Sarah Jenkins's alarm blared, jolting her awake from a restless sleep. With a heavy sigh, she reached over and silenced the persistent beeping, signaling the start of another day.
Throwing back the covers, Sarah swung her legs over the side of her bed and stretched, her muscles protesting the early hour. She moved through her morning routine with practice efficiency- showering, dressing in a simple blouse and skirt, and grabbing a quick breakfast of toast and coffee.
As Sarah stepped out of her modest apartment, the bustling streets of the city greeted her. She joined the throngs of commuters making their way to work, her gaze drifting to the towering skyscrapers that pierced the skyline.
Boarding the crowded subway, Sarah found a spot near the window and settled in for the familiar ride. The commute to work was a blur of gray skyscrapers, faceless commuters, and the cacophony of the city a constant backdrop to her thoughts. Sarah stared out the window at the passing scenery, her mind wandering to thoughts of life beyond the confines of her desk job. The monotony of her days had long ago worn away the excitement she'd once felt about her position as the company's CEO secretary.
Sarah envied the energy and purpose she saw in the faces of her fellow passengers - businessmen rushing to important meetings, students chattering excitedly about their classes, and even the street vendors hawking their waves with vibrant enthusiasm. What must it be like, she wondered, to feel alive, to have an adventure, to be someone other than the invisible cog in the corporate machine?
As the train rumbled on, Sarah's grip tightened on the strap of her worn leather briefcase, a small glimmer of hope flickering within her. Perhaps, one day, she would find the excitement she so desperately craved. The familiar sight of the tall, large, and gray office building came into view, and Sarah steeled herself for the day ahead. Stepping through the revolving glass doors, she offered the security guards a polite smile, while scanning her ID to get through the security gates, her expression not portraying none of the dissatisfaction that simmered beneath the surface.
As Sarah made her way through the bustling lobby, moving towards the elevator, she exchanged brief greetings with fellow employees, each one a carefully crafted mask of professionalism. Sarah entered the elevator squished between other workers, squeezing past them to press the elevator button number 30. The ride in the elevator is always the same, filled with chatter amongst fellow employees about meetings, their work schedule, and company gossip.
Sarah exited the elevator, walking towards her desk next to the CEO's office, saying good morning to all her colleagues she passed by. Finally reaching her desk, Sarah settled into the worn, ergonomic chair, her gaze sweeping across the sterile expanse of her workspace. Pristine computer screens, neatly stacked paperwork, and a framed photograph - that was the extent of her domain.
Sitting down at her desk expelling a deep sigh, Sarah mechanically powered on her computer, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she dove into the endless stream of emails, excel spreadsheets, and reports. Meetings and conference calls filled her calendar, each one blending into the next, leaving her feeling increasingly drained and uninspired.
As the minutes ticked by, she found herself counting down the moments until her lunch break, the brief relief from the monotony and the only thing that kept her grounded. With practice efficiency, Sarah plowed through the stacks of paperwork that had accumulated on her desk. Her fingers dance across her keyboard, inputting data and drafting memos with the same mechanical precision that has become second nature over the years.
As she worked, Sarah gaze would occasionally drift to the clock mounted on the wall, her eyes tracking the slow, steady march of the seconds. Each minute that ticked by was a countdown to her coveted lunch break. Around her, the hum of activity ebbed and flowed as her colleagues moved through their own tasks, their faces etched with the same weary determination.
Sarah glanced up from her computer screen, her eyes drawn to the window that overlooked the bustling city streets. The vibrant energy of the world beyond the office walls beckoned to her, a siren's call that promised adventure and excitement - everything that her current existence so sorely lacked.
With a regretful sigh she resumed her task. As the clock struck noon, Sarah closed her laptop and gathered her things, ready to embark on her usual lunch routine. She made her way to the company's cafeteria downstairs, grabbing a salad and a cup of coffee before finding a quiet corner to settle down in. Deep in her thoughts she barely notices the hustle and bustle around her, her mind drifting to all the "what ifs" and unfulfilled dreams she tucked away.
"Maybe I should just quit my job and try something new," she mused as she idly poked at her salad. The idea of leaving the security of her job was both terrifying and exhilarating, but Sarah couldn't shake the feeling that she was meant for something more than this endless cycle of repetition.
As she finished her lunch she got up throwing away the remaining items on her plate and headed back to her desk. Settling into her chair, she allowed her gaze to drift to the framed photograph on her desk - a snapshot of a happier time, when her life had held the promise of something more. In the image, Sarah and her ex-boyfriend, Mike, stood together, their arms wrapped around each other and their faces alight with genuine smiles. It was a moment frozen in time, a reminder of the life she had once dreamed of having - a life filled with adventure, passion, and the kind of deep connection that had once set her heart aflutter.
Sarah traced the outline of Mike's face with her fingertips, a bittersweet pang of nostalgia tugging at her heart. The memory of their relationship was a double-edged sword, a testament to the life she had once envisioned for herself, and a painful reminder of how far she had strayed from that path. With a wistful sigh Sarah leaned back in her chair, her gaze lingering on the photograph. In the months since their break up, she tried to move on, to find someone new to love but all of her attempts failed. She tried to find fulfillment in the routine of her work and small pleasures that punctured her days. But the longing for something more, something that had once been within her grasp, refused to be extinguished.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
As she gets lost in her thoughts, Sarah is oblivious to the commotion that is happening around her, she is snapped out of her trance when she hears glass shattering and a gunshot. As she looked over her desk, Sarah watched in bewilderment as a group of armed men in dark suits burst through the doors, their guns drawn and pointed at the terrified employees.
"Everyone on the ground now," one of the men shouted, his voice laced with a thick accent. The employees scrambled to comply, dropping their food, huddling on the floor, and hands behind their heads. Sarah felt her heart racing as she hid behind her desk, her mind whirling with a million questions. "What's going on?" " Who are these people?" She thought, her eyes darting around the room, searching for any sign of help or an opportunity to escape. The armed men began to systematically search the main office, barking orders and roughly manhandling the cowering employees.
Sarah ducked behind her desk, her heart pounding in her chest. She pressed her back against the cold, metal frame, trying to make sense of the unfolding situation. These weren't just your ordinary thieves - the way they moved, the precision of their actions, all pointed to a level of organization and training far exceeding a simple robbery.
As the standoff continued, Sarah soon realized that these people were a part of a rival mafia gang and they had come to settle a score with her boss Mr. Harrington. The realization sent chills down her spine, and she knew that she was now caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous and unpredictable conflict. Sarah slowly moved to the edge of her desk looking to see what was going on. She could see all the armed men aiming their guns at her coworkers. She slowly moved around the desk, sneakily moving towards the wall, to really gaze at the entirety of the situation. As Sarah reached the wall she peered her head around the corner trying to be as discreet as possible. "Where is your boss," one of the men barked at an employee. " I...I... I don't know," says the employee. The gunman took the butt of his gun and hit the employee upside their head causing them to bleed. The rest of the cowering employees screamed in horror, as Sarah gasped, catching her voice in her throat.
Sarah's heart raced as she scrambled back to her desk, crouching behind it. "What am I going to do?" She said to herself. The armed man rounded up the remaining employees in the main office, shouting demands for the CEO to surrender himself. Sarah pressed a trembling hand against her mouth, trying to stifle the panicked breaths that tried to escape. Her mind raced, she tried her best to not be seen or heard.
The air was thick with the sound of shouting and the cries of her co-workers, as they were herded together, guns pressed against their backs and heads. Sarah fingers dug into the fabric of her skirt, her knuckles turning white, as she fought to control her rising panic. Peering cautiously over the top of her desk, Sarah watched as the gunman continued their relentless search, their eyes scanning the room for any signs of their target. She ducked back down, her heart pounding in her ears, as one of the men drew closer to her hiding spot.
Trapped behind her desk, Sarah felt a surge of helplessness wash over her. She had always known her boss to be a ruthless businessman, but never in her wildest dreams did she ever imagine that his dealings would put her and her colleagues lives in danger, and now that it has, she is regretting not quitting sooner. Sarah peered through the crack of her desk, trying to see how close one of the gunmen was to her. As she looked through the crack she and one of the gunmen made direct eye contact. Sarah internally screamed as she swiftly dropped and tried to quietly move further under her desk. Sarah's heart nearly stopped as a gloved hand roughly grabbed her shoulder, yanking her from under her desk. Sarah found herself face to face with one of the gunmen, the barrel of his gun pressed against her temple.
"Call your CEO and tell him to come out of his office now or we will start killing hostages, starting with you first," he growled, his voice muffled by the black mask covering his face. Sarah's mouth went dry, her tongue feeling thick and uncooperative. Trembling, she reached for her cell phone in her pocket, her fingers fumbling as she dialed her boss's number, and a single tear ran down her face. With each ring her panic mounted, the weight of the gun against her skull was a constant terrifying reminder of the stakes.
"Mr. Harrington?" Sarah's voice wavered, betraying the fear that gripped her. " The.. The gunmen, they want you to come out of your office. Or.. Or..," she couldn't bring herself to say the words that they were going to kill her. Sarah shaken up, unable to completely finish her sentence, as the thought of the ramifications on what will happen to her and the others ran through her mind, if she doesn't get her boss to come out. The gunman pressed the gun deeper into her skull. The line remained silent for a long agonizing moment. Sarah felt a glimmer of hope, believing her boss would just surrender himself and this would all be over with. The receiver cracked on the other end, as her boss's voice came through. "I'm not coming out" *click* he said as the line went dead.
Sarah's heart sank and tears began to heavily stream down her face. As she looked down at her phone, with 'call ended', being shown across her screen. The gunman's face twisted with rage, as he snatched the phone from Sarah, redialing the number. "Last chance boss," he growled into the phone. "Come out or we will start executing the hostages, one by one, starting with your secretary." *Click* the line went dead again. The gunman's blood boiled, as he shattered Sarah's phone, on the marble floor. "If I don't do anything, I'm going to die here," Sarah thought to herself. With the gunman distracted, she elbowed him in his side, forcing him to indistinctly drop his gun. Sarah tried to run towards the boss's office, but was quickly yanked forcibly by her hair.
The gunman pulled Sarah roughly towards him causing her head to bleed a little. "You stupid fucking bitch," he said, as he slapped her aggressively, causing her to become dazed and her vision blurred. "Since you want to be a hero, how about I take you out first," the gunman said, as he pulled out a knife, and stabbed her in the side, twisting it, pulling it out, and stabbing her again. Sarah's eyes widened with shock and horror, as she looked down, and saw her white shirt turned blood red . "Fuck I'm really going to die here," she said, as she grabbed her side with her left hand, while trying to brace herself against the gunman with her right. The gunman wickedly smiled at her, as she doubled over in pain.