Tick-Tock, Tick, Tock—
A clock was ticking, but no clock seemed to be around.
A faint tremor ran through my fingers.
The last thing I remembered was coming a bet early in Sunday to pick up the keys I forgot.
Neither the small elevator with that sour and unfamiliar smell hung in the air, nor the fact that I'm going down to a floor that never existed, was a problem compared to the Sounds all around me—
Something tapped the elevator roof… slowly… deliberately, with some kind of faint piano notes drifting through the air in the distance.
Like a horror movie background effects...
And— that was the part that filled me with the greatest dread.
I can handle anything as long as the music is off, nothing will affect me nor make me anxious until the sound kicks on, and when that happens? Oh God, I'll feel the edges of my sanity fraying.
I felt the edges of my sanity fraying.
TickTock,Tick-Tock—
The ticking got faster with every floor passed, the melody seemed to near up, and the tapped on the roof hardened—
Then,all of sudden, it all stopped... Filling me with a long, relieved breath.
"Now, everything will be alright."
No sounds, No fear.
The elevator has some issues so I have to call someone to look it up when I'm done, otherwise? No problem.
How could it be a problem when the door opened to the floor I knew, like nothing just happ—end?!
My jaw clenched, teeth grinding without thought, my eyes scoured the room, seeking a single piece of furniture I could recognize... but no—
The company I worked for was never furnished in Victorian fashion, and it lacked any broad window that looked out onto a dark forest, where strange, floating lights wandered.
Still no sounds,
I drew in a deep breath, shut my eyes, and pressed the ground floor's button again before opening them to a piercing shriek echoed off the walls.
My shriek...
That did anything but make me escape the horror of facing the twisted, malformed being that came out from nowhere and stood before me.
That thing smiled,
A smile that split his face open, making the numerous golden hoops dangling from the side of his head brush against one another, releasing a strange, skin-crawling rasp.
A sharp sound came out of it, spilling things I didn't recognize...
I felt the floor vanish beneath me. Every heartbeat sounded like a warning. And the next I knew was me in front of the elevator door, waiting for it like nothing happened.
I blinked, looked at the decreasing number above, then decided to go back home without my keys.
If there's one thing I trust in my life, that would be my intuition... and nothing could make me go inside again alone on this day, nothing. Even if it all was a delusion my tired mind made up.
My hands were still shaking so that was not my imagination, but still... Avoiding thinking about it as a reality is easier for my mental health.
"I'm actually good at ignoring what I don't understand so it won't be an issue."
And for sure, my mind applied that without any problem... until Monday morning when the first thing I encountered was an official transfer from head office to branch office.
My mind raced, leaping from one worry to the next—
I was supposed to get a raise this month!
The team leader didn't even respond properly when I asked him. All I've got was "It's not negotiable, they have their reasons."
That sounds like: "Your name was in the layoffs so be grateful" to me. It felt worse than what might have happened yesterday.
My Installments,
How could I pay for that?!
I was rubbing between running a hand through my hair and gathering my things to place them into a box when a strange buzz came out of my mobile.
Neon yellow envelope,
[Open me] under it.
"As if I will open this suspicious thing."
I clicked my tongue, ignored it, then continued— and for some reason, that thing didn't even wait a little longer before opening itself showing off red letters with small yet destined format.
[Dear Nathan Vale,
We are pleased to inform you that your transfer request to the branch office has been approved. Kindly report to the specified location on Thursday at 8:00 a.m. sharp.
Note: You will be informed of the accommodation details later.]
"Request?!" A sharp scream came out of my mouth, taking over my coworkers' attention. "What kind of joke is this?"
With a deep inhale, I calmed my self— or at least tried, then without hesitation, I headed to the HR department to get to the bottom of it.
They said: "you have applied for it yesterday morning, 6:34am through the system." and that left me out unable to say a single word.
6:34 am?
What happened at that time?
As much as I allow myself to remember, it was when all that delusional things happened...
The things I refused to recall, not even once!
"Is there any way to undo that?"
"No."
"Okey, have a nice day."
With each step I took away, I felt my hope for a quiet, easy life vanish into the air—
The hope that I clung to as long as I could remember...
==========
On Thursday morning, 7:55am while standing in front of the 'branch' office, I wasn't sure whether to call it a 'branch' any more or not—
It was beyond reason that a branch could outshine the head office so vastly in both scale and opulence.
"At least, this is promising."
What I've imagined was a dilapidated building with few rooms and offices crammed together, not this.
Moreover, it was obvious that I'm not the only newcomer here, so at least I knew where to go by following them.
There was an office in the corner of the hall where everyone was aiming, the man there stood wearing a smile and asked for my card. I had no idea which card he wanted, but without a second thought I handed him my old office one.
He checked me up, making sure that I'm who I claimed to be, then handed it back with a weird smile— as if he recognized me.
"How can I help you, Sir Nathan?"
"My work with the PR department starts today, can you tell me where to go?"
"There is no PR department here"
...?
No what?
"No Public Relations?" I said it full to be sure.
"Yes, the Head Office needs it, we don't."
Eh?
Where did they transfer me then?
"Where should I go then?"
"You belongs to the Out Case team."
Out what? I don't even know what that was!
"Is it a system fault or something? I'm not sure if I belong there."
"No such thing."
Then what about me? Why me in the first place when I was about to have a raise?
"Let me show you where to go" he seemed to feel how confused I was. "Please follow me."
Follow you where,Sir!
To hell?
The back of my nick already prickled and the knot twisted in my stomach.
It didn't appear to be either uplifting or a source of hope. Yet losing the job was far more chilling than simply discovering a new department with a strange name and unknown duties.
'Hence, for my bad— I shall follow to the end, until I can find an alternative...'
The place he directed me to before leaving was a vast conference room, filled by more than a hundred newcomers... or whatever— since none of them gave the 'newcomer' attitude.
Or maybe it's me acting strange due to all the bad sequences that happened to me.
"Couldn't find your seat?" A joyful voice came from behind, followed by its owner taking a stand next to me "Till me your name, I may help you".
That smile made me hide a shiver—
His handsome face and bright blue eyes didn't make me feel any better about his smile (which is, to anybody, would be the brightest smile they've seen in their entire life).
Am I just being a little sensitive?
Maybe, but since when do I have to find reasons behind my feelings? If it is this way, then it is what it is. Even if that made me treat a stranger like someone who'd never be welcomed.
"Isn't it more polite to introduce yourself first before asking for others' names?"
Something absolutely changed in the smile he wears, as if asking him that diminished him.
"That's true, Alex. You should've introduced yourself first" a group of three came out from nowhere to join the conversation "No way for everyone to know you just because they're working in the same field. Stages make a difference."
That statement made me look at the owner with deadly eyes and a shallow smile... like I've understood exactly how he tried to underestimate me.
"My bad. Seems that my isolation made me unaware of the great accomplishments you've all done." I smiled wider, making sure that my tone was exactly what I needed to make them confused, "Though, I hope for you to accomplish more and more so I could by chance recognize you next time we meet."
No one spilled a word for a brief moment after that. Hence, I've taken it as a chance to go on my way to find my seat— which wasn't a big deal by any means.
Third row, third seat.
There was a strict-looking person sitting to my right, and a couple of brown heads in front of me, other seats were empty.
One of the brown heads turned to face me, then the other did, showing their identical childish face completely. "You've just made yourself a target for the worst group here, that'll make your work much harder."
"But still, they needed someone to break their ego from the beginning... that was good."
Both sounded honest.
"Giving away your attitude— you'll be the one to give them a headache, not them targeting you."
The man next to me made a strange interruption before looking me in the eyes and continued "Silas Drake, that's my name if you wonder."
"I'm Drew, this is my brother Dean" one of the twins said, then the other continued "what is yours? We've been polite and introduced ourselves first."
The fact that they heard that conversation from the beginning with such focus made my skin itch.
Is that possible? Or they weren't this far then?
"I'm Nathan Vale," someone who has no idea what he's doing here.
"Nice name!" A strange comment came out from Dean (the green eyed twin) "why does it seem too familiar?"
...? It shouldn't be.
"Because It's familiar" Silas replied with no further explanation, filling me with such an ominous feeling.
Shall I go back home? Unemployed, in debt—
Somehow it felt less pathetic than staying here...
"Wait, Nathan?" Drew furrowed his brow "Vale?"
So what?!
"Nathan Vale!" He shouted after seconds, like he had recognized something "Ah! You're the legendary newcomer!"
"...?" Eh?
Excuse me,Sir?
Legendary what?!
"The one with that record?" A stranger joins the circle making me more confused. "bit that the first team will take you without making a big deal out of it! Lucky man!"
From where did you come to join the conversation man!
"I'm more curious about how did you do that."
I swallowed a scream of fear when I realized the person who had spoken was already sitting next to me.
A woman,
One gave the same stern impression as Silas.
"How could you know that high volume is the key to pass it?"
What are you pointing at?
Pass WHAT?
High volume? New record? Legendary newcomer?
Did they find the wrong person? Any Nathan here aside from me?
"What—" "Silence!"
Not giving me the chance to ask, a man with a stylish suit showed up on the stage with no microphone and a voice that sent a chill down my spine.
As suspicious as everything I've experienced here.
"Without any unnecessary talk, let's get straight to the point."
Bad premonition filled all my body with a cold sweat— maybe worse than what I felt before entering the elevator that day.
"With groups of five, go to the left or right door. I'll wait for you here afterwards."
All of sudden, the conference room filled with noise and strange background music... all the newcomers got up to go with serious features.
Meanwhile, I stayed there, unable to stand, with an argue to run away as fast as I could. As if something I could regret for the rest of my life is about to happen.
Something I've lost the chance to escape.