Emory could see the neon lights of the convenience store blaring, scaring away the darkness, the glowing letters spelled out "Ignacio's place", in italics font, the convenience store where he worked.
He stopped for a while in front of the transparent glass door to catch his breath, he was heaving and puffing heavily, with each breath sending a burning sensation up his throat and down his chest, he felt like he was burning from the inside out, he pulled out an inhaler from his backpack and took a very generous breath from it, he could feel his entire body relax has his breath became less erratic and more under control.
After catching his breath, pushed the glass door open and immediately made his way to another door that had a faded sign that said "Employees only", Emory was planning to sneak into work and appear like he wasn't late.
But his plan went down the drain as the first face he saw as he pushed the door open, was his boss' daughter, Emily.
"Great" Emory muttered as walked over to his locker.
"And what do you think you're doing, you imbecile?!" Emily screamed at Emory
"Getting ready for work, what else does it look like I'm doing?" Emory answered, he was used to her screaming and loudness as he started unbuttoning his sweat-soaked shirt, he would have to wash it immediately after he got home, he thought to himself as he inspected the shirt.
"Heh, Do you see what time it is?, you are L-A-T-E late?" Emily said with a sinister grin "Lateness can and will not be tolerated here, so please leave, you are fired!"
Emory took a deep breath and let it all out with a sigh "Fwoooh". He was expecting this or something similar, ever since their last encounter but she was not the one who hired him, so why would she fire him?
"You're not my employer, so what makes you think you can fire me? I do not take orders from you, so please would you mind excusing me, I would like to change privately" Emory said
"I am not leaving until you get out of this store, my dad hired you which automatically means I hired you. That's simple logic you imbecile!!" Emily angrily stomped her feet as she ranted
"Simple logic?" Emory scoffed at Emily's funny logic "Suit yourself then" he began to undo his belt buckle
"W-wait, w-w-what are you doing you creep, undressing in front of a lady!"
"Whatever," Emory said nonchalantly as he pulled his trousers down and before the trousers hit the ground, Emily had already bolted out of the room, raging like a mad cow. Emory laughed at her and began putting on his work uniform.
Emory quickly finished dressing up and headed to the front of the store, hoping that Mr. Ignacio would not notice his tardiness. He greeted the few customers who were browsing the shelves and tried to act as normal as possible. He was about to start restocking some items when he heard his name being called from the back office.
"Emory, come here right now!" Mr. Ignacio's voice boomed through the intercom.
Emory felt a surge of dread as he walked towards the office, knowing that Emily must have told her father about his late arrival and no doubt added made it seem worse than it was. He knocked on the door and entered, seeing Mr. Ignacio sitting behind his desk, with Emily standing next to him, smirking.
"Emory, do you know why I called you here?" Mr. Ignacio asked, his face stern and angry.
"I'm sorry sir, I was late because I had some trouble with my asthma and I had to use my inhaler. It won't happen again, I promise." Emory said, trying to sound apologetic and sincere.
Mr. Ignacio shook his head and sighed. "Emory , I'm afraid that's not good enough. You see, my daughter here has been complaining about you for a long time. She says that you are rude, lazy, incompetent, and disrespectful. She says that you make her feel uncomfortable and unsafe. She says that you are a bad influence on the other employees and the customers. She says that you are a liability and a nuisance to this store. And I trust my daughter's judgment more than anyone else's. So, I'm sorry to say this, but you are fired."
Emory felt his eyes widen. He couldn't believe what he was hearing even if he was expecting it. He had worked at Ignacio's place for over a year, and he had always done his best to be a good employee. He had never been rude, lazy, incompetent, or disrespectful to anyone.
He had never made Emily feel uncomfortable or unsafe. He had never been a bad influence on anyone. He had never been a liability or a nuisance to the store. He had always been loyal, hardworking, and honest. He had always respected Mr. Ignacio and his daughter, even though she was a spoiled brat who treated him like dirt.
He had always hoped that Mr. Ignacio would appreciate his efforts and reward him with a raise or a promotion. He needed this job to help his mom with the bills. And now, he was being fired for no good reason, just because Emily didn't like him.
"Please, sir, don't do this. You can't fire me for something I didn't do. You can't fire me based on Emily's lies. At least give me a chance to explain myself. You can't fire me like this. It's not fair. It's not right. It's not legal." Emory pleaded, his voice trembling with mixed emotions.
Mr. Ignacio looked at him with a cold and indifferent expression. "I can and I will. This is my store and I make the rules. I don't need any reason or evidence to fire you. I don't need to listen to your excuses or explanations. I don't need to be fair or right or legal. So, take your things and get out of here. And don't you ever come back? You are no longer welcome here."
He reached into his drawer and pulled out a wad of cash. He threw it at Emory and said, "Here's your last paycheck. Now scram."
Emory caught the money and stared at it in disbelief. He felt a mix of anger, sadness, shock, and humiliation. He wanted to say something, to protest, to defend himself, to demand justice, to curse, to cry, to fight. But he knew it was useless. He knew that Mr. Ignacio had made up his mind and nothing he said or did would change it. He knew that Emily had twisted some lies into her Father's ear. So, he turned around and walked out of the office, without saying a word.
He grabbed his backpack and his jacket from his locker and headed to the exit. He avoided looking at anyone, feeling their eyes on him, judging him, pitying him, mocking him.
He pushed the glass door open and stepped outside, feeling the cold air hit his face. He looked up at the sky and saw that it was dark and cloudy as if it was about to rain. He sighed and started walking, hoping to find a bus or a taxi to take him home. He wondered how he would find another job soon.
He had walked for about ten minutes when he felt the first drops of rain fall on his head. He looked around and saw that there was no shelter nearby, except for a bookstore across the street. He decided to run towards it, hoping that it was open and that he could stay there until the rain stopped.
He crossed the street, dodging the cars and the bikes, and reached the bookstore. He saw a sign that said, "Open" and a door that said "Welcome". He pushed the door and a bell attached to the top of the door rang as if to signal his arrival, feeling a blast of warm air and a smell of books.
He looked around and saw that the store was empty. There was no one at the counter, no one in the aisles, no one in the corners. He called out a few times, but no one answered. He shrugged and thought that maybe the owner or the clerk had gone to the bathroom or the back room.
He decided to wait for them to come back, and in the meantime, he decided to walk around and look at the books. He loved books, he loved reading, and he loved learning.
He browsed through the shelves, looking at the titles and the covers, feeling the spines and the pages, reading the summaries and the reviews. He saw books that he had read before, books that he had wanted to read, books that he had never heard of. He saw books that made him smile, books that made him curious, books that made him wonder. He saw books that were old and dusty, books that were new and shiny, books that were somewhere in between.
He was so absorbed in his exploration that he didn't notice the time passing by. He was in the last aisle, near the back of the store, when he heard it, heard a humming sound It was a low and soft hum, like a whisper or a sigh. Emory stood still, trying to trace the source of the humming sound.
He turned his head and saw it, It was a book that was on the top shelf, in the middle of the row, in the center of the space. It was a book that was alone and surrounded, a book that was hidden and exposed. It looked very ordinary, except for the fact that it was humming. The book had a black and white cover, and its book was very plain, with no title or summary on either side of the book.
Hesitant at first, he reached for it, stretching his arm and his fingers, trying to grab it. Emory grabbed it, expecting something extraordinary, a surge of light, an explosion or something, he was a bit underwhelmed.
"That was anti-climatic, scared the Hell out of me though" Emory laughed awkwardly.
But the boy spoke too soon, Emory flipped through the pages, and he was just about to drop the book when strange words that Emory didn't recognize gradually began appearing on the pages of the book. The words seemed to writhe on the pages before detaching themselves and drifting toward his skin.
Panicking, Emory tried to shake them off, but they clung to him with an eerie persistence. A surreal energy pulsed through him, leaving him breathless. The words ceased their movement as if claiming their place. Overwhelmed and frightened, Emory dropped the book, watching it fall to the floor.
The mysterious experience left Emory disoriented as he rushed out of the store. The rain had intensified, mirroring the turmoil in his mind. The city, usually alive with vibrant lights, now felt alien and unwelcoming to him.