"I'm Tommy. Jenna and I have been dating for a while now." I'm baffled, Tommy's body shifting uncomfortably. "What the hell, Jenna? You promised me you wouldn't date for a while after what happened."

Jenna walks over, her eyes shifting away from her book.

"I know, birdie, but sometimes. it just happens." I couldn't believe it, Jenna has a new boyfriend.

I head for my room, Julia following right behind me. The distant hum of voices is audible through the shut door.

"I don't get it, I just don't want her hurt." The sudden silence makes the room feel vacant, my hands buried in my face. "That's all I want in the end."

 My sheets' shuffling sound draws my attention. "Hey, maybe - maybe you just need some time to accept it." It's too much to deal with Jenna's crying face again once it eventually happens. especially when I knew it was something I could've prevented. Deep down in my broken heart and shattered soul. I know I have to accept it.

A knock on the door disrupts the silence. It's Tommy. 

"Hey guys, I'm sorry. I didn't mea-" my voice cuts through his 

"You're fine. I'm just worried, that's all." My voice wavers slightly.

Tommy's body leans against the door, his expression now worried.

"May I ask why you're worried?" uncertainty grips my mind."I don't know you." 

Acceptance- how may I find it? The intricate web of lies I've spun only entrapped myself. I'm far from normal people's perception of happiness. 

"I'm sorry, Tommy, can you leave us alone for now?" his face softens as his gaze grows sympathetic. "Yeah, sure, no problem."

"He seems kind. Sooner or later, he'll grow on you." Julia's body feels warm and gentle against mine as she engages in a side hug. For hours, we talk. Whether it be stupid jokes or just goofing around.  I'm used to the depressing trainwreck I call life. But somehow, Julia's aura shines through my darkest confines like a ray of sunshine and hope. Maybe, after all, it's possible to heal. In the depths of my despair, I know now's not the time, no matter how desperate I am. Then the clock strikes 11 pm. 

My backpack's strap remains tightly in my grasp, the reflection of mirrors used to fascinate me. Now, I don't even bother thinking about them. There it is, the bathroom door is shut, and my face reflects off the mirror. Friends and family are an essential part of my life. Yet they were right; my gaze remains tired, and the corners of my mouth frown.

I'm worthless and don't deserve this gift of life, yet I'm still here. But why? There must be a purpose, some greater good.

Everyone's asleep once I leave for the shift; the fresh breeze brushes against my skin once the door shuts behind me.

The night sky comforts me; if it weren't for the cold, I'd stay outside. Appreciation settles within me once I see the diner aside the streets of Seraphia. 

My eyes scan the vast parking lot, and no other cars are apparent.

Being alone wasn't as terrible as before, but the uncertainty of what lies within the darkness only terrifies me.

 I rush towards the entrance, shutting the glass doors behind me.

The eerieness is silent. In conclusion, I'd say I'm alone.

My feet anxiously tap on the floor of the elevator, waiting so I can head to the security office.

I plumb down on the chair, my gaze already anchored to the monitors. The switchable cam show's nothing and the other cameras aren't better. An hour passed, so I'm ready for patrol.

Doubt's a swindle around the ocean I call my mind. Tonight, something feels off. Maybe it's paranoia, but it's dead silent.

Routine-wise, I always go clockwise for each floor. It's 1 Am, and I'm confident I'll find nothing. The rooms hold their usual state of boringness and tidyness. Finally, there it is, the last room.

Sure, I'm unsettled. but after all, I had to check it. In the end, it's part of the patrol. The air flows through my nostrils as my chest begins to rise, and then I exhale. My hand rests on the cold door handle, and without realizing it, I hold my breath. The door swings open, but once I check the room, nothing's there. The room's clear. I raise my arm; it's 12:59, and suddenly, the loud blaring of a siren goes off in one of the rooms. Adrenaline and panic rush through my veins as my heart slams against my ribs. The hallway flashes in red, the sirens loud. I follow the siren's blaring sound. In rapid motion, the door swings open. Silence absurdely fills the building, the red lights now diminished. The room's unchanged, nothing has changed.

My hands rest on my knees. Once I struggle to catch my breath, I return to the office.

This night probably won't get any more exciting. I skim over the monitors, and there's nothing. Perplexion resembles my face, a red door I've never seen before on the first monitor. As I blink, the door is gone, without any trace of its existence. My body shudders once I realize what occurred before my eyes. 

This isn't a hallucination, I know what I saw. I raise myself from my seat, running towards the door and yanking it open. I'm certain of what I witnessed; there was a door right next to the janitor's office. Once I eventually arrive, the utter sense of perplexion and anxiety thrives within me. The gray blank walls of the building stare back at me.

Without hesitation, the hallways of the next floor invite me to their charming eerieness of silence.