Supernatural Tendencies

01

01 | two years before

Scarlett growls.

She flexes her fingers once, twice, exercising self-restraint.

The man in front of her is unimpressed, grey suit ironed into crisp, neat lines.

The whole office is a bunch of lines.

The square cubicles, the carpeting, the people filing into the building. Crisp, neat lines.

Scarlett is a jagged segment, running her hands through her hair. She gives off an aura of poorly restrained rage, thoughts running all over the room.

The man can't have that. He must have each and every employer curled inside his square, granite fist.

"I am sorry. You will have to go." He says in a hard, mechanical voice.

Scarlett can't imagine this guy having kids. Or a wife. They must be drawn in straight and neat lines as well.

"Please, I don't have anywhere else to work." Her voice breaks off, and she winces at the amount of emotion she is letting roll off her tongue.

The president must not have sensed it, his feeling are probably packed into a dusty square box anyways. "I am sorry. The meeting is over. You may leave now."

His apology is sterile and clean, and sounds anything but an apology.

Scarlett leaves in a whirlwind, red hair flying and filling the air, disrupting the square that is his cubical. She storms out, knocking into a line of people in front of the coffee maker, leaving behind a muttering of various colorful phrases.

The clean glass doors shakes under the force of her closing it, vibrating the building.

This is her twenty first interview, and each seems to be getting worse as she goes down the list.

Her car is a manifest of destruction and broken dreams.

Empty coffee cups litter the front seat, mixed with stray wrappings and advertisements from various fast food restaurants. The back seat is stuffed with an odd assortment of blankets, clothes, and champagne bottles.

Shoving her foot on the break, Scarlett tears out of the parking lot, rubber tires screeching in protest.

The tears trickle down only seconds later.

♣ 

Scarlett has reached an all time low.

She decides this as she stirs the boiling packet of ramen, letting the mouth watering smells of chemicals and preservatives settle around her in a haze.

Her eyes catch a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the pan and she recoils like a kicked dog. Black mascara streaks and dark circles do not mix with her pasty, pale skin.

Licking the plastic fork and deciding that the noodles were fit for dining, she kicks open the trashcan, unceremoniously dumping the rest of the spicy, chemical sauce in.

That shit was too hot for her anyways.

Carrying her newly made treasure to the flea ridden couch, she tucks herself in between the mottled blue and grey pillows and flips on the tv.

However, after repeatedly shoving the on button on the remote to no avail, she hurls a beaten pillow at the black box.

Damn landlord and his stupid electricity bill. Doesn't he know she is currently broke and homeless? Not to mention jobless.

The interview had wounded her wallet, as well as throwing a serious blow at her self esteem.

White blouses and pencil skirts didn't buy themselves.

Stretching, her feet find their way to the other side of the couch, dangling above stained, hardwood floors. Scarlett needs a Plan B. Pronto. Before the landlord kicks her out of this hovel for good.

She places the bowl on her chest, slurping up the yellow noodles, not caring that the sauce is spilling onto her newly bought white blouse. The familiar taste of MSG seeps into her taste buds, and Scarlett sighs.

She would start a new documentary, she thinks. Twenty four and homeless. It sounds like a plan. Better than any job interview from some uptight old guy.

A knock from outside the room sends the thankfully empty bowl of ramen tumbling, successfully splashing more red soup onto her shirt. She must look like she was playing in spaghetti sauce.

The thought vanishes when Scarlett swings open the door, revealing a man in shades and an overly intimidating suit.

"I'm Hugh White." he says, tone clean and clipped. "Congratulations. You have just been recruited.

♣ 

a/n what do you think of the book so far? are the chapters too short? 

leave a vote and comment if you enjoyed reading :)