Chapter 3 - Realization

Jake could feel the passion burning in his chest, or maybe that was his lungs pleading with him to stop. He came to a halt, clutching his knees, breathing heavy. After a few seconds of recuperation he flung his head towards the sky, letting out a deep breath.
“Bloody…” Pant, pant. “Hell.”
The words were simple yet strained and it took him a few more minutes before the pain in his chest died down to a dull ache.
“’Kay.” He reassured himself. Jake was not cut out for physical things.
The rain continued its steady pour, soaking Jake, but he really took no notice and if he did care his reaction would be that of relief. The rain was cool.
“Bartimaeus. Hurry up, you damned Djinni.” And with that he took off, sprinting past common folk who walked the dull, rainy streets.

Jake ran across the streets, a car passing by honked it's horn loud at him as he was nearly clipped by the front of the speeding vehicle and only a slight wave and a mouthed "Sorry" were his response to the startling noise. Reaching the safety of the sidewalk he pushed himself through the now angry crowd of people, smacking his shoulder on a street post that was flickering light as the day slowly came to an end and the night was taking it's place back in the sky, but with this horrible weather it was almost impossible to tell for the lifeless, gray clouds were the only visible thing in the air. Jake rubbed his shoulder, grimacing slightly. /Ouch./ He kept telling himself, but kept walking with the flow of the crowd.
A little problem like that couldn't stop you in the streets of London.
By the time Jake reached the museum it would be too late and the place would be closing up for the night and at the pace he was going and using his city knowledge Jake escaped into a nearby alleyway that would cut the time it would take to get to the museum by half and he would have plenty of time to find Bartimaeus and the Orb. Only problem, this wasn't the /best/ area. This part of London wasn't the best, and this is usually were outsiders meet the worst. Jake knew this city and knew what "problems" or dangers it held but he wasn't sure he was ready for this one.
It was known, only by city folk and the indiscreet talk in the pubs, that a Nazi group was forming and it headquarters meet here. Allegedly at least. It could and probably was false, but that's what the government had told them and why would you believe them? So, for the average British boy it wasn't a friendly place to be if you didn't know certain things, which Jake in this case that is a rarity in itself he was clueless. He knew this wasn't a good idea, but everything up until this wasn't a good idea. Why stop now?
Jake placed a hand on the filthy, grime-encrusted wall, inching carefully through the mess that now inhabited this curious place. Of course he was terrified and barely able to breathe at the time but managed that and he continued forward, afraid to make a single noise for fear of being found. There wasn't much lighting in this place, only dim lamps, scattered and broken here and there, hanging precariously from the brick walls, cobwebs and pieces of trash clinging to them. Most alleyways didn't look this horrible, it was just the proper cleaning crew didn't venture down here since authorities didn't even come down here so the trash piled up and the layers and layers of dirt had built since people also didn't travel down here.
The rain had calmed down and only the distant cries of the city outside this dank labyrinth and the thudding of Jake's heart were what he heard. Every sound set him on edge. /Stop it./ He told himself, trying to calm down his excited emotions, when it hit him.
It was a blank feeling, with certainty, large and forbidding, and oh yes did I fail to mention made of wood.

--

I slipped inside the time endued building that had the stench of “old” clinging to its very being. It was a horrible aroma considering my amazing sense of smell was just that and a small wave of dizziness spurred over me. Something didn’t feel right in here and I could tell for my gut (if I dare call it that) had a hollow echoing inside that caused me to be alert. It felt as if something was missing, or perhaps never belonged but the strangest part about it was I could see this strange occurrence pulsing brightly in the room.
Now this was /different/.
I felt drawn to it, which was odd considering I am not a material being. But it that same feeling edged me closer to this light that I also assumed I could only see.
I walked out of the small lobby, into a large corridor, past a few rooms with useless artifacts and finally found myself in the right location.
Carefully I started forward, reaching out towards the object concealed underneath the thick glass casing, and using my incredible knowledge I was able to determine what the small plaque on the case said.
”The Amulet of Cleopatra,” I spoke these words in a slight whisper.
Yes, I know the whole “finding-the-odject-in-a-mystical-magic-way” is overrated but in all honesty it is still very interesting and did happen to me and with my interest I touched the glass case.
Now this is where it truly is /interesting/.

I learned the truth then about this world, about my young Master "Gaberial" and about that feeling of want or of not belonging and I instantly understood.
I wasn’t in the same world as before.

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