20 minutes from Seraphia to Ashvale, tucked away in the state of Colorado. The air is chilling, and as the rain hits my window, I become nervous. Darkness has always been a phobia of mine.
"A gravel road? Why not?"
Finally, there it is—the building already gives me the chills. It's an office building, nothing special. There's a sign: Nexus Corporations written on it.
As I enter, the scent of flowers fills the reception area.
"Welcome to Nexus. You're the new guy?" He seems drowsy as he drinks his coffee, almost spilling it. "We have seven floors: the basement, the reception and public areas, and floors 2-4 are for general offices and departments. uhm… research—it also has offices that's on fifth floor, and the sixth one's for Executive Offices & High-Level Operations."
He takes a sip of his coffee and hands me a list of the floors.
"You're gonna be on the third floor. That's where you'll find the security office. It's connected by halls, rooms, and a small courtyard."
He grunts, complaining about his cold coffee.
"The coffee machine's working now." He takes a sip and tells me the location of the security office. "Once the elevator doors open, take a left and keep walking until you see a door with a star on it."
He gasps before saying, "Oh yeah, almost forgot, sorry, basement is off limits. The boss told me that you only have to check floors 1-4. the ground floor and general offices and departments."
The guy wasn't kidding—there's a courtyard. While it isn't big, it serves its purpose.
As I make my way across the hallway, there it is. On the table in front of the security cams lies a note: Switch the walkie talkie channel to 1 and announce your arrival at the security office. Not required in the days after.
I turn the channel wheel to channel 1. "Alright, found it." The silence is now evident.
"Great, I'm leaving. See ya tomorrow. Have fun."
My first shift starts. There's a document—a checklist for the routines.
Going on security patrols, checking cameras, cleaning up trash lying around, making sure the basement door is locked. As I'm reading through the list, I realize it's just an average list of what you would expect from a security guard.
The only creepy things were:
If the basement door is open, shut it and walk in the opposite direction.
If you see a coworker standing completely still in the hallway, staring at the wall, walk past him normally. If he turns his head around, close your eyes and pray he loses interest.
If you enter a dark room and feel like you're being watched, leave the door behind you open. If it shuts on its own, don't turn around—just run.
If you hear someone whisper your name from behind, do not turn around. If they start again, hum a tune. If they whisper it a third time, run.
Never look at your reflection in any of the building's mirrors for too long. If you see your reflection not mirroring you for a second, turn the lights off and leave the room immediately.
"What? This doesn't even make sense." As my perplexed expression grows, I memorize the strange list of rules.
Weird rules. Just reading them gives me chills.
The office chair seems comfy, the cams look normal, and nothing seems unusual.
"Oh, nice—a mini fridge. Good to know."
My vision grows blurry as I spin in circles out of boredom.
I reach for the equipment, attaching it to my belt.
"Oh well, hope the rules won't come into use."
My pulse rises as my hand reaches for the handle.
"Just some stupid fucking rules."
I'm here now, standing in the hallway. Unsure of where to go, I take a left.
As my steps echo through the corridor, the silence turns eerie.
My thoughts are now louder than the pounding of my heart.
"Janitor's office? Why not?"
The cold embrace of the room envelops me. I kneel to tie my shoelaces, and a picture of a woman with her supposed son catches my eye.
"Who lost this?"
After returning from patrol, the picture still rests in my hand.
"Ah, there it is. Maps are always nice."
The maps are intricate. A few seconds pass before I find the security office.
"Talk about complicated. Hopefully, this won't be a problem."
Hours pass, and I go on occasional patrols, cleaning up any trash I find. Exploring always made me feel special as a kid—my joy was like the sun.
My map is now a handy tool. After locating the office, navigating what feels like a labyrinth of corridors isn't as terrifying as it was hours ago.
Everything's normal. Nothing appears to be out of place. Each hour, I switch floors on patrol.
The existence of switchable cameras is now greatly cherished.
The clock hits 6 AM, and I feel weird. The front door is now locked behind me.
"Finally, home."
The roads are not as dark now as they were before.
My fingers tap the steering wheel as I take in the fresh air pouring into the car.
Suddenly, a deer jumps across the road.
"Holy fuck!" I manage to swerve at the last second.
The deer is gone. My hands tighten around the wheel, my knuckles paling as my heart pounds against my chest.
I'm on the side of the road while cars pass me.
The tight warmth of my home envelops me once I enter. Time to let sleep capture me.
Before I know it, the morning sun shines into my room.
Julia is the first thing I see; she sits across from me.
"You're awake! I'm so sorry I startled you." Her face lights up with excitement. "I was feeling a little bored, so I thought I'd come by and see you."
She wants to see me?
"Oh, you're awake, birdie."
Jenna loves that nickname.
"I've made breakfast for you both. I hope you enjoy it!"
The egg yolk flows like a river of flavors, the bacon's savory taste melting in my mouth.
"This is amazing! Can't I just stay here? Oh my god."
Jenna's friendly, warm smile slowly turns into a heartwarming grin.
"Oh, birdie, you're welcome to come and stay." She takes our vacant plates and washes them. "Whenever you want to—you’re already like a daughter to me."
Julia's gaze, full of joy, meets mine. Her eyes make my heart flutter. I'm holding my breath, eagerly waiting to see what she'll say next.
"So, what do you wanna do?"
Her question breaches my blurry haze.
"Wanna go to the park?"
The angelic look in her eyes drives me crazy, even though she isn’t aware of it.
"Yeah, I'd love to."
We stroll through the park, and nature feels more alive than ever. The ice cream woman sees us and strides down the path, each step firm and unshaken.
"I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" She’s so caring—bless her heart.
"Oh yes, I'm fine."
" Are you okay, you know because of the fight?" she's so caring, bless her heart. "Oh yes, I'm fine."
"Don't get yourself into danger," she pauses, her gaze softens. "I know but I had to intervene."
"I bet your mom was worried sick" My eyes shift to the ground
"Sweetie, are you okay?"
The silence is now audible as she sits down beside me.
"Oh, my condolences. I am so sorry."
She embraces me, her hair cascading down onto my legs.
"It's okay. It's not like you knew about it."
Sometimes, there is still pain. When will closure finally come?
"Sorry, I'm not gonna bother you two anymore."
She rises to her feet, making her way back to her ice cream stand.
"What's your name?"
She stops in her tracks, turning her head back.
"It's Diane. Ethan, right?"
My head nods in agreement.
As the day progresses, our bond seems to grow stronger. Our conversations and silly jokes keep us giggling and laughing for hours.
"Damn, my mom's not gonna be home till tomorrow."
"Oh, that's okay, you can stay with us. Jenna won't mind—she’ll enjoy it."
Her beaming smile is infectious. It's hard not to laugh.
"You can sleep on my bed. I'll take the floor."
She playfully scoffs, "Are you crazy? I'm sleeping on the floor. You sleep on the bed."
"Look who's talking. I'm not letting you sleep on the floor."
The silence must be broken.
"Guess we're both sleeping on the bed."
The blanket is soft against our bodies. She feels cozy in it. It was only 6:30 pm but exhaustion takes its toll on us.
"Goodnight, goofball."
"You love that nickname."
Her little laugh sends shivers down my spine.
"I love it. It just fits us."
"Alright, goodnight, uhm... flower."
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