Towards Zero Hour

Towards Zero Hour: Chapter 1

Hour 9

"Funny how this works", Frank thought to himself. "I walk every day to work and don't meet anyone from office (let alone my team members) during the short distance between the SEZ main gate and my office building. But today, I had to run into her today." The Lords of Destiny it seems have finally conspired to add some drama to an otherwise routine beginning of a rather unordinary workday for Frank.

 "Franklin", she called out and pulled him out of his thoughts.

"You seem rather relaxed for your last day at work."

"Why should I feel any different?" Frank replied quickly.

Hailey had recently joined his team of writers and seemed to be enjoying the work given to her. As much as he hated to admit it to himself Frank felt weird around her. She was much more educated and also a few years older than him. The fact that she was insanely beautiful did not ease him in any way. Being so beautiful should be a crime. Frank hated it when someone caught him off-guard. That's when he'd turn all defensive and run to find a rock to hide under. However in most cases he would try to use his rather strange sense of humor to hide the awkwardness brewing inside him. But since there was no point in being funny at nine in the morning, they exchanged the usual work-related banter and headed towards the elevator.

"I have completed all my assignments and have absolutely no work to do today." Frank said, "Maybe that's why I feel rather relaxed."

Hailey looked at him with a surprised look and said "You have no work today? I always thought people were quite pressed on their last day and would have a thousand different things on their minds."

"Oh, I do a have a lot on my mind." Frank replied, "Maybe I am not showing it very well."

That little walk made his heart pound faster than the long walk he took between his home and the main gate. And not in a good romantic way either but more of an impending cardiac arrest that could strike at any unpredictable hour. Some people just walk too fast.

Kelvin was waiting for an elevator to get into. He had been the first one to start a conversation with Frank on his first day at work. Frank was always thankful to him for that. Frank was possessed by this wild idea that no one around would enjoy or rather even want to talk to him. But Kelvin did. And Lord bless him for that. "I am gonna miss you man", Kelvin said without giving a second glance at the people standing around them in the elevator. As if he couldn’t care less about what they thought of them. Somehow Frank knew he meant those words. "I am gonna miss you too man", he said within his head. It was where he said most things. "Maybe I should have said these words out loudly.", Frank pondered for a few seconds. But he didn't. A polite smile is all he could manage. "It seems you are running late today", Frank asked him casually. "I feel very lazy these days to wake up and come to work early". Well it seems even Kelvin has grown tired of this monotony and wants to break some rules in his own little way. They clock in, settle down in their seats, and begin their day.

Then it hits Frank.  And it hits him hard.

"Let's document today", he told himself. "Days like these are indeed rare, a day when I feel both empowered and enslaved by some mysterious fucking force". He launched MS Word for very different reasons that day. "Let's do this", he told himself with an air of assurance that he doesn't usually let out and began writing.