Unexpected *

TW

It was a typical morning, the kind of day that made you feel like nothing out of the ordinary could possibly happen. I went through my usual routine, showering and getting dressed before heading out to work. As I approached the building, something caught my eye. A tall man was getting out of his car, and before I knew it, he had shouted out to me. I spun around, startled by his sudden presence.

"Hey!" he called out.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. "Hello, may I help you?" I finally managed to stammer out.

The man looked lost and disoriented. "Ah, yes," he said. "I lost my direction and would be glad if you could tell me in what direction is the Terra Hotel?"

I paused for a moment, taking in his request. "It's that way, sir, u will go straight on the main street and then turn left, you should see it right then," I replied, pointing in the direction he needed to go.

"Thank you," he said, bowing his head in gratitude. With that, he climbed back into his sleek black car and drove off.

As I turned to head into the building, something about the encounter stayed with me. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but there was something odd about the man. Maybe it was the fact that his license plate was from Tokyo, or maybe it was the way he seemed to appear out of nowhere, like a character in a mystery novel.

I just shook my head over my silliness and headed inside.

.

As I sat down at my desk, relieved to finally have a moment of peace, my phone rang. I groaned inwardly as I saw my boss's name flash across the screen.

I dragged myself up from my seat and made my way to his office, knocking gently on the door, half hoping he wouldn't answer.

"Come in," he called out.

I stepped inside, feeling a sense of dread wash over me as I saw the piles of paperwork stacked neatly on his desk. My eyes widened as he handed me one of them. I had the urge to screen and once again I have to be reminded that this is a good job, with a great pay.

As I turned to leave, my boss's voice stopped me in my tracks. "Alice" I gave him a quick glance over the papers "if you see someone suspicious, call me immediately," he said, handing me a piece of paper with his number scrawled across it.

I looked at him confused but took the paper anyway and left his office.

'Was this a new way of flirting?' I chuckled at that though and went back to filing the paperwork.

.

.

.

The sun was setting, casting an orange hue over the city skyline. I wanted to finish my work before leaving, so I stayed for an hour after my shift ended. Finally, I was done and ready to go home.

As I walked out, I saw a car that looked very familiar to the one from this morning. It drove slowly, and my paranoia kicked in. I tried to change direction to see if it would follow me, once I turned I didn't see it anymore, letting out a breath of relief I went back to my normal route- my path was once again crossed with that car. I was scared, and my heart pounded against my chest. Then, I remembered my boss's words, "If you see someone suspicious, call me immediately." No idea who else to call, I took out my phone and dialed his number, hoping he would answer.

The line beeped a few times- "Hello?" I heard a well-known soothing voice on the other side.

Unsure if it was really him, I asked, "Boss?"

"Alice? What's wrong?" he replied, worry rising in his voice.

"I...I don't know. I think a car is following me, I didn't know who else to call, I don't know what to do," my voice trembled as I spoke, and tears threatened to spill from my eyes.

"Take a deep breath and tell me where exactly you are," he said, his voice calm and reassuring.

I looked around my surroundings, "I'm heading towards 'One night'." I said speeding up.

"Alright, go in and stay there!" he instructed-

But before I could respond, I stumbled and fell my phone flying out of my hand right onto the cold concrete and the line went dead. Panic set in as I retrieved my phone from the ground and tried to turn my phone on.

Meanwhile, Blake had been sitting in his office when he heard Alice's scream through the phone. "Alice? Alice!" he called out, praying she could hear him, but the line just frantically beeped, cutting him off. "F*ck!" he cursed under his breath as he jumped out of his chair, racing towards his car to find her. He sped towards the 'One night' motel, hoping to find her safe and sound.