Written In The Stars

Chapter One

|UNEDITED|

The cold December rain poured down on me violently. The ice drops sending my skin into a numbing sensation as I rushed through the busy streets of New York.

With each step, the rain began to fall harder, the drops like pellets of ice bruising my skin. I cursed myself mentally for not bringing my umbrella and instead leaving it untouched at the front of my door.

A grumbling sound escaped past my lips as I shoved and pushed my way through the swarm of civilians, not bothering to reply to their shouts of annoyance and protests.

My time frame was hanging by a thread, my absence most likely noticed at the work place. I knew it wasn't going to go down well with my boss, he wasn't exactly the most understanding man, and employees who lacked punctuality always managed to piss him off to no end.

The constant beeping of cars and crazy New Yorkers shouting profanities at one another all faded into a blur. The only thing that I could see was what the future held for me when I arrived at the office. Confrontation wasn't my best suit, and confrontation with my boss was defiantly on my list of things to avoid. His vicious attitude towards those who surrounded him was always a bothersome, the worst part about my situation was that I was his personal target.

By the time I reached my destination, I was freezing to the brim, with drowned hair that stuck to my face and soaked clothes that clung to me like a second skin. I had no time to dwell on my appearance though, knowing that I had far worse things to worry about.

Opening the grungy metal doors, I paced through the hallway, desperate to make it to the elevator. I didn't dare to stop short, knowing that as each second ticked by, the madder he grew.

I could only wait in anticipation as the numbers rose on the small screen, one floor by one, and all at once I was standing outside my boss' office. With a shaky fist hovering over his wooden door, I hesitantly knocked.

"Come in." He barked, his voice filled with leashed anger and fury. I could only imagine his narrowed eyes and clenched jaw, as well as his usual scowl he wore often. I shivered, knowing I was going to be the one receiving his rage.

I couldn't help but gulp, trying to rid myself of the fright that was making my whole body shiver, not wondering, but instead expecting what was to come.

Slowly, unsurely, I opened the door.

The soft creek felt like an alarm to my ears, willing me to run for away from my fate, but something inside me stopped me from doing so.  The terrified side of me that knew the consequences that would come of my actions. I could get through this. When the door was fully open, I stood between the door frame, covering my fearful expression with a neutral look.

Don't let him get to you.

I willed myself, silently pleading. The last thing I needed was a weight on my chest, filled with degrading words and insults. I couldn't let him break me. Not now, not ever.

The room was its usual messy self, with papers piled up heavily on shelves, his desk cluttered with coffee cups and empty fast food wrappers. The strong scent of coffee and febreze lingered in the air, trying to mask the dreadful smell of sweat and dust that usually invaded the air.

My eyes finally snapped over to where my boss was positioned, leaning against his ruffed up leather chair, his eyes burning with a sea of anger.

His bold head shined in the dim light, his suit a crimped mess with the top few buttons undone. He looked the same as he always did, except today he had a slight change to him. I scanned the room, confused as to what I was missing, until my eyes landed on the half bottle of whiskey sat firmly on his desk.

My eyes widened in shock, his posture and facial expression becoming clear to me.

His eyes were blood shot red, as if he hadn't slept for days. His posture sat limply on his desk chair, apart from his clenched fists, as he held them sharply on the table. It was only then that the strong smell of alcohol burdened me, a smell so strong not even perfume could mask it. I hadn't noticed before, most likely because my mind was too stuck in cowardliness and fear.

I stood frozen in my place, waiting for him to speak.

"Ardella." He seethed, his lips met with an angry scowl. "Care to explain why you failed to show up on time?" his words slurred slightly, but I managed to make out every one perfectly.

"Well, it was impossible to catch a cab this morning, you know with the rain and all, and then when I finally did there was an accident further down the street so I just had to walk the rest of the way, and I'm not a very good walker, I can tell you that for free." I laughed nervously, my tendency to ramble in fearful situations kicking in. I pleaded my mouth to snap shut, but to no avail, it carried on.

He didn't seem to take note of my answer, instead he just grunted in annoyance, levelling me with a cold stare.

"You know I don't appreciate slackers, Ardella." The way my name slipped past his lips sent my stomach in knots, a sickening sensation swimming in the pits of my stomach. I stood firmly on my feet, not daring to move an inch in fear of falling.

"Come here." he sighed, leaning back in his chair. His eyes were masked over with a layer of amusement, making me squirm in detest. I tried to swallow the sharp knife that had been lodged at the back of my throat, stabbing me until it felt like I couldn't breath, and reluctantly took a step forward.

"You've pissed me off Ardella, I was in a good mood this morning." He spoke, his voice blunt and deprived of emotion. The scene gave me a a sense of deja vu, my mind feeling as though I had been in this spot, in this situation another time before. I had been. I knew that. This was just another replay. Another dose of painkillers and aching limbs the next day.

"S-sorry?" I apologised, although I spoke the word as if it was a question, not really sure of how to approach the situation at hand. I knew I had messed up when I saw his jaw tick with aggravation, shaking his head in annoyance, eyes glazed over with a type of cruelty I found my body shrink away from.

The air was dark, my skin was cold, trembling underneath the anticipation of what was to happen in the next few seconds. I braced myself for the impact, already feeling my body burn from the violence. I wasn't even in reaching distance yet.