Claws

Chapter Five

      "Wakey wakey eggs and bakey!" Adrian calls. I open one eye and peer at him through my mask.

"Can you just let me sleep?"

"Right. I'm taking a step back and... what about your boss?" He asks. I shoot up and dash into the bathroom to change. My boss is an intimidating woman. I come out of the bathroom and grab some breakfast from the plate on the counter.

"Why does your boss have that effect on you?" Adrian asks. I take a bite of my bacon.

"She wants us there on time. She doesn't care what you do when you're there, but you're going to hell if you're a second late."

"Crazy," He says, shaking his head.

"You betcha. Now, time to go?" I ask.

"Yep." Adrian holds the door open for me and I flounce out. He locks the door behind us and draws even to me in the hallway. We lock eyes, then speed down towards the elevator as fast as we can. I bounce in and frantically push the button to close the doors. Adrian jumps in at the last second.

"Alexis!" he scolds. I giggle.

"Sorry!" The elevator dings open, and we split ways to our jobs.

As I'm walking down the street, my senses are suddenly alert. I look up towards a building... Is that a man on the roof? Probably just a repair worker... My sense of unease deepens, and I run the rest of the way to work.

As soon as I step through the door I'm assaulted by a ginger ponytail with a body.

"Alexis!" Jean says, standing up. "You made it to the newspapers again, girl!"

"I did?" I say, climbing up from the floor. "How?"

"You caught that robber! Some security camera caught it and they used a picture in the newspaper! Look!" She holds out a paper for me to see. It's turned to the third page, where there's an article complete with picture. The title shouts 'Asylum Girl Stops Robber!'.

"What? How did they know I'm the same girl?"

"Because you never change what you're wearing, that's how."

"That's true." I admit sheepishly. "But I don't have much choice in my fashion!"

"But you really draw attention to yourself, with the mask and your weird habit of bright clothing and dark clothing." She says, nodding at my outfit, my new orange pants and a black shirt. I look at them and have to admit that they're a little strange.

"Yeah, maybe." I say, smiling sheepishly.

"Also, Alexis, look who I brought today!" She says, reaching behind a nearby potted plant.

"Buttercup! Hi!" I take the dog from her, cuddling him to my chest.

"I just can't leave him at home, he gives my this look with those adorable blue eyes of his, and..." Jean says, trailing off. I laugh.

"I get it, Jean. I'm glad you brought him!" I say, smiling wide under my mask. I hand Buttercup back to Jean. "You might wanna keep him with you, though!"

"Yeah. See you 'round! I gotta get back to work!"

"See you 'round!" And she dashes off to her cubicle. I sign in to work, and then dash off to mine.

The day starts bland, the normal disasters of fire and robbery, misdials for pizza delivery. The police are above us on the second floor, and that's where the overnight holding cells are too. Well, right around eleven o'clock, shouting starts up there and there are people banging on the floor, and someone shouts extra-loud and then there is an extra big thud, like a body hitting the floor. I turn off my phone and head towards the stairs, running into Jean on the way.