Just another day at the office

I looked up at my reflection, straining to try and stop the hazy image of my unshaven face from wobbling side to side. I was never a good drunk, but this hangover was a particularly bad one. I pondered to myself why I had bothered getting out of bed at all this morning. But it didn’t matter why; all that mattered was that I could get through the day avoiding the attention of my boss.

I looked down into the porcelain washbowl and watched as a large drip from the tap disturbed the still pool of water. I flicked my gaze up to the mirror once more and grunted out loud before plunging my head downward into the liquid. It was wonderful, the feeling of fresh cool water on my burning face. I wanted to submerge my entire body into the sink, to swim around and let the soothing oasis calm the fire that was spreading over my skin.

I kept my head in the water for a few seconds, my cheeks puffed up with air, but then something odd happened. A loud sharp noise echoed down the hallway outside. I lifted my head and spun around, covering the marble floor in water as it dripped from my face. It sounded like a car backfiring, which probably wouldn’t have been too odd had I been on the ground floor near a road. But I was on the 206th floor of a sky rise building.

I shrugged my shoulders and felt like an idiot for being so jumpy. In all likelihood someone had just dropped something. I unplugged the sink and dried my face with paper towels. But as I moved towards the door I heard the same noise again. I froze on the spot and tried not to compare the sounds of gun shot to the noise. My denial was short lived however, as I heard the high pitched shriek of a woman, followed closely by another bang which silenced her.

My heart began to race; I could hear the blood rushing to my brain through the thumping of the pulse in my ears. I tried to make a choice between running out and hiding in one of the cubicles, but neither way seemed best. Finally as another gunshot went off, this time much closer, I decided that if I was going to die, I didn’t want it to happen whilst cowering in a bathroom.

I moved up to the door suddenly feeling alert and awake. I reached out my hand, but before I could grab the handle, it burst open inwards and a tall blond woman came clattering in. She slammed the door shut and laid her head against it whilst trying to catch her breath.
“… They’re coming… we have to hide…”

I stared at her, somehow unable to formulate a coherent thought. I had planned on running out, down the corridor to the stairwell. If it had meant I needed to run down 206 floors, I would have done it. But now, I had no idea what to do. She looked at me, and I stared back, open mouthed like a complete idiot. Suddenly the effects of the large amounts of alcohol consumed the night before returned.

She rolled her big green eyes at me and grabbed hold of my wrist, dragging me into the end cubicle with her. We stood either side of the toilet bowl, which was thankfully clean, and waited in silence. A million thoughts ran through my mind, I wanted to ask her name, but she seemed somehow familiar. I felt foolish for not remembering who she was… Betty, Barbara, Cindy, Sandy… it didn’t matter how many names ran around my head I couldn’t pick the right one. Besides, remembering names was the least of our problems. I decided to speak in a hushed voice,
“Who exactly is out there?”
She narrowed her eyes at me and leaned closer, over the toilet. I reciprocated bringing my face close to hers, the fragrant odour of her perfume wafted into my nostrils. I wondered if she could smell the booze on my breath.
“The soldiers have gotten loose. I think they have been programmed to kill everyone.”
         
My heart sank. I knew enough about the elite soldier project to know that we were screwed. She leaned back against the wall, and I watched carefully as her lower lip began to quiver. I thought about comforting her, if I could do it just right then I might get to make a move on her at some point, but then I realised the craziness of the situation. We were trapped in a toilet, hiding from soldiers who were running amuck trying to kill everyone and all I could think of was how to hit on the woman whose name I couldn’t remember.
         
I stifled a laugh, and reached my hand out to lightly stroke her arm.
“Hey, it’ll be ok. They have failsafe systems for this kind of thing. If we just hang out here, someone will fix it all soon enough.”
         
I couldn’t have been more wrong. As soon as I had finished my sentence the door to the bathroom banged against the wall. We both remained still, my head began to pound and I could feel my body filling with adrenaline. I wanted to run, but it was too late now.
         
I listened intently to the sound of heavy boots on the marble floor and watched the woman in front of me fade to a quivering wreck. Tears streamed down her face as she held her breath. Then a loud bang sounded out making her scream at the top of her lungs. The soldier had shot blindly into one of the other cubicles. He stomped over to our hide out and swung open the door. She screamed again and collapsed in the corner in hysterics.
         
I was left to stare in shock as the imposing figure dressed in full combat armour fired his gun point blank into the side of her head. If I hadn’t have been so useless I might have fought him off and tried to defend her, but I didn’t. As he swung his arm around and took aim at my forehead, one final thought crossed my mind.
         
Julie… her name was Julie.