October 21st, 2023

9:43 AM EST

Alastar

The train ride was the moment of his day when Alastar’s world went from the magical world of the morning to the much more boring world of work. It was symbolic of that dramatic change, at least to him. So of course he sighed as he stepped onto the C train with his coffee in hand. He would have to go through the moment of, well, depression that always set in while he went to work.

The C was the southbound local train going towards Brooklyn. Sometimes he heard tourists complaining that calling the train going Downtown as going “towards Brooklyn” was annoying, but any local would be able to easily pick it up. Besides, it was true, if one of their smug faces was just to turn 13 degrees and look at the map they could see that Brooklyn was after downtown on the train line.

As he sat, Alastar listened to his audiobook, happily drowning out the sounds and distractions of the world. Deliberately making sure he wouldn’t hear any of the tourists, since this was hard enough as it was just going to work. The city was a world of wonder, but also a world of noise, and that noise was overwhelming to the highest degree. So he learned to drown it out.

As a kid he had books on tape, and that let him experience the world through the lens of magic and wonder. Over a decade later and his books were downloaded to his phone via the interconnected city wifi and streamed at double speed into his ear holes. Every moment was magic, and he stared out of the windows of the subway as it moved along.

Ever since he was a kid he’d loved to look out the subway window. The little glimpses of graffiti were interesting, and the Manhattan lines often had weird art installations inside them. Even the small sight of rats was cute to him, as long as he could see past the scratches left in the plastic-like glass of the windows. He always loved to imagine he saw a moose or crocodile living there, just like the stories his mom used to tell him.

Taking his pills out of his breast pocket he popped them in his mouth and downed them with his now slightly too cold coffee. He was about to get off, which meant he had to go into work mode. After eight whole stops he had to get off and into his favorite station. The majority of the crowd left the platform to the main exit, but Alastar and a small cluster of others took the other and more secret path. It was a tunnel, and it took the entire group through the ground to the second exit of the subway station, and one of the many entrances of his work.

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Everyone was milling around in the entrance, waiting for the 10am moment when everyone would be allowed inside. He walked past the forming line of tourists and all the others until he got to the other side where a couple security guards were holding position. Before he could reach them he was blocked by an intern.

“Sir.” She said, the loud and demanding sentiment in her voice obvious for everyone to hear. “I know that the wait is taking so long. I know you have to wait for another ten whole minutes. But I assure you, we will get all of you processed very quickly as soon as the time arrives.” She held her hand out as if to forbid him from moving any further. “Wait in line and get a ticket like everyone else.”

“But I have-” Alastar tried to say, but he was cut off another time without getting enough out to clarify his position.

“No buts.” She said, rolling her eyes. “We understand if you are a member that waiting is annoying, but all you have to do is present your pass at the head of the line. We will absolutely get you in as soon as we are able.”

“No I’m not a-” He tried again, but once more he was interrupted.

“If you don’t get to the back of the line right now and wait your turn I will call a guard over and have you escorted off the property.” She already had started subtly waiving a guard over from the line to him.

At this point Alastar couldn’t help but lose his temper a little, she was blocking him and choosing not to let him get a word in edgewise to explain anything. “Get. Out. Of. My. Way.” He said, enunciating every one so that she could not interrupt him. “I have to get up right this second.” His watch already showed that it was 9:57, and if he was late to sign in he would get in trouble.

“There is no reason to raise your voice sir.” The temp worker said with a smug tone in her voice. “My friend here is going to have to ask you to leave, have a wonderful day.” She waived at the guard who had walked up.

“Hey Jane, Alastar, what seems to be the problem here?” He asked, looking at both with a raised eyebrow.

“This gentleman won’t get back in line.” The worker, Jane apparently, said as she waved at Alastar. She either didn’t hear, or simply ignored, the fact that the guard knew his name.

“Why would he get in line? He works here.” The guard said, choosing not to mince words.

“She wouldn’t listen.” Alastar said, sighing. “She decided to keep me here, and wouldn’t let me explain that I would be late if I waited that long.”

“Uhhhh.” Jane said, flushing and then just walking away. The guard followed her, waving him forward, clearing wanting to have a word with the temp worker.

Alastar sighed, his day already ruined by the intense beating that he had developed in his heart. The adrenaline running through his body was not good right before his work, and his increased heart rate would make his medication activate sooner. Once he was in the elevator he relaxed, knowing he could get to his clock quickly enough.

With a rush, he almost ran down the hall and jumped behind the desk at the reference library, tapping his ID card to the work clock and sighing heavily. “Made it.”