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Description
By seven pm the office building that houses Jack Marlon’s office is completely empty.  Except on this night where three figures were still enclosed in the mass of steel and cement.  The third person was the all seeing eye, watching as the other two walked around completely oblivious to any other presence.

Jack sat in his office, on the sofa in the same position as earlier that morning, furiously reading through the documentation piled around him.  A mug of stale coffee sat on a lone paper beside his laptop, a paper bag of fast food was rolled in a ball under the small table he was using as a desk.  Jack was deep in concentration, forced under a weight of stress.  Deep lines of frustration marred his face making him look older than his 50 years.  A stream of short, sharp pounds barely entered his system, as they did he merely mumbled, “come in,” without looking up from his work.

Sally came in carrying a silver flask and a large thermos.  “Coffee,” she said as she stood in front of him.

Jack finally looked up from his work and said, “Thank you.”

“Something stronger in case you need it,” Sally added pointing to the small flask in her hand.

“Thank you all the same, but take it away.  I can’t stand to drink now,” he answered dismissively only now registering a difference in the manner of his secretary.

At the conveyance of her new image, Jack’s first reaction could only be shock. Gone was the innocent, caring young woman, now standing in front of him was a look of disdain.  She appeared, physically, as the naïve woman of 23, but the cold look burrowed into his furrowed mind.  He wasn’t sure what he did wrong, but he wanted to do everything he could to make it right again.

“You haven’t moved from that same spot in five hours.  I don’t know what it is you’re doing, but you better hurry with it.  I took a call ten minutes ago, a very angry man was on the phone, and said he will be ready at midnight.  That gives you five more hours to finish whatever it is he will be ready for.”

“Thank you Sally.  Did the man say anything else?”

“Only that you were in trouble if it wasn’t complete.  I don’t like the sound of this boss!  It sounds illegal to me, and I’m not going to be apart of something illegal.  If you cannot honestly tell me you have done nothing wrong, then I’m quitting, here and now.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong, Sally, I promise you.  I’ve just been cleaning up the mess this business made two years ago,” Jack answered with all the sincerity he could.

“Alright, I believe you.  Can I help?”

“No, Sally, you can’t help here.  Go home and go to bed.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Fine.  But I’m leaving the whiskey.  Good night, boss.”

“Yes, good night,” Jack mustered, the first trickles of fear entering his system.

With that, Sally turned around and closed the office door behind her.  Fifteen minutes later Jack heard her car drive away into the dark autumn night leaving him truly alone.

Description
By seven pm the office building that houses Jack Marlon’s office is completely empty.  Except on this night where three figures were still enclosed in the mass of steel and cement.  The third person was the all seeing eye, watching as the other two walked around completely oblivious to any other presence.

Jack sat in his office, on the sofa in the same position as earlier that morning, furiously reading through the documentation piled around him.  A mug of stale coffee sat on a lone paper beside his laptop, a paper bag of fast food was rolled in a ball under the small table he was using as a desk.  Jack was deep in concentration, forced under a weight of stress.  Deep lines of frustration marred his face making him look older than his 50 years.  A stream of short, sharp pounds barely entered his system, as they did he merely mumbled, “come in,” without looking up from his work.

Sally came in carrying a silver flask and a large thermos.  “Coffee,” she said as she stood in front of him.

Jack finally looked up from his work and said, “Thank you.”

“Something stronger in case you need it,” Sally added pointing to the small flask in her hand.

“Thank you all the same, but take it away.  I can’t stand to drink now,” he answered dismissively only now registering a difference in the manner of his secretary.

At the conveyance of her new image, Jack’s first reaction could only be shock. Gone was the innocent, caring young woman, now standing in front of him was a look of disdain.  She appeared, physically, as the naïve woman of 23, but the cold look burrowed into his furrowed mind.  He wasn’t sure what he did wrong, but he wanted to do everything he could to make it right again.

“You haven’t moved from that same spot in five hours.  I don’t know what it is you’re doing, but you better hurry with it.  I took a call ten minutes ago, a very angry man was on the phone, and said he will be ready at midnight.  That gives you five more hours to finish whatever it is he will be ready for.”

“Thank you Sally.  Did the man say anything else?”

“Only that you were in trouble if it wasn’t complete.  I don’t like the sound of this boss!  It sounds illegal to me, and I’m not going to be apart of something illegal.  If you cannot honestly tell me you have done nothing wrong, then I’m quitting, here and now.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong, Sally, I promise you.  I’ve just been cleaning up the mess this business made two years ago,” Jack answered with all the sincerity he could.

“Alright, I believe you.  Can I help?”

“No, Sally, you can’t help here.  Go home and go to bed.  I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Fine.  But I’m leaving the whiskey.  Good night, boss.”

“Yes, good night,” Jack mustered, the first trickles of fear entering his system.

With that, Sally turned around and closed the office door behind her.  Fifteen minutes later Jack heard her car drive away into the dark autumn night leaving him truly alone.