Pure Human - Ungodly Hour (NaNoWriMo update #1)

[Posted by Ted H]

Todays update is NaNoWriMo fresh! Like, straight out of the over and onto the table fresh! Written several hours ago fresh! I have no time to edit so this is as raw as it gets fresh!
At midnight, NaNoWriMo 2015 began and with it, began the furious writing of thousands, including myself. And with this being Sunday, I figured I'd update today and give immediate progress on my 2015 run. Did I mention todays update is fresh?

Does anyone else notice I'm starting to utilize the page break feature to keep the main page fron being gigantic?

Current Status of my 2015 NaNoWriMo: 1,703 / 50,000 (48,297 words to go!)
Current pace has me writing my 50,000th words on: November 30th)

http://nanowrimo.org/participants/reted

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[Pure Human - Ungodly Hour]

            The early spring air still had a chill to it; Even inside of a car it couldn't be escaped. Blake leaned against the window from his passenger side seat feeling the cold bite his skin as he kept his eyes tight while trying to trick himself into thinking he was still asleep despite spending the last couple hours dragging himself about. A nearby door being closed signaled that his faux nap was definitely over as he slowly opened his eyes and let out a long sigh that fogged up his window.
            As John ultimately entered the car, Blake watched the fog slowly fade away as he forced another sigh to fog the window back up. This momentarily entertained him as John said something he ignored and breathed onto the window one more time, this time to see how cloudy he could make the window in one breath. It was petty, and completely pointless, but Blake milked what enjoyment from it that he could before he had to go out into the world and be an adult.
            "Whatever," John said as he fired up the engine and Blake finally picked his head off of the window. "Alright, let's do this," Blake said as he felt about his trench coat for his cigarettes. Most mornings for Blake was a process to waking up so that by noon he was naturally ready to face the day, which for him meant the night. For days like today, where he was out at the ungodly hour of 10am, he needed a three step combo of a cigarette, a coffee and then another cigarette. He had smoked a cigarette earlier before stumbling into John's car and trying to sleep again, but that one didn't count.

            "Remind me why this has to be done now?" Blake asked as he lit up and rolled down his window to blow smoke. "Both parents are home right now," John said "The wife goes to work around 1-ish and the only way we can see the girl is if both are present."
            "How about tonight, then?" Blake asked "You know, when I'm in a frame of mind to better do what I do?"
            "So, after midnight when the father comes home?"
            "Sounds good to me."
            "Man up and drink your fucking coffee." John then motioned to the travel mug he brought into the car with him that was in the center cup holder.
            Blake said nothing and continued to smoke his cigarette. It would take about half an hour to drive to the house they needed to go to, so he had plenty of time to collect his thought on the case. The father, who was paying them once the job was complete, is convinced that his only child is possessed. The mother obviously didn't buy into any of the nonsense, saying what was going on was merely a phase, and refused anything she felt was unnecessary. Eventually the father tracked down Blake and hired him to get to the bottom of things and prove (or disprove) the possession theory.
            Based on phone conversations, Blake had the impression that if not already, that those two were about to get a divorce. After having John look into each of their backgrounds and ruling out any logical explanations, it was time for Blake to see the child for himself, and hopefully get paid. Helping a potentially split family find peace from the threat of otherworldly possession is nice and all, but the man still needed to make rent, so he was more than a little rooting for the child to be legitimately possessed.
            By the time they arrived at the house, it was a little after 11. Blake had moved beyond cigarette number one and had been moving back and forth between his coffee and cigarette two. Blake left his travel mug behind and climbed out of the car to follow John. The house was deep in the suburbs. The yard was recently mowed and heavily landscaped. The smell of fresh mulch stung at Blake's nose as he winced and quickly moved behind John for the front door.
            John knocked loudly as the two men stood side by side on the front porch. Blake noticed an unopened can of deck sealant next to a new pack of brushes. "The wood on this deck looks new, no?" Blake asked. "So?" John asked "What's your point?" He knocked on the door again. "Hundred bucks says they're getting divorced," Blake said with a grin as he stuck his half spent cigarette into his mouth and took a long drag. "Don't be this way in front of the client," John said as the door opened to reveal a young woman in casual business attire. She had brown hair tied into a short ponytail and bangs in front that almost covered her entire forehead. She wore dark colored pants and regular shoes instead of a skirt and heels, meaning she wasn't trying to impress anyone. She had a white blouse on with the top couple buttons opened, but not nearly enough of her neckline was revealing enough for Blake to get excited.
            "You must be the spooks," she said with an unamused look. "Something like that," John said. The woman rolled her eyes and stepped aside, allowing entry. John went first, but as Blake tried to follow, the woman stepped in front of him. "I'd like my house to have some sort of resell value," she said as she looked to the cigarette hanging out of Blake's mouth. "Two-hundred bucks," he said as he flicked the cigarette away into the grass as the woman clicked her tongue and shook her head as she walked away.
            Blake shut the door as he entered and joined John as they followed the woman into the living room. Waiting there was their client and his daughter, who was playing with some dolls in the middle of the room, oblivious to the people around her. The man wore a Buffalo Bills shirt with jeans and sneakers. His face was unshaven, not so much from deliberate choice but from neglect usually brought about from stress. His face looked like he could use a good nights' sleep.
            The daughter sat on the floor dressed in some pink combination that made Blake think it was either a deliberate choice by the father, or it was just laundry day and that was whatever was lying around. The girl had hair like her mother, except the length for a ponytail. She remained oblivious to Blake and John and continued to play with her dolls, though the way she played with her dolls seemed like she was playing for the sake of looking engaged rather than having any interest in activity.
            "Well then," Blake broke the ice as the father stood up from the couch to shake hands. "I'm James Blake," he continued "This is my associate, John Praque."
            "We know," the woman said "More phone calls then I care to remember we've been introduced and reintroduced to you two."
            "But never in person," Blake said.
            "What is it you two do?" the woman asked after a beat as she crossed her arms. The husband sighed and dropped his head as he rubbed his temples, preparing for what was about to be said.
            "We are," Blake began "Well, mostly me. *I* am an investigator of sorts. Paranormal, supernatural, that sort of thing. John here assists me in my cases."
            "Assists you, how?" the woman asked.
            "He drives the car, shoots the guns, utilizes his cop instincts."
            "Cop?"
            "Former cop," John stressed "I'm an ex-cop."
            "Either way," Blake continued "We make a good team. John uses his common sense to keep unworthy jobs off my radar, and I use my not so common sense to solve the important stuff."
            The woman flashed an annoyed look to her husband before turning back to Blake. "So what are you planning to do today to prove that I'm not just downplaying a legitimate possession of my own daughter?" she asked in a mocking tone, clearly repeating something she knew her husband had been saying to John and Blake.
            "Something like that," Blake said with a smirk as he walked passed her "So, let's see what the problem is."
            "Lizzie?" the husband said to his daughter, getting her attention "The nice man here wants to talk to you." The girl looked up without any interest and stared at Blake before turning back to her dolls. "Cute kid," Blake lied as the husband sighed. "She wasn't always like this," he tried explaining "She was...she was normal. She laughed, she cried, she was just like everyone else. Then, slowly, it seemed like she drained into this emotionless state."
            "Emotionless? That is odd," Blake said "She's what, eight? Far too early to be a teenager."
            "I want my little girl back," the man explained "You're here now. You can tell me what's wrong with her."
            Well, I mean, sure..." Blake said, feeling like he was suddenly put on the spot "Maybe not right away, but yeah...I could totally, uh..."
            "You said this guy was some kind of expert," the woman said, an untrusting annoyance suddenly presenting itself.
            "Look," Blake said "You're asking me to immediately know right off the bat what the problem is with your kid? That's a tall order for anyone, even experts in my field. But we're at the crucial first step to uncovering the problem."
            "There is no problem," the woman said with increasing impatience "It is a phase." She turned to address her husband "I let you twist my arm into allowing these two frauds into my house, but if you think I'm going to allow either of them to make some shit up and say my daughter is possessed, you're out of your damn mind!"
            The husband was about to protest when Blake put his arms up between them. "Everyone, calm down," he said "I have an easy way to settle this!" He then signaled John to follow him as he made for the door. "We'll be right back," he said as they left and made for the car. As soon as they left, Blake could hear an argument starting up between the couple.