I scrolled for thirty seconds. Nothing was out of the ordinary. I made a mental note to reply to Julie’s email about my itinerary and wardrobe as I exited the application.
Water raced down my throat, attempting to cool the heat growing inside of me. Its efforts were in vain. I returned to the window seal. This time, Berkeley wasn’t a blur. Everything was crystal clear.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
The five-thirty alarm sounded. Without urgency, I moved to shut it off. I lowered my body onto the bed as I realized how long I’d been standing.
Staring.
Stalking the sun’s rising.
I ran a hand down my face, still trying to make sense of the call I’d received.
You’ll find something interesting in your email.Those words rang out for the twelfth time in my head.
Loud.
Disturbing.
Thunderous.
Disruptive.
Loaded.
My nervous system remained tactless.
A prank call?
This didn’t feel like a joke. Neither did it feel staged. Something was brewing. Something sinister had been planted in my path and before I stepped foot in my office this morning, I needed to find out what it was and who was behind it.
I returned to my email application, desperate to find something.
Nothing.
Frustrated, I tapped the tip of the cell against my temple.
You’ll find something interesting in your email.
As I dissected each word, I sifted through my thoughts to discover their true meaning.
“Shit.”
I slid the drawer of my nightstand open and pulled out the cell I hardly saw much of. It was considered my personal cell before I ended up with two more and a business phone. I tapped the screen, hoping God was on my side.
“Fuck.”
As suspected, it was dead. I followed the white cord from the wall to my pillow. Once retrieved, I shoved it into the cell, hoping for a speedy recovery.
