10 years later
Rachel
The building was underwhelming to say the very least, it was non-descript, she'd probably passed by it over a million times without actually giving it a second glance. It was most definitely nothing like the ones they showed on TV but suddenly it was the scariest place in the world to her.
Pulling her watch into view she instantly felt sick as her head rushed with a thousand thoughts at once each one propelling her body's urge to run, to run as fast as possible and as far as possible in the opposite direction. Taking a deep settling breath and holding it she pulled at the scarf around her neck and loosened it slightly.
"It's ok, It's gonna be ok" she told herself, while the voice inside her head screamed at her that it wasn't.
The breath she was holding onto was finally thrust out as she fought against every natural instinct in her body and forced herself to walk towards the main entrance.
She was directed to a staircase and then to a door which opened into a small waiting area. Rachel eyed the entire thing curiously, it was barely big enough for the small reception desk that sat perpendicular to the door she was habiting, there was a two-seater couch to the right of it and a skinny hallway with 3 or 4 doors coming off it.
The receptionist smiled broadly at Rachel and beckoned her further into the room, which seemed to be closing even further into her, she knew the second that she closed the door she was hanging onto for dear life there was no going back. She took another steadying breath and after giving her name, the receptionist instructed her to take a seat while she waited. She looked at he small faux leather sofa and thanked the stars above that she didn't still wear those tight pencil skirts she became accustomed to in college.
She waited less than five minutes when a plump dark-skinned woman appeared, Rachel watched her curiously, again not what she expected, she had loose fitting slacks on and a purple sweater that clung to every curve. In one hand, she had a mug of what she assumed to be coffee, and in the other a file, a file that only then did Rachel realise was her file. This was actually happening and her blood run cold. The weeks and the days she had spent fixated on actually attending the appointment had overshadowed the actual appointment and why she was here in the first place.
"Are you ready?" The woman smiled.
Rachel looked at her but glanced to the door, she could just leave, she could just get up a walk out. She was an adult, an adult who made her own decision and choices. Internally she laughed at herself. It was her decisions and choices that led her to this point in the first place. Forcing a toothy grin she turned back to the woman and got up from her seat and followed her down the hall.
The door swung open after being kicked and the woman stepped aside and let Rachel enter the small room first. Inside the room there where two small blue armchairs that faced each other, with a coffee table length wise between the pair, upon the table where an assortment of pamphlets which instantly transported her back to high school to Miss Pillsbury's office and her heart fell with dread.
The walls of the room where painted a horrible off white nearly yellow colour and decorated by random cheap canvasses. There was one long window to the right of the room and Rachel's eyes rose at the black metal bars that covered it.
"Don't worry, it's not to stop you from escaping, it's to stop me throwing the computer out"
Rachel smiled briefly and crossed her arms over her chest and began to fidget with the front of her hair, hovering in between the two-chair awaiting further instruction.
