A Score of Ten

Posted Jan/12/2018
    I twirl my cheap blue pen, repetitively. Trying yet failing to make myself focus on the pile of paper work laying in front of me on the surface of my cheap wood desk. I always pride myself on being a diligent worker, but today I could not take my mind off of the new worker sitting one desk over to the left. In this building no worker get their own office, well except the big boss himself. Instead we all sit in one large room, our desks only a foot or two away from each other. It reminds me of a high school classroom, with all off us facing in one direction. Though I suppose that is perforable to awkwardly staring at someone through out the day. This arrangement has never bothered me, until today that is. Not even six feet away from me sat the new employee who started this morning.
    Intimidating is never a word I would use to describe him. He was rather quite and reserved, keeping his head down in his work all morning, yet despite this he still sent a shiver down my spine. He had shaggy brown hair and I can see a 5 o'clock shadow beginning to come in already. He stood a few inches below six feet. Still a head higher than my tiny 5'2" frame. Additionally he wore a simple business suit to work today. No, it wasn't his appearance nor his attitude that had me glancing over my shoulder. It was the two digit number floating above his head.
                                                10
    As long as I can remember I have been able to see a number above everyone's head. Always a single digit. My two year old cousin has a 1, my boss a 4 etc. Etc. The highest I had ever seen was a 8, and that was on a serial killer I saw on the news. A friend of mine is a trained military soldier and he is only a 7. I am under the assumption the higher to score, the more dangerous the person is. Rather that is to me in particular, or just to the general populations is unknown to me. In my reflection I only have a puny 2, only slightly more dangerous than a toddler. But the man sitting not six feet away was 10! Double digits! No one came close to his score. This lead to me spending the whole morning waiting for this office to turn into a massacre. No one would believe me if I said he was dangerous, no one else can see the number. Well no one that I know of anyway.
    Stuck in my own mind I didn't notice him start looking at me until we made eye contact. I jumped when I realize I had been caught staring and now was looking into his brown eyes. We stared awkwardly for a moment before he smirked at me and turned back to his work. I felt myself blushing in embarrassment, and turned back to my own work.
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    I walked through the now empty office room quickly picking up the papers left for me on everyone's desks. It was one of my personal duties at the end of every work day. Meaning I was the last worker to leave before the boss. I held a large stack of paper and headed towards the only office in the building, I simply needed to drop these on the bosses desk and I could go home after a stressful day.
    The door to the office was open just a crack and I could hear voices coming from inside. The familiar baritone of my boss rung out, "We had a deal and you'll stay right where you are until your end of the bargain is complete."
    I raised my eyebrow as I leaned towards the door to hear better. "Well your immortal soul was promised to me already, and I am not one to back out of a deal" The firm voice of the new employee spoke.
    I held my breath and felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. This is sounding a lot like... "That's what I would expect for making a deal with the devil." My bosses voice agreed.
    I knocked on the door making my presence known, hoping to get out of this building as fast as possible. But if I left without getting him the papers I most likely wouldn't have a job tomorrow. I heard some grumbling and shuffling of papers come from the room and a quiet but firm 'come in'.
    "I have the papers from today sir." I did my best not to squeak. I placed the papers on the desk and ignored the third presence in the room. "Did you need anything else before I leave?"
    My boss simply shook his head 'no'. "Actually," The third voice spoke up making my shoulders tense. "I was confused about the procedure on something today if you don't mind helping me?"
    "S-Sure" I cringed at my own stutter.
    The new guy... no the devil had an imp like grin on his face. I left the office, him following after me. As we walked towards the desks I felt is presence moving closer to me, no matter how fast I walked. I stopped at our desks, and now his chest was touching my back and I could feel him breathing down my back. I did my best to suppress a shiver. He chuckled, "Why so scared little 2..." He whispered.
    My eyes bulged, "H-How?"
    "It's such a simple thing for the Devil to see these numbers, Little Two." I let out a shaky breath, trying not to cry. He chuckled again putting his arms in front of me onto the desk caging me in. "Maybe me being stuck in this world won't be so boring if I have my Little Two"
    My body shook as his arms pulled me into an embrace.

1000 words