Nine

CHAPTER 9

SANTIAGO

Have you ever been so tired and felt as though life was slipping away from your grasp at this moment, I felt exactly that was.

At that moment all I wanted to do was rest after a long day at work, immediately I dropped the call, I stood at a spot for a while not doing anything.

When I finally did it was a forceful groan that came out of my lungs in desperation—

"Alright boy, let's get this done." I muttered to no one in particular.

Getting a call in the middle of rest was always frustrating, and always pisses me, especially at times like this after working my ass off .

I had intentionally made my assistant fix most of my experiments for today.so it could come up earlier because I didn't want to ignore certain things—like a goodnight sleep.

Turned out that was gone at the moment as well.

At this time, I was hoping that I wouldn't have to do too much when I eventually get back to the facility.

Though from the way sh had spoken it was certain there would be alot for me to do, soon I was walking back to the car even if

I wasn't ready to surround myself with the ammonia scent that always filled the laboratory.

All I wanted was to be in a quiet place and do my job. Moreover, with the state I was in and with my colleague Martha joining up as well, that was far from being the case.

A call came through again just as I was about to drive out and I rolled my eyes. Seeing that it was my assistant calling me again — it's a call I couldn't ignore. I groaned all I wanted but in the end I picked it.

"What?" There was a bit of agitation in my voice, the type you get when you are going crazy from not having the proper rest.

"Sir, was calling for the file," she said.

" Yeah, what about it? " I asked.

I could feel the panic in her voice, I sensed she could hear how pissed I was— Well I couldn't blame myself.

"What's with it?" My voice was deep and calme, being that the file is the most important to me, it wasn't possible to get myself angry for being reminded about it.

" Sir, I..." She stammered.

I glared at my phone. " Stop stammering and tell me what the heck is going on!" I snapped at her.

One would wonder why I was probably getting off over the file and it is exactly because it the most important thing to me right now—

I've been working on this project for almost three months now and tomorrow was the day I would get the signature granting

"Speak."

"I gave it to Mr Marion for his signature and he hasn't returned it to me" she spoke quickly.

" You must be kidding me." I ran my hands through my still damp hair.

I didn't forget that the one she was talking about was supposedly on a plane flying to Hawaii on his honeymoon as we speak and he wouldn't return until two weeks.

"Do you realize he is out of town?"

All I got was silence, I could literally listen to heartbeats.

"Sir, I asked his assistant to return it to me but she didn't" She muttered out in a rush.

I didn't need her excuses. My heart was beating so fast that it felt like hitting the wall.

"How can you be so silly not to go get it yourself. If you don't get me that file to me in less than two weeks, kiss your job goodbye. "

I hated the fact that I sounded cranky but still one thing I couldn't deal with was incompetence.

I couldn't understand how she could make such a silly mistake.

" I'll get it Sir, " I didn't even let the words end,before I ended the call.

At that moment, I started thinking of what I was going to do. This was another headache entirely.

At that moment, I was driving into the driveway of the facility.

I handed my card to the security at the gates before driving the rest of the way in.

The building was still dark, as I walked back to the lab.

The evening was cold and dark, at that moment it was hard to explain the pressure I was feeling at that moment.

I felt this strange air on my neck as goosebumps grew on my skin. I paused to take in the view of the environment, wondering where the sick feeling was coming from.

There wasn't any strange thing in the environment, the more I looked, the more I saw nothing —The feeling didn't leave however.

"Come on man, stop overthinking things… it is probably all In your head. " I muttered to myself as I walked away from the corridor.

I've worked in this place for years and I haven't felt anything like this. I tried distracting myself with the thought of how to retrieve the file in the computer and get on to work.

I was making way past the janitor restroom when I heard a sound as though something was colliding with each other and the clanging sound rang in the room.

I paused and because the hallway was a bit dark, I shrinked a bit.

"Don't be silly, boy. There is nothing there," I said to myself again.

I have never felt like this. I'm a very bold human but seeing me acting this way was quite annoying and also a surprise.

I hate horror movies, talk more of me thinking it's a cliche in the movies. I ran to where the sound was coming from and it happened to be where I was going.

Getting to the door, I saw the door opened and I walked in, thinking it might be one of my colleagues who came back but then, I found no one.

I didn't even see anything out of place.

What made the sound I just heard and who opened the door?

Suddenly, it felt as though I was playing the lead of a movie scene…

"Anyone there?" I asked calmly at first but there was no reply.

I walked around the room a bit and something sent shrills through my nerves as my heart raced heavily.

"Who's in?" I asked again and still no reply,

I'm sure a thief wouldn't enter my office.So that dark thought didn't occur to me.

Then I went to the switch to turn on more light as my phone flashlight felt too dim.

The lights brightened the room and I carefully scrutinized the room.

I still felt that someone was in there even though I didn't see anyone. I quickly did what I wanted to do and walked out of the room with my heart racing.

"What is wrong with me?" I asked myself.

I walked to the laboratory and started to work on an albino rat. That should at least distract my attention from these weird feelings I'm having.

I was working yet vigilant when the door decided to scare the hell out of me the more as it opened all of a sudden—I jumped at this, spilling the chemical I held on the floor.

"Hey, be careful there!" I heard my colleague Martha say.

She walked quickly to me and took the bottle from me.

"Jeez! You scared me, " I said to her, while getting something to clean the chemical.

She gave me a quizzical look.

" How? " She asked, her voice showing that she was confused.

" You opened the door all of a sudden, " I said to her, adjusting myself.

" Don't be silly Santiago, I only opened the door, nothing more, " she said casually.

" I didn't know you were coming back, " I said and continued with what I was doing.

She didn't say anything for a while, then spoke quickly again.

" Are you afraid of something? Did you do something wrong? " She asked, staring at me with a suspicious look.

"What would I have possibly done? I wasn't just aware of you coming so early," I said blankly then rolled my eyes. " You are always late. "

I knew I was behaving like a child afraid of the dark and it was such a shameful thing for a grown man like me but I can't help it.

She unpacked the paper bag that she brought and she handed me a cup of coffee.

"Americano," she said with a smile.

She had known how much I love to take Americano. "Thanks," I said to her before taking a sip from the coffee.

I really need something hot to calm my nerves down before I explode.

*If you've done nothing wrong, then why are you scared?" She asked as she sat beside me and crossed her legs elegantly.

She looked normal and it was as if I was the only one having these strange feelings.

"It's not like I was scared. It's just that when I walked in… " I paused to think if what I was about to say would make any sense.

" Continue, " she said curiously.

I turned to her before I continued. "I'm having a sort of Deja Vu..."

She looked at me seriously and I nodded. "What's it's all about?" She asked calmly.

" It's like we are not the only ones in this place. Like someone strange is hiding from us, " I said to her.

Martha didn't criticize me, she only looked around carefully and looked back at me.

"I don't think so but why did you say that?" She asked.

" When I walked in, I heard some clanging sound and also goosebumps rose from my body as if I was in the snow, " I said to her.

Martha looked at me for a split second before she bursted into laughter.

I wondered what was funny about what I just said.

"Dr Santiago, don't tell me that the all mighty smart Santiago is scared of the dark, " she said in mockery.

I sighed not knowing how she concluded that I was scared of the dark. I didn't even usually switch on my light back in my house.

" I'm not scared of the dark, " I said between gritted teeth before I went back to sipping my hot coffee.

I like the way it burns my throat. At least it reminded me that I'm still sane.

"First, I'll say you aren't new to how those specimens can make sound sometimes and you may have goosebumps as a result of the dark.

Don't be too proud Santiago, allergies can develop anytime even though you are an adult, " she lectured.

I didn't know why I had to tell her. Even with the way she was around, I was still feeling the same way.

Even if I was afraid of the dark, this place is lit up and she's also here. I just ignored her knowing there's no way I could convince her to accept what I was saying.

"Just eat, I know you've been starving yourself," she said, passing me a KFC hamburger.

I didn't know I was hungry until I saw the burger. I collected it and took a bite from it.

"What are you working on?" She asked before biting into her burger.

"The project," I replied.

"I thought you concluded that?"

"Yes, I'm only doing a check…"

I couldn't finish what I was saying because a glass shattering sounding echoed through the place and I stiffened.

Martha and I looked at each other.