The Revival

Chapter Two - Part III

Jessica Thomas pulled the key out of the car ignition. She provided a sigh of nervousness, then opened the driver door and stepped out of her vehicle door. Standing in front of the office building of Duckworth Incorporated, she looked for a sign to confirm that this was the correct address and building. After a brief moment of thought, she admired the building. It was not a short building, about eight stories high. The dark windows on the building’s exterior displayed only the reflections of the white, naked trees surrounding it.

Jessica approached the entrance of the building. A small banner hung above the entrance door that read:

WELCOME TO DUCKWORTH INCORPORATED:

THE FUTURE OF TOMORROW IS TODAY

She pressed her face against the cold, black glass to view the building's interior, but all she was able to see was a reflection of her face until her warm breath transformed it to a silvery opaqueness. She took a small step back and pushed the door open.

“Hello?” she said much quieter than she intended as she took her first few steps into the building.

There were no lights on the ceiling, but it was brightly illuminated inside. The brilliance surprised her as the exterior’s black glass panels disguised the transparency from within. Her footsteps echoed from the marble floor throughout the expansive, open mezzanine. An empty reception desk sat along the east wall. Positioned in the center of the room were four black leather couches arranged in an open square with a black marble coffee table as the nucleus.

“Hello?” she repeated, this time able to muster it out a bit louder. “Mr. Duckworth? Are you here? It’s Jessica Thomas. I’m here for my first day of work…as your secretary.”

Her words echoed off the ceiling and back down to the floor. She moved closer to the couches and coffee table and listened to her loud footsteps ricochet from the floor to the ceiling.

“Welcome!” shouted Mr. Duckworth.

“Ah,” startled Jessica. “Mr. Duckworth, you frightened me! I-”

“I know, Ms. Thomas, I know,” he babbled as he approached her from behind.

Troy offered a hand gesture indicating her to sit on the couch, to which she obliged.

“It’s not something I had planned to do, but I noticed your timidity as you entered, so I exposed it. Perhaps you will be more comfortable tomorrow.”

“Ha,” Jessica laughed as she recollected her breath, “I do hope I am more eased once tomorrow morning arrives.”

“Yes, of course. I’m sure you will be at much ease tomorrow. So, do you have the form you were supposed to bring this morning?” inquired Troy. 

Jessica, startled by Troy’s quick change in emotion, matched his efforts with a swift erase of her pleasant smile and reached into her bag for the envelope.

“Thank you, Ms. Thomas,” said Troy as he received her offer.

“You’re welcome,” replied Jessica with crescendoed uncertainty.

“Are you curious as how the illumination system functions? Curious of the brightness in this dark palace?” asked Troy with excitement.

“I....I suppose it does escape my understanding,” she admitted.

“Well, let me just say that it is natural, Ms. Thomas. And natural beauty and functionality is what Duckworth Incorporated is after—and efficiency, of course. In fact, the sunlight is strengthened as it is collected in the window panels, which then store it for later use. The same goes with these floor tiles. They, too, collect and store the sun’s energy, saving it for when the sun decides to rest,” explained Troy.

“What happens when the sun decides to rest for a long time?” asked Jessica, curious.

“These panels are indefatigable, Ms. Thomas. They cannot be outdone by the sun,” he boasted.

“Well,” she began, buying time by elongating the word.

“Are you ready for your first task at Duckworth Incorporated?” yelped Troy as he stood up from the coach, thrusting his hands into the air, his wrist catching and throwing his tie over his shoulder.

“Yes, sir!” she responded nervously.

Troy began to walk around the outside of the couch setup, skimming his hand along the top of the couches as he spoke.

“You don’t need to worry, Ms. Thomas,” he began in a soothing voice. “Duckworth Incorporated will take care of all of your worries. Please, relax. Calm your nerves. Change is coming, but people, like you, are afraid of change, and you are changing your life. But I promise you; there is no reason to worry. Your life has changed for the best.”

“Okay,” she shrugged off his claim. “I’m not nervous. Rather, I’m excited to see what this day brings. So, what’s my first task?”

Troy slid his way in between two of the coaches and returned to a seating position, this time on the couch to the left of Jessica.

“Your first task is to send out these invitations for your coworkers,” he said. “Here, let me make this easy for you.”

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a bundle of black envelopes.

“There you go,” he assured as he handed them to Jessica. “Each of them is already addressed and labeled. All I need you to do is to take them to be delivered.”

“That’s it?” she asked.

“Well, you did ask for your first task, did you not?” he asked quietly.

He then raised his volume to his more familiar, confident voice.

“Please, however, deliver them without error. They are rather expensive invitations,” he winked after a brief pause.