It had been a chaotic morning. Ella called for her dog three times, her voice growing more desperate with each unanswered call. Her heart sank with each silent response.
To make matters worse, she spent the morning struggling to book an Uber from her house to her office. After the third failed attempt, Ella threw her phone onto the couch and let out an exasperated sigh.
Now, she sat in the back of an Uber, trapped in a traffic jam just outside downtown Kansas City.
The stale interior mingled with the driver's body odor—a far cry from last night's BBQ brisket. At least she managed to grab a quick breakfast, she thought, trying to find a silver lining.
Ella sighed and leaned her messy platinum blonde head against the chilled window, her expressive blue eyes catching sight of the newly installed Ferris wheel.
Her mind drifted back to afternoons spent on the Ferris wheel with her parents, the thrill of being lifted above the city making her forget all her worries. The thought brought a fleeting smile to her face, offering a brief escape from the chaos.
Her watch buzzed with a meeting reminder. She glanced down at her freckled wrist, the screen lighting up to alert her to the presentation she was supposed to be leading.
Ella's stomach knotted, heat rising to her cheeks as she pictured Ed's reaction to her tardiness. She glared at the traffic, willing the cars to move, but they remained stubbornly still.
Reaching into her backpack, she pulled out a water bottle and one of her anxiety pills. She had been dealing with anxiety for as long as she could remember.
Her parents had tried to help her manage it as a child, but it wasn’t until her late teens that she decided to get it under control with medication. Today, she silently thanked her younger self for that decision.
Ella took a deep breath, swallowed the pill, and chased it with a sip of water. The familiar routine brought a small sense of relief.
Finally, the Uber pulled up to her office building. Now thirty minutes behind schedule, Ella rushed out of the car and sprinted toward the entrance. Halfway up the stairs, a jolt of panic struck her—she had left her phone in the vehicle. Heart pounding, she turned and bolted back down the stairs, slamming the door open in hopes of catching the Uber before it sped off.
The Uber had vanished into the sea of city traffic. Ella stood frozen on the sidewalk, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps as the weight of her situation pressed down on her.
Without her phone, a wave of helplessness washed over her. She blinked rapidly, biting her lip to hold back the tears, but they spilled over, streaming down her cheeks despite her efforts. She felt her mascara running down her face as the tears flowed freely.
Letting them fall, she stood there, sure her coworkers could see her having a meltdown from their corner desks overlooking the lobby, but she didn’t care. This cry was long overdue.
"Ella, you need to be strong, this is the dream you wanted for yourself. You just need to put on a brave face and get through the day" she whispered, an attempt to push herself through the breakdown.
She closed her eyes and took one final deep breath, trying to calm herself. With renewed determination, she wiped away the last of her tears and headed back into the building, resolved to salvage the rest of the morning.
Ella opened her laptop. The familiar chatter of her coworkers buzzed in the background. She popped in her headphones and put on a relaxing playlist.The last thing she wanted was for someone to question how her day was.
She squinted at the screen, focusing on the queue of tickets in the “In Test” section of her team's agile board. The glow from the monitor illuminated her freckled face, highlighting the dark circles under her eyes that no amount of makeup could hide.
She scanned the list, noting the sheer volume of tasks awaiting her attention.
'Just keep your head down and get this all done before someone can say something,' she thought.
The headphones and resting bitch face seemed to be working. No one said anything to her, and she dared to hope that if she kept her head down and worked through the queue quickly enough, this morning’s disaster might just blow over.
Her fingers flew across the keyboard, each keystroke echoing her determination to stay unnoticed. She felt a flicker of optimism before a Slack notification popped up on her screen, accompanied by a soft ping.
The name "Ed Overwood" glared at her from the corner of the monitor, the notification bubble pulsing like a beacon of impending doom. Her stomach tightened, and she could almost hear the sound of her heart sinking.
The soft murmur of the office faded into the background as she hesitated, her hand hovering over the mouse. The cool air from the window, blocking the cold fall morning, sent a shiver down her spine. Her skinny figure shaking in the windows reflection.
She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves, and clicked on the message, bracing herself for the worst.
"Hey," was all it said.
Ed was notorious for starting every Slack conversation this way. Ella and a few coworkers had often bonded over mocking the ambiguity of his greetings. She should have known.
“Come out and say what you want, Ed,” she muttered under her breath, loud enough for some coworkers to overhear. Feeling their eyes on her, she pretended not to notice and focused on typing a reply.
“Hello, just closing out some tickets,” she typed, trying to keep her tone light and nonchalant.
“Can you come to my office?” Ed's next message appeared. Ella's heart dropped, anxiety knotting in her stomach.
Ella sighed loudly and locked her computer with a resigned click. As she stood, the weight of her coworkers' curious glances made her steps feel heavy as she made her way across the office.
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The walk to Ed’s office felt like a march to doom. The scent of coffee and faint whispers of conversations swirled around her, but her focus was on the impending conversation. She knocked on the door, feeling the cold metal against her knuckles, and pushed it open, bracing herself for whatever awaited inside.
“Close the door behind you,” Ed said, gesturing for Ella to take a seat.
On the whiteboard behind him was a graph of various project metrics and assignments. Ella's eyes immediately caught the glaring omission of her name from any of the projects she was supposed to be on.
Her heart sank as she hesitantly took a seat, the chair feeling cold and unwelcoming beneath her. She wished desperately to be back on that Ferris wheel, where her worries seemed so insignificant.
Ed began, his voice deepening in an attempt to sound more authoritative. “Ella, we have a strict company policy that states all absences need to be approved by your direct manager at least a week in advance. Not only did you fail to reach out to me, but I saw you stumbling into work late this morning. Exactly 9:35 AM to be precise.”
He pulled out his phone, showing a picture of her standing on the corner, tears streaming down her face.
Ella opened her mouth to defend herself, but Ed raised his hand to stop her.
“Listen, I don’t have any other way to say this, so I’m going to say it straight,” Ed said, his tone not matching the odd smile he wore. “It pains me to do this—you can be a great tester, but we’re going to let you go.” He seemed to revel in his power over her.
Ella felt a knot tighten in her stomach. “But Ed, I—” she began, her voice trembling.
“It’s already been decided,” he interrupted, the smile never leaving his face. “You can pack up your things today.” She could tell he was enjoying this moment.
Ed had always had a problem with her, dating back to when he beat her out for the manager position. She never understood why, but she knew he had been looking for an excuse to get rid of her ever since.
' You're making a mistake!' she tried to scream, but no words came out.
Numb and disbelieving, Ella stood up. Security arrived almost instantly, their presence adding to her sense of shock.
The walk back to her desk felt surreal. She could feel her coworkers’ curious glances following her every step. Each step was heavy, her mind racing with disbelief and confusion. The soft hum of the office was now a roaring buzz in her ears, each whispered conversation sharp and invasive.
She reached her desk and began gathering her belongings mechanically, her hands trembling as tears streamed down her face.
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Ella found herself standing outside her now ex-company's office, her backpack heavy with small trinkets and accessories she had collected over the years.
The crisp autumn air nipped at her cheeks as she clutched a picture of herself standing tall in her cap and gown, surrounded by her sister and parents.
The memory of that day, a beacon of pride and accomplishment, contrasted sharply with her current reality. The girl in the photo, who had defied societal norms by succeeding in STEM, would be so ashamed to see her now.
Jobless and without a phone, Ella trudged through the bustling city streets, the sounds of honking horns and distant chatter blending into a disorienting symphony. Each step felt heavy and uncertain as she aimlessly searched for meaning, purpose, and a potential way home.
The cool breeze brushed against her face, carrying the faint scent of a bakery nearby, a reminder of the simple comforts now out of reach. Her thoughts swirled with doubt and frustration, her surroundings a blur of unfamiliar faces and towering buildings.
The bright, colorful lights of the Ferris wheel in the distance contrasted sharply with the surrounding sea of despair, offering a glimmer of hope. Drawn to it like a moth to a flame, Ella felt an inexplicable pull, her feet moving almost on their own accord.
Her journey led her through a small park, where an inviting bench offered an almost magical view of the Ferris wheel's reflection bouncing off a small pond. This seemed like the perfect spot to sit and figure life out. Ella sank onto the bench, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath to steady her racing thoughts.
The sounds of the park washed over her—the joyful laughter of children playing, the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze, and the distant hum of the city.
For hours she sat, unbothered by the frost beginning to accumulate on her cheeks and fingers. The sun slowly sank toward the horizon, casting long shadows across the park. Ella’s stomach growled; it had been nearly 12 hours since her last meal. She reached into her backpack, pulling out a protein bar and unwrapping it, the crinkling of the wrapper sounding unusually loud in the quiet evening.
As she stood up, she noticed the park was nearly deserted, the cheerful sounds of children replaced by the stillness of dusk. She decided to rise from the bench and make her way toward what she hoped was a taxi stand when she noticed a little squirrel staring up at her.
She had always been fond of the little creatures and their carefree existence, darting around without a worry in the world. The squirrel's bright eyes fixed on her. Ella smiled at the sight, feeling a small sense of camaraderie with the creature. She supposed that was her life now too—adrift without the constraints of her old job, finding new paths in an uncertain world.
Ella pulled a small piece of nut off her protein bar and knelt down, feeding it to the squirrel. "I’m going to call you Rupert," she said softly to the furry creature. As Rupert nibbled on the nut, she pulled out a little bottle of water and filled a small plastic lid, setting it down for him to drink.
Rupert eagerly lapped up the water, his tiny paws resting on the lid. Ella watched him with a gentle smile, finding a small measure of comfort in this simple act of kindness.She hoped, selfishly, that this act might bring Gizmo back. Either way, it was a reminder that even in the midst of her own uncertainty, she could still find ways to care for others, no matter how small.
Just as Ella was beginning to feel a bit more at peace, a bright flash of light startled her. Rupert jumped onto her arm, his claws digging in slightly. Then, darkness swallowed her whole.
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Meanwhile, on a cloaked ship hovering above, Dex and his team reviewed their latest data. Each subject was scanned and monitored, ensuring their health and stability during transport. Dex, a seasoned leader with a calm demeanor, trusted his team's efficiency. They had performed similar operations countless times before, but the stakes were always high.
"All systems are green," reported one of the technicians, their voice cutting through the quiet hum of the ship's engines. "Subjects are stable and ready for the next phase."
Dex nodded, his eyes scanning the readouts. The mission had gone smoothly, but he remained vigilant. "Prepare for departure," he ordered, his voice steady. The ship's engines whirred to life, the low hum filling the control room as they began their ascent. The cloak held steady, masking their presence from any prying eyes below. The lights of the city dwindled as they climbed higher, leaving Earth behind.
While Dex didn't particularly enjoy the abduction part of his job, he found himself fascinated by Earth culture. It was this fascination that fueled his desire to continue exploring this miraculous world. Despite the grim tasks he was assigned, he held onto the hope that these Earthlings would succeed in the initiation and join the empire. The prospect of their integration filled him with curiosity and anticipation; he had so many questions he longed to ask them.
Dex turned toward his team and held up a book. "Anyone want to try out a new historical fiction game called Curse of Strahd?" he asked, his voice carrying a touch of enthusiasm. The mission had gone smoothly, and they had gathered the necessary resources. They deserved to have some fun.
Unbeknownst to Dex and his team, an extra passenger had boarded the ship with them. Curled up and nestled deep in the pocket of Ella’s coat jacket, Rupert, the squirrel, remained unaware of the significant role he was about to play.
As the ship cruised silently through space, Rupert stirred slightly, his tiny eyes opening to the vast unknown, ready for the adventure ahead.