Twisted Tale Chapter Two: Carnation

Chapter 2: Carnation

I awoke the next morning to the sound of an ear-shattering alarm that resonated through the damp, cold air in my bedroom. At first I could hear it just faintly, but then it hit me all of a sudden almost knocking me from my sleep and onto my floor (hadn’t I been so tucked in I would have landed in a bucket of water. Not a nice way to start the day.) As I shot up in bed my hand flew through the air and landed hard against the alarm clock on my nightstand. At once the noise shut off all together and I breathed heavily knocking my head forward onto my open palm trying to remember the crazy dream I had last night. But as my forehead hit my palm I had felt something fall from my hair and land against the blankets on my lap. I opened my eyes tiredly to look and when I did it shocked me. In reaction I jumped back a bit and as I did I nearly hit my head against the headboard (although clever, it’s not exactly what a “headboard” is for) my eyes stuck to the white and green carnation that laid in front of me.

I held out a sweaty hand to touch it and sure enough it didn’t dissolve into particles before my eyes or turn into that man that had shown me the flower, no. It remained the same, soft flower I had seen in my dream and it worried me. How on earth could he have gotten in and not woken me up, yeah I don’t get a lot of sleep but still I’m a fairly light sleeper when it comes to people sneaking around my house. I took a deep breath and then sighed as I let it all out. The carnation was just a coincidence of course… No that was obviously a lie, how could a flower that I had only just seen the first time in my life in a dream last night coincidently end up in the same place it was in my dream? I shut my eyes tightly and shook my head hard side to side. As I opened my eyes slowly, I looked at the flower and noticed something I hadn’t just a moment ago. There was a small white card tied to the steam. I picked up the flower and opened the card, written in bold red letters it read,

My dear,

May this flower remind you that in this world that seems so dim and alone, that you yourself are not alone, and that you will always have someone there for you, right next to you. Don’t forget your fantasies and dreams.

I sat there staring at the card for a few moments while trying to take in everything. The dream, the flower, and the note that was obviously from the same man I had met in my dream. It all seemed so un-real, even in a crazy and unpredictable world like the one I live in. I let out a heavy sigh and glanced over at my clock. The time was now 6:48 a.m. and I had to be at work in twelve minutes. Great just what I need… to be late to work. Reluctantly I threw the blankets off my body and jumped out of bed while barely missing the massive puddle of ice water that had collected in a bucket I kept beside my bed. I paused only for a moment to consider taking a shower but decided against it noting that time only allowed me ten more minutes before I was to run in through the doors of my work late and to be called out by the boss to be scolded… again.

Quickly I skimmed through my closet and picked out a plain ordinary outfit that consisted of a V-neck black shirt and some dark jeans that were nothing special. I slipped into the clothes quickly trying not to give the cold air much time to beat against my naked skin, shoved on my black knee-high wedge boots and ran out the door managing to grab a scarf and hat along with my coat on the way out the door. Once out of my apartment I hurried down the stairs and out the front door of my apartment complex. Outside I was welcomed by the normal dreary weather of low hanging clouds, and a mist of rain that was just about ready to mature into a full out rainstorm. Taking shelter under my umbrella, I scanned the streets and could see that my normal bus to work had already taken off on the rest of its normal route. Irritated I let out a groan of displeasure that I had to now venture my way to work on foot and started out in the right direction at a running pace. I pulled my pocket watch out of my coat pocket and while running tried my hardest to read it without slowing down too much. Five minutes… ten blocks in five minutes, ugh! Why couldn’t this have happened on a day I had off! I pushed on harder trying my best at my race against time while nearly falling and slipping at several turns.

At just two minutes past seven I arrived at the front doors of the building in which I worked, exhausted and out of breath I stopped for a minute to catch my breath as sharply dressed people passed around me, coming and going from inside. I sighed in my head at the irony of my position in the working world, working for the very people that disgusted me, that just walked all over me as if I was some cheap ass mat that they would wipe the shit off their shoes with. I looked all the way up a-top the twelve story high building rested a large gold and white sign that read in elegant font “Éclair”. The “Éclair” was the most renowned hotel in the city and many others that temporarily house the wealthiest of families and I was one that had to wait on them hand a foot. I took a deep breath and pushed my way through the glass doors leading myself to a grand lobby that was glowing white, and was about the size of two of my apartments. The walls were painted an egg-shell-ish color with gold trim both on bottom and top and the floors were a pearl marble. Even after my working here for two years every time I walked into this place it takes my breath away because of its elegant design, and it’s definitely not anything I see in my personal life but I never really liked it either. The lobby always seems too clean, too white, too seeming like their trying too hard to be perfect.

After my gawking at the stunning lobby, I started to head for the kitchen as I rushed past all sorts of guests, which mainly consisted of men that were dressed in expensive suits and on the phone babbling something about work, or whatever important rich men talk about to be on the phone all the time. I turned down a hallway and took a left at the kitchen. As I walked in there were many busy people at work, cooking and picking up plates and rushing out so as I passed by them all the most I had gotten from anyone was just a distasteful glance from the side. I held my bag to close against my chest as I ducked under plates and maneuvered around people trying to work my way back to the locker room.

Once past all the commotion I slipped into the locker room and quickly changed into my uniform which was a white skirt with a gold lining that fluffed out just a bit and went down to my knees with white stocking and heels (for the heels we had a choice between flats or heels but I just figured hey, if I’m going suffer might as well do it all the way), a white short sleeved button up blouse with gold buttons, and a golden-yellow-ish apron that thank god didn’t shine in the light but instead was just made out of non-reflecting non-shiny cotton. I thought the uniforms something of cliché to make the women look so much like maids, but there was nothing I could do about it and honestly I expected nothing less from the wife of the CEO of the hotel and corporation. After I had gotten done changing I tried to sneak out the locker room without being noticed so maybe I would have the chance to just do my job and be done with it, but instead a lady manager named Anna, was conveniently on her way into the locker room as I was leaving. I tried to keep my head down so maybe I could get by but instead ended up bumping right into her. I stumbled back managing to catch myself from falling and as I looked up she stood there with her hands on her hips and a smile on her face (Great). She kept her smile as she spoke,

“Well hello there Elise! Thank you for joining us today!” she glanced up to the clock behind me and as she looked back at me her smile widened “Thirty minutes late, but at least you’re here right?” I grinned some at her as I spoke. “Well yes, I suppose I could have just not shown up then you would have had the unfortunate duty of cleaning my mess of shit up along with everyone else’s. Although I’m sure you could have handled it, since picking up shit is your specialty isn’t Anna?” As I finished my sentence her smile faded and her forest green eyes nearly turned the same shade of red as her hair. “Listen here, Elise you have no right talking to me like that! Especially seeing as how someone with your opportunities and family could land so far down the food change of the corporation.” Her words came out almost hissing, I had to grant myself a step back as to void the spit I could swear coated every word. I couldn’t help but glare at her after that, I hate people, and someone like Anna who thought she was just so amazing because she managed to land a managing position in a high-end hotel. I sighed as I tried to shrug her off. I took a step forward to try and walk past her so maybe I could get some work done today but instead Anna stepped in my way yet again.

“Not so fast.” She said with the annoying smirk back on her thin red lips. “You’re not relieved to go to duty yet. I actually came in here looking for you.” I raised an eyebrow as she said this. Anna normally didn’t come hunting down the likes of me, she usually spent her time conversing with any of the big shot guests that she could sink her claws into. “What do you want then?” She smiled even more, and I could tell that whatever was going through her head she was enjoying it. “The boss, or rather CEO of this company would like to have a word with you. He’s heard a little too much than he would prefer about your tardiness.” This caught me off-guard seeing as how the CEO almost never wanted to talk to anyone but the hotel manager, and it was even stranger that he wanted to talk to me about tardiness, usually that was left to managers like Anna. I rolled my eyes and shook my head at the thought of having to face the idiot CEO.

“Fine.” I finally managed to work out through my frustration. “Then take me to him.” An expression of what looked like a mix of confusion and disappointment crossed Anna’s face, almost as if she had expected be to bolt out the back door and as if she was disappointed I didn’t. Anna finally turned and started walking out the locker room, she gave me a quick motion to follow her and I stayed on her heels. The whole way to the room where the CEO resided Anna wouldn’t say a word to me, and I kind of liked it. It was peaceful in the silence that rested between us, and frankly it was good that she kept quite otherwise I had the feeling I would have killed her in the elevator and that would not have been a good thing to do seeing as how apparently I’m already in trouble. Once we stepped out of the elevator on the Twelfth floor instead of being in a hallway we were in a small room that consisted of only the elevator and a pair of large white doors that I could only guess lead to the penthouse of the hotel. I snorted to myself at the thought, of course a CEO would be staying in the penthouse, it’s just so stereotypical. And as that thought crossed my mind I couldn’t help but feel that I wouldn’t be able to keep that from the big bad mister CEO himself. Anna led me the five feet to the door and knocked twice there was no answer but instead a man’s voice that called through the doors.

“Who is it?” his voice seemed stressed and tired. Anna replied quickly “It’s Anna sir, I’ve brought Elise just as you requested.” I could hear a deep sigh from the other side of the door “Send her in…” Anna pushed against one of the doors and head her hand out for me to enter first, and as she looked at me I could see that smile playing on the edges of her face and becoming her full out smile as she followed me But Anna hadn’t gotten three steps inside before the name sitting behind the desk held up a wary left hand to stop her. He was reading something that was laid before him so his head was down but as he read he didn’t look up he only spoke in a tired voice. “Anna, although you have been a great help finding the young lady for me, I no longer need you. Please if you would leave myself and miss Elise to talk.” I glance back quickly and saw the smile vanish from her face as she bowed out the door. As I watched the door close I could feel my stomach tighten up, I was now alone in this room with big bad mister CEO. He cleared his throat, and I turned back to face him. Now instead of reading what was before him, he was looking me right in the eyes. My stomach tightened even more and I bit my lip as he took in a deep breath and shook his head. I watched him closely trying to steady my breathing so I wouldn’t speak out. Then he looked at me again and opened his mouth to talk...