Water slowly dripped from the rust stained faucet. The uncomfortable cold of the metallic sink travelled through Leo’s arms as he rested his hands on it. He shivered as the last of his drowsiness disappeared under the temperature shock. The valve turned with its familiar squeak, and as the trickle of icy cold water became stronger, so did the metallic scent that had Leo always questioning the quality of the local tap. Without giving much thought - for fear of changing his mind - Leo splashed a handful of water on his face. He shivered again as it ran down his bare neck and chest, banishing the leftover warmth of his bed sheets.

“Fucking hell, it’s cold today.” Leo spoke to no one in particular.

The damp bath towel in the bathroom brought some reprieve to the cold while Leo checked himself in the too small mirror placed above the sink. A recent haircut gave Leo a clean, almost military look, although his beard would often like to disagree. It was a constant battle between razor blade and thick, stumpy hair fought on his chin and cheeks. 

“Time to shave again.” Leo said with an exasperated sigh.

‘Just one more unavoidable ritual I learned to put up with in order to fit some of society’s pointless standards.’ He thought while soaping his face and reaching for his cheap razor.

“Man, I wish I had more of those fancy shaving creams.” Leo told himself as the not so sharp blade prickled his skin. “Pity they are so expensive.”

With the shaving done, Leo set his razor down on the sink and took a good look in the mirror.

‘No stubs and no blood. As good as I could hope.’ He thought as he assessed the state of his face with his fingertips.

His right hand left his chin and he took a long hard look at himself in the mirror. With a step back his upper body entered the frame and he allowed himself a cathartic moment as he juxtaposed his teenage and current self. He had always been skinny while growing up, and although those days were years behind him, it had taken no small amount of effort to build the constitution he currently enjoyed. 

Nutrition, supplements, training and countless hours watching and reading about how to improve his body. It did pay off in the end, and that brought a considerable measure of happiness and satisfaction for Leo.

It had only been a month after his graduation from civil engineering in college when Leo decided to try his luck in the big city and build himself a career. Three months later and with nothing to show for it, he was starting to doubt himself. Leo wasn’t one to easily give up, but he was smart enough to not fight a losing battle. He just couldn’t decide if this was one yet, despite all the signs of an economic recession.

The cold water from the shower brought Leo some reprieve from these bleak thoughts, but he was far too caught up in his worries to let it go easily. He distractedly went through the motions of his morning rituals as he prepared for another round of interviews in yet another attempt to land a job.

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With the towel wrapped around his waist Leo left the bathroom and moved into the bedroom, which also doubled as a living room and kitchen. The apartment was small, one could call it spartan, but so was the allowance his parents gave him until he found a job. Leo didn’t mind, he was actually grateful for it. His only wish was to have something to show for all the trust his parents put on him.

The street sounds were almost nonstop in the city center. Loud engines, poorly oiled brakes and the honking of indifferent drivers cut short Leo’s reverie. With a hint of irritation, he closed the window and turned on the TV. The morning news show was playing and Leo only paid it half mind as he went about getting himself dressed and ready for the day.

"...The case of mysterious kidnappings continues to elude authorities. The G20 meeting that happened yesterday proposed to install a special task force to investigate these baffling disappearances around the world…". The anchor, a well dressed woman with impeccable makeup and hair, spoke in the monotone only professional newscast can hope to achieve.

“This thing is so absurd that even conspiracy theorists are starting to sound believable.” Leo mumbled as he closed the buttons on his undershirt.

Beep-Beep

Beep-Beep

The phone sang its annoying wake up tune, but today Leo had woken up earlier than he needed and could take things slowly. Not to say he could sit and daydream, traffic in the metropolis can be quite unpredictable. With one last look in the mirror, Leo adjusted his tie knot and fixed the lapel of his suit’s jacket. The navy blue suit with black tie was a gift from his parents. Although of good quality, it was starting to show its share of wear and tear with the almost daily usage.

Satisfied with his looks, Leo grabbed his brown briefcase and moved towards the door. The voice of the news anchor stopped him short of opening it as he had forgotten that the TV was even on.

"... According to the responsible authorities leading the investigation of the disappearances in the country, it's likely that a new wave of kidnapping will be happening today. Mr. Robinson says, 'The kidnappings have been cyclic, happening every three months. Today closes another cycle.' His advice is to avoid being alone and…"

Leo absentmindedly turned off the TV as he barely registered the words of the news anchor. His focus was already on the route to the interview and where he could grab a bite of something to eat. After locking up the door to his apartment and deciding on the turkey sandwich at the metro station convenience store, Leo hurried down the steps of the building and into the streets.

The exhaust of cars and old buses coupled with the humid air instantly made Leo’s skin feel sticky. The street was a cacophony of mechanical sounds even early in the morning as Leo moved along with the ever growing crowd of people. Luckily, his bus arrived at the same time as he reached the proper stop. The ride was uneventful, albeit faster than usual due to Leo’s early rise.

Leo weaved the press of bodies as he descended the stairs of the subway station. He caught another lucky break as he approached the convenience store and saw that only one person was currently in line. In less than two minutes he was on his way to the platform happily munching on a delicious turkey sandwich.

The ever growing crowd of people on the waiting platform didn’t have to wait long as the metro arrived shortly. Leo stuffed his mouth with the rest of his sandwich as he made it inside and was blessed with an empty seat. Feeling happy with how the day was going, he allowed himself a smile before resting his head on the wall of the train cart and watching the concrete walls rapidly pass by as the train pulled away from the station. 

As the train picked up speed, so did an intense feeling of tiredness grew inside Leo. Eventually, he had to fight to even keep his eyes open. As it became even stronger, Leo couldn’t help but close his eyes and fall asleep as another feeling had just started to bloom deep inside his chest. A feeling of foreboding.