The day ends with a last sprint of workers wanting to exchange their labor points, and after another bout of arguments and processing of accounts, they close their terminals and started lining down the attendance timecard booth. Only a scratch and a slap not hard enough to leave a mark, so she calls it a win for the day.
Exhaustion. Excitement. Ennui.
Various emotions show up in their faces, though most would agree that it has been another long day and all they want to do is take some rest and catch on some sleep especially with the tension earlier that only got dispersed once the visitors have left.
"Kina."
The familiar voice felt like a haunting echo on her ears, and she forces a smile before turning around and responding.
"Yes, Sir?"
"Follow me to the office."
She ignores the curious looks thrown at her and proceeds to follow his supervisor, closing the door behind her as she enters the office.
"How long have you been working here?"
"…five years, Sir."
"Hmm."
She hates how he tries to seem mysterious, when she can already read between the lines. After all, she had acted with misdemeanor earlier and it might have been the last straw to remove her in the system that helped lighten her load for years now.
And all she wanted at the moment was to bump her head on the corner, and slap her past self for acting as such.
"You see…"
"I'm really sorry for my actions!"
She kneels down in front of him and places his forehead on the back of her hand while palms are fully touching the floor.
"I- there was just something, I know I'm in the wrong, please let me-"
"No, Kina, stand up first."
"I assure you I'll-"
"Stand up now or I'll really say some bad news to you."
Quickly standing up, she almost lost her balance but quickly held herself and stood rigidly.
"Listen, you- you caught the attention of Mr. Taio. Do you know who he is?"
"No, Sir."
"Well, you see, he's in the upper echelon. And he's one of the people who allows the continuity of the cell cities."
"…and what are you trying to say, Sir?"
"He wants you to be his secretary. And since his office is at the metro city, you'll be given temporary passes to travel between cities, as allowed by the terms that shall be stated in the contract that you'll be signing tomorrow."
"Secretary? Tomorrow?"
"Yes, go to the Northpoint station tomorrow before eight am, he'll be sending someone to take you to work."
"Wait, Sir, I don't think I'll be fit to work in that-"
"Do you think I don't know that? But he wants to hire you, specifically, the person that he has seen, and heard, earlier. Be thankful that he didn't ask for something else, or something worse."
Before she could respond, his supervisor simply shoved her out of his office, and her dumbfounded look earned the pity from her workmates who thought of the only possibility in which she was called was her removal from the system.
And no one asked, and she just plopped into her seat despite the time being past office hours, not having really processed this change properly in her mind. It is indeed a great opportunity, but too many risks come with it too. Having temporary passes means being able to walk freer in comparison, but the reason behind it also ties her to something bigger. Something she's not sure of being involved with. The present might seem monotonous and carries its own risks, but it's the life she's managed to carry on for years now. She then remembers the ticket given to her by a customer and her thoughts now focused on her niece.
This changes all her plans and before her thoughts spiral more she hurries towards home.
And she sees him again, standing in a corner near the entrance doors.
The images on her skin felt like they're burning, a memory she tried burying resurfacing once again, that she froze in place.
And she starts running like there's no tomorrow, and she knows she's being followed without looking back. She just knows. As the man was transferred to a 'rehab facility' under the city, as what they call the area made for handling prisoners of the cell city who break laws that exceed what are considered acceptable in their standards and only warrants deduction on points. She forgot how it's been about eight years already since that incident, and with enough pretention anyone can easily be considered able enough to leave the said facility.
Apparently, despite how he had acted towards her before, he has shown enough changes that he was able to roam above once again. And there's no means of blocking any possible interactions between them if he really wants to. The law simply protects the city, not necessarily the people.
As she hears her name gets called over and over again she felt herself tearing up. Hasn't he had enough? She thought, tiredness seeping into her limbs that it felt heavier, like she's dragging herself to keep on running.
To escape from it all.
Then she felt herself get pulled forcefully, but what welcomed her was not his grinning face but the same deep turquoise eyes that had treated her as normally as she could be.
"Get inside the store."
Without asking why she's being helped she proceeded to run inside, almost stumbling in the process and hides behind the counter.
"Hey granny, I saw this lady enter your store, kindly tell her to come out, will you?"
She stood her ground and looked at him menacingly, her eyes seemed to look brighter than usual, like the sea reflecting sunlight that reaches it.
"My property is my own jurisdiction young man. I decide what I do, or not do, in anything that's inside it."
"You're being senile, oh right, you're too old so you're acting this way."
A pause, and on a more serious tone, he continues.
"Get her to come out or I'll drag her myself."
Anyone who's seeing the exchange chooses to ignore it and go their own ways. Brawls and arguments that get too heated are part of a norm in the cell city, and being dragged into it might guarantee either a deduction in points or worse, being thrown into the rehab facility, neither of which is a better option.
So they end up not doing anything.
As caring comes with a price, and only the free ones get to have that privilege to do it as much as they want to.
"Try it then. If you can actually do it, I might even let you go."
Irritation eats up his patience and he trots forward, hands ready to punch her when he felt something clawing at his throat, and he gets dragged by his neck towards the store, and as he gets stuck to the wall the old lady glances outside making the passersby look the other way, followed by letting all curtains cover the glass windows.
"Hey, you don't get to tell me what to do, I've got lots of years ahead of you. Don't pass out yet, this elder is not done talking."
He tried pulling to what seemed like jagged vines now tightening around his throat and waist, warm blood seeping from his torn skin that seemed to only cause them to cling tighter on to him.
"Dear, come out there and watch the aggressor. I believe it'll lift something off your shoulder."
Her tone was gentler than normal, as if she's not the reason for the bloody mess hanging on the wall of her store for his dear life. Kina slowly stood up and watched as the scene unfolded, and she hated that instead of worrying about another crime happening in front of her, she felt relieved, so much that she ended up smiling before she could stop herself from doing so.
It is cruel indeed, but isn't this not even enough to cover for whatever he has done in the past?
"Do you have something in your mind for the beast? It's a rare chance you have now so feel free to speak up. Don't worry, even I miss this kind of violence and I'm just using your case as an excuse to go wild this once. I felt rusty just using it over growing things and whatnot. Go ahead, speak."
And she answers, while looking at his struggling figure, remembering the torture and assault she had experienced with him.
"I… tear him apart. Limb by limb. Just enough to make him live a little bit longer, just enough to keep him awake."
"You're really quite good with words young lady. Be my guest and sit in the front row."
A shrill scream filled the room as a finger is broken, and they both know anyone outside can hear and might have an inkling of what's happening but caring about the possible outcome of their actions is the least of their concern at the moment.
It's a cell city. To each his own.