Elementa Naturae - A Cold Day in Hell

Connor

October 26th, 8:53am EDT

The city noises surrounded him, wind rustling through his hair as he rode along the asphalt. The gears of his bike, recently oiled, moved smoothly, propelling him past the long lines of vehicles moving at a snail pace. The skyscrapers cast their shadows across the streets, easing only at the massive intersections where the sun could shine as brilliantly as it wished. Thousands filled the streets of New York, a series of masses moving from one place to another, from one endless errand to the next. His movement restricted and his mind occupied, he had never felt such freedom.

Grinding to a halt, he sighed contently. Despite the heavy air and the beating of the sun, he was barely sweating. He lifted his bike as he bounded up the steps, unravelling the chain from his satchel bag. He flicked through his papers and slid the chain through the frame of the bike, securing it against a nearby railing. He turned, facing the monolith behind him.

Breathing happily, he adjusted his tie and strode towards the mountain of glass that lay before him. The hubbub of the city surrounded him, the beeping of cars, the muttering of strangers as they passed. Stepping towards the entranceway, he glanced at his watch. 8:57. Three minutes was plenty of time. He passed through the glass doors, nodding to security.

"Morning Simon." The guard jolted in his chair, briefly yawning as he blinked rapidly awake.

"Uh hey, hey." He spoke groggily, rubbing his eyes and fumbling for the ID scanner.

"Long night?"

Releasing another yawn, the guard replied. "Yeah, and my damn replacement hasn't shown up."

"Yeah, tell me about it. Five a.m. he calls me up, gets me to rush some merger file."

"You've heard the news then?"

The lawyer tilted his head, confused.

Nodding distractedly, the guard pre-empted his next question. "You'll see when you get up there. They brought the lettering in this morning."

"Huh, ok. Well, I'll see you later Simon."

As he strode off, the guard called from behind. "Hang on, wait a sec. I need to scan you in."

Giving him a pointed look, the youth sighed. "C'mon, you know its me."

"You know the rules kid, don't make this harder than it needs to be."

Smiling, he stepped back towards the guard, pulling his I.D. from his coat pocket. "Just messing with you." He placed it under the scanner, waiting patiently for the confirmative beep. When it came, he nodded to the guard, walking off. "Have a good day Simon."

"Yeah, yeah." Shaking his head, the guard chuckled as he dozed off in the cool air of the foyer.

The youth continued on his journey, tapping on the elevator button and turning, back to the doors. Glancing around the foyer, he stifled a yawn. It was unusually quiet for 9 a.m. on a Friday morning. He twisted on his foot at the beckoning of the gentle ding, turning on his place and stepping forward, shoes rapping on the cool marble floor.

The elevator rose, dragging him away from ground. Flicking through his folders, he felt the pull against gravity, hauling him up to the twenty-ninth floor.

"Dissolvement of assets, partnership agreement... yep, all there," he muttered under his breath, though he already knew that would be the case.

He took a moment to admire his surroundings. Rising through office after office, the light shone through the glass that encased him. He thought back on the last few months. Five weeks into his new career, he felt like an indispensable part of a team. Barely six months ago he'd graduated. It had only been a few years since... well, it was best not to dwell on it. He'd learnt that the hard way.

He stepped into the foyer as the doors glided open. Nodding to his replacement, he glanced at the wall to his right.

Scott Sullivan Williams

Connor gave the sign a grin before striding off.