In One Day

Chapter Two - A Different Day

I woke early the next morning, the sunlight streaming through my windows.

I groaned out loud. I'd forgotten to shut the blinds.

I rolled over groggily and peered at my phone screen, reading 5:14am. I had just over an hour before I needed to get a wriggle on if I was going to make it to the lab before 7am.

I snatched the remote off my bedside table and pointed it at the windows, blindly stabbing at buttons until they began to lower.

I rolled back over, kicking the covers around to readjust them. Dust particles swirled in the steadily narrowing beam of morning sunlight as I disturbed the air.

With a quiet swoosh the blinds hit the floor and stopped, my room quiet once again.

I sighed and closed my eyes against the warm darkness.

...

What felt like only a few seconds later, my phone chimed loudly and buzzed repeatedly.

I screwed my eyes tight shut. There was no way I was ready for another day of sitting at that damn microscope, failing repeatedly.

My phone continued to shriek at me.

Grumbling, I wriggled across my bed to it and aggressively tapped the screen until it was silenced.

I swung my legs out from beneath the covers and sat up, running a hand through my hair and yawning loudly as I curled it into a bun on top of my head.

I stood up and wandered into the bathroom, still rubbing grit from my eyelashes. I splashed my face with water, gasping at the sudden coolness. I stood there for a moment, gripping the edges of the porcelain sink breathing heavily as droplets streamed down my face, dripping off my nose.

I continued through the rest of my morning in the same way I always do. The same monotonous routine.

Exercise leggings, faded cotton t-shirt, baggy sweater, worn trainers, bland cereal with milk, brushed teeth, backpack with lunch, charged phone, ID badge around my neck, out the door, yawning my way down the lift with everyone else.

I was soon out of the front revolving doors and crossing the street, the traffic lights beeping as we streamed across.

We flowed through the main revolving doors, following each other through the long row of scanners. Monotonous beeping soon filled the air as we swiped our ID beneath the red beams at each gate.

I held my breath for a moment before it bleeped in confirmation, the small glass wings in front of me whipping out of sight to the sides and I hurried through, roping the lanyard back around my neck.

I quickly glanced at the watch on my wrist, the scratched screen faintly telling me I was okay for time. I sighed with relief and continued down the glass corridor, sunlight rippling through the panes as I strode down it. It was actually a nice summer's morning for once.

Suddenly, I heard the clinking of feet from behind me and felt a hand place itself on my shoulder.

I gasped with surprised as I was sharply wheeled around to face two men clad in startlingly crisp suits looking down at me.

I almost laughed at their comically stiff expressions beneath dark sunglasses. So Men In Black.

"Dr Thompson?" One ask, glancing down at the clipboard in the crook of his arm. The other continue to look at me silently with crossed arms and a blank expression.

"Yes?" I replied gruffly, looking between them slightly annoyed. I was so going to be late now thanks to these two.

"You're going to have to come with us," he said briskly, and before I knew it they had grabbed either of my arms and were marching me back the way I came.