Bad Luck Goose (On Hiatus)

CHAPTER - 1

Penny would have been furious if she knew I was leaving my job. Well, Penny was dead so what she thought didn't really bother me anymore.

I wound be lying if I said I wouldn't miss the comfort of knowing my day ahead of me to the tinniest detail. It was nice knowing I couldn't be surprised and that's also what I hated the most.

My days blended into each other. I had trouble remembering which day of the week it was. I woke up at seven every morning, was at my workplace by nine and worked till four in the afternoon. After that I either spent my time in the library or meandered through the streets till I finally gave up and went back home. I had to admit it did some good, my routine was improved. Unlike earlier I wasn't drowning myself in liquor every night.

Penny had been the one to get me my job. She had begged the owner there to have me. She had gone there everyday. The owner had finally relented and took pity on her and gave me first job in years.

Stupid meddlesome Penny.

She always had a habit of poking her nose where it didn't belong. How many times had I told her to leave me alone. But she kept following me around trying to get me to the right thing.

Look what she got in return. She died sad and lonely.

I hoisted my slipping backpack up. So many files to return back.

Master really wouldn't be surprised to see me gone. Elated, maybe. He knew I was a lousy worker. He had done a good job reminding me every second that Penny was the reason I had the job.

Would he throw me a felicitation? No, he wouldn't. That cheapskate.

I reached the slope and stared down.

All these years and the building never changed. Same red bricked and fading in color. Five floors high but also ten floors down below ground. I worked in one of the below ones. Cold and dingy. Not enough lighting. And the damp smell never really faded. How had the Master not been sued by one of the workers for poor working conditions was anyone's guess.

But then again, it wasn't the kind of job that paid well.

A big worn out sign hung on the building. "Yuledrum photo Studio"

I wasn't sure if this was meant to be sarcasm or if the Master really believed he operated a well respectable Studio. Ten underground floors , which studio had that?

It was only wearing a facade of a photo studio. The one Penny believed I worked in. She never knew about the dark floors and what I really did. She remained innocent and daft until the end.

I walked towards the front door. The security guard waved at me. "Good morning, Hoedy. You are here early. "

I struggled to remember his name. Pete? No, Tim. I wondered if he even knew what really went inside the building . He was too young for Master to trust after all.

Oh! Greg!

"Morning Greg. Yeah I had some extra work today" like quitting my job.

He opened the door for me and I slipped inside before he could ask more. The less he knew the better. He really was too young.

I turned left and pressed the elevator button. It took forever to reach the ground floor. I got in. This elevator could only go up. I pressed the fifth floor. Our reception was at the highest floor.

It dinged to a stop.

I had read multiple articles about the fifth floor before starting to work here. How it had one of the best interiors in the entire town. White marbled shinning floor. A beautiful mural of sunrise in the mountains on the ceiling. Expensive luxurious couches lined the ends of the room. A reception desk made of mahogany and polished flawlessly was at the edge of the room. Big glasses covered one side of the room to allow in natural light.