《Writers Guilt》 Cruelty Chapter one Cruelty Alana held her breath as a faintly familiar woman''s voice crept around the corner. ¡°You can''t hide from me,¡± she heard them say before loud bangs and glass shattering. Alana could taste sweat as it dripped from her forehead to her lips. She winced as she grabbed her shoulder, doing her best to avoid touching the raging furnace she hid next to. Her heart rattled with every footstep she heard echoing closer and closer to her. She continued holding her breath until she heard the voice again. ¡°You do not have to die, dear.¡± Alana took a deep breath through her nose, smelling the smoke from the furnace. ¡°I heard that.¡± The voice rang out and Alana heard loud and rapid footsteps until she could see a pair of women''s shoes through the shelving that blocked the view of her attacker, but Alana couldn''t see who it was. She only heard a familiar voice that she couldn''t place. Whose voice does this belong to? Who did she know who was trying to kill her? Alana looked around for a better hiding spot as the shoes crept closer. The furnace was blocking her right side, and the shelves were blocking her left side close enough to the furnace to be a fire hazard and close enough to block her from running. The footsteps stopped right when Alana saw a tiny opening just behind the furnace, just large enough for her to fit through. Alana slowly lowered herself, feeling the heat of the old wood-burning furnace; it was as if Satan himself was breathing on her. Laying on her side now, she slowly reached her hand through the wall opening and felt cement just like she was lying on. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°If you make him mad, he will kill you,¡± she heard that voice come from behind while she struggled to drag herself through the tiny opening, being careful not to burn herself on the furnace. The room on the other side was too dark to see anything as she finally pulled everything but her legs in. She pulls one leg in bit by bit, careful not to make a sound while someone searches for her on the other side until she burns her hip on the side of the furnace and lets out a groan of pain. ¡°There you are,¡± the voice exclaimed, and Alana began to pull herself briskly, not caring that she was burning her leg on the side of the furnace. The person on the other side grabbed her foot. ¡°You aren''t getting away from me now, you dead bitch.¡± The voice screeched out as she pulled Alana''s leg, but Alana used her other foot and kicked herself through the hole in thewall, pulling the woman into the side of the furnace, causing her to scream in pain and let go of Alana''s leg. Standing up, Alana winced in pain as her upper right leg, burned from the furnace, throbbed. Alana limped aimlessly in the dark, looking for light as the woman in the other room yelled and cursed. Alana looks into the abyss in front of her, trying to make out any objects in the room, waving her arms out ahead of her; she found a string that she pulled for light and gasps at what she saw. Sitting right in front of her were two bodies lying lifeless. Alana fell to her knees with her mouth open wide in disbelief. She was too stunned to cry as the door to her left slammed open. Alana quickly got back up, limping back towards the large cage that stood in the back of the dark room; she finally got a good look at her attacker. ¡°Y-YOU,¡± she yelled in disbelief. One Year Ago Chapter two One year ago ¡°Every moment leads to some consequence,¡± Clair thought as she stood outside the door to her new job, outside the door of the world''s most famous author, Johnathan Barlow. She looked at the tall oak doors, wondering how she landed a job as his assistant. She felt excited to start her career after graduating with a creative writing degree and moving to a new city. Clair looked around the neighborhood; she took a deep breath of the warm outside air while brushing her light brown hair from her eyes. ¡°Most of these consequences are good,¡± she thought to herself before knocking three times, then she wondered if she had knocked enough times. The door creaked open to a middle-aged mixed woman wearing some kind of uniform with a BM written in the middle of the light blue V-neck shirt. ¡°Hello,¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Hello, my name is Clair. I''m here for Johnathan. I''m his assistant.¡± The woman looked at her for a moment. ¡°OH, that''s right I''m so sorry,¡± She said standing aside and letting Clair through the doors. ¡°With everything that goes on here, it must have slipped my mind that he had his new assistant coming today.¡± Clair walked inside a small entryway with a closet door to the left and an arch leading to a large living room to the right. The woman walked her into the living room with a couch resting against the wall to the right and a television sat across from the couch against a stairway going upstairs. There was a dining room and kitchen just past the living room, ¡°It''s pretty open so what you see is what there is. Other than the door to the basement and garage, ¡°the woman said pointing to a door a couple of feet past the T.V. where the living room and dining room meet. ¡°There is a room where we keep an extra fridge with drinks you can always help yourself to. There is also a door to the basement and garage in there as well. The basement is off-limits,¡± she added with a smile. The woman had beautifully soft features, a mole just under the left side of her lip, and dark hair that Clair thought curled beautifully. ¡°That archway leads to a hallway with my room and a bathroom you can use any time you want,¡± she added another detail while she pointed and rubbed her forehead as if she felt imprudent she forgot such a detail. ¡°Thank you,¡± Claire said, still thinking about how she was referred to as a new assistant. ¡°Did you say I was his NEW assistant? I never realized he had an assistant¡± Claire asked, she put more emphasis on the word"new ". ¡°Yes, he likes to hire graduates so they eventually find a better job and we have to rehire,¡± The woman said, wearing the same smile as the other times she responded. ¡°Okay, I''m sorry I never caught your name.¡± ¡°My name is Margaret, but you can call me Maggie. I am Johnathan''s house aide,¡± Maggie said. She reached out her hand with the same smile. ¡°Is that you, Clair?¡± A voice came from upstairs; Maggie¡¯s smile was gone and she stared at Clair; Clair¡¯s eyes darted around the room. The air became thick around them as they stood inside an anxious cloud. Maggie reached out and grabbed Clair¡¯s wrist. ¡°You have some beautiful jewelry.¡± Maggie was twisting Claire''s wrist, analyzing her rings and her bracelets. ¡°ooh I like this ring.¡± Clair tore her hand from Maggie and ducked around the corner; she ran for the bathroom. Maggie told her about ignoring Mr. Barlow as he called for her. Clair shut the door and pressed her ear against the door, ¡°I think she just went into the bathroom,¡± she heard Maggie''s voice. Clair looked into the mirror that hung on the wall just above the bathroom sink. She ran the situation through her head over and over, trying to make sense of it. Was she just complimenting my rings? She had asked herself. Clair took a deep breath; It had to be some sort of misunderstanding. She observed herself in the mirror looking for any blemishes and to her gratitude she saw none except for. She stopped and her heart skipped a beat. There was an ingrown hair behind her ear; one she very well could hide behind her hair. She desperately took hand soap and scrubbed it, hoping that, by some miracle, it would wash off. Clair Accepted bitter defeat as it glowed an angry red and she let her light brown hair flow over her shoulders just enough to hide what she thought resembled a mountain of ingrown hair. She took a deep breath and looked at her own green eyes before she looked down at her outfit: blue jeans and a loose shirt. She suddenly wished she had worn that tight flowery dress she thought was too dirty to wear earlier as she looked down, pulling on her shirt. This one didn''t Show her breasts enough. She thought before a gentle knock on the door behind her pulled her back to reality. ¡°Are you okay Clair?¡± Maggie''s voice came through a bit more gently than the way she spoke before. Clair''s heart paced up. It was all a misunderstanding. She repeated to herself. ¡°Y-yes I''m sorry, I just had to use the restroom while you spoke with Mr. Barlow,¡± Clair said while making a quick move to turn the sink on¡­ ¡°Clink,¡± one of her rings fell into the sink and she watched open-mouthed as it slowly slid down the drain. Clair froze. She couldn''t believe she was this much of a nervous wreck and she took a deep breath, remembering when she bought the ring from a Walmart when she was younger. Cheap as the ring was, it was still priceless to her, with its sterling silver band and a tiny blue gem shaped like a butterfly. She never even remembered what the gem was, only who it was supposed to remind her of. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Clair reached her fingers into the drain, hoping by chance she could feel the cold metal band but she only felt slimy piping and, with eyes welled with tears, she cursed the sink for not having a stopper. Clair whipped the tears off her face and took a deep breath, ¡°The ring is not him,¡± she whispered and tried to collect herself before she opened the door to a smiling Maggie waiting for her at the end of the hall. The ring is not him ¡°Clair, come up here. I''ll show you the office.¡± Clair heard John say as she shut the bathroom door. Clair averted her eyes as she walked past Maggie and up the stairs to a hall that stretched back a couple of rooms. ¡°Hello,¡± Clair said, with the thought of her ring dissipating as she saw the face of a little girl hiding in a doorway at the end of the hall. The little girl smiled back at Clair. Her heart warmed until the girl ran back into the room. ¡°That''s Alice. She is mostly a shy girl. Those are bedrooms and they are off-limits to you.¡± Jonathan said sternly ¡°Mr. Barlow it''s a pleasure to meet you, I''ve been a huge fan for as long as I could read,¡± Claire excitedly said while reaching her hand out and doing her best to contain her excitement as she shook the hand of the man who unknowingly taught her so much. John was younger looking than she thought and stood half a foot taller than her at five foot eleven inches with short black hair cut into a fade and a thick beard that was cut short and lined sharply. ¡°Please, call me John. I am so lucky to have such a talented assistant and I must say you have your mother''s eyes,¡± John said while shaking her hand. ¡°You knew my mother?¡± Claire asked, stunned. Her mother has never told her about knowing her favorite author. ¡°Yes, she was a senior at the college we attended together. We even dated back in college for a bit,¡± John said and Clair felt even more stunned. John walks into the room at the top of the stairs gesturing both his arms outward to the room, ¡°This is where you will be spending most of your time while here.¡± John added. Clair looked into the tiny room that looked as if it didn''t belong in the house, with mounds of books stacked on the single desk at the end of the room. There were crumbles of paper around the trash can, as if John shredded paper and tried to throw it all into the trash and various stains littered on the carpet. The room had one desk and one window, but the room had no other doors other than the one Clair stood in. ¡°The housekeeper doesn''t come in here. I work better in a bit of a mess,¡± John said. room,walked to the desk in the room avoiding the paper balls scattered around; she bent over picking up a ball and carefully unraveling it. She expected John to stop her but in her delight he let her read his garbage draft. ¡°I''m so tired of the truth, bleeding through the ink I write with. Whispering with every step I take. Can it stay hidden? Can I conceal enough of the truth to keep it hidden forever?¡± Clair read the first line, not completely understanding what it meant. ¡°I made a character that hides everything he does through writing. People eat up his writing, never knowing they read horrid truths,¡± John said from behind Clair. ¡°Can I study some of your writing to understand your style more?¡± Clair asked, intrigued to read more, but John only laughed as she picked up another crumbly piece of paper. ¡°Not my disposed writing,¡± he said, pointing to a top drawer of his desk. ¡°I have a manuscript in there that I need you to read over.¡± John stayed seated as Clair opened the drawer and grabbed the manuscript. ¡°Also, there are a group of writers that are meeting up at the local coffee shop starting this week,¡± John said with a pause while Clair read his manuscript. She noticed him looking but paid no mind to him and pretended to be zoned out over the manuscript. John kept the silence going for a little longer before he spoke again, ¡°I know because they attend the college I attended and the school sends me works from various aspiring authors and I figured since you are new to the city you might like to make friends with interests that align with your own.¡± ¡°Thank you, John. I will consider it,¡± Clair said appreciatively, and she meant it, but everything had already felt so overwhelming. There was a loud ring from downstairs followed by Maggie''s voice seconds later, ¡°John, there is a call for you.¡± ¡°I''ll be there in a second.¡± He called back to Maggie and stood up from his seat reaching his hand out to Clair, ¡°It was a pleasure to meet you, I look forward to seeing you next Wednesday,¡± John said with a smile before Clair shook his hand and followed him down the stairs. Maggie was standing in the kitchen rapidly whispering the phone with her back against them as Clair walked to the front entrance. "OH, and one more thing, Clair," John said, stopping Clair as she was about to step outside his house. "I need you to start some sort of manuscript for me, and I want you to read at least the first chapter of mine before your first shift next Wednesday." Clair nodded in acknowledgement but felt frustrated he gave her work outside her pay. Clair looked down the street, regretting her decision to walk instead of driving as she took her first exhausted step towards the bus stop, ultimately deciding to ride the bus since her heels felt like shit. She wasn''t worried about walking outside after night in such a pleasant neighborhood; however, it was a different story once she reached the bus stop. She sat on the bus avoiding eye contact with the men who stared at her and she let the reality of how she had moved to a new city completely alone. Would her family even know if she went missing? ¡°Hey sweetie,¡± She ignored an older man who walked past giving her a creepy gesture; she clutched her bag tightly the rest of the way home until she made it safely to her Apartment. The Group Clair watched as her manuscript flew out of her apartment''s window. She had no regrets and even laughed as the papers scattered in the wind gently drifting away from her. She slammed the window shut and glared at her phone with the text from her sister still open. ¡°Surprise, SIS! I''ll be over in an hour.¡± It read. Clair vigorously rubbed her eyes as the sun slowly passed through her window and into her eyes. To most people, it was six something in the morning and they were ready to start their morning, and most days this was Clair, but not this day. After struggling all night on a manuscript that ended up outside, she found herself in a foul mood, and a surprise visit from her sister was just the thing to make her mood worse. Why would Alana Visit at seven in the morning? Clair had asked herself while rushing a morning routine. She got ready in a record ten minutes and she stood outside her bathroom with a toothbrush in her mouth before she heard a loud buzzing coming from her front door. She sighed. There wasn''t even the hour Alana had promised in her text, and Clair felt her temperature rising again. ¡°BZZ, BZZ,¡± the apartment buzzer went off two additional times. ¡°ONE MI-¡± Clair began to shout but choked on toothpaste in between words. ¡°BZZZZZZZZ,¡± The apartment was buzzed once more for longer this time. ¡°ONE FUCKING MINUTE!¡± The open concept of Clairs apartment made it perfect for her to rush, almost sprinting, to the buzzing door she was sure would infuriate her neighbors. She rushed down the hall that separated her and the livingroom until stubbing her toe hard. She doubled over cursing her sister for her stubbed toe. She limped to the door, opened it, and was surprised when Johnathan and Maggie greeted her instead of her sister. "Hello," Clair''s shock was evident as she saw them, causing her to instinctively reach for the ring that had been missing since the other day. Her heart sink, swallowed by sorrowful memories of her father. ¡°Clair!¡± Jonathan had his arms open and Clair leaned in for a hug, despite feeling odd about it. ¡°Not that I am not happy to see you.¡± Looking around the room, Clair''s eyes locked on Maggie''s, who, unlike John, wasn''t smiling. She stared almost¡­ menacingly at Clair, ¡°But why are you here?¡± Clair asked, taking a look behind her at the mountain of neglected dishes and the valley of clothes that were mixed clean and dirty. She felt her face turning red, ¡°I just moved, so the place is an absolute mess.¡± ¡°Ahh, this is what I wanted to see! The mark of a genuine writer,¡± John was laughing. He had invited himself in and was standing over the mess of a desk Clair had been working on. ¡°The only thing unpacked is the only thing you need! A desk and a computer.¡± Clair wondered how his face never hurt while he was smiling like that. ¡°BZZ BZZ,¡± Clair looked around at the door with a blank expression, forgetting about her sister. ¡°Were you expecting someone else?¡± ¡°You invited company before you unpacked?¡± Maggie almost had a smug attitude in her voice but Clair ignored it as she was opening her door. ¡°CLAIR!!¡± A shrill voice came from the hallway outside. ¡°Ive missed you, Clairy!¡± Alana screamed while dropping her suitcases in the middle of the doorway and hugging Clair. ¡°Alana, this is my boss, Jonathan Barlowe.¡± Wasting no time, Clair introduced John. She was excited to work for him, despite how odd she felt they were in her home. ¡°This is Maggie.¡± She left it at that, thinking ¡°maid¡± would be offensive. Maggie stretched her hand out, ¡°nice to meet you Alana. Im actually Jonathan''s personal assistant.¡± Alana rushed Maggies introduction and was holding John''s hand before anyone knew it. ¡°I am such a huge fan!¡± Alana was holding John''s hands, staring into his eyes. Clair wondered how much he loved having random people love him like that. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No really, I am your fan,¡± John responded with a smile and again Clair wonder if his face hurt from smiling as often as he did. Clair was rubbing her finger where the ring used to be. ¡°Maggie,¡± she suddenly said while they spoke to Alana. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°While I was there last, I dropped my ring in your sink.¡± There was silence as John and Alana stopped talking. Maggie was looking at Clair. ¡°Okay,¡± Maggie had her shoulders raised. ¡°Well, I need to know if you¡¯ve seen it at all?¡± Clair was looking at the ground while holding her right elbow. She was praying that Maggie had somehow found it. ¡°Wait,¡± Alana cut in and walked towards Clair, ¡°You lost Dad¡¯s ring?¡± Alana was standing in front of Clair and embraced Clair. ¡°I¡¯m sorry Clairy, I know that it was important to you.¡± ¡°So you want to know if I''ve seen it?¡± Maggie asked while walking towards the door and John followed her. Clair made eye contact with her and didn''t say anything. She was already in a foul mood for the day, not sleeping and surprise visitors made sure of that, and she knew any response would come out wrong. She also knew that she already said what she wanted and her patience felt as if it was extremely thin. ¡°Yes, it is very important to me, and I just need to know if you have it.¡± Clair spoke lower than normal. ¡°First you barge into my bathroom and now you ask me to find your property? Are you serious, darling?¡± silence came over the room like a shadow as everyone stared at Maggie, then shifted their eyes to Clair, waiting for some sort of response. Clair, in the meantime, was feeling a boiling uproar of emotions, mainly anger. First she felt her eyes began to water, but then it quickly to anger. She took a deep breath with fists balled, but Alana spoke first. ¡°Are you serious?¡± Alana took steps towards Maggie, who had the door halfway open. ¡°She is only asking if you have seen it. Why are you being such a bitch?¡± John coughed, then cleared his throat. Maggie stood in the doorway, looking past Alana at Clair. ¡°No, I have not seen it. Honestly Clair, if it was as important as you say, then you wouldn''t have lost it as easily. Let''s think about this next time.¡± Maggie slammed the door behinf her leaving John inside, who rubbed the back of his head. Alana followed her outside and screaming pursued. ¡°I am so sorry about her,¡± John said. ¡°It''s no excuse, but she has been going through a lot.¡± John walked in front of her and was speaking to her. ¡°I know it''s hard since you just moved, but here is a focus group.¡± He handed her a card with numbers and addresses written on it. ¡°It''s a group with students who went to the school I teach at. They have some of the same goals and I can¡¯t imagine how lonely a new city without friends is.¡± John walked outside and was replaced by Alana coming in. ¡°I have no idea what her problem is.¡± Clair ignored her. She paid attention solely to the sharp ridges of the card John had handed her. She has always been a bit more introverted, but she knew moving to a city was a monumental task to take her away from her comfort zone. Clair was investigating the card; the next meeting was tomorrow. ¡°Clair,¡± Alana called her name, but she was still deep in thought. She wanted to meet new people, but tomorrow was so soon. ¡°Clair,¡± Alana spoke again, causing Clair to break her concentration with a jump. ¡°Yea,¡± she responded, still half in thought. I really should mee new people; she thought to herschel not listening to what Alana was saying until¡­ ¡°What did you just say?¡± Clair was no longer looking at the card. "They kicked me out, Clairy. I really need a place to stay." Words could not explain the level of frustration Clair felt. Right after she got her own place? She was extremely frustrated, and she stood up, refusing to utter a word to her waiting sister. She stormed down the hall to her room slamming her door behind her. There was a soft knock on the door; she sighed and rolled over. ¡°You can obviously stay,¡± she screamed at the door. ¡°But I''m pissed Alana. Im frustrated that when I leave I don''t get to leave, somehow I get followed, but yes of course. Of course ill let you stay.¡± She pulled the pillow over her head and closed her eyes; they felt extremely heavy, and she knew they wouldn''t open again. She closed the anyway and welcomed the long overdue sleep. Coffee House Clair went to grab the manuscript she had been working hard on but¡­ ¡°Damn,¡± she said aloud; she had forgotten that she threw it out of the window in a fit of rage. Regretting it was still not something she did. She pulled the card John had given her from her pocket instead. When she looked at it, she was taken aback to discover that she had missed seeing a scheduled meeting for that morning. It was in an hour. She was going to go to their meeting the next day but¡­ she pressed her ear against her door. Avoiding her sister was a need at this point. Was she crying? Clair cupped her hand on the door around her ear so she could hear better. She adjusted slightly as if she was trying to get a better frequency. The door was cool, and she had almost decided to move to a new, cooler spot. She intended to escape her sister, but how could she now? When she gently opened her door, she was not surprised to see her sister on the floor, with tears streaming down her face. A picture she knew too well. Being the little one of the family, you''d expect her to be the one most comforted, but that''s not how it was. All the time Clair''s sister found tragedy, and all the time Clair helped pick up the pieces. Clair didn''t see Alana as the adult she was, but the older- younger- sister, Alana frequently acted as. ¡°I don''t want to burden you,¡± Alana said between sniffles. Clair stood in the doorway initially feeling no sympathy until Alana revealed, "He was beating me." ¡°Alana, I''m so sorry. Of course, of course, you are welcome to stay here.¡± ¡°Now you have no issue, and you have this sympathy that you''ve lacked before. You know, I came to you because we are sisters, and you never even asked what was wrong. Your first thought was you, and that shouldn''t have surprised me.¡± Clair felt like shit and stared at Alana open-mouthed. Alana sighed and began to speak, but Clair lifted her finger. ¡°I need a second before I can''t respond.¡± There was an abundance of anger Clair knew was about to be misdirected. She took a breath and felt her lungs as they inflated. She imagined. The feeling of her lungs in her chest as they inflated. She imagined pushing out the raging flame of frustration and then exhaled, at least for a second. She felt at peace. ¡°I''m sorry, it''s been a bad day. You are not a burden at all. I--¡± ¡°I don''t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°--Okay¡­ you can stay as long as you need. I need some fresh air, please.¡± She stopped and wondered if she should leave her sister in such a state. ¡°I''ll be fine. You should go. Anyway, I can use some time alone.¡± Alana was wrapped, burrito style, in a blanket.¡°Some time alone in a safe place to think would be nice.¡± Alana had a half smile while she said this. She clutched the stuffed animal Dad had given her when they were kids. ¡°I can''t believe that after all this time, you still have this.¡± ¡°I keep anything that reminds me of him.¡± ¡°I miss him.¡± ¡°I do too.¡± They both spoke in low tones. ¡°You lost the ring?¡± Alana asked the question Clair was trying to avoid. She didn''t want to discuss it again. ¡°How are you going to get it back?¡± ¡°I don''t want to talk about it.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Alana closed her eyes and took a deep breath before rolling away from Clair who stared at her with sympathy. The breeze brought thoughts that came in and out of Claire''s mind as she briskly walked to the coffee shop. She was going to be late, but she wanted time to think. Her footsteps were quick and she almost tripped a couple of times walking down Pine Street to Harriot, which curved in a way she thought was dangerous for people walking as the cars speeding wouldn''t be able to see them. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Harriot Street was busier than she remembered and filled with various stores and shops. She walked for ten minutes past a Walmart and various car dealerships, where she stopped to check out a sexy BMW painted a shiny blue. She didn''t know much about cars but she could stop and appreciate them. There were only a few more Blocks she had walked before she could see the shop Brown Brewed. She laughed, ¡°Sounds like shit.¡± Keeping her eyes on the ground, where the sun couldn''t burn them, she began walking towards the doors until she ran hard into what felt like a brick wall and fell to her ass. ¡°Where were you going?¡± She heard through the sound of scattering papers and books hitting the ground. ¡°I''m sorry the sun was so bright I couldn''t see where I was going.¡± ¡°Everything is mixed up now! You should be sorry you--¡± Then he stopped looking at Clair while she was picking up the papers on the ground. ¡°--Are gorgeous.¡± A tomato would have been a good way to describe how red Clair''s face turned. She dropped the papers she had picked up. ¡°I am so sorry.¡± ¡°That''s ok they were already mixed up from when you hit me the first time. My name is Mathew,¡± He had his hand stretched out inviting hers. His hand wasn''t hot or clammy but soft and cool. Clair had always hated sweaty hands. ¡°If you don''t mind, I''d prefer if I could pick this up myself. Sensitive work, I hope you understand.¡± She did and scribbled her number on a paper he had given her. He texted her so she''d have his number as well, then Claire walked into the bustling coffee shop. There were baristas walking around with serving trays carrying multiple drinks and there was chattering and laughter around her. Taking a deep breath through her nose, Claire could smell the aroma of freshly ground coffee and freshly baked pies that the workers were putting on display. Claire smiled. To some this might be a writer''s nightmare with too many distractions but this is what she thrived in. Organized chaos. There was a group of three people sitting at a circular table, Claire assumed they were the focus group and she walked up to introduce herself. ¡°Hello, I''m Claire, it''s nice to meet all of you.¡± ¡°Another member!¡± A short blond jumped up and shook Claire''s hand. ¡°My name is Chloe, It¡¯s so nice to have more people interested in our little focus group.¡± Chloe was still shaking Claire''s hand while talking. ¡°This is Amanda--¡± ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°-- and this is Mark¡± "Sup baby," Claire was thrown off and she refrained from reaching in to shake his hand even though he had invited it. He looked at her like she was a wounded animal, ¡°What baby, I don''t bite.¡± ¡°No thank you,¡± Claire said and rolled her eyes at him before leaning in to shake Amanda''s hand, who did not shake hers. Amanda had her head buried in her laptop typing furiously. ¡°Hello, no offense but I am super busy and I need this time to finish this draft, not to play friends.¡± Claire receded her hand and Chloe scoffed. ¡°We don''t have time for you to play bitch,¡± Claire was stunned, Chloe didn''t come off as that kind of person, but Amanda simply laughed and didn''t say anything in return. Was this how they joked with each other? Clair gently took a seat, feeling awkward as she did it while the others spoke. She noticed Mark staring at her from the corner of her eye. ¡°So tell us about yourself,¡± Clair had the sudden urge to leave. Her heart paced up while she looked at the three of them; why am I being so Timid? She asked herself. ¡°Well I moved here after graduation-¡± ¡°You graduated? Thank god, now someone can tell us what we are doing.¡± Mark said loudly after throwing his hands in the air. ¡°She isn''t going to do your homework you half-witted jock,¡± Amanda kicked him from under the small table resting in front of them. Clair only just noticed it was scattered with papers. ¡°- yes I have my degree in Creative writing and I am Jonathan Barlowes Assistant.¡± There was silence among the group of people before Mathew walked up to them out of breath. ¡°Sorry I''m late,¡± He said breaking the silence that fell on the group. ¡°Fashionably late,¡± Chloe said slapping him on the shoulder causing him to drop his stack of papers on the floor. ¡°Damn it not again,¡± Mathew let out a frustrated sigh and began picking them up. He either hadn''t noticed Clair or he didn''t care. Amanda and Chloe however were staring at Clair. ¡°You know he had another assistant right?¡± Chloe had a sound of concern in her voice. ¡°Yes he always hires graduates fresh out of college so he can,¡± Clair said the next part with her fingers as quotations, ¡°pave the way for them.¡± She ended, mocking John''s voice. ¡°They went missing,¡± Mathew was looking at her now. ¡°His last two assistants have gone missing sometime after they worked with him.