Code Name : Catherine

Chapter 1

        I grabbed my cars keys and cell phone as I rushed towards the door to exit my apartment. The adrenaline for the day ahead was coursing through my veins.

       My apartment was generally not big but it was big enough for me to live and move around in, which was sufficient enough. It was pretty much a low-income apartment in an average suburb in New York so I didn't expect much from it either. The curtains that my grandma had passed down to me hung lifelessly from the curtain rail, their mud brown colour doing nothing for the room really. The apartment made an attempt to look stylish but didn't quite get there thanks to the lack in decorating skills that I had.

        Just as I had one foot out the door I remembered that I hadn't had breakfast. I quickly ran back inside and grabbed an apple and headed for the door again.

        I was making my way down the hallway when Mrs Howard, an old woman who lived in my hallway, stopped me to try and converse with me. She was the resident's kind lady. She frequently baked our floor some goodies and she was a good listener.

        "Hello Catherine, dear." She said with her sweet elderly person smile. It was infectious as I smiled back at her. The skin on her face was resisting the inevitable dropping that women her age were suffering from by that time in their lives. She still looked like she had quite a bit of life in her short and voluptuous body. She was the epitome of was women wanted to look and feel like at the ripe age of 67.

        "Morning, Mrs Howard," I couldn't help but think of my own grandmother when I looked at her. My impatience got the better of me and I couldn't help but look down at my wristwatch every 5 seconds. I wasn't close to being late at all but I didn't want to risk the chance of it because that would definitely make a bad impression, "Listen, I have to go for a job interview, Mrs Howard. We'll chat later okay?"

        I started walking past her as I was in the process of excusing myself and I didn't even bother trying to listen for a reply but I did hear her say, "Okay then, deary. Good luck, Ms Gray."

        With that I continued and had to wait for the elevator to come. I was waiting with another of the apartment's tenants in the stuffy area near the elevators. It was dark in this area with some flickering lights desperately trying to breathe some light into the room.

        "Morning." I greeted as I approached the elevator.

        "Good morning." He said in an non-enthusiastic manner.

        "How long have you been waiting for the elevator?" I asked anxiously and kept glancing at my watch , hoping that the time didn't manage to fly by as I was standing there.

        "About two minutes." The man was solemn, not only his face but his voice as well.

        "Two minutes?!" I couldn't believe that an elevator would take that long. I didn't have time to waste.

        I took off from there and headed towards the stairs hurriedly. I flew down each level. It was good that I was just on the fifth floor. I could handle five floors. I could feel my breath quicken but I had to get to the bottom.

       As I reached the first floor, the elevator door opened and out stepped the man that I was waiting with at the elevator.

       "Really!" I muttered in frustration as i frowned.

      Once the man noticed me, he chuckled. It surprised me to see this glimmer of emotion in him, "Guess you should've just waited."

        "I guess so."