Minutes Before The Miracle

CHAPTER - 15

Hey guys!

Here's another chapter.

Hope you enjoy.

Happy reading!

-x-

Thought of the chapter :-
We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.
    - Martin Luther King Jr.

-x-

EMMA

I am skimming through the folders for the infinite time and with every folder that I am closing and tossing on the desk, my hopes are thinning. I close the last folder and the final shred of hope vanishes.

Frantically checking my laptop, I badly wish that I have a backup of the files that I am required to submit today. My phone vibrates and Miss Keller informs my ultimate doom. Mumbling something even I can't make out, I hang up and go on searching for the soft copies.

After a few minutes of fruitless search, I carry my laptop, take a deep breath and walk out. With every floor that I ascend, my tachycardia is growing severe. Reaching the front desk, I find Miss Keller who looks scared as well as pissed.

Her eyes find mine and she comes running towards me.

"I hope you don't get fired." she whispers and every ounce of colour drains from my body.

I knock once and enter into Bradshaw's chamber who seems to be inspecting some paperwork. As soon as I close the door, I feel asphyxiated, like I have entered some den and there is no way to escape the forthcoming.

Glancing at his watch, he eyes me and seems eerily calm.

The ocean is unusually steady before the storm.

"Are you always late or do you practice tardiness on purpose to piss people? Just for the record, you are seventeen minutes late." he informs straight away.

And here comes the storm.

I swallow twice but my torrent of words has dried up.

"Hand me the folder." he orders

If only I had one.

I keep quiet. His calculative and questioning eyes rake at my laptop and my other free hand.

"Seems like you don't have any. Atleast, show me the soft copy on your laptop. You can mail them to me afterwards." he commands.

Gaining all little bits of my confidence, I finally say,"I don't have any."

"And what does that supposed to mean?" he questions.

"I think I deleted the data from my laptop prior to printing them." I finally speak up.

His expression changes to that of raw livid and he gets up buttoning up his blazer.

"You can't remember things that is required to save you this job 'cause you are busy pulling stunts at people's birthdays. You forget to print the necessary stuff, don't reach on time, poke into someone else's life which is none of your goddamn business. All of this simply points out that you are least bothered about being here and I employ my staff for particular purposes which you don't seem to fulfill. So you know what, I will do something what you would like. YOU ARE FIRED." he yells at me and I stand stunned at his last three words.

"Pick your things, pack them up and get the hell out of here!" he doesn't lower his voice and I feel warm wetness on my cheeks.

Without uttering a single word, I step out of his office. Everything around me is a blur and a few incoherent words hit my ear. Once I reach the front doors, I run out. I haven't collected any of my stuff nor can I remember where I have tossed my laptop in between but I am least concerned about it right this instant.
I somehow walk to somewhere and end up reaching a bar.

I sit on one of the stools. The bartender asks me my choice.

"Anything that can make me forget everything." I reply in return.

"Seems like you had a bad day." he says.

I don't reply anything to the understatement of the year.

A red liquid comes towards me and I down it in one go. My throat burns as the liquid starts working its magic.

I keep pushing the empty glass on the table and it returns back filled towards me. I have already lost count on the number of glasses I have downed.

"Miss, you are drunk. You need to get back to your home." someone says, apparently the bartender.

I get up bracing myself on the counter and the entire world spins around me. I somehow manage to get out of the bar.

As soon as the fresh air hits me, I stumble on something and my ankle twists, which makes me fall on the asphalt.

My head spins bitterly and I feel sick. Suddenly, I throw up violently and it just doesn't stop. Talk about the after effects of getting drunk, the very first time. I am not even able to stand due to the sprain in my ankle. After what seems like aeons, I start dry heaving and my temple touches the cold, hard ground. My entire body hurts like hell.

As soon as my head lands on the floor, I close my eyes and everything reeks of vomit. Something consumes me rapidly... DARKNESS.

-x-

And that's it for this chapter.

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