An annoying sound shook the table right next to Bree. She swung her arm and pulled her vibrating phone to her ear.

"Who is it?" Her voice came out muffled as her face was buried in the pillows.

"Miss Brianna, I would like to have a word with you today." A man with a strong Southern accent said over the phone.

Bree's eyes widened, every ounce of sleep disappearing from them. She lifted her head and frowned.

"Herb?"

"Meet me down at the pet shop in twenty minutes. We have to talk."  He definitely did not sound happy.

Bree knew her monster story must have reached him at last. It would not surprise her if the whole town already knew about it as well, but she would be too embarrassed to do anything if that happened.

"Alright, I'll be there in twenty minutes." She replied and hung up then hurried into the bathroom to take a quick bath. She changed into a blue top, black jeans and black flats then stood in front of the mirror - something she rarely ever did - and brushed out her mane.

It was more mane than hair as she had failed to visit the salon in weeks. After eons of brushing, yanking and spitting out hair, she pulled it back in a pleat.

It was just day one of her week long break and Herb was already calling her. She had always thought he was a strange man, with short black hair, jagged teeth that always held a toothpick between them and near golden eyes. Herb was scary and actually looked like he was going to gut anyone who dared provoke him. He scared Bree sometimes but she knew guys who put up those intimidating looks and how to deal with them. She had survived Ed.

Herb was awfully blunt and had a funny way of being rude. He would say the rudest things in the nicest way anyone could think of and with his bloodshot golden eyes, it was impossible to be comfortable around him.

She cursed under her breath as a strap of her sandal came off. She turned the doorknob whilst struggling to buckle the strap and came face to face with a bunch of roses.

"Happy Valentine's Day, my princess." Norman greeted.

"Whoa!" Was all Bree managed to say.

She did a quick mental calculation of today's date. She had been working so hard that she did not seem to have noticed how January whipped by so fast.

"Norman, what is all this?" She asked with a little stutter.

As usual, Norman went all out. He held a small bouquet of roses and was dressed in a complete suit - tie, jacket and all. His hair had been styled and made him appear more handsome than he usually was. Behind him were two gentlemen also dressed in black suits. They stood next to a huge vase filled with more flowers and an invitation card sticking out front.

Bree reluctantly accepted the flowers from Norman for fear that his hand would drop after holding it up too long. He grinned satisfactorily when she stepped out.

"Well, It's Valentine's Day of course and everyone knows I can only go through all this trouble for my true love." He said and took her hand. "Just to be clear, you are my true love. I will be honored beyond measure if you could join me for a romantic lunch later."

Bree was too stunned to move. The flowers were amazing - a mix of red roses and some other orange flower she could not name. She titled her head and realized there was another gentleman right behind the huge vase. He was dressed in waiter garb and stood next to cart filled with food in steamer baskets and small plates. The waiter wore a wide grin as if secretly trying to convince Bree that everything on the cart tasted magnificent.

"Your idea for a romantic lunch is dim sum?" Bree asked with a slight grimace whilst trying hard to not smile.

Norman could be sweet but sometimes he had stuff mixed up - in a harmless way.

"Well, yeah. . . I mean. . . I thought. . ." He stuttered and suddenly looked to be uncomfortable.

Bree laughed more to ease him down than to mock him. "Of course I would love to have dinner with you but right now, I have somewhere else i gotta be."

"Where are you going?" Norman asked, his face crumpling into a sad one. He looked like a kid whose mother was about to go on a long journey and leave him behind.

"I have a very important appointment. I'll see you later." She said and gently shook the roses in her hand. "Uh, where do I put these and where would you put that ?"

She pointed to the huge vase.

Norman's face fell. He had not really thought about where the mini garden would go. He scratched his head and looked to his wing men for ideas but they only shrugged cluelessly.

"I guess I should've thought of that and I didn't" He admitted sheepishly.

"You should have thought of chocolates too but dim sum works just fine." Bree said and handed him the flowers. "Later, Norman."

She bounded toward the stairs and looked at her wrist watch. Four more minutes until Herb would ring her again. She had gotten a new phone thanks to Amy and did not waste time dropping her new number with Bruno which why was so she was not all that surprised that Herb had called. The taxi cab pulled up dangerously close to a mother and her chid about to cross the street. The woman cursed in a foreign language and hurriedly picked up her son.

"We're so sorry ma'am." Bree apologized as she got off.

The woman replied with something that sounded to Bree like bologna as she walked toward the store.

Lizzy stood by the massive fish tank - her usual spot - in her signature pink sleeves and pinafore talking to a man in dreadlocks that held a jar with a fish in it. It looked like they were having a disagreement of some sort and Bree did not wish to interfere. She had an audience with the boss.

"He is waiting for you." A young girl announced when Bree got to the kennel. She looked like Delilah but was about three years younger - high school age. She wore a pink tennis cap that matched her sneakers and lip gloss. Bree followed her to a room that was two times bigger than a normal office.

It had standard office equipment; a large wooden desk on top of which were three laptops, some books, staplers and a penil case; there were a few expensive leather chairs just past the doorway, files in moveable cabinets that had been left open and a bunch of other exquisite stuff clammed near the walls. A mini shelf by the corner topped with antique displayed large square frames of Herb's achievements in animal husbandry.

It seemed to Bree that the man ran more than just a pet shop and a pig farm. His other businesses were probably spread out worldwide. Although, he looked nothing like a successful person and this was what confused her the most. He drove a rusty pickup that yawned black smoke and caused serious air pollution wherever it went.

"Go right in." The young girl ushered and left Bree standing by the open doorway.

"Come on in, Miss." Herb said even though Bree was nowhere near his line of sight.

She stepped in and he offered her the comfortable seat opposite his desk. The air was comfortably cool but as Bree sat down, the temperature seemed to rise. Herb swung sideways in his seat with a toothpick in his mouth, his indexes pressing against each other while his elbow rested on the arms of the chair. He studied Bree for a minute and she struggled to maintain eye contact which was hard considering his was a mix of gold and red. She had read somewhere once that people who could maintain good eye contact were considered to be the confident ones and the last thing she wanted was to look like frozen yogurt in front of Herb.

"So. . ." He began and sat up, picking up a red pen which was clearly unnecessary seeing how he literally had three laptops in front of him.

"What's all this nonsense talk going on about a mysterious monster stealing my pigs?"

Bree inhaled before she spoke, the disturbing memory flashing across her mind. It was fuzzy now though, like a month old dream but it was there. She was treading dangerous ground now and whatever she said next would either sustain her job or cause her to lose it.

"Yes, Herb. There has been a monster stealing your pigs." She replied firmly.

"Can you uh, describe what this monster looked like?" He asked with zero enthusiasm. He pulled out from the stack of books what looked like a receipt book and uncorked the pen. Bree wondered if he was going to sketch the monster she was about to describe.

"It was really big - about 13 to 14 feet tall - I'm not entirely sure. I wasn't allowed the time to calculate. It looked like a goat facially but it had this really big mouth, sharp teeth and fur like a bear. And it's horns were like a ram's but like really huge and curved all the way backwards. It. . ."

"Um, 'scuse me, Miss? A ram's horns, you said?" Herb asked but he still had that tone of disconcern.

"Yes, a ram's horns." She said and swallowed.

"Go on. Tell me how this monstrosity acted."

"It went berserk, really wild and smashed a lot of things including the steel traps I had set up long before. . ." At that point, Bree's mind traveled back to her traps.

A mountain bear could not have crushed a steel trap that big. Even if it had stepped on the trap, it would have bent from the creature's weight instead somehow, and not break apart into tiny shrapnel.

Herb's snapping fingers brought Bree back to reality. "You're not in a damn history class, Ms Brianna. More talking and less zoning out."

"Right! Sorry!" She muttered and cleared her throat then continued her explanation till the end.

Herb stared at her after she was done in an oddly similar way to how Bruno and Lizzy had stared but he did not laugh. He merely put his pen down and interlaced his fingers.

"You worked for Edward Kitsch before you came here, no?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. His golden eyes seemed to glow even brighter underneath his heavy eyelids.

Bree shifted uncomfortably. Ed was a nutcase and she hated being affiliated with working for him. "Yes, yes I did."

Herb nodded and leaned forward. "I heard how you talked to em 'fore you quit the job. Not your fault. Ed is crazy. He deserved a major reality check. The thing, Miss Brianna, is I know you got responsibilities. I do too. Matter of fact, I got tons of responsibilities. You're still young, Miss. What, twenty three?"

"Twenty two." She corrected silently but Herb barely paid attention.

"For a girl like you, it ain't easy to cope the way you have been but I'll tell you this, all of that hard work ain't gon matter if my pigs keep going missing. I don't care how you chose to twist the story; say an angel fell from the sky and wanted some barbeque and ran off with my pigs. Those things are the means to an end. My life depends on selling them fat and in huge numbers. I know you understand that."

Bree silently watched him speak and not once did his toothpick slip out of his mouth despite how often he opened it. They had argued the first time they talked but she was no longer sure if she had any more energy left to argue again.

"I'm giving you the whole of this week to get my pigs back or at least catch the thief, not some made up fairytale beast you get from children story books, I want a real person. If by then you don't get em back, you'll leave me no choice but to. . ."

". . . Call the police?" Bree interrupted.

"What?" Herb asked, his finger hung on the desk where he had been poking it for emphasis.

"You're going to call the police on me. Tell them I stole those pigs you have tucked away in the countryside that nobody else knows about. A business you did not get a license for. A bunch of animals you smuggled past the border, ain't it?"

Bree was enjoying the confusion in Herb's eyes as she spoke and she smirked as though she had more information than she let on even though she was totally bluffing. She needed to fool him into thinking she had dirty information on him in order to save her own neck. Luckily, her little trick seemed to work. Herb chuckled and relaxed in his chair.

"You've got nerve, Miss. Are you threatening me?"

"Oh, gods no. I'm not but I have a feeling I'll need more than just a week to get your guy. I can't find your pigs, Herb and even if I did, I can't catch them all by myself. I don't need to explain why. Point is, I get my full salary plus one month to catch the thief or you get a call from the police and border patrol. I know a few guys in Oklahoma state that see stuff."

Herb raised an eyebrow and Bree knew she had definitely struck a nerve. He leaned back even more and stared at her but his expression was poker - almost nameless.

After a long while of silent contemplation, he smirked and sat up.

"You got a deal then, Miss." He said and raised a finger. "One month."

"Nice talking to you, Herb. Have a nice day." Bree said and flashed one of Amy's signature smile before taking her leave.

As soon as she was out of the room, she let out the breath she had been holding in. She was dumfounded as to where all that courage had come from. Working for Amy had downs as well as ups. She had witnessed the lady talking on the phone to some "business partners" as she usually described them. Bree did not even need to see their faces to confirm that Amy  had a hold over them. Somehow, she had subconsciously done the same thing with Herb and thank the stars, it had worked.

She really needed the salary as her mother was not getting any better. Bruno paid her once and that was the last she had seen of a paycheck. Amy paid her according to hours she worked but it was not enough to clear the hospital bills.

She walked over to Amy's and pushed open the door, nearly colliding with Delilah. The whole place was filled with couples probably having a Valentine Breakfast - if that was thing.

"Oops. Sorry!" Delilah apologized and quickly scurried past. She was quirky and easily the most skittish person Bree had come across. Her skin reminded Bree of cocoa and her hair was a massive fro of curls held back with colored hairbands that always matched her earrings. She wore sneakers with a dress and her wristwatch with the clock facing the inside of her wrist.

Bree found that she really liked her but Delilah avoided everyone except Amy.

"Hey, darling." Amy said as her eyes met Bree's. Her apron was inside out and she walked toward Bree with a frown.

"I thought I gave you the week off, what are you doing here? Not that it's a bad thing, you can still chill."

"Hey uh, I just wanted to talk to you." Bree replied.

"You're turning red. Is everything okay?" Amy inquired and took Bree's hand, leading her to an empty table.

"I need a favor, Amy." Bree said when they sat.

"A favor? Anything for you, sugar." Amy nodded, waving a hand.

"I want you to go somewhere with me." Bree revealed, fumbling with the edge of the table cloth.

Whenever she showed uneasiness around Amy, the lady felt inclined to help but Bree's aim was not to manipulate her. The subject was truly uncomfortable for her, seeing as everyone pretty much laughed or looked at her crazy when she told them about the hybrid goat bear with ram horns she had encountered.

She explained the story of the missing pigs but kept the part of the monster out.

"So you want me to help you catch a pig thief?" Amy asked.

"That's pretty much it."

"Oh well, I'd totally help you darling, I really would. I couldn't say no to you. You're my favourite person."

"But?" Bree asked. She already knew Amy was about to refuse which startled the lady a bit.

"I have to leave town for a few weeks." She confessed.

"Why?"

"I have a really important meeting to attend and there's someone I really need to see. Can we postpone the hunt?"

Bree gave a weak smile. "It's okay Amy. But what about your diner?"

Amy's smile faltered. "I'm afraid it'll have to close down until I get back. I was about to call you and talk to you about it but it's a good thing you came here yourself. I got the call about an hour fore you stepped in that door."

Bree suddenly understood how Norman must have felt when she postponed their date even though both were different cases.

"Thanks, Amy." Bree said and stood up.

"Oh dear, I hope you're not mad at me." Amy asked folding her arms under her chin. She looked nothing like an adult then.

Bree gave a funny laugh that tinkled across the room, drawing attention. She immediately clasped her hand to her mouth and it was Amy's turn to laugh.

"I'm not mad at you Amy. I gotta go now."

Bree exited the store and headed back home. As soon as she entered the lobby, she remembered her promise to Norman.

"Oh man, what was I thinking?" She groaned and facepalmed herself.

She could not survive half a minute with Norman let alone a whole lunchtime but she had agreed to it and she could not hnear to stand him up. Her head slumped backwards, a frustrated groan escaping her. She headed to her apartment and decided to change. Norman would attempt suicide if she did not put on a dress - which was kind of weird.

She began to raid her mother's closet since she had no dresses of her own. After much cussing, bad comments, dress hate, tripping, muffled yells and indecisiveness, she finally settled on a plain yellow gown.

It was made of silk and could easily pass as a chic night dress or a picnic choice. She slipped the dress on. Thankfully, it was her size and not as short as it looked. She braided strands of her hair and held it around, allowing for the rest to fall down her shoulders. She heaved a sigh and sat down to wait unsure whether her date would come pick her up or she would have to go pick him up.

Soon she became bored and ventured into the bedroom. She slumped on the bed, pulling out The Little Mermaid from beside the night lamp.

"Okay, chapter 1, nope. Chapter 8, nope. Ariel visits the sea witch - tpp gloomy and full of lipstick." She muttered as she flipped through the pages.

Even though she considered the story a favourite, she still found it difficult to read from the beginning to end like a person normally would. Instead, she would pick a particular chapter and dwell on it.

"King Triton, the handsome old grouch-turned-softie." She muttered again and rolled her eyes, imagining Ed without the handsome part but with flowing white beard, fish tail, a crown and a large fork - probably the ones he used to murder salami.

She laughed quietly at the silly idea then turned to face the drawer. Her second book was still covered in dust and torn in some places, scratched letters and words made certain sentences sound weird. Bree picked it up and flipped open a page. The book was in bad shape and it was the last copy Gordon's Library had. She thought about going to check if they had restocked on books so she could borrow another one.

She put the books down and checked the time. It was unlikely that Norman would fail to show up until another hour passed but if he did not, she could rush to the library and back.

She hurried to the door and opened it with a short shriek. Norman stood there with his arm raised like he was about to knock. His eyes widened for a split second then he flashed a smile that made Bree experience vertigo for a short while.

"Did you put up any cameras in my house?" She asked and looked back into the room, gazing from one end of a wall to the other.

"Uh, coincidence. I was only just about to knock." He let out a musing breath. "Wow, you look lovely."

Bree skeptically squinted. She did not think she had done much enough to be described like that but then, Norman's idea of what "lovely" is was extremely complicated. She could be covered in dog poop and swarmed by large house flies and he would still think she was "lovely" or "fetching".

"Thank you. What uh, happened to your suit?" She asked.

He had changed out of the formal wear to his everyday Norman clothes but with a little extra. He wore a jacket that was a mix of black and white and black pants.

He held out a hand. "It was too tight. Ready to go?"

"Yeah sure." She said and took his arm then let go of it to lock her door before taking it again.

"Off to lunch with us, then." Norman said and Bree managed a nervous laugh.

It suddenly dawned on her that this was her very first date - ever - and a lump the size of a fist grew in her throat.