it all started as a perfectly ordinary day my alarm went off at 7 a. m. like it always did the soft steady beeping filled the quiet of my apartment pulling me out of my dreams I groaned stretching my arms above my head and rubbing the sleep from my eyes the Morning Light streamed through the curtains casting a Golden Glow across the room I sat on the edge of the bed for a moment listening to the distant sounds of the city coming to life outside my window car horns people walking by The Faint hum of traffic everything felt peaceful just like every other weekday morning my routine was simple and familiar I headed for the shower first letting the hot water wake me up as Steam filled the small bathroom afterward I made myself a cup of strong black coffee the kind that jolts you awake while the coffee brewed I scrolled through my phone checking emails scrolling through social media and glancing at the day's news it was the same routine I followed every morning and there was something comforting about that I didn't bother with breakfast as usual I grabbed a granola bar and stuffed it into my bag as I headed out the door the cool morning air hit my face as I stepped outside the city was already awake busing with activity people rushed past me heading to work their faces buried in their phones the bus stop was just a short walk from my apartment and I found my usual spot near the back of the line the bus arrived right on time and I boarded finding my usual seat by the window as we moved through the city I watched the streets go by thinking about the workday ahead when I arrived at the office the rush hour had already died down the energy in the building was different now calmer more focused the sound of people typing on keyboards filled the space along with the occasional murmur of phone calls and conversations I walked to my desk passing a few co-workers who gave me tired nods and dropped my bag on the floor next to my chair the routine was unpredictable as ever I powered up my computer and glanced at the to-do list that was already forming in my mind everything seemed perfectly normal just another day in the office the minutes ticked by as I answered emails checked project updates and shoveled through through paperwork it wasn't until lunchtime that I finally got a break at noon I met up with Lena my best friend and lunch buddy we always made time to catch up during lunch no matter how busy the day was the cafeteria was packed as usual with people chatting over trays of food and the clatter of dishes filling the air I like the noise it made the office feel more alive less monotonous Lena was already sitting at our usual table her blonde hair pulled back into a neat ponytail a playful smile on her face I plopped down across from her with my salad unide so what's the latest gossip Lena asked her eyes twinkling as she stabbed a piece of lce with her fork I laughed and shook my head not much same old stuff Tom from it was late again this morning and Jenna you know how she is had a meltdown because the projector wasn't working during her presentation Lena grinned oh poor Jenna what would we do without her daily freakouts I swear if the Wind Blows the wrong way she loses it I chuckled picturing Jenna's usual overreactions yeah she was practically in tears this morning you should have seen it she was pacing around the conference room trying to fix the slides and Tom was just standing there completely clueless Lena rolled her eyes of course he was typical Tom we spent the rest of lunch chatting about office gossip the new HR policies that everyone was grumbling about and our plans for the weekend Lena was planning a day trip out of town while I had nothing exciting on my agenda except for maybe sleeping in and binge watching a new series oh Lena said suddenly her eyes widening with excitement did I tell you about what happened to that guy on the 12th floor last night I raised an eyebrow intrigued no what happened Lena leaned in closer lowering her voice as if she was about to tell me a big secret apparently he got stuck in the stairwell After Hours the lights went out and he couldn't see a thing he was trapped in the dark for like an hour before someone came and found him a shiver ran down my spine at the thought seriously that sounds terrifying was he alone Lena nodded her expression serious now yeah completely alone he said it was Pitch Black and he couldn't even see his own hand in front of his face I shivered again that's exactly why I hate staying late at the office it's creepy enough when it's empty but being stuck in the dark like that no thank you Lena grinned clearly enjoying my discomfort yeah I guess you won't be staying late tonight then huh I laughed but a part of me couldn't shake the unease that settled in my stomach still I brushed it off it was just a story after all things like that didn't happen to me after lunch we went our separate ways as I sat back down at my desk the thought of the guy trapped in the stairwell kept coming back to me I imagined him standing there alone in the dark waiting for someone to find him the office suddenly felt a little too quiet a little too still I pushed the thought aside and got back to work there were emails to send reports to finish and a project that needed my attention the afternoon dragged on and by 300 p.
m. I was starting to feel the weight of the day settling on my shoulders that's when my boss MrCarter called me into his office he was a tough but fair boss he didn't sugarcoat things but if you worked hard he respected you Maya I need you to finish that project by tonight he said without looking up from his computer I was surprised tonight I hadn't planned on staying late yeah I know it's last minute but we have a big client Presentation tomorrow can you handle it I nodded I'll stay as long as it takes good he said finally glancing up I knew I could count on you and just like that my evening plans were thrown out the window I headed back to my desk mentally preparing myself for a long night the office was still busy but I could feel the energy shifting people were finishing up their work ready to head home by the time 6:00 p. m.
rolled around the office was nearly empty I kept working typing away at my computer the soft glow of the monitor the only light in the dimly lit office the minutes stretched into hours and soon it was 8:00 p. m. by then the building was almost deserted the usual sounds of the office phones ringing people chatting had faded replaced by by the occasional Creek of the elevator or the distant hum of the air conditioning The Emptiness made me feel a little uneasy but I pushed through it I was determined to finish the project no matter how late it got around 900 p.
m. I took a break I stood up stretching my stiff legs and decided to head down the hallway to grab a coffee the hallway was dimly lit and my footsteps echoed loudly in the silence I couldn't help but think about what Lena had said earlier about the guy getting stuck in the stairwell the thought of being alone in the dark sent another shiver down my spine as I waited for the coffee to brew I pulled out my phone and sent Lena a quick text still here looks like it's going to be a late one a few seconds later my phone bust with her reply H you poor thing I'm already in bed I smiled at her message Lena always knew how to make me feel better even when I was buried in work after grabbing my coffee I headed back to my desk and got back to work the hours ticked by Slowly by 10:30 p. m.
