As I trudged down the dimly lit street, my shoulders slumped and my mind heavy with defeat, it felt like I was fighting a losing battle against the modern world.
In a society that seemed to value productivity above all else, I couldn't seem to find my place.
The typical 9-to-5 grind just wasn't for me, and every job I tried seemed to end in failure.
It was like I was trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, and no matter how hard I tried, I just didn't seem to belong.
With each rejection, it felt like a reminder that I was out of step with the world around me, leaving me feeling drained and defeated, like I was suffocating under a cloud of despair.
"I can't keep doing this," I muttered to myself, the words bitter on my tongue as I kicked an empty soda can that lay in my path.
"What's the point? Just another cog in the machine, grinding away until there's nothing left."
The night air was cold against my skin, my frustration and anxiety grew with each step.
I knew the landlady would be waiting for me at home, and the fact that I hadn't been able to scrape together the rent on time made my anxiety skyrocket.
It was like a weight pressing down on my chest, the anticipation of that conversation gnawing at me with every passing moment.
As I rounded the corner, the sight of my run-down apartment building only served to deepen my sense of hopelessness.
The flickering neon sign above the entrance cast eerie shadows on the crumbling facade, a silent reminder of the poor state of the neighborhoods that surrounded me.
I fumbled for my keys, my hands trembling with a mixture of exhaustion and uncertainty.
The lock clicked open with a dull thud, echoing in the empty hallway like a gunshot.
But before I could even step inside, a voice cut through the silence like a knife.
"Ace, seriously? This whole 'late rent' thing is getting old.
I turned around to see Mrs. Selina, my landlord, standing at the foot of the stairs with a stern expression etched upon her weathered face.
"Mrs. Selina," I mumbled, shifting uncomfortably unable to meet her gaze. i replied "I know, I'm so sorry. Things have been... rough lately."
With a heavy sigh of disappointment, she brushed off my feeble attempts at excuses, her tone weighted with irritation.
"Do you take me for a charity?" she retorted sharply.
"It's pay up tomorrow or pack up this time ace. I've got bills to cover, and I can't keep waiting for you to get your act together anymore."
I nodded, swallowing my pride and the lump rising in my throat. "I'll get it to you as soon as I can, I promise"
But even as the words left my lips, I knew it was an empty vow.
I was drowning in debt, barely scraping by from one paycheck to the next.
The rent was just another bill I couldn't afford to pay, another reminder of my own inadequacy.
Mrs. Selina's eyes narrowed, and a feeling of uncertainty ran down my body... but then i noticed something off about her demeanor.
She seemed jittery, her movements erratic, and it made me uneasy.
"You better get your act together," she snapped, her tone dripping with disdain.
YOU ARE READING
Deadlands Odyssey: Ace Redemption
HororIn a world where Ace's wallet is as empty as his connection with family, he's on the verge of getting kicked out for missing rent. Mrs. Selina, his landlord, starts acting weirder than a three-dollar bill, setting off alarm bells. Then, out of the b...
