Night of Uncertainty
The clock reads 11:45 PM. Adeline and Sarah are the last two in the building, their desks cluttered with papers and laptops.
Both women are exhausted but determined to finish the presentation. The faint hum of the office lights is the only sound breaking the silence.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*yawning, rubbing her eyes* I can’t believe we’re still here. How many more slides?
Adeline Martino (FL)
*focused, typing* Just a few more. I want to double-check the numbers on the budget forecast. We can’t leave anything to chance with this one, Sarah. Not with Romanio.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*with a teasing smile* You’re a perfectionist, you know that? This presentation is already flawless.
Adeline Martino (FL)
*smiling softly, but still focused* Flawless isn’t good enough for him. Romanio doesn’t just expect perfection. He demands it.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*gently* You’ve done more than enough, Addy. It’s late. Let’s call it a night.
Adeline pauses, then finally leans back in her chair, exhaling slowly. The work is done, but the weight of the upcoming meeting still lingers in the air.
Adeline Martino (FL)
*sighing* You’re right. I just want everything to go smoothly.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*reassuring* It will. You’ve worked harder than anyone. Now, let’s get out of here before we end up sleeping at our desks.
Adeline nods, smiling gratefully at Sarah. She checks her phone and sees several missed calls and messages from her mother.
Adeline Martino (FL)
Texting her mom : "Hey Mom, I’m working late on the presentation for tomorrow. I’ll be home soon. Don’t wait up for me."
She puts her phone away, grabs her bag, and they head toward the elevator. The office is eerily quiet as they step out into the cool night air.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*lightly* I’ll tell you one thing: if Romanio doesn’t love that presentation, he’s probably a robot.
Adeline Martino (FL)
*with a small smile* Let’s just hope he has a human side.
Suddenly, as they walk down a quieter, darker street, a loud gunshot rings out in the distance, cutting through the silence like a knife. Both women freeze, their eyes wide with shock.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*panicked* What was that?!
Adeline Martino (FL)
*heart races, her pulse quickening. She instinctively grabs Sarah’s arm, pulling her toward the nearest alley to take cover*
Adeline Martino (FL)
*whispering urgently* Come on! We need to get out of here!
They crouch behind a parked car, both breathing heavily, their eyes scanning the street for any sign of danger.
The city feels suddenly hostile, as if they’ve stumbled into something they shouldn’t have.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*whispering, terrified* Do you think it’s safe to move? What if they’re still out there?
Adeline Martino (FL)
*nervously* I don’t know… Let’s just wait for a moment.
For a tense few seconds, they remain hidden, barely daring to breathe.
Then, in the distance, Adeline spots a figure—a tall man, dressed in black, his face partially covered by a mask. He’s walking swiftly down the street, his movements deliberate, almost predatory.
Adeline Martino (FL)
*a shiver runs down her spine as she catches a brief glimpse of his face*
Adeline Martino (FL)
*shaky voice* Sarah… there’s someone out there. I think we need to go now.
Sarah peeks over the car but quickly ducks back down, her face pale with fear.
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*whispering, panicked* Did you see his face? Who is that?!
Adeline Martino (FL)
*whispering, shaking her head* I don’t know. But we can’t stay here.
They both crouch lower, trying to make themselves as invisible as possible.
Adeline Martino (FL)
*in mind* Who was that man? Why were there gunshots?
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*whispering* Let’s go. Stay close to me.
The two of them move cautiously, their hearts pounding, the fear of being caught overwhelming them.
The night feels thick with danger, and every sound seems magnified in the silence. As they make their way further from the scene, the street becomes quieter, but the fear remains.
Adeline and Sarah finally reach the main street where there are more people and traffic. They exhale in relief, their footsteps quickening.
Adeline Martino (FL)
*calming down slightly* We’re almost there. Let’s just get to the subway, okay?
Sarah (FL Colleague)
*nodding, still shaken* Okay. Let’s not talk about this until we’re safe.
Adeline Martino (FL)
*the memory of the masked man lingers in Adeline’s mind, a haunting reminder of the danger they narrowly escaped*
Adeline Martino (FL)
*to herself, quietly* Who was he...?
Comments