An Anonymous Call

Chapter 11- Settlement

30th March, 2014:

There it was, on my screen. The man had called again. 

I instantly contacted my local network operator to solve the case. They've told me to head down to their base, which was located somewhere in the city. The woman on the phone could only give the least directions to their headquarters. I didn't mind because I was desperate for answers. I didn't want this person to call me ever again. I felt like I was targeted, like my identity was revealed to him and his allies. I wanted everything to stop, to resume ordinary. I wanted the malicious people dead, falling one by one. 

2:00 p.m.:

I was late for lunch. I tapped my fingers on the counter in McDonald's, patiently waiting for my order to be placed on the empty grey tray that was set in front of me. The cashier that had attended me earlier was arrogant and vain. She was in her late thirties, giving me a bold look while she recited my order. She had wine red puckered lips and makeup that was too outstanding. Her foundation did not match her skin tone; her face looked far brighter than her body. She looked like an absolute clown. 

I smirked. Five minutes had gone by and here, my order had finally arrived. I could see the state of the kitchen from behind the counter: chefs grilling patties, workers scrambling here and there to pass orders, and the others were either filling up cups of coke or delivering burgers to the customers. 

I was in a rush. I snatched up my tray and sat at the nearest seat possible. I gobbled a Filet-O-Fish burger and slurped the coke. I left the table in ten minutes, leaving my fries unfinished. 

I sprinted to the headquarters which was only walking distance, past bakeries with tantalizing aromas of freshly baked bread and pastries. It was heavenly. 

I was getting closer to my destination. I just had to wait for the signal to switch to green, and I could cross over to the other end using the pedestrian crossing. 

There was a massive amount of traffic. It was endless. Businessmen rolled down their windows in their elegant black Mercedes to view the magnificent skyscraper that towered over the city. It was one of the tourist attractions in my country, it was a spectacle. It showed how much the world had progressed. 

I crossed the road as the pedestrian signal turned bright green, pointing out that it was safe to cross. 

I walked, beginning with my left feet first. 

I stepped onto the road. Then, I heard the shattering of glass behind me.

I immediately turned back, to face the direction which I had came from. A frosted glass window on the floor above the bakery shop shattered, leaving bits and pieces of glass scattered all over the pavement. There were passersby who stopped in their tracks to observe the window. People started crowding by the scene, and I only froze at the crosswalk. 

Two police officers were nearby. They investigated the scene, demanding the crowd to clear up and dismiss it. I remain where I stood, as if posing for a photoshoot. What I had on as a top was a GEEK Forever 21 crop top in the shade of maroon, and for my bottom I wore a pair of grey velvet leggings which allowed me to move freely and faster in any direction. My shoes were a pair of black Converse All Stars, and I wore a white beanie on my head. I carried a bohemian tassel purse which was slung on my right shoulder. 

A gust of wind blew my hair across my face, and I appeared sluggish. I briefly combed my hair with my fingers, and I was back to normal. 

The crowd had began to lessen, so I managed to take a peep. The police officers were still there, though. I followed their gaze, to reveal a gruesome scene I did not expect. 

A woman lay motionless on the pavement. Her neck was craned upwards, but her piercing stare fell onto me. She was no longer alive. Covered in dark red blood and a posture which was so definite to define, her penetrating peer frightened me and it was hard to tell if she was living or dead. But she was no longer breathing. Her expression was just an illusion to confuse me into thinking her presence was still here, sprawled on the pavement with glass shards encircling her, where people would crowd over in worry. 

"MOVE ALONG!" a clear and loud voice came from my right. A driver in his seat was beckoning me to move across the street to where I was heading to. The signal was flickering, indicating that it would turn red anytime soon. 

"SORRY!" I replied to the man, smiling in gratefulness that he had told me earlier or a vehicle would come crashing into my body, dragging me across the street until my limbs were detached. I quickened my pace, hurrying to the other end. It was just at the right moment when the light turned bright red and the flow of traffic resumed. 

I continued my journey, my objective was only two blocks away. I was tempted to find my answers, to remedy my situation. Along the way, it had came to my senses that nearly everything around me was blurred from my vision when I came into contact with the woman. I felt her minute presence, reaching out to me, clawing at my existence. She was gasping for life, to replenish hers. Could she have discriminated me from others? 

She was not a mortal. I was sure of it. I knew how to differentiate reality and the otherworld. 

Nevermind that, it was over. I abandoned the thought of her that was lingering in my mind. I was ten steps away from the automatic sliding glass door. I remained calm, but inside of me, my excitement was rising. This would be all over soon. Nothing as strange as this could ever happen again.

I approached the door. It's sensitivity was suprisingly low; I almost bumped my nose into the door as it did not open with my presence. Well, after seconds of waiting, it finally did. 

The entrance was grand. It was a marvelous spectacle. There were escalators revealing the second floor where computers and laptops were set on desks and staffs were entertaining customers. The directory was on my left, it said that the second floor was Customer Service. That was where I wanted to go. 

There were up to seventy floors in that magnificent building. Each floor had its own particular position in network operating. There were 30 floors related to the internet and the others were basically related to calls, satellites, etc. I did not want to read everything that was stated on the directory. I had no time to waste. 

I ascended the escalator, which brought me to the second floor. The little machine that was situated on my left printed out a glossy piece of paper, with a four digit number on it. I had to wait in line. There were five more numbers before it reaches my turn. I sat on the freezing metal bench. The air conditioner was blasting above me. I was shivering. 

Although I had to wait in line, I would still be able to solve this dilemma. My nightmares would end.

Problem is, these five people were taking a mighty long time.