Rehan- The Nostalgic
It was just another ordinary day.
I kept reminding myself that, over and over again, as I walked out into the cold streets of downtown, still recovering from that nightmare.
That awful, horrible nightmare.
A fragment of a memory I cannot seem to grasp, but has still left me shaken, with a fear that I couldn't seem to understand after I woke up.
I took the subway to work as I normally did, enjoying the sun, which finally decided to fight back against the clouds today.
It did little to brighten my mood, but I was still grateful for a small gesture of happiness nonetheless.
Inside the building, I walked to my office, not stopping to converse with anyone.
As I sat down, I began working on an assignment that was given to me last week. I found it odd that my boss hadn't given me anything new, but I decided to not ask about it, not wanting any extra work.
About an hour in, a man came into my office. Confused, I stood up.
"Hey, Rehan." The unfamiliar man said. "I wanted to ask you how your project was going?" I looked down at the papers on my desk.
"Well, I'm just about finished." I said. He frowned.
"Already?" He asked. "I gave the assignment to you two days ago. There's no way you would have finished it by now."
"What are you talking about?" I asked, confused. "I got this assignment three weeks ago." I picked up the papers and handed it to him. He looked through it.
"Oh, I see." He said. "This isn't the assignment I gave you."
What?
"I'm sorry, but who are you?" I asked. "I don't remember seeing you in this office. Are you new?"
He gave me a long look.
"No," He finally said. "Perhaps I should introduce myself. I'm Elliot Keller. I've been the head of the editorial team for six years. I'm your boss."
My boss? If he's worked here for six years, how come I'm only meeting him now?
"Oh, I'm sorry." I quickly apologized. "I'm Rehan Mansoor. It's nice to meet you." The two of us shook hands. He handed me a big packet, which I hadn't realized he was carrying.
"Here's a copy of the assignment I gave you earlier this week." He said, handing me the booklet. I leafed through it, skimming its contents, intrigued by his preparedness.
"Okay!" I said, deciding not to ask any questions. "I should have about a quarter of it done next week."
"Great!" Elliot said, giving me a smile. "Then I'll check back in with you next Friday."
The man left the room. I immediately sat down, putting my earlier project on hold for a little while, as I started on my new assignment. I worked effortlessly until the evening, immersing myself in the story I was given. When my alarm went off, I packed my things and left the office for the night.
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After work, I took the subway back home. After breaking my fast for Ramadan and doing both the Maghrib and Isha prayers, I went to the living room, where a big whiteboard was sitting, in the corner of the room.
I flipped the board where pictures, papers, red thread and ink were littering the entirety of the board. I took out a box that was sitting behind the board, and opened it, looking through its contents.
YOU ARE READING
Mandate
Mystery / Thriller"Everyone has a story to tell," He finally starts. "A wise person once told me that. He used to say, 'Son, everyone you meet in life has a story to tell. People will always describe themselves as heroes, but it's the things they do that will determi...
