanding. It'd be best if you realize we don't conform to the way the world normally operates or we'll never be able to help you.” Breathred hoped he didn't sound like a total dufus, but if he didn't say something, this thing was going to just get worse.
* * * *
Dr. Grayson sat on the desk and looked over the unlikely trio. This was all so bizarre. She had figured from Luna's recommendation the man might be a little eccentric, but talking chimps were a bit much. God knows what else he had scurrying around in his duster. He looked like a reject from a Bon Jovi video. Had she sunk as low as this?
The bad thing was, she needed his help. The stone tablet was so unlike anything she had ever seen before. Dr. Grayson had been able to decipher the text. The hard part had been, actually believing what the tablet had said once she finished. If she tried to show it to her colleagues, they would more than likely laugh her butt straight off campus.
Desperation led her to take the girl's advice. The tablet spoke of things she always assumed were nothing more than popular fiction and myth. Carbon-dating the tablet had placed its age on the order ten thousand years, way
"May I help you?” she asked, obviously startled by the strange-looking pair.
Breathred fell into his slayer mode. “Breathred Petrifunck of Petrifunck Paranormal at your service. We spoke this afternoon."
"Ah, yes. Thank you so much for coming,” she said with a hint of doubt in her voice, which raised a notch when Stud eased his head around Breathred's side. “Excuse me but is that a chimpanzee behind you?"
Breathred shoved Stud back behind him. “Pay him no mind. He's my assistant."
"Mr. Petrifunck, I think I may have made a mistake in calling you. I hate to have wasted your time.” The professor stood up from the desk and began ushering them back toward the door.
"I don't think so ma'am. You're obviously in need, otherwise you wouldn't have called.” Breathred stuck his hand against the doorframe to halt his untimely expulsion.
"You silly button. She called you because I told her to do it,” Luna snorted, ducking under Breathred's outstretched arm to enter the room.
"Luna?” Breathred's jaw dropped a full five inches at the sound of her voice.
Luna gave him a peck on his confused cheek. “Who else, Sweetie?"
"Ms. Walking Batch, as I told Mr. Petrifunck, this was a mistake."
"Wrong, Doc. You showed me the ancient tablet. I guarantee Breathy here is the only one who can help you figure it out,” Luna said, folding her arms.
"Well, I'm already here after all,” Breathred interjected. Normally, he wouldn't come between Luna and her folded arms, but this was a special occasion. “You have absolutely nothing to lose by explaining the situation now, do you?"
The professor threw her hands up in resignation. “All right, come back in."
"Hold everything, Toots. We ain't doing nothing until we discuss our fee. We have expenses to think of,” Stud jumped in.
"The monkey talks!” Dr. Grayson shouted, stumbling back to her desk in shock.
"Course I do. And it's a chimpanzee, if you please, Hot Stuff. Otherwise the human there wouldn't know his head from his ass.” Stud pointed back to Breathred.
"B-but monkeys don't talk."
"Look, we've already been over that. I talk. I walk. Hey, hey I'm the monkey. Get over it so we can get to the good part,” Stud said, sounding frustrated by the whole thing.
Breathred finally found his voice. “Stud, shut up!"
"That's right, Honey. Let us humans figure this out,” Luna said in her best schoolmarm impression.
"Doctor Grayson, I'm truly sorry, but you have to understand. You called Petrifunck Paranormal , not the police or even a private detective. We operate outside the bounds of human understanding. It'd be best if you realize we don't conform to the way the world normally operates or we'll never be able to help you.” Breathred hoped he didn't sound like a total dufus, but if he didn't say something, this thing was going to just get worse.
* * * *
Dr. Grayson sat on the desk and looked over the unlikely trio. This was all so bizarre. She had figured from Luna's recommendation the man might be a little eccentric, but talking chimps were a bit much. God knows what else he had scurrying around in his duster. He looked like a reject from a Bon Jovi video. Had she sunk as low as this?
The bad thing was, she needed his help. The stone tablet was so unlike anything she had ever seen before. Dr. Grayson had been able to decipher the text. The hard part had been, actually believing what the tablet had said once she finished. If she tried to show it to her colleagues, they would more than likely laugh her butt straight off campus.
Desperation led her to take the girl's advice. The tablet spoke of things she always assumed were nothing more than popular fiction and myth. Carbon-dating the tablet had placed its age on the order ten thousand years, way
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