Chapter 4
John woke the next morning to a faint ringing in his ears. He rolled over in his bed looking at the clock.
'6:50' it read.
'Hmm. I get an early start for a change.' He thought.
He sat up in bed and threw back the covers. He hopped out of bed and walked to the kitchen, scratching and yawning the entire way. He turned on the coffee machine and went to take a quick shower.
John got dressed and ready for work. He filled his travel mug with the coffee he had made and went on his merry way to work.
...
A short time later John's taxi pulled up to the office building where he worked. He payed the fare and entered the building and went up to his floor.
He spoke to everyone as he passed reveling in his good mood and uneventful morning for once. He got to his cubicle and sat down. He set his new briefcase up on his desk and opened it taking out some of his papers and began going through them.
"Psst..! Psstt!"
John heard this as he began his work. A second later a head popped up from the cubicle next to him.
"Pst!"
John finally looked up from his papers:
"Hey Lindsey." He spoke to his cubicle neighbor and friend.
"Hey John," Lindsey said smiling. "I think the boss wants to see you."
"Oh no!" Escaped John's lips.
"I don't know about what though..." Lindsey went on leaning on their cubicle divider.
"Alright." John said taking out his assignment. His head began to fill with thoughts of all the bad possible outcomes of this situation.
John waved to Lindsey as he held his papers to his chest and walked the rows of cubicles to the company's boss's office. The entire time he went he had thoughts of tardiness, missed deadlines, rewrites, and returns. He made it to the office door after what seemed like an eternity. He took a deep breath and knocked.
"Come on in." A voice called.
John did as he was told and peeked in the office. The company Manager sat behind his desk. He looks at his watch:
"Wow you're here early for a change." He said.
John laughed nervously. "Yeah..."
"Have a seat John." The boss said. "What's that you got there?" He continued.
"The... This is... It's my assignment, sir." John said handing it over.
The company manager looked over the assignment mumbling to himself and muttering occasionally.
"How long have you been working for this company, John?" The CO of the company finally spoke up.
"About three months." John answered.
"Mmhmmm." The CO nodded again. "Hmm... Do you enjoy working for this company?"
"Yes, sir." John answered his nerves rising.
"Well can you tell me what this company does?"
"It's an up and coming internet company that is trying to keep the business of the newspaper alive through this changing time by offering an online, environment friendly alternative."
"Good Good." The CO went on. "And why did you start on with us?"
"Hopefully to be able to report on some stories, sir." John cleared his throat and spoke with conviction. "You know some real old fashion reporting."
"Well I've got an assignment for you. There's a doughnut shop that's just opened downtown. I want you to review it. Get an interview with the owner, maybe some of the patrons, you know. You do a good job and there might be a spot for you."
"Really?!" John said excitedly relief filling his body. "That would be great!"
"I'm glad you're excited. Just don't mess it up." The CO spoke up. "You can get the details for the assignment from my assistant in the hall."
"Thank you so much, sir."
"Uh huh." The CO said going back to his work. "You can see yourself out." He went on waving John out of his office.
John got up and walked out the office and went to the desk positioned just outside. He went up to the woman sitting there:
"I think you have details on an assignment for me." John spoke up."
"Oh yes. John right?" The Secretary said flicking her blonde hair over her shoulder and searching through some papers.
John nodded his answer.
"Here you go." The secretary presented John with his assignment in a large manilla envelope.
John took the envelope graciously and headed back to his cubicle. He walked the whole way back with a smile that stretched from ear to ear. He finally made it to his cubicle and sat at his desk opening his assignment.
John turned on his computer and checked the address of the doughnut shop he was supposed to review. He went on to do more research of the area and the resent development and construction that was going on in the same vicinity. He also took out the time to go to the website of the restaurant itself.
"Heavenly Eats And Devilish Treats." John read aloud.
'Apparently the place was more than just a doughnut shop.' John thought. 'They serve food, frozen treats, as well as pastries.'
John continued with his research until...
"Hey... Hey..! Psst!" A voice came from the cubicle next to him.
John looked over and again saw Lindsey hanging over into his cubicle.
"What happened.?!" She asked infaticaly.
"He took my assignment, and gave me another one." John answered.
"That's it?" Lindsey asked fixing John with a stare.
"Well... And he offered me a reporting position!"
"Really?! That's so great!" She all but yelled.
"It's nothing big... And I don't have it yet. I have to do good on this review." John interjected.
"Review?" Lindsey asked holding her hand out for the assignment details.
John handed it over and she examined it.
"Oh, well that's cool. Maybe you can score some free food! Hint... Hint..."
John laughed taking his assignment.
"And hey look at this. I'm doing a story on a high rise that's being built over in that area. Maybe I'll see you there." Lindsey went on.
"Hmm, maybe." John considered.
What time are you headed down there?" Lindsey asked.
In about an hour or so. I want to get some more research done before I go." John answered.
"Cool! We should meet up. Do lunch maybe."
"Sure."
"You got my number right?"
"Yep." John said patting the pocket that held his cellphone.
"Okay give me a call when you're done." She said as she disappeared back down into her own cubicle.
John went back to his research determined to get all the info he could and do his best on this assignment.
...
A few hours later John walked out of 'Heavenly Eats And Devilish Treats' with bags filled with pastries, sandwiches, and other treats. He carried a multi-cup holder with smoothies while also eating a ice cream cone.
John felt accomplished he felt good about how the interview had gone and the info he got for his story. He readjusted his goodies and pulled out his cellphone to call Lindsey. He went through his directory until he found her name and he hit 'call'.
The phone rang... Rang again. Then rang some more, before Lindsey's voice mail finally answered.
"Hi you've reached Lin-" *click*
John ended the call and re-hit the call icon.
The phone rang and rang and rang until finally Lindsey answered.
"Hey, John?" Lindsey could be heard through loud background notice.
"Hey Lindsey... I can barely hear you."
"Yeah? I'm still down here. Come on over." Lindsey spoke up.
John strained to hear her through what sounded like a crowd of people all talking at once.
'Obviously she can't hear me either.' John thought.
"Hey- I'll- you- okay?" Lindsey could be heard again.
"Lindsey? You're breaking up."
As John said this the line went dead and a beep signaling that the call had ended was heard.
John looked at his phone waiting for her to call back. When she didn't he slid he phone back into his pocket. He stood there for a second trying to figure out what to do, when he received a text message. He slid his phone out of his pocket once more and looked at the screen, it was Lindsey.
The text message showed an address apparently it was where she was. It was a few blocks away. John decided to walk there. As he approached the address he noticed a crowd of onlookers standing in front of police tape. John moved in between the throng of people and scurried up to the sectioned off area. He looked around trying to figure out what was going on.
While surveying the scene he saw his friend Lindsey standing on the other side of the police quarantined area. John ducked under the tape still balancing his tray and bags.
"Sir you can't come through here." A police officer said as he approached him with an outstretched hand.
"My friend is over there..." John began, "if I could just..."
"Please get behind the tape sir." Police officer said advancing on him.
"Hey Lindsey!" John called out to her.
Lindsey looked up at the sound of her name. "Hey John!" Lindsey said rushing over to them. "He's with me." She told the officer flashing her press badge.
"Thank you Lins." John said relaxing a little. "What's going on here?"
"I came to do a story on the development of this building here." Kinsey began, mentioning towards the large frame of a skyscraper that was still under construction. "And something happened. Everyone was ordered to evacuate the building and the site itself."
John followed Lindsey up to the corner of the construction site about seven feet away from the actual structure. A young woman with strawberry blond hair rushed up to them carrying a camera:
"Hey Lindsey!"
"Yeah!? What did you find out?" Lindsey asked the woman.
"Well, apparently the building was evacuated because there was some kind of problem with the gas line. And there were a bunch of vagrants squatting in the building trying to keep warm." The woman explained.
"Oh my god! Are you serious?" Lindsay exclaimed in disbelief, as the woman held over her camera to show her pictures of the homeless people being escorted from the building.
John cleared his throat cutting into the two women's collaborating.
Oh, I'm sorry. This is John." Lindsey said the the other woman. "John, this is Victoria." She finished introductions.
"Nice to meet you." Victoria said shaking John's hand.
"Likewise." John said.
"John was just covering the new deli that's opening down the street." Lindsey continued noticing Victoria looking at John's food.
"Really? 'Heavenly Eats And Devilish Treats'?" Victoria asked enthusiastically.
"Yes. How did you know? You've been there?" John asked.
"No, but I was going there after this to take some pictures for the review." Victoria explained with a smile.
"Small world huh?" Lindsey said nudging John so hard he had to catch his drinks.
Before John could rebuttal a woman wearing torn dirty clothes came running towards the police cars: "Please! Please!? My baby is up there!"
Lindsey, Victoria, and John all looked over at the woman.
"She seems really hysterical." Victoria noted.
"I know..." Lindsey spoke up.
"It's going to blow up! They said It's going to explode please!" The woman screamed.
John looked up at the building and saw what looked to be a small child no more than six years old standing at the edge of one of the unfinished levels about seven stories up.
John dropped the bags he was holding and pointed up at the building as he saw flames licking and climbing up the walls on the level behind the boy.
The crowd gradually went hush as they all saw the horrific sight. The police radioed for the fire department as they too saw what was happening.
"Please! Please help my baby! Please!?" The woman cried. "Ma'am let us handle this." One of the officers said holding the panicked mother back.
Sirens could be heard in the distance as help hurried on its way.
"They're not going to make it in time." Victoria cut through the eerie quiet. "They said there's a severe gas leak. It's going to explode."
All the blood seem to rush from John's body as he watched in horror what was playing out before him.
A few long seconds later John saw a trail of dust being kicked up. Before he had the chance to articulate, the dust gave way to a women. An African American woman stood in the clearing. She had a short pixie haircut, and wore a 1970s inspired orange catsuit with a very low cut neckline that didn't conceal much.
John watched as the woman hunched down in a cat-like stance bearing her hands like claws. To his surprise claws did appear. The woman sprang into the air clinging to the building with majestic animalistic grace. She scaled the building's unfinished siding with such ease that in mere seconds she tossed herself up the side to the level where the frightened child was huddled close to the edge cowering away from the fire.
John couldn't take his eyes off of the woman. He watched as she went over to the child and comforted him. But she didn't take him in her arms. She instead touched her neck, or rather an odd looking necklace that hung there. John noted that the jewelry seemed to be made of bone. But even stranger still a white glow rose up from it and took on the shape of a large spider before it seemed to posses her.
She sprang to the ceiling and stuck there much like the arachnid form that had possessed her. She crawled in a line hammering with her feet and hands making holes in the foundation as she crawled along. She allowed herself to fall down and the glow seemed to dispossess her and recede back down into the necklace she wore.
Again she rested her hand on the amulet around her neck but this time a large gorilla enveloped her body. She now went to the child and scooped him up into her arms; positioning him on her hip. She crouched down again differently this time with a primal power, as if every muscle in her body was tensed and on edge.
The woman lunged herself, still holding the child, from support beam to support beam crushing them as she leaped from one to the other. Finally as she smashed the last beam the building seemed to groan as the level began to give in on itself. The woman hurled her and the young boy to the neighboring building a safe distance away as the roof of the level rained down on the inferno extinguishing it. The woman and the child dived free of the avalanche just in the nick of time.
The woman and the child swung down the building to a safe position on the ground. The woman walked over to the crowd and handed the boy to his mother who excepted him in a tearful reunion.
As she did this a series of explosions could be heard from the building. Everyone ducked from the shock.
Lindsey, John, and Victoria exchanged relieved glances as the entire group of onlookers seemed to exhale the breath that they had been holding during the entire perilous scene.