CHAPTER 3
320 Words
Kira stepped out of the old glass office into the drizzling freezing rain, turning slowly as her eyes met her manager, pacing behind his cracked old dusty desk, his tie loose, his fingers rubbing his temples, and veins taut on his forehead as he barked into the phone. He looked shattered, every step showing a flicker of panic.
As the call continued, Kira’s phone buzzed. She reached into her purse, pulled it out, and it was Mom. Kira leaned against the wall, as she sank slowly onto the freezing floor, wiping her tears with her left hand as she picked up the call. “Hello, Mom,” Kira said, her voice cracking. Her mother’s words floated weaker but steady:
“ Kira are……you……okay? Yes, Kira responded with a nod and a forced confidential tone. Kira the doctor called in early, regarding my appointment at 2 p.m. It’s already 11:52 am. And they sent in an extra bill of $1,150 for my dialysis, and they said if I don’t come today, my condition could get worse. I really need this dialysis, Kira.
Can we make it today?” Yes, Kira said, as tears pulled down her eyes, she pressed her head against the wall, as she ended the call. The weight of everything is sinking in. She stood, and every step she took was slow, as if she was lifeless.
Lost in thought, Kira wandered, barely aware of her path, until a horn blared behind her, tires screeching, and a sudden halt just inches away from her. Kira flinched, a stranger shouting, “You almost got yourself killed!”
Breathless, Kira whispered, “Sorry,” as Kira turned to another route, walked some distance, still numb. Kira's phone buzzed again. As Kira pulled out her phone, a woman in a sharp, expensive suit collided head on with her. Kira’s phone slipped from her hand, crashing to the ground, as she screamed cracked.
- Writer
