Hers To Heal

This lady can't be serious! "You can't be serious," Junis's voice broke, and the last word came out an incomprehensible mumble. Her eyes, wide and earnest, darted in every direction while she tried to make sense of what was happening. With good reason, she had genuinely hoped something of this nature wouldn't happen. At least not again. Not after weeks of countlessly reaching out to the Human Resources Department way before her contract had been due to expire. This morning, one of many chocolate cube wrappers had augured her of unexpected luck in very dreamy words. It was laughable, really, but she had guzzled it up desperately wanting whatever form of optimism to dispel the growing dread. There goes all that prep talk about positivity. She blinked back hot tears, drawing in a shaky breath. Junis gripped her chair harder and leaned towards the lady. "Please, is there anything I can do? Who do I need to meet? Mr Carper assured me everything will be taken care of, if only I come in today." The lady didn't even glance in Junis's general direction. The phone in her hand obviously held more importance than anything Junis had to say. Junis bit her trembling lower lip. Panicked thoughts raced through her head of what all this would mean to her, to her finances. Her one-year contract as an intern with Dagon Group expired last month and was supposed to have been renewed way before then. She'd worked her hardest to make sure she would be retained, not minding it'd be on contract still. Everyone knew. She even earned a nickname courtesy of all the nighters she pulled, even while working at Satti Diner on the weekends, just to make sure this exact thing did not happen. For a fleeting second, she had intrepid thoughts of going up to the thirty-fourth floor to confront her department head and immediate boss, but she'd already done that countless times and he had refused to see her each time. She was beginning to accept this for what it was; another dead end. That this—this was it? She felt so crushed, not just for the loss of the much needed additional income but for the fact that even when she had tried her possible best to avoid using her healing powers, she still got her fair share of disappointments. Ever since she was a kid living in foster care, as far as she could remember, she had always been able to heal people of their wounds. She suspected it went beyond physical pain, having learned that emotional bruises could run really deep and healed the slowest, therefore taking more out of her. Like a zap through her and a vehement glimpse into the pain of the—usually unsuspecting—individual, but it had always come at a price; in the form of little unforseen setbacks or leaving her feeling sick. Always a mad gamble between the two. It had dwindled to almost nothing because she had been very careful not to use her powers. Or let anyone know. A muffled sob escaped her hand clamped over her lips as she trudged from the office. The last time she'd felt like this was when she had lost her little sister, Elora, a few years back. The memory was still so vivid. Her powers couldn't do much to save her, it was back then she had cursed her ability to heal. By the time she'd heard her little sister was dying from a hit-and-run, it was already too late and Elora was already breathing her last. Overjoyed Elora was the one who had convinced her that what she had was a gift, and what many great things she could do with it. They were lucky enough to have been in the same foster care and had stuck together through most kids getting adopted. What had kept Junis going was the reassurance that once she hit eighteen in less than fourteen months, she would finally be able to get a job and adopt her sister. That had been six and a half years ago. Back when she'd thought roses were red, back when she could afford to dream. Now, she just wanted a regular paycheck enough to cover her living expenses. She stared disconsolately at her hazy reflection blurred by tears as the elevator doors shut and began ascending. Scoffing with distaste, she ran a hand through her hair which must've come loose in between her begging for her job back and containing the massive lump in her throat. Her black hair curtained around her oval-shaped face, tumbling down her back like a thick black veil. She couldn't remember the last time she got her hair cut or splurged on something new for her wardrobe, not that she had the luxury. Throwing a distraught look at the miserable looking girl on the mirrowed elevator wall, she hurriedly wiped at the tears silently streaming down her pale face and made her way to her former workspace to clear out her desk. She started down the corridor and felt her throat go dry. A few desks over was Rita, the department head's secretary and hushly rumoured girlfriend. She was also an intern but if she was here that only meant one thing; that she got retained. And the company retained just one intern for every department. Well, that explained everything. Looking neither right nor left, Junis marched down the cubicles making a beeline for her desk. Trying to keep her head down, yet completely aware of the space around. Avoiding eye contact and greetings will make this go quicker. She couldn't box up her things fast enough, careful not to draw attention to herself. Every second felt stretched. Luckily for her, it was lunchtime so only a few workers were in the office. It could also prove a brilliant opportunity to see if her boss was in and maybe try one more time. One more time wouldn't hurt, right? But before she could give it another thought, she heard someone clear their throat behind her. Shit! s**t s**t. That goddamn stench. "Eunice?" Junis couldn't even bother to roll her eyes at the cheap antics. Rita had made it a point to call her the wrong name, everything between Janis and Eunice, just to get a rise out of her. Rita was slender and of a little more than average height that bothered on really tall in heels but that never stopped her from looking at everyone of the opposite s*x from beneath her thickly coated lashes. Her exaggerated giggles which she bestowed only on a selected few with ever dripping pouty mouth to boost. Worst of all was her unholy choice of office attire which everyone was oh-so conveniently blind to. Rita smacked her painted lips in that annoying way she always did, wearing something that looked like a gratifying smile. "My, my, you don't look too good!" She was literally singing soprano. Junis scrunched up her face wishing she'd just gone home instead. Sorry to say, but the girl seriously triggered her gag reflex. Once upon a time, she'd mistakenly healed Rita. The wound must have either been covered up by clothes or inch thick layers of make-up but had been severe enough to leave Junis retching for hours after. The peek she'd got of Rita's pain was no surprise at all. Just feeble, mundane worries. Forcing herself to walk around her, Junis lifted her box and headed out of the work area towards the elevator. The same sickly scent followed after her, tainting the surrounding air. "Someone should for one, tell her to tone it down on the perfume," Junis thought. "Anyway, I wish you the very best. Finding a job, I mean. It's a jungle out there. I could put in a good word for you, but I doubt that would do any good. Hopefully, you can . . ." All kinds of nouns and verbs continued to come out of the girl. Meanwhile, Junis was trying hard to keep a rein on her emotions and not scratch Rita's multicoloured face out, a face that could pass for pretty if only she'd use less heavy hand with whatever she caked her face with. "Rita!" Junis snapped, briefly closing and opening her eyes. She stopped long enough for Rita to get a couple steps ahead. "You can f**k off now!" She shoved past her, hard, causing Rita to teeter for a second. Junis wished she would fall flat on her face but then that bit only seemed to happen in her daydreams. Maybe that would've made her feel a tiny bit better but no, all she felt right now was hopelessness, not satisfaction. Not in the least bit. The second she was alone in the elevator, Junis shut her eyes and considered what her options were. The lack of it. More job hunts? Endless interviews? A heavy s***h on her budgets and expenses. Obviously, it was goodbye to grad school. Maybe she could request more shifts at Satti. Find another part-time job. She had done it before, she could definitely do it again. She sighed, exiting the elevator as it deposited her on a floor high up the building. Box in hand and absentmindedly, her wobbly legs carried her to the room at the far end of the corridor, away from the bustle of work on that floor. She caught the door just as a staff was walking out with a steaming mug of coffee in hand, casting her a distracted look. Closing the door behind her, she set the box down on the counter. Fingers clammy, she busied herself pouring what remained in the coffee maker, anything to keep her mind distracted. It worked, but only for the whole of two seconds. Her unsteady fingers made mockery of her effort. Shoulders sagged. Suddenly feeling very exhausted, she burst into tears. Months worth of salty river. Maybe years. She raised no hand to stop them. The sound that accompanied it came from deep within. Her eyes washed with the kind of tears that only come when people have denied themselves healthy release.