Chapter 2:

I hear knock on the door again.  I heard a sudden loud slam of the door, but I didn’t look up from my paperwork to see who walked in.

That’s the last thing I remember, or so I thought when I woke up.

I looked around the room, to find that I am on a bed in an unfamiliar and rather plain bedroom. Why am I here?  How did I get here? My thoughts feel like they were jumbled like I was waking up in a middle of a dream.  The meeting!  I was doing paperwork before the meeting, how did I end up here then!

I didn’t realize someone else was in the room, until a girl surprised me by leaning over the bed into my face.

Wait! I recognize that face, the last thing I remember was being in the office and her!

“You!” I said in a slightly angered voice, “What is going on?”

“Ah! So you recognize this pretty face that you haven’t seen in two weeks! I am so happy, since you only saw this face for a few minutes! Don’t you love the fact that a sweet little girl was waiting for you to wake up?” she responded in slightly teasing and innocent manner.

Two weeks? It feels like I saw her just a few moments, did I lose two weeks of memory? Or was I out for two whole weeks, that would be surprising yet, if it’s true a slight fear settles in feeling that the cause was her.

“Hey, don’t get angry about losing two weeks! I am sorry, it should have been less than an hour,” she mumbled quickly and apologetically adding, “It was supposed to be less than an hour, if it wasn’t some meddlesome plots here and there that were added last minute which caused me some problems.”

Plots? What are you mumbling about? I gave a blank stare, trying to wonder if she secretly drugged me that was only supposed to knock me out an hour that ended up being out for a few weeks by accident.

“Oh come on, you can’t possibly forget what happened before coming here,” she asked worriedly, “Did you really not comprehend the situation that you have readily accepted!  If you were ignorant, why did you accept on your own volition?”

I accepted being drugged, but I don’t think I was drugged?

I don’t remember anything before waking up! 

No, wait I slowly organized my thoughts remembering what happened that almost seemed like a dream from long ago.

It all started when there was a knock on the door!

----------------------------------- two weeks ago---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I heard a knock on the door again, then a sudden slam of the door.  I didn’t look up from my paperwork to see who it is.  I was surprised and slightly annoyed by the sudden intrusion.  I was peeved since the person came in before I gave the invitation to come in, which my opinion was beyond rude.  I ignored the person who came in as I continue working on the paperwork trying to get ready for the meeting to tell the staff that the newspaper is filing bankruptcy.  It was inevitable, so I might as well prepare the employees at today’s meeting to expect the worse.  I look up to check the time, but instead of looking at the clock on the wall my eyes strayed to the forgotten person sitting in front of me. 

Ha, I guess she isn’t a vampire or fairy if she came in without invitation, but doesn’t rule out demon I joked as I thought who inhuman the silence was. 

She didn’t say a word since coming in, and since she was so quiet and motionless as she sat in the chair in front of the desk I even forgot she existed!  Rather isn’t it too quiet!  She didn’t even seem annoyed that she was ignored, rather is she used to being forgotten?! 

Needless to say I was surprised that it was a stranger in my office, as I know that U had no appointment for today.  My secretary is rather good at setting appointments.  She is quite the strict by the book personality, which I find it okay even if it was extreme enough to be considered a fault.  She is the kind that would make even the president set up an appointment three days in advance as it was company policy for no walk ins which the secretary upholds like it was a divine mission.

I wanted to ask how she got in here, especially since she looked a little too young to look for employment, appearance wise she must be still in high school.

Before I could, she finally spoke, “You are probably wondering how I got here.  The secretary was sick, and so was her replacement that is her daughter. So, it was easy to get in here.”

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I raised an eyebrow, I went right to the office so I didn’t notice that the secretary wasn’t here, and no wonder the replacement had such a similar personality! I don’t know if it is more surprising that a personality like the secretary had a daughter! Ugh and that makes myself feel even more lonely!

Never mind, I don’t care anymore. I let out a sigh.  I was going to tell her that I didn’t have time to ‘play’ with her as I have a meeting that I have set up. When, again she spoke interrupting my thoughts.

“I am sure you are busy. But, hear me out for fifteen minutes!” she asked in a rather hurried tone, “I know that you have some financial problems, and I am sure I can get some help from an ‘author’ who will be willing (maybe) to write you a happy ending.  I don’t know what kind of the ending be though, usually something half-assed plot.  Maybe aliens or earth magnetic waves that will cause all electronics to work so printing will be the main source of news!”

I was going to respond how does that having an author writing fiction help, and the fact that electronics is used in the newspaper process so the last choice would be definitely bad and would be against the idea of aliens as it sounds horrifying!

She rushed talking faster, “Look, I was chosen as a narrator for your story.  As the ‘author’ is a lazy one, the position of ‘co-author’ was conferred with me to finish the story how I please.  With that, I can help you have the means to have your business back and running, as money isn’t a problem for me unlike most authors.  However, if you want help with your business it obviously needs more than just money to keep it running.”

I was not getting anything that she was saying as she talked too fast, but from what I got was that she was a wealthy author and narrator.  So I quickly tried to stop her from saying anymore by raising my hands in defeat.

“Look, what are you saying? I know that this business is going bankrupt? Why would you want to help, and what price for your help since obviously you were saying money isn’t it.  Even more obviously, as I can’t offer money with the bankruptcy looming,” I questioned quite crossly as I felt that there was going to be catch.  It would too good to be true for me to have enough funds to run the business, especially when even banks have started to refused in accepting loans!  I didn’t want to hear a fairy tale story from some high schooler, not even as a prank.  If I could save this business, I would’ve already!

“Hmm. So you are listening now?” She asked calmly smiling quite devilishly, “Then here’s the deal I will tell you what, if what you truly wish is to save your company it can be done. I say it can be done only if you are willing to be of use to me, as you are (unfortunately) the main character left to me by the lazy author.  I can’t stand this stupid boring office life of yours that the lazy author left off with!  Really, bankrupt the business already, who cares!  Ah, I mean.  I will help with a happy ending to your boring life, if you are willing to help me make an interesting story!”

I wondered if the girl was crazy, but if she really was really rich.  No, can I really accept such I good offer?  If it’s just trying to help an author with writer’s block, then I guess who else to go then a newspaper publisher?  Hmmm, maybe she really was really smart to come to a newspaper for inspiration. Ah, now I get!  That’s what it must be.  Even the greatest writer’s needs inspiration when writer’s block is at its worst.

“So I help you with making an interesting story, you will save the company?” I asked with a wide smile at the thought that this may still be too good to be true.  But, even if it’s the slimmest of hope, why not at least take the unexpected chance?

“So you accept then? This will be so much fun.  Then there’s no problem if we start now?” She asked happily with a smile that could have swallowed my heart as she clapped happily.

I barely heard a voice, that I think was hers.

It was low, but it sounded like she said that my safety was not guaranteed.

------------------------------------- Present -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Done with your flashback already? Thought it would be longer!” she responded with a wide smile that I saw once before. 

I sighed as I put my hand to my head, I still don’t get what’s going on though!  How was that flash back even supposed to help!  Sigh.  Sigh anymore and my soul will escape if the legend is true.  Maybe she is a demon after all!