City After Dark

Chapter 1

I entered the office building from the onslaught of rain and sleet outside. The unfeeling linoleum halls flirted with murky shadows and thin strips of pale light from the high, prison-like windows. Empty offices, unrented, watched me pass on blankly as I descended the stairs and paused in front of the door at the end.

The basement floor of the drab-looking complex was rented out entirely by the Solar Tribune. It was one of few businesses that could afford--albeit barely--to pay the needlessly steep rent for an office space in the city. As I stood there, I could hear my coworkers' animated conversation through the heavy, ancient wood of the basement door. I inhaled deeply and put my hand against the grainy wood.

Clutched in my right hand was my letter of resignation. I had been working at the Solar Tribune for six years. Six years with minimal raise and prospect of promotion. I had long put up with my bosses' vague, empty promises of advancement, and insistence that I cover the food review section of the newspaper, but that day, I decided that I would have my promotion or nothing. I pushed open the door. As I stepped into the room, brightly lit compared to the rest of the building, I heard my name called. Amelie, a brunette with close-cropped hair, waved excitedly to me from her desk.

"Hey Cass," Amelie greeted.

"Hey," I replied awkwardly. Amelie was new on the team, and she had an overly-friendly demeanor I had yet to adjust to.

"Cassidy? I thought you weren't working today." Michael, apparently just returned from the bathroom, stepped out from behind a half-wall some ways down. He dried his hands on his shirt as he walked over and collapsed into his swivel chair. It was Wednesday morning, and the only people working were Amelie and Michael.

"I am off, but I decided to stop in and talk to Scott. Is he in?" Michael sniffed, his mustache twitching as crumbs, evidently from a half-eaten donut on his desk, fell onto his shirt.

"He's down there," Michael gestured with his head. I held my resignation letter closer to my body.

"Alright then," I said, walking off towards the office.

"Good luck," Amelie called. I turned back, giving her a smile that I was sure came off as more of a grimace before continuing. Scott's office was in the most isolated part of the basement. To the right of the half wall was storage closets and bathrooms. Past that was a litany of other doors--offices which Scott claimed he didn't have the keys for.

At the end of the hall was the door to Scott's office. He was the only one--except for Lisa--who had their own office instead of a cubicle, and it was spacious and decadent.

Expensive chairs, a mahogany desk--far better than the cheap crap he supplied us with. I squared my shoulders when I arrived at the door, tilting my chin up. What was that phrase? Fake it until you make it.

That was my moto: if I seemed confident enough, Scott would have no choice but to succumb to demands. I raised my hand and rasped my knuckles against the door.

"Yes?" Scott called. I took the cool handle and stepped into the room. The walls were a soft yellow I couldn't remotely associate with Scott. He was sitting behind his desk shuffling through a stack of papers.

He didn't look up as I approached the desk. I cleared my throat. He paused and peered up at me.

"Yes, Cassidy?"

"Can we talk?" I asked. Scott twisted, glancing behind him at the clock on the wall.

"It's important," I added. He sighed and set down his papers, nodding to the chair opposite him. I sat, tucking my folder underneath my thigh.