Everything Is Blue

Chapter 3

Sunlight peeked through the curtains of the bedroom. Kimbra could hear the soft patter of rain on the roof fade out. All night, a heavy shower hammered down on the barren streets of St. Canard. It had started to ease around the crack of dawn. 

Thank god. 

Kimbra refused to struggle out in a downpour while trying to get to work. She didn't even want to go in today. Taking a sick day seemed like the better option out of her other ideas. The canine wanted to avoid the humid air and risk of having her hair poof out.

With a heavy yawn, she stretched and climbed out of bed. Kimbra sleepily rubbed her eyes as she made her way over to the window. She pulled the curtains open, revealing a devastatingly bright daylight. The weather had been gradually getting warmer each week, much to her displeasure.

St. Canard sucks in the summer.

***

Kimbra was slightly more awake by the time she arrived at EcoTech. Skipping out on coffee today might set her mood back, but at least she'd have a chance to find those spreadsheets that Dr. Artis has been asking for the past week. Lately she hadn't found the time to look for them.

A tall guard at the front entrance opened the door for Kimbra and chirped out a greeting as she approached. "Morning Dr. Wulfe!"

Kimbra smiled. "Clavin."

Clavin Herris, a large lynx, stood at six feet and four inches tall. He was one of EcoTech's long-time employees. Kimbra grew fond of him over the years. They have small chats in the mornings and occasionally mingle at the company parties. He had recently gotten engaged last month and Kimbra actually looked forward to the wedding.

Hmm...

Kimbra almost walked through the doorway without uttering another word. Almost.

But she stopped and looked over her shoulder at him. "Can I ask a favor from you?"

"Sure miss, anything."

"There's this guy..."

***

They have to be here!

Kimbra had been searching frantically through the papers on her desk for the past hour. She swore they were in her desk drawer with the other files. 

Where were those spreadsheets? They were just here yesterday!

Dr. Artis needed them for the one o' clock meeting tomorrow. He had specifically asked her to bring them, and now she didn't even know where they were. Kimbra shoved aside a couple of forms that should have been signed at least two days ago. 

Okay... maybe I'm a bit behind on paperwork.

She wrenched the drawers open, tipping the contents out all over the floor. Old sticky notes of concepts she scrapped — a few letters from home—paperwork that had been misplaced—and everything but the spreadsheets.

The sudden opening of her office door caught Kimbra's attention. She glanced up from her search to see Bud step into the room. His usual neatly combed black hair was now disheveled and his blue tie was askew. 

The man looked like an exhausted mess.

Kimbra's eyes glanced at the clock by the door, and back to the man. "You're half an hour late." 

"The guard at the door said I was unauthorized to enter the building!" Bud replied, attempting to fix his hair.

He adjusted his tie and tucked it back into his suit.