1 Just another day at the office

Eleven people in the last twenty-four hours have gone missing in the small town of Quarry Station in downtown Pennsylvania. There has yet to be any information as to what happened.

Every associate in the office gathered around the television to watch as the latest story unfolded. In such a small town, news travels fast especially when the population is less than a thousand residents. I leaned my shoulder against the doorframe of my office and watched as the other lawyers crowded into the main lobby.

Melissa Gramble was the most recent person to disappear last night after leaving work. She never returned home after finishing her shift at the Silverton Clinic. Melissa drives a blue Toyota Corolla which has not yet been located. CCTV captured her driving out of the Silverton Clinic parking lot, but no further videos of her car have been found. If anyone has any information on her whereabouts or any connection to the case, please call 1-800-24…

"That's enough of this," Christina said, snatching the remote up from the receptionist's desk. The television flicked off causing the room to become eerily silent. We all pivoted our attention to Christina as she began to speak again. "I know that everyone has been on edge lately with the recent disappearances but that is no excuse to forget that we all have jobs to do."

Christina Harper and Larry White were the managing partners here at Harper and White Litigations. The rest of us lackeys do whatever they want, whenever they want, no questions asked. That's not me complaining though. I mean hell, if anything, I'm happy that I work here. Nothing is ever personal, it's always just business. Exactly how I prefer it. No happy birthday cards, no holiday festivities, and no homelife talk. The perfect family for someone who never wanted a family in the first place. To top it all off, Larry was on long-term leave due to the passing of his mother.

I watched as everyone scattered back into their respective corners and buried their heads in the mountain of paperwork that we were all far too familiar with.

Christina sauntered over to my office and greeted me with a forced grin. "Now Ava, if you stand there long enough you might just begin to collect dust. How about you try and do the job I hired you for?"

"Yes, ma'am," I nodded while returning to my desk. Taking a seat, I opened my laptop only to realize Christina had now entered my office and shut the door behind her.

"Don't think I haven't noticed your dedication, Ava. We are very aware of your skills and appreciate that you put this company above all else. Just keep doing what you're doing and you will make Partner in no time," Christina said in a hushed tone.

"Thank you. I will not let you down."

"You better not," she said while exiting my office.

She left the door open this time and I watched as it swayed slightly before coming to a halt. I sat frozen as I contemplated her words. My nameplate was bolted to the door displaying the words –

Ava Prendell, Senior Associate.

I couldn't help but fantasize about the possibility of everything changing when I finally become Partner.

Ava Prendell, Junior Partner.

The frantic running of the interns right outside the door pulled me out of my thoughts and that was all I needed to shift my focus. Once again, like a well-oiled machine, work became my only priority. I stretched my neck prompting a loud crack to be heard as I began to type away.

***

The laptop screen went black.

"Fuck!" I yelled. "No, no, no…" I banged on the keyboard furiously.

"Hey, you ready to head out?"

"What?" I asked without lifting my head.

"Ava?" the same voice bellowed.

Sighing, I turned my attention away from my computer and saw my colleague, Liam Coleson. The same colleague who has been trying to get me to date him for three years. In all honestly, Liam seemed like an upstanding guy but that's exactly why he was a problem. I didn't have time for distractions. If I wanted my five-year plan to work, I couldn't afford to let anyone or anything hold me back. Constantly turning Liam down wasn't enough to escape his advances though because even when I didn't deserve it, he would always walk me out to my car and bring me tea every morning. He was persistent, I'll give him that. And to top it all off, he was the only one in the office who knew something real about me. He knew the reason I didn't let people in easily.

"I just lost everything!" I yelled. "My computer must have crashed or something!"

Liam rounded my desk and peered at the back screen in front of me. "Can't you just deal with it tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" I asked while turning to look at the clock. It was already 6:56 p.m. "Fuck, it's closing time."

"Yeah," Liam grinned sheepishly. "So, do you want me to walk you out or..."

"No, I just lost hours of work. I have to do it over. The deadline is tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. sharp," I sighed. "So unless you have any IT skills to fix this computer you can go home."

"Are you sure? I can help you if you – "

"No," I cut him off abruptly. "Just go home, Liam."

He shrugged his shoulders before turning to exit the room. A split second before leaving he faced me again. "Just a tip though. You may want to try and plug in your laptop to charge it."

"What?" I mumbled in confusion while grabbing the charging cable. Sure enough, it was not plugged in but instead hanging limply off the side of my desk. "Fuck…"

"You're welcome," he winked while grinning smugly.

And with that, Liam left.