Chapter 1 Dark City
“People don’t realize how a man’s whole life can be changed by one book.” ― Malcolm X
I hate getting up, but I have to make money to be happy. I mean, I guess I want to be satisfied more than anything else about my Grandma, who I’m taking care of. My accountant’s life presents heightened risks compared to many others. If my grandma walks out of the house because I didn’t pay Suncia Veca, the caretaker while I’m gone, I’d feel immense guilt. My father taught me I need to make myself useful somehow so I can take care of my loved ones.
I walked out the door and almost spilled my coffee, but it remained in the cup. I look at my phone and see news about the Demon Lord causing a fire. The Demon Lord’s actions trouble this city and cause political turmoil. The erratic energy of The Demon Lord is wild and unpredictable, so I guess I ignore it as much as I can. I just do my job and live life the best so I can to feed my family and myself.
The taxi arrives, and I sit in it to get to work. The driver was a blonde-haired man who had short hair. “Friend, where head ye?” “The Office Belgrade!” Despite the positive view of Black people in Serbia, the world isn’t perfect, and you can identify when someone hasn’t experienced many people of color. The car ride was silent, and it felt odd but not menacing. I looked out the window and saw an ice cream shop and a fancy restaurant with velvet ropes.
Sometimes I get stuck in my mind and overthink my life. My parents never thought they’d be moving to Serbia. We got lucky, but we’re here and doing things like everybody else. I get out of the taxi and look at the sky before going into work. I saw my boss and other coworkers who waved at me.
I look and see Nikola, one of my coworkers, and he smiles and chats with me. “Hey, Boban! Did you see the fire in Lovovik?” “Yeah, I heard a teenager started it or something?” He nodded, and I went into my cubicle. The goal today was to research the way to structure the budget for the event. I got a better idea as I typed for a while and thought about every angle.
My phone rings as I pick it up and hear a quiet, somewhat high-pitched voice on the other side. “This is Spomenka, I’m friends with Stana Melanija!” “Uh... What are you calling about?” She sounded tired and as if she were hiding from someone. “I just escaped from being kidnapped by this weird cult!” That sounds terrifying, but I will help.
I tell her my address and go back to working on the budget that my boss told me to. Office work felt usual, restoring my sense of self. Drafting documents felt mundane, and some find this world dull. Children say I’m just a boring man working some dull job. I’m average with a little extra problems to spice it up.
I went to the bathroom and thought about what this Spomenka girl had gone through. Though it didn’t stay in my mind for long as the event clouded my mind. We were close but not there yet and my boss was pressuring me. We also have to worry about the new business start up near The Office Belgrade. Our company is working with Blue Check Bank to open up a bank in the lot.
“What have you come up with budget plans for the new event?” “I know you are super interested in having a back room here but I think we should get rid of it to save money!” He looks confused but then nods acknowledging with the statement. We diverged as I went back to my cubical. I came up with new ideas, and then before I knew it, it was lunchtime.
Nikola and I agreed to sit out by the park bench. There was overcast, so it wasn’t bad per se. We ate some sandwiches during our 30-minute lunch break. “How is life going at home, Boban?” “It’s alright! Anka is her usual self; her memory isn’t getting any better, but you know...” He looked somewhat saddened but didn’t talk too much about that matter. I looked around at the sky again, reminded of what Spomenka could’ve escaped from.
“You know what, Boban? Even in these demon times, at least I have someone chill to talk to like you!” “Yeah... That definitely helps...” I grin somewhat and look up at the sky. At least I had one close friend at work, who is cool. The rest of lunch was peaceful and somewhat calming. I knew that work would resume after so I tried to cherish it.
I returned to my cubicle, typing new concepts that surfaced. I’m finding it difficult to shift back into a work mindset. My boss assigned me the management of business taxes for today’s new project. It wasn’t too bad; it’s pretty typical in the workplace. I typed and tried to keep Spomenka’s words out of my thoughts.
One lady came to me and looked confused over something. “I need help with this math equation!” The math guy is who I am now, I guess. I gave her some advice and moved on with my day. Something about helping people find an answer while I still can is satisfying. Soon the day was over and I called a taxi to get out of the office.
I got into the taxi and saw a person in a pink skirt as they smiled. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what are your pronouns?” “Bomb/bombs! No, it’s he/him, dumb ass!” I snickered slightly and got in the vehicle while he took off. He turned on a news channel talking about the new sightings of the Demon Lord. He chuckled a little about what they were saying, I guess, and looked at me again.
“What’s your name? My name is Pedja Borivoje! You are?” “Boban Amayas! Nice to meet you...” He snickered about the news, and it sounded like people criticizing the government for not handling the Demon Lord well. He texted someone while we stopped. Whatever it was about this radio show, he found it hilarious.
“All of this stuff about the Demon Lord, it’s all just the Jews! Ha ha!” “Sure... I guess..” He grins super hard while slapping his knee. I don’t know what is so funny about blaming Jews for everything. Many people cause this world’s corruption. This guy is odd. Thankfully, I only have to deal with him for one car ride. Then I can complain afterward to the taxi service.
He looks at with a devious grin and puts his hand on his headrest. “How about I fucking lynch, you!” He pulls out his rope and I back up. “How about you shut up!” I tried to open the door, and he put the rope around my neck. The car swerves around as it slams into another car. He laughed again and again as he made it tighter.
The car stops as I get out. I couldn’t get up, and I saw someone walking towards me. They had blonde hair and smiled. “Boban? You’ve gotta get outta here before this man kills you!” They pull me as I look passed out. “The name is Led! I’m Stana’s friend!”
