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Down the Rabbit Hole

Chapter 7: Down the Rabbit Hole

One thing I loved about working at Dorson's was my schedule. I worked 9-5, meaning I got to sleep in a little bit each morning and not leave at a ridiculously late time each night. It meant I could have some semblance of a life outside of work. It was a great deal. So I was a little surprised and annoyed when Ashley called me into work at four in the morning. I was half asleep when she called so she got my machine but managed to wake me. As usual she wasn't much of a talker. Her message was as follows: I need you in early today, be here by four thirty at latest. That's it, that's the end of the message. Like the good little employee I am I called her back. But guess what? She never picked up. I called her three times trying to figure out what she wanted me there so early for but she never picked up the phone. Not sure what I was in for I threw on a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, my favorite hoody, put on a winter coat and I pulled it all together with an old pair of converse ready to take on the world. I was out my front door at 4:34.

The streets were dead this early in the morning and the only cars I saw were motionless and parked. As I drove my mind slipped back to the other night at the pub. Unlike your typical damsel in distress I didn't treat my hero's...suggestion... to wait for the cops and an ambulance as gospel. As soon as he poofed out of existence I pulled myself up and started limping away from the crime scene. In hindsight it probably wasn't the best thing to do but lately I'd seen enough cops and medics to last a life time. The last thing I wanted was to get stuck in the hospital again. So I walked down the ally, made my way around the block before finally ending up back at the pub. I snuck back behind the crowd and found my friends. They were definitely surprised to see me but relieved too. Too tired and drunk to drive home I spent a small fraction of my night at Monroe's and Karma's apartment. Joe offered to sneak me into his frat house but I'd never be able to sneak out in the morning without everyone getting the wrong impression.

Their apartment wasn't huge, about the size of mine meaning they didn't have an extra bed room so I took the couch. I slept for a grand total of two hours than helped myself to a cup of coffee that sobered me up enough to get myself home. The trip took less than an hour with literally no traffic and I collapsed unconscious into my own bed. And then, of course, my wonderful employer decided to wake me up an hour later. In the end, I got three hours of sleep total! All I can say is that it better be important.

Redtown like the streets surrounding the area were completely deserted. Only two cars were parked on the street and one of them belonged to Ashley. I took a deep breath, rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, and got out of my car. The temperatures were well below freezing as I ran to the front door of Dorson's Books. I quickly opened the doors and jumped inside.

"Ashley?" I shouted as I kicked the snow off my boots. The shop was dark and scary looking. I never would have imagined this place to have been so creepy at night. With the very low minimal lighting the tall book shelves casted ominous shadows everywhere. I felt like the dumb blonde at the beginning of every slasher flick ever. It was not a fun feeling, not at all. "Hello Ashley.... are you there?" The only response I received was silence. "Ha ha ha not funny, why am I here? Ashely?" I took a deep breath and waited around in the creepy atmosphere for five minutes than turned to leave. My hand barely touched the handle when iron bars dropped down from the ceiling, covering the entire front of the shop and the only exit. I jumped back from the bars and tried to calm down. It's nothing; everything is fine I probably just tripped the alarm or something. But no alarm sounded. I turned around and in front of me was a table. I don't know how it got there or where it came from but it was there now covered with...weapons? Without any warning there was a loud beep.

"In front of you is a table with a selection of basic weapons, you have one minuet to choose." She said, there was another beep but nothing else.

"What the hell is going on? Why did you call me here?" She didn't answer. Crap. I quickly looked down at the weapons in front of me but half of them I didn't recognize. I saw a small canister of pepper spray, brass knuckles, a machete, a telescoping baton, and at least four other things I couldn't name. What the hell? I didn't know what to choose, how does she expect me to know what to choose?