Finally, I was finished with this god-forsaken job. My fingers deftly danced across the touch screen as I typed my employee number into the system and clocked out. I’ve been here since eight-thirty this morning, and it was close to midnight now. I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed and forget the day. It just sucks that the pay here was far too good to give up.

I walked into the back and grabbed my simple green sports bag hanging from a green rack next to all the other chef’s coats. I carried this with me since I lost my car a few weeks back due to unfortunate mechanical issues that I had yet to fix. Usually I carried a phone charger, a notebook, and a few other essential items around in case I needed them. But that stemmed more from my phobia of being caught unprepared than anything else.I had to learn that the hard way.

A soft sigh escaped my lips as I quickly removed my chef’s coat, placed it on a hanger and back onto the rack. ‘They were clean enough’, I suppose, and besides, I was off tomorrow, so it’s not like it actually mattered. If I caught heat for it, they could say something to me on Monday. I threw the sports bag across my back and let out a giant yawn as I reached up and pulled off my hat. Frustratingly enough however my hair got caught on the back portion and went along for the ride causing my scalp to tingle.

Damn hair, maybe it was time to cut it off, and possibly even dye it if I am at it already. While the honey brown color was nice, maybe I could switch to something a little darker, just to match the dark green of my eyes. It was food for thought at least, but I'll see how I feel tomorrow. I shrugged and pushed the stray thought to the side and slid my fingers through my hair to work out the build-up of knots that seemed to gather here every single day. It was so tiring working here every day and I couldn’t wait to go home and crash into my soft bed.

Without a second glance into the restaurant behind me, I opened the back door and entered the night. The first thing I noticed was how cold it is. It bit my exposed skin and a slight tremor shook my body. I didn’t realize it was going to be this cold tonight, otherwise I would have brought a jacket. Note to self: Don’t forget the jacket next time.

I clenched my jaw and walked over to the fence that enclosed the back dock and pushed open a small gate hidden in the corner. The already rusty metal groaned in strong protest as it swung open, and I stepped out into a large driveway. I glanced around once more and after seeing it vacant I followed the narrow concrete path down to the sidewalk, before finally hitting an empty main road. There were dozens of stores that filled this small commercial district. It was a charming area and easy on the eyes. I would easily describe it as being very upscale, though at this time of the day it lay dark and lifeless.

My arms trembled slightly, and my legs ached, but I pushed the pain to the side as I came up to a stop sign. My mind was wandering, and I was so enthralled with my thoughts that I almost didn’t see that a car blazed past. It was probably a good thing I stopped here. Let that be a reminder to look both ways before crossing a street. I clenched my teeth and hissed at the idiot before went back to walking

I would have usually ordered a ride or something, but I honestly didn’t feel like doing that right now. It was a decent night, a bit chilly, but the otherwise clear and fresh air helped tremendously to clear my mind. I walked up the gentle slope of a hill and onto a main road into the city. The road was reasonably empty tonight, and it’s something I massively appreciated. There wasn’t a single soul in sight and nothing that could annoy me. I mindlessly walked through the town, basking in the deafening silence, broken only by the occasional passing of a roaring vehicle.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and glanced at the time. It was two-thirty and I walked for almost two and a half hours by now. My destination, my house was slowly getting in sight. It sat at the city center and I could be home in five minutes, but I was thinking about a slight detour because my mind wasn't yet fully cleared. Ignoring my legs and how they felt about my decisions, I enjoyed the quiet night and the freedom that I felt because of it.

My eyes danced across the silent city street. Light poles shone with their cool orange glow, chasing away the darkness that clung to everything, but the weird thing that caught my interest was, how the light seemed to frame the entrance of the local park. It was odd how the light seemed to point me there.

‘The exhaustion must be getting to me’, I guess. I yawned and shrugged. ‘Maybe I should sit down for a second.’ I meandered through the freshly cut grass that would no doubt garner me twisted looks, and towards a small gray stone bench that wasn’t too far into the park. Another yawn escaped my lips, as I wandered over and sat down to gaze at the park,

There were so many trees clustered together, with faint rays of moonlight that cut through the canopy of them. Silver light slipped through the canopy of the trees and kissed the tops of the freshly trimmed grass. Red and gold flowers grew in small clusters around the park guarded by small fences that stood in vigil.. This was a newer addition to the city, if my memory served correct. But having a small park like this did wonders to the feel of the city. Not everything had to be a monotone concrete jungle.

I let out a long and tired sigh as I settled on the bench. The biting cold air, had long since lost its edge, and its place, was the soft ache of taunt muscle. My feet ached from the amount that I had walked today and my calves burned from pushing them as hard as I did. I probably should have called an Uber or something, but it felt strangely liberating to break away from my routine.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

It was moments like this that made me question my life. I was stuck as a line cook, with prospects of becoming sous, but I honestly don’t think I want to stay in this field much longer.

I love my job, I do, but man, was it grinding me down, and taking the last bits of my soul from me. The anger, stress, and repetition of it all was becoming too much for me to bear.

I was the one who decided not to go to college, so it was my fault that my options were so limited. A dejected sigh escaped my lips, and a small cloud of condensed water hovered in the air around me for a moment, before it dissipated. I had no clue where my life was going, and I refused to remain a line cook for the rest of my life. I wanted something more to my life than this dead-end job. But I was too tired to think about that now. My hands wandered to my pocket and retrieved my phone. I knew no one was going to text me this late, but it was already a habit to glance through it anyways.

With the obvious question answered, I put my phone to sleep, placed it back into my pocket and crossed my arms. These were thoughts for another day. I was too tired to think now. Maybe it was time I went home and tried to get some sleep while I still could. I pushed myself off of the bench, keenly aware of the dull ache that resonated in the soles of my feet, and started the final trek home.

However, just as I was preparing to leave, a strange sight caught my attention. It was a flicker of light that sat behind a small grouping of trees tucked away in the far corner of the park. It was something that I only just barely noticed. A part of me said that I should probably turn around and completely ignore whatever that was. Another aspect of me was just curious about what was going on over there. It was a bit of a mental struggle, but sadly, my curiosity won.

I quietly crept over the grass and towards the cluster of trees. A small distance from the trees was something that looked like a strange vortex that pulsed with an even stranger light. Whispers reached out into the air. They were indiscernible, but they latched onto me and fed into my thoughts, and it took everything I had to not run into that strange thing. Instead, I pressed myself against the closest tree and peeked out from around it. My fingers dug into the bark, and I shoved my heels into the dirt, to stop myself from wandering towards whatever that was. But my thoughts were pulling away from me. Whatever that thing was, it was offering me freedom, a chance at a new life. Power, if I would reach out and take it.

My eyes remained locked onto the vortex as it flickered and rotated on an invisible axis. It would fade slightly before coming back to full intensity. However, there seemed to be no real rhyme or rhythm to it. With sheer force of will, I tugged my eyes away from the vortex and pulled myself against the tree. More whispers reached out to me, begging me to take this chance. They told me there wasn’t much time left, that I needed to reach out, and take what lay within. dozens of whispered voices crashed into my mind, tearing away my thoughts like paper, and I felt a thin trickle of warmth trickle down my nose.

Should I go into that portal? What if it’s dangerous? Thoughts that I recognized as my own bubbled through the haziness of my mind, and my fingers curled around the tree bark. The rough feeling did little to distract me from the pain that was budding in my chest. I could turn around and pretend nothing was there and live my life. Everything would be perfectly fine, right? Or I could give in and investigate further. I mean, it looked to be a portal, so could it really be that bad if I were to investigate?

The whispers grew in volume, and the haze settled back in my mind like a thick syrup. ‘This is what you wanted, isn’t it?’ A voice pierced my mind, and I felt a pain blossom in my head. ‘I offer you freedom and purpose. Take it.’ My legs took on a mind of their own, and drug me forward. Even as I mentally screamed into the closing void of my mind. Everything should be okay if I touch it. Right? Thoughts that I knew belonged to me crashed into the growing maelstrom of my mind only to be washed away by the compulsion that took over my body. The haze tightened around me. I got closer to it and I felt the last of my anxiety fall away. This was a chance at freedom. I should take it while I still can. Why was I fighting it?

A low thrumming sound emanated from the surrounding air that pulled on the edges of my soul. Faint blue light radiated from the edges of the portal and cast a soft light onto the surroundings. As I got closer to the portal, I could make out something that looked like a ruined stone hallway of some sort. The dilapidated halls were lined with torches that had long been extinguished. The only light was that which came from the portal. I pulled my gaze away and looked around to see if anyone was nearby, and an idea struck me. I could walk through this now, and no one would ever know. It was a chance for me to start over and work towards a better life than what I am living right now.

I struggled with the idea for quite a while. This wasn’t me. Why did I want to go through a portal? I fought against the haze as best I could, but the whispers grew even stronger, eroding my will. I honestly just wanted to get away from my life, so why was I fighting? I wanted to start fresh somewhere, so why not take it? 'Come.’ Another whisper commanded me to take a step forward, and I did. It was right after all, so why argue with it? I felt a smile cross my face and warmth trickled into my mouth, coating my tongue with the taste of iron. It was dumb that I was fighting this hard, so I should just stop. I reached up and pressed my hand against the dancing portal. The light felt like jello, as it bounced against my hand. But I pushed into it. At first it resisted, before it gave way and wrapped itself around me. It felt like I was trying to go through a wall of syrup.

My hand sank into it, and it sucked me in. A cool warmth gripped my arm, and I felt my muscles relax. Pains that had gripped me for years, melted like ice in the summer sun. Cracks filled the air, as I felt my bones shift slightly under my flesh, causing my consciousness to flare back into existence. Panic blossomed into my chest, as I tried to pull my arm away from the portal. But it yanked me forward, and darkness claimed my vision. For what felt like an eternity, I finally felt at peace.