Watch out for the ghost

Chapter I

She grabbed a folder full of papers and a thermos already full of cold coffee. A half-buttoned bag dangled over her shoulder, tilting under the weight of her packed belongings. With a quick step, she walked to the door in time for the departure of the afternoon bus that bypasses New York's traffic jams.

- See you tomorrow Albert! - she waved her hand to the security guard who was sitting by the exit. The man smiled in response and nodded.

The woman walked through the revolving door and turned right towards the bus stop. Unfortunately it was hard for her to run in the heels she had put on today. Despite the inconvenience, she tried a quick jog to make it to the vehicle. At the last moment she got on, out of breath and disheveled. Tired, she sat down on a vacant seat by the window. Today was a hard day, not only she had a deadline for an article, but also she had to conduct an extensive interview with the mayor of New York. She did not like him, unfortunately, in the profession of a journalist you do not always interview who you want.

She worked at the Daily News newspaper for five years. She mainly interviewed New York City personalities, mostly politicians. She graduated from journalism and social sciences at Columbia University. She got the job by chance - one of the newspaper's editors read her piece in the university newspaper on crime in the Bronx. She was offered an internship with the possibility of permanent employment, plus her student loan was to be paid off. A series of good fortunes came to an end at that point. Since the hiring and the series of good articles, she stopped being appreciated. She lived in the shadow of the editor-in-chief, who collected praise from the board. She tried not to worry about work, appreciating the little things in her life. She could afford a small apartment on Grove Street, had a circle of devoted friends with whom she went out on the town every week, and a fat black cat named Elton. Just an ordinary young woman in an ordinary New York City.

Stepping off the bus, she noticed her disheveled walnut hair in the driver's mirror. She quickly removed the rubber band from her wrist and made a loose bun. As she walked she put a cigarette in her mouth and lit it. She walked towards the apartment, passing all kinds of people. She stopped at a shop to buy a frozen pizza and orange juice. Holding the shopping package in one hand and the thermos in the other, she pushed the heavy door open with her back. Seeing this, the janitor ran up and held the door for the woman.

- And you are loaded as standard... - the man laughed.

- Such is my fate. - She laughed - How was your day today? Anything going on?

- You know I did. - ...he had his eyes on me. - Mrs. Banett on the fourth floor reported a ghost flying around her apartment.

- A ghost? - The brunette furrowed her brow.

- Yes, a ghost... So the ghost specialists who advertised on TV came. Did you see?

- Yeah...' she muttered. - But I think it's a picnic, and Mrs. Benett, in her old age, is already seeing things.

- Still, be careful. - the grey-haired janitor was worried.

The woman said goodbye and headed for the elevator. She waited impatiently for its arrival, feeling a growing hunger in her stomach. To her delight it arrived empty. She stepped in and clicked the button for the 6th floor. The doors slowly closed and the elevator moved up. Unfortunately it stopped abruptly at the fourth floor and the woman stepped away from the opening doors. To her surprise, a tall brunette man in a cream-colored uniform stepped into the elevator. On his back he carried something like an electronic backpack connected by a cable to a black rifle. However, it was not a traditional weapon. He also wore very strange glasses on his forehead. She also noticed his right arm, which had a logo sewn on it - a crossed out ghost. She immediately guessed who the man was, but she did not intend to talk to him. For her it was only a group of circus performers who tried to make money on human stupidity.