Taste of Danger Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Work, Danger, Mr. Harding

Okay the only thing for it was to go to work….yes I know that was the exact opposite of what that guy had told me…but because I was so crazy scared I couldn’t think straight and all I wanted was for things to return to normal so for some reason my estranged mind told me my best chance for that was to go to work…and also BECAUSE I WANTED TO REBEL AGAINST THIS GUY WHO WAS A PERFECT STANGER AND HE HAD NO RIGHT TO BUT INTO MY NICE QUIET LIFE LIKE THAT!!!...Okay, okay calm down Korin it’s too late for that now, let’s just get into present tense mode so they know how that went for ya.

I shiver all over as I make my way to my desk and pull out a calculator staring at the buttons trying to forget everything that had just transpired…but to no avail I glance up at the clock it reads 8:30 am sharp I look down again at my hands and notice how sweaty my palms are suddenly it’s like that’s all that matters and I stare and stare at them rubbing away the moisture spreading it more…I return to my thoughts and again start wondering about Mr. Thomas Harding when I hear a loud *slap* as papers are thrust onto my desk. I look at them blankly then up at my boss Mr. Howard who frowns disapprovingly noticing how wet my hands are making his precious sums.

“Korin…is something wrong.” He says as he pries them from my fingers.

“NONSENSE!” I yell and then begin again in a quieter tone, “I’m perfectly fine.”

“Perhaps you should go home? You don’t seem well.”

“That’s what he wants me to do…only I mustn’t I don’t want any part of this, I’m not in any way apart of this thing! He can’t make me!”

“Ms. Lesley…are you sure you’re all right? Capable of working I mean?

“I can manage.” I say meekly trying to regain my composure.

“All right than as long as you can function.” He hands the papers back to me. “I need these finished by lunch and if you feel at all unwell please go home.” I nod and grab a pencil and soon I am to busy to think about my problems….but in moments I realize…I was stupid to come into work today.

A gun pokes into my back words simply cannot put together the terror of this moment…My mind fills with an intense feeling of dread and horror as he leans over and whispers for me to get up  and move towards the door…can this day get any worse! Somebody crashes through the office window…apparently it can…That GUY dashes forward from the remains of shattered glass all my co-workers scream in terror running all about and I see somebody grab a phone (I hope to call the police) He frowns, I close my eyes and the next thing I know I’m free of the guy with the gun and running for my life next to What’s his face (Mr. Harding) I’m not really glad to see him nor am I angry…well “very” angry but I follow him anyways eager to get away. As we fly through the office doors he says, “I thought I made it clear in my note that you shouldn’t come here!”  I roll my eyes.

“You aren’t my boss…How was I to know that this would happen!”

“I told you for your own sake don’t go to work!”

“Yeah well I’m not good at decoding poetry riddles.”

“IT WAS HARDLY A RIDDLE!” He yells. “Where’s the book is it safe?”

“Sure…why not I left it at home.”

“YOU LEFT IT AT HOME! THEY’VE PROBABLY ALREADY RANSACKED THE PLACE!”

“Weeeellllll, you never mentioned that in your warnings even once.”

He cries out in frustration. “I’d have thought you’d have be smarter than that, even if you aren’t really Gracia Winters!”

“I’ll thank you not to yell.” I reply.

“NOT YELL? NOT YELL…THE STUFF IN THAT BOOK COULD CAUSE ALL KINDS OF CAOS IF THEY FIND THE CLUES!”

“Well then, you should have been more careful to make sure I was actually your contact.”

“I’m sorry if I was to busy trying to escape for life that I didn’t have time to sort out all the details besides the fact that I asked you if you were her!”

“hmph…thanks for throwing my life to the wolves.”

“Argh!”

“The books safe guy; stop loosing yourself.”

“Safe, how can you know that?”

“I put it in my secret attic.”

“Oh, well in that case…..” and ending on that note he takes off away from me.

“Where are you going!’ I yell after him.

“Keep the book safe…you’ll find the clues in it…first ones than twos haha.”

“Is this some kind of joke I told you I don’t do well with poetic riddles!”

“FIGURE IT OUT, SEE YA!”

And with that…he was…gone…again…HOW COULD HE!