Chapter 1
My fingers tap against the cold metal of my desk.
My computer beeps as it generates random numbers for my work. I work for a call center and advertise Harvard University for them. Its quite boring to be honest, but it gives me good cash, so I can’t really complain.
My computer dings and a number starts ringing, and I sigh. When the caller picks up I go into my speech.
‘’Hello this is Harvard University and NPR service-‘’
blah blah blah.
It’s the usual drill so my caller answers with a plain reply saying sorry their not interested and hang up.
And it repeats over all day.
By 4:30 my boss comes round into my office.
‘’Good work Samantha, keep it up. See you next week!’’ He sings happily as he indicates that I’m freed.
I return his smile and stretch.
‘’Thanks Barny, have a good weekend.’’
He nods and skips out, how I’m jealous of his positivity in everything. I pack up my things and stop a cab just as I get out. Lucky me.
Then my one of my coworkers rushes ahead and takes it before I can get in.
Not so lucky.
I sit down on the sidewalk and wait for another cab.
I don’t mind waiting, they probably needed to be somewhere quickly. And it’s not like it happens every day, so I don’t need to be mad.
And anyways, there’s a cab right now.
I smile and open the door, saying hello to the driver.
He smiled back, showing missing teeth.
I cringed inside.
Once we got to my street I jump out and thanked him and walk down to my house.
It’s a small single story with polished blue walls and dark brown doors. It has a small chimney that doesn’t work and a tiny garden with some white and blue dahlias.
My doormat says Definitely Not A Trap Door.
What?!
It was on sale on Amazon.
I unlock the door and walk in to the sweet smell of popcorn and ink. I put down my bags and slump onto the couch.
Time for some Netflix and pizza.
When my pizza arrives, I sprint to the door to find my normal deliver, Charles.
I smile.
‘’Hi Charles!’’
He grins back at me.
Charles is a tall, lanky, ginger pizza delivery guy that works in my street, so I often have him delivering my pizza, so we have a strange bond.
‘’Hey Samantha! Here’s your regular-‘’ he says handing me the box of pizza
‘’-Hwaian pizza with extra cheese and mint.’’
I smile as I smell its glorious sent.
Charles scratches his hair.
‘’You sure have a strange like for weird toppings.’’
I chuckle and shrug.
‘’I’m one of a kind.’’
He nods.
‘’You sure are. Hey so I was thinking, if you wanted t-‘’
‘’SHUT UP SAMANTHA WE ALL KNOW YOU LIKE THE PIZZA GUY JUST KISS HIM AND GO INSIDE AND BE QUEIT!’’ My neighbor Kat screams.
She’s a grumpy old lady with horrid birds that she sends on me when I’m too noisy.
I sigh and turn to a now pink Charles.
‘’That’s my cue to go inside, bye Charles!’’ I say closing the door in his face. I wait for him to get onto his scooter and then go sit down and un-pause Doctor Strange and open the box, eating the pizza with a satisfied sigh.
The next day I drag myself out of bed and get myself to work.
I plonk down on my chair and start the computer generator and start taking calls.
Just when I was about to nod off my coworker Tom pops his head in my office.
‘’LUNCH!’’ He screams even though my doors open.
I walk to the cafeteria and buy a chicken wrap with chips.
Then, instead of sitting with my coworkers, I go back to my office and eat there.
They don’t really like me that much.
And I prefer the silence, and were not accatlly aloud to eat in offices, but they haven’t caught me, so I still do it.
When I hear people talking I quickly shove the wrap in my bag and then the director walks in.
She sucks.
She just stares at me and then walks out.
She’s creepy.
I run the computer again, and it starts making up random number sets.
It finds one and rings it.
I pick up the phone and put it to my ear, waiting for the reply. Then, a voice deep and husky picks up.
‘’Hello?’’
I launch right into my speech.
The line is dead, even though I didn’t hear a click.
There’s a long pause when he suddenly speaks again.
‘’You shouldn’t be able to call this number.’’ He says, almost telling himself as well as me.
I apologize.
‘’Sorry sir but we aren’t selling anything, were just promoting opportunities for young students to get a brighter future.’’
There’s another pause.
‘’No, I know that. What I mean is that it should be impossible for you to call this number, and I need to know how you got it.’’
He said seriously.
I explain to him that a computer randomly generates numbers. ‘’I’m sorry for bothering you sir,’’ I say a little fed up and am about to end the call when he says-
‘’Ma’am, this is a matter of national security.’’
I stop.
National security?
This has to be a prank.
I laugh halfheartedly.
‘’Very funny sir, but I must leave now so goodbye.’’ I say mad at him when he shouts into the call.
‘’Ma’am! This is not a prank, I am the director of the FBI and I need to know how you got this number!’’
My face expands in shock.
Director of the FBI?!
‘’S-s-sorry sir, p-please repeat y-yours-self.’’ I stutter.
‘’I am the director of the FBI ma’am, and I really have to know how you got this number.’’ He says again slowly.
I nod nervously.
‘’L-l-like I s-said sir, I h-have a computer t-t-that generates r-rand-dom n-numb-bers.’’ I tell him.
He sighs.
‘’Ma’am, what area do you work in?’’
I gulp.
‘’N-n-new Orland’s s-s-sir.’’ I tell him.
I hear typing in the background.
Oh my gosh, I’m gonna get arrested.
‘’I-I’m so s-sorry sir, I r-really d-don’t want to g-get into t-trouble w-with you s-sir.’’ I apologize.
‘’Ma’am, please don’t stress-‘’
he says halfheartedly
‘’-I will just have to investigate your job, are you working tomorrow?’’ He asks.
I panickily nod.
When I release I’m on a call I stutter a yes.
‘’Y-y-yes sir, a-and m-must I tell my b-boss that y-you’re coming?’’ I ask nervously.
‘’Yes ma’am, I will be there tomorrow at 8:45, please do not worry, I am sure that this was just a mistake.’’ He says and then the line ends.
I sit there for a little bit and then I sprint to my boss’s office.
I explain everything to him while he just nods and listens.
When I’m done there’s a long pause.
Then he stands up.
‘’Well, I guess there’s only one thing to do.’’
He smiles.
‘’I’m gonna meet the director of the FBI!’’
The next morning I’m in a puddle of nerves.
Am I going to be arrested?
Have I been framed?
Do I secretly have a split personality and a villain takes control of me every night?
When I arrive at work I am greeted with hundreds of glares and snarky comments.
‘’You could get me fired!’’
‘’Your so stupid doing that!’’
‘’I might be fired now, well done Samantha.’’
I apologize to everyone and then walk into my office.
It’s only 7:00, I still have time to prepare myself.
I tap my fingers nervously on my desk.
I nibble my nails and swing my chair back and forth.
7:20.
I stand up and pace.
7:30.
I sit back down and tap my foot.
7:45.
I feel my eyes slowly get heavier.
7:55.
I rest my head in my hands, closing my eyes and feeling so relaxed.
8:04.
I feel more and more peaceful, and the world slowly slows down and I’m alone in the calming darkness.
My door thuds as someone knocks and I jump.
I end up falling off my desk and knocking down my pot plants. They land with a crash on the floor and soil is lauched everywhere.
The door slams open and a true specimen of human runs in.
He was tall, board at the shoulders, muscles clearly showing through his uniform.
His hair was long and slicked back effortlessly, and his eyes were the same matching brown.
His cheek bones were visible and high, and his jaw was cut through his upper neck.
He had a slight beard growing and was just really attractive. Then only did I notice the gun in his hands that was pointed straight to my head.
My eyes widened in fear as my boss yelled,
‘’No, no, no its ok! Its ok that’s Samantha!’’ He yelled.
Mr. Attractive put away his gun slowly, his eyes running over me sprawled out on the floor.
Me being very nervous, I start laughing.
They both give me strange looks so I stop immediately.
I quickly get up and dust myself.
‘’Hi.’’ I say nervously, waving at him.
He keeps a straight face, not one emotion showing.
He starts pacing around me, his brown eyes piercing into my body.
‘’U-u-uh-‘’
‘’You’re the caller, correct?’’ He asks, his voice the same as the man on the phone.
Oh crap.
He was the director of the FBI!
‘’Y-y-yes sir.’’ I stutter.
He stops facing me, his body towering over my very small one. ‘’ID please.’’
‘’Y-yes s-sir.’’ I say running over to my bag, avoiding the broken glass on the floor.
I grab my ID and hand it to him.
He looks at it as if it’s a treasure map.
He then hands it back.
‘’Ma’am, im going to do a full room inspection, can you clear the glass please.’’ He says strictly, like I’m a toddler.
I’m a little insulted, but since he could shoot me any moment with his gun I don’t complain and do as he says.
As I’m picking up the glass I cut my palm and finch, causing me to drop the glass with a thud and Mr. Attractive taking out his gun.
‘’S-s-sorry s-sir! I d-dropped the g-g-glass!’’ I say covering my face, not that it will do anything from a bullet.
He puts the gun away.
‘’Sorry ma’am, but I have to be on top caution.’’
I nod and continue picking up glass even though my hand is throbbing and bleeding.
Once I picked it up I saw Mr. Attractive looking through my stuff. I turn to the door when he calls me.
’’Where are you going?” He asks.
I turn around.
‘’T-to the b-b-bathroom.’’ I tell him.
He then walks up to me.
‘’Then I will come with you.’’ He says.
I frown.
‘’Why?’’ I ask.
‘’Because you could make a run, so please do not argue ma’am.’’ He says.
I sigh.
But it does make sense, if I was a criminal and being confronted I would look for the easiest escape as soon as possible.
We walk to the bathroom, and I think he’s going to wait outside, but instead he walks in with me!
‘’Uh t-this is-‘’
‘’I know ma’am, but like I said, I have to keep an eye on you all the time.’’ He states.
I nod, not wanting to ague.
Luckily the bathrooms empty, so I walk over to the sink and wash my hand.
Its bleeding quite badly so I grab some toilet paper and as soon as I’m about to press it to the cut Mr. Attractive grabs my hand.
I flinch thinking he’s going to hurt me when he just presses a cotton swab onto the cut.
‘’S-sorr-‘’
‘’It is unhygienic to press loo paper on your cut, this is first aid cotton so its clean.’’ He says, pressing it harder.
I whimper quietly, and he loosens his grip.
Then he takes out a bandage and wraps it around my hand neatly.
‘’T-thank you.’’ I say.
He keeps a poker face and just nods.
As we get back to my office there’s a team of FBI agents inspecting my room.
Mr. Attractive then turns to me.
‘’Ma’am, these are the following things we have to do.’’ He said.
I nodded.
‘’You will be under house arrest for 7 weeks; we will have an agent watching you and will buy you the supplies you need. We will keep investigating your work and office in those following weeks.’’ He says.
My jaw drops slightly.
‘’Isn’t that a b-bit unreasonable.’’ I say a little frustrated.
I don’t wanna stay at home all day.
‘’No ma’am, please cooperate.’’ He says, his brown eyes piercing mine.
I frown.
‘’Ok. So must I go home now?’’ I ask.
He nods.
’’An agent will be assigned tomorrow, who will watch you 24/7. Thank you for cooperating.’’
I give him a forced smile.
I go outside and wait while an agent watches me.
I wait for a cab, which will be very hard because of the time. After about 20 minutes of waiting the director comes outside. He seems surprised to see me waiting at the curve.
He walks up to me.
‘’Do you not have a car?’’ He asks.
I shake my head.
‘’Nope.’’ I say, popping the p.
He nods.
‘’Come with me.’’ He says, and I stand up.
We walk to a black car and hop in.
Its super fancy on the inside, and very clean.
We ride in silence, and then I release that he doesn’t know where I live.
’’Oh! I live on 75th-‘’
‘’I do know this ma’am.’’ He interrupted.
I sighed.
Of course he did.
When we got to my house we parted in silence, and as I was walking in the door I spotted some black cars in the bush, which I guess I wasn’t supposed to see.
I eat some noodles and watch some tv and then its dark.
I go to my room and lay in bed reading.
As it gets later I fall asleep, dreaming about a hot FBI agent and prison cells.
The next morning my alarm goes off and I drag myself into a hot shower. Then, just as I’m walking outside in my lawn, I see a black car and remember all the events of yesterday.
I groan as I relaize I’m on house arrest.
I stand there for a bit, regretting waking up and taking that damn phone call when a man in a black suit walks up to me.
Its Mr. Attractive.
‘’Where are you going?’’ He asks.
I groan.
‘’Nowhere.’’
