Chapter Text
Vanessa's head was pounding again. The pressure in her skull throbbed in time with the obnoxious kiddie music playing over the loudspeakers. She groaned, stumbling her way through crowds of rowdy children.
Someone spilled a pitcher of soda as she passed. "Hey!" They shouted. "Aren't you supposed to clean this up?" She didn't stop, didn't look back, hardly even heard the undoubtedly colorful complaints hurled at her retreating back.
The music on the ground level wasn't much better, still loud and slightly distorted due to a broken speaker that corporate had yet to replace, but the lobby was less crowded. She saw a family of four strolling alongside the water fountain: a mother, father, daughter, and son. The perfect American family. The boy balanced on the fountain's ledge, a smug, toothy grin on his face. She passed them, gritting her teeth.
Vanessa put her security badge up to the turnstile sensor. It thought for a moment as if considering never letting her go.
God, wouldn't that be a nightmare?
This part of the lobby was nearly always empty, minus the early morning and nightly rushes, of course. There was less security here for that very reason, fewer cameras, and S.T.A.F.F. bots as well. It was the only exit she could feasibly sneak out of for a quick coffee run.
She was halfway out the door, almost to freedom, almost to her designated daily break. Would she get fired if corporate caught onto her misuse of company time?
Yes.
Did she care?
Also, yes, she actually really needed this job. Rent had been steadily increasing each month, along with everything else, and Vanessa needed help to keep up with payments. Her landlord wasn't the forgiving type either, more of a slumlord than anything, really.
But the temptation of fresh air away from all the screaming and yelling was too much to resist. Besides, she reasoned, it was the company's fault for overworking her.
"Vanessa?"
So close…yet…so far…
She slowly turned to face Luis, trying to keep any semblance of guilt off her face.
She and Luis had gotten hired on the same day. They sat in the waiting area together, awaiting an interview for vastly different positions. He is in the technical department, and Vanessa is in security. She hadn't the slightest bit of experience, having only "game tester" and "babysitter" on her resume. Still, for some odd reason, it had been Luis who was all sweaty and shaky and full of nerves despite being an M.I.T. graduate and a much better asset to the company.
"Hey, Luis," she said, leaning against the sliding glass door and crossing her arms over her chest.
"Hey…? Um, listen, I just wanted to ask if you were doing alright?" He rubbed the back of his neck. "You…. you've been acting differently." Vanessa narrowed her eyes and let out a little indignant huff, so he quickly added, "Not in a bad way! I mean, I'm just concerned. We used to hang out after work all the time, and now…." he trailed off, smiling sadly. "And I understand if you want space or whatever. You do you. But I'm just worried about you."
"Luis, I'm fine," she laughed, but it came out sounding forced.
He frowned, opening his mouth to speak.
"I promise," Vanessa said, cutting him off.
"Okay." Luis patted her on the arm. The movement triggered the sensors conveniently placed on the wall for shorter and wheelchair-bound patrons to navigate the sliding doors more easily.
"Agh!" She tumbled to the floor, arm extended to catch herself. Her arm bent but didn't break, and her funny bone was left ringing in the aftermath.
"Oh my God," Luis said, always overly apologetic, "I'll take you to the first-aid station." He helped Vanessa to her feet.
For the second time today, Vanessa had to reassure him that she was alright. And that the only thing hurt was her ego.
He laughed at that, and he'd always laugh at the stupid things she said. Well, he used to. Things had been "off" lately.
She'd been "off" lately.
Luis' phone rang. The sound system was down, and the band was due to perform in half an hour. He asked one last time if she was okay, only to hear the same response, and then he rushed off into one of the side rooms and away from her.
Vanessa sighed, tired. "That could have gone worse," she muttered, hurrying outside before anyone else could stop her.
The outside air was chillier than anyone in Hurricane was accustomed to. This winter had set a dangerous precedent of near-freezing temperatures. They had to build a temporary homeless shelter to accommodate the influx of lower-income families that had no heating and would have died if not given a better option.
Vanessa crossed her arms, holding her hands underneath her security jacket. It barely made a difference, but it was slightly more tolerable than allowing them to hang freely by her sides.
She moved slowly up the street, eyes locked on the gas station ahead. They had decent enough coffee, at least for the price you paid for it. The owner even threw in a ten-percent discount. She could never tell if it was because she was a loyal customer or because he was an unmarried man in his late 50s. Either way, she appreciated the gesture and tried to be as nice as possible in the few minutes they interacted daily.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see something moving in the alley. She stopped out of sheer curiosity and nothing else.
She wished she didn't.
Vanessa couldn't deal with this today.
Couldn't deal with this any day.
There, huddled up against the brick wall of an abandoned hardware store, was a small child. They were wrapped in a blanket, and only their eyes and nose showed. But it was still, without a doubt, a child.
She looked at the gas station up ahead, only a measly ten feet from her now. And then back at the kid, who was blinking sluggishly up at her, his eyes the color of burning embers.
The kid vaguely reminded her of something. Something far out of her memory's reach. It unnerved her, leaving her unbalanced and faltering in what she should do next.
What should she do next?
Vanessa slowly approached the kid, or at least she sincerely hoped this was a kid; otherwise, this would be very awkward.
"Hi," she said, bending down but maintaining a safe distance from the (likely) contaminated slush-colored water coating the alley floor. "I'm Vanessa. Are you okay? Where are your parents?"
The kid continued to blink slowly, not saying a word. But he did wriggle the blanket off of his head, revealing matted brown hair and a dirty face. "Gregory," he told her, voice so soft and quiet, she had to strain to hear.
"Okay, Gregory. Where are your parents?" She asked.
"Gone," he said, finality in his tone like it was the only thing he was sure of.
"Gone?" Vanessa repeated. "Okay… so who's taking care of you? I can probably get a hold of them."
"No." He said, staring at the wall behind Vanessa, eyes vacant.
She frowned, and a sudden guilt overtook her.
Is this what Luis felt earlier? Too helpless, too left in the dark, to fully understand how to reach out and help her?
"Oh. Well, in that case," she smiled and hoped Gregory couldn't tell she was forcing it, "I can introduce you to my friends at the Mega Pizzaplex."
"Friends?" He asked, seeming genuinely curious.
"Yes, and they'll help you better than I can."
Gregory said nothing, scooting closer to Vanessa and leaning his full weight against her. She tried not to grimace at the god-awful smell. "Friends help?" He asked, still in that same curious tone.
"Yes, Greg, friends help," she said before scooping him up and returning to the Pizzaplex.
She supposed coffee would have to wait.