I knew she had arrived by the deep red hair that peaked through the small classroom window.
She always wore a smile, the wrinkles around her lips becoming more prominent with age.
Like a porcelain doll that's been sitting in the attic for over a decade, beaten and bruised. Yet, still holding the same beauty that she'd been created with.
I'm waiting for her to enter the room, knowing she's convincing the receptionist for a lolly.
The routine was always the same, the deep red hair, the small talk between her and the receptionist, and then a lolly on the way out the door.
She finally opens the door, dawning the biggest smile on her face, her wrinkles reaching the corners of her eyes.
She opened her arms wide as I ran into them. Balancing me up on her hip, she unwrapped the treat on the way to the car.
The parking lot doesn't have many vehicles at this time of the day, but the red 1998 Ford Explorer stands out the same as it would in a filled lot.
We didn't have much to our names, but we have enough to make us happy. She graces me with a forehead kiss before buckling me into my car seat, and shuts the door.
The sun's heat through the windows makes my skin warm as I start to drift asleep on the drive home.
Nana's boyfriend always gives me the biggest hugs when I get home. He's sitting in his recliner, arms above his head with his eyes trained on the door.
Bursting through it, I ran to him, jumping on top of his beer belly.
The recliner caves in from the amount of time he's spent in it and there are stains on the arms and back from some of my wild adventures.
"How was your day, little one?" He asks, turning me around to sit on his lap.
"We learned about dinosaur bones!" I squeal.
He chuckles, leaning over to reach into the table beside him. I watch as he grabs my Cinderella brush.
I love when he brushes my hair, he's gentle and always rewards me with candy afterwards.
Once he's done, I turn around and frown, noticing everything and everyone around me starts to fade away...
As things came back into focus, the sunset poured through the kitchen, illuminating it in shades of orange.
I'm sitting at the dining room table, in the golden sundress that Nana picked out for me last week. The table is set up by the back door and takes up the majority of the tiny kitchen.
It's chestnut brown with black swirls going in all directions, with minimal dents.
Suddenly, Nana's being pushed in a wheelchair by Uncle Bobby and Uncle Derik in a hurry. Everyone is talking at once, but I don't understand what they are saying.
I'm just learning the meaning of full sentences and how to form conversations, with the little knowledge I've acquired in my five years of living.
I want to run into her arms and make everything better, even if I don't understand what's going on. I know when I give her a hug that she smiles, and you wouldn't smile if you weren't happy.
A rapid piercing sound started to make its way through the house, I knew from experience that it can only mean one thing.
The fire alarm started going off as they rushed her out the door. Everything and everyone around me is fading away again.
I jolted up in a frenzy, panic flooding into my brain, not fully processing what that loud sound was.
As the panic lifts, I recall it's one of the many alarms I set. I quickly grab my phone to silence it and check the time, praying I didn't sleep in.
I tend to sleep past my alarms due to my restless nights.
"Shit, I'm so fucked." I groan, rubbing my eyes and hoping I read the time wrong.
I calm my racing heart as I recall the nightmares that plague my brain each night. They are taking a toll on my body, making each morning difficult.
I'm not certain I've slept a full night in my life, and I certainly won't be achieving it any time soon.
Releasing a slow exhale, I ready myself to tackle the morning.
"Here we go." I murmur to myself, before rushing out of bed to go to the bathroom.
I rub my eyes, opening them wide to see the damage done. My sun-kissed skin, with the light sprinkling of freckles across the nose, compliments my emerald green eyes.
The once curly mane now lays frizzy and straightened, dark brown hues turning dusty red in the sunlight.
Not having the energy to maintain my hair on a daily basis, it's normally secured in a hair clip
I gaze in the mirror, looking to expunge the mess from the previous day.
The mascara I applied yesterday has smudged halfway down my cheeks while I was sleeping because I, once again, forgot to remove it the night before.
After cleaning up around my eyes and reapplying mascara, I brush my teeth with my electric panda toothbrush.
Finally, I release my hair from the clip and fluff it out to give it volume. I let it settle over my shoulders, flowing halfway down my back.
Once I'm satisfied with my look, I rush back into my bedroom to get dressed.
I ran over to my little closet, standing on my tiptoes to reach the rusted chain hanging by the light bulb.
I comb through the rows of clothes, needing to find a professional outfit for the interview.
A white blouse with small white roses embroidered across the neckline made its way into my view.
The short sleeves have three layers of small white ruffles and hugged my cleavage to give them the extra push they desperately need.
Next, a black blazer with three gold buttons down the front to clasp it closed. Paired with a knee length, black pencil skirt.
Five-inch, emerald green stilettos and a shoulder-length black purse with a gold strap, completed my look.
Checking out the final product in the mirror, I was ready. I would land this job, I have to.
I turn all the lights off in my studio apartment, walking out the door and locking it behind me.
Rushing down the blood stained hallway I'm hit with a faint smell of mildew, reminding me of the flood last spring. I burst out of the heavy iron front door, and emerged onto the sidewalk.
I take a breath of fresh air, feeling my lungs discreetly thanking me for vacating the stuffiness of my home.
After the refreshing oxygen intake, I check the Cinderella watch on my right wrist.
"Shit, why did I have to park so fucking far away." I huff, bolting toward my red 2012 Toyota Camry parked in the back corner of the lot.
The driver's side door handle is missing, but I keep a screw lodged in it. If I jiggle it two inches to the right, it will pop open.
It was a pain climbing through the passenger door before a mechanic taught me that trick.
Once the door was open, I tossed my purse into the passenger seat before getting in.
The drive to Caspen Industries takes more time than expected during the morning work rush.
The drivers aren't sympathetic to my tardiness and the many traffic violations didn't help my case.
My car is more reliable than most people though and I can always count on her to get me there. I made it, silently thanking the elderly crossing guard for holding up traffic to let me through.
I pull into the heavily secured parking lot and only manage to find one vacant spot.
I straighten my clothes while taking a deep breath of fresh air before getting out of the car.
I ran across the street, taking notice that the lot was on the side of the building rather than the front or back.
Walking around the corner, lost in thought, I suddenly slammed into a brick wall. The air quickly rushed from my lungs as I regained my balance and rubbed my forehead.
"Fuck, that hurt." I groan, knowing for sure I'll have a small concussion after this with the amount of pain that's rushing to my head.
"Blind and beautiful doesn't suit you." A strange, baritone voice says in front of me.
A tingling sensation rushed down my spine and I couldn't help but feel the disappointment in his words.
Lifting my head, I'm met with a frown. His eyes are trained on mine, his pupils dilating as we make eye contact.
He clenches his jaw and walks into the building without saying another word. I inhale deeply, taking a couple deep breaths, making my way inside the building.
"What the fuck was that?" I mumble, hit with a gust of cool air and a brightly lit lobby.
On the right side of the room is a reception desk, while the left side has floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the ocean that surrounds the island.
It's a spectacular view, but I don't have time to sit around and enjoy it, or else I'll risk being late to my interview.
I hurry over to the receptionist and am greeted by a tall, friendly woman who appears to be in her late twenties.
"Hello, I'm here for an interview, my name is Elizabeth Montgomery." I say, as she looks up from her computer to greet me.
"Let me take a look here." She beams, typing on her computer.
"Oh, yes I see it. I'll let Iris know you're here. If you'd like to take a seat in the waiting area, she'll be with you shortly." She states, her attention falling back to her computer.
I walk to the sofa and sit there until half an hour past my scheduled interview time.
I'm debating on leaving, as a polished woman in her mid thirties casually walks into the lobby with a clipboard in her hands.
She scans the lobby looking for someone and stops when her eyes land on me. She has auburn hair and stands at least a foot taller than me.
Emanating an aura that creates instant authority over everyone in a ten foot radius.
"Is there a requirement on height around here?" I mumble to myself as she approaches me.
"Ms. Montgomery?" She asks with a frown on her face.
"I'm Iris, there's been a slight change of plans, follow me and I'll show you to the conference room." She demands, not waiting for my reply.
She doesn't seem as friendly as the receptionist, but working in HR for a long time can do that to a person. Assuming I'll follow, she turns and makes her way towards the lift.
I beg my legs to move because I need the security this job has to offer.
The doors open and I follow her inside, watching as she presses the button for the thirty-second floor.
There's only thirty-three floors that I knew of, and the lady on the phone, who called to set the interview, told me it'll take place on the eighth floor.
My nerves went into overdrive and my survival instincts threatened to kick in.
I plaster a smile on my face, hoping she doesn't notice the sudden change in my demeanor. After what feels like an hour, the lift doors finally open.
We step out and are greeted by an elderly woman with short, curly blue hair and smile wrinkles that reach her cheek bones.
"Welcome, Ms. Montgomery. We'll be working very closely over the next few months. I'll teach you everything you need to know to get through the day-to-day tasks." She explains, wiping her hand across her forehead. She looks down, shaking her head and subtly smiling.
"Forgive me, I'm rushing the process." She quickly interjects, noticing that I'm shifting my weight from one foot to the other.
"Silly me, before we can start the training I'll need to take you into Conference Room A. Would you like anything to drink while you wait on Mr. Knight?" The nice elderly woman asks me as I follow her through the hallway, and into the first room on the right.
"Water would be delightful." I say, internally thanking her for being so kind.
When she leaves the room I decide to stand by the floor to ceiling windows and take in the beautiful view of the ocean in the distance.
I'm lost in a trance, staring out at the endless blue waves that went on for miles, that I didn't hear someone enter the room.
Suddenly, a tingling sensation ran down my spine and every hair on the back of my neck stood up.
I turn around, locking eyes with the same brick wall I'd bumped into outside not even an hour ago.