CHAPTER 1: THE TWELVE O’CLOCK BUTTON
CHAPTER 1: THE TWELVE O’CLOCK BUTTON
Death can be wicked sometimes, it can take you down from the bottom… with nothing left. Looking at you right now makes me wanna die, because I just lost everything I have always prayed for, I can't believe that such things can happen to good people.
‘his dead, just let him be, he can't keep fighting for you even in the afterlife, first thing tomorrow morning the body leaves for the morgue.’ a voice came from the entrance.
‘No… no, his not, his not… he made it clear to me that he would return no matter what, he even made a pinky swear for that, and I believe him… yes I…l… l do’ Raya said ambiguously, because there's no life in the body before her, all she could do was cry.
Why do this keep happening to me all the time? Am I cursed or what? Why do everyone around me keep disappearing with no trace… I can't believe that you would go just like the other ones. Raya laments, tears flowing down her chin like cold rain pouring and lightning thunder claps can be seen and heard outside.
Two years earlier… before the senerio.
‘You can't do this, you know if you push that button now… there's nothing to stop the spread, you can just send the evidence privately to them and get cash in return.’
‘I can't, they need to pay for what they've done -controlling the city as if it is some ball on a snooker board- this is what I choose, and I will see to the end of it, there's nothing stopping me now, not scared of them either, they've done enough to me that I don't feel it anymore’
‘Raya, you're trying to compromise your professional future, don't take this too far than you've already, remember that you're still on probation… and you never told me that you were doing something like this, and you said am your very close friend.’
‘Erick, I know that if I had told you, I wouldn't have gotten this far… because you will try stopping me, which will delay everything. By dawn, I am pushing the button at twelve o'clock on a dot, to at least delay their plans, I know that this won't stop them, but it will delay their operations.’
‘You're a member of the press, you should know better… you might be charged for spread of fake news, disinformation and p********a. You should stop this now Raya, I can't help you again if you keep messing with those people, they're way out of our league, please.’
‘Erick, nothing can stop me now, I've made up my mind to do this… your pleading can't postpone it now, you won't be visiting me for now, I do not wish to implicate you… I know the will come for me once the article spreads, I have five minute left to lunch this this buzz, it's almost twelve.’
Erick knew that there was nothing else left for him to say, he has tried his best. ‘I know I can't change your mind, so I will get going -Erick gazed the stunning woman in front of him, who was just few centimeters away from him, her long curly brown hair and bright, expressive golden eyes. She smiled and Erick could feel the warmth from her smile. With her gentle voice she said… I'll be fine, see you at work tomorrow. stay safe friend, wait at work, you're still on probation…’
‘It should be, I was on probation Erick, it ends by 12am today, I got off work on the day of my penalty exactly 11:45pm Tuesday, which was on the second of January 2025… so today being February 1st, 2025. By 11:45pm marks the end of my probation, lets just say that I am willingly giving off 15 minute.’
‘That's very calculative of you… at this point, I can't do anything anymore, I should probably get going, it's already dark outside. Are you seriously letting your only friend go in the dark? It's almost 12 in the night, and you wouldn't even ask me to stay for the night?’
Yeah… you should go, you leave nextdoor…
Erick and Raya, has been friends since middle school, they know each other's ins and our… they're practically family, because they do almost everything together. They've been living in different apartments but the same building for over three years, after she stopped living with her foster parents few months after his brother’s death. When you see they two apartments, it's just like you have just witnessed an evolution of two different worlds. Erick’s apartments looks nothing like the outside, most times he is been asked what he was still doing there, if he can afford a much better house or a villa. His very successful in his own way.
On the other side is Raya's cozy and warm apartment, with tasteful and understated interior designs, which reflects her keen eye for detail and love for simplicity. Her living room is filled with natural light, and the walls are adorned with old books, little artwork and mementos from her travels. After a hot and stressful day of reporting, her home is a retreat where she can relax and recharge.
As a journalist, she's fiercely curious and passionate when it comes to uncovering the truth. She's always willing to do her job and listen to other's stories, she's driven, determined. Despite the challenges she faces in her work, she stays optimistic with a quick wit and sharp intellect.
As a member of the press, she's always striving to tell the stories that needs to be told, her expositions are so engaging and insightful, well-researched, making her a respected voice in her field.
She's a true gem, as almost everybody knows what she's capable of, very empathetic when it comes to empathy and sympathetic when it comes to sympathy.
[A month ago before Raya's suspension]
[At Los Angeles Time station||In the directors office]
‘Who is this lady? I want her out of this place at once!’
‘Sir, she… she is a daughter to the Albertsons family, one of your elder brothers political allies. I'm afraid theirs nothing we can do about it for now, not until we have something to hold against her, and Mr Charles won’t be happy to hear that his daughter was fired. He has been a supportive panel of this station sir.’
‘Enough! That's enough! We need her out, she is a liability to this firm… you need to fine something aganist her as soon as possible. And call her in.’
‘Okay sir’
Few minutes later a knock came from outside the directors office.
‘Come in… the door opened and Raya came in, please have a sit, the director said gesturing with his hand for Raya to take the seat directly opposite him.
'Raya Stans… you are indeed one of the best reporters Los Angeles Times has ever had, and to be more specific the best press member this city has ever encountered or could ever ask for. you sure give them the right understanding of the government in your own unique way. But… reporter Stans, there are things that the masses do not have to understand, there are some messages that are best kept a secret and hidden. That is one major task as the voice of the people. To keep them on the safer side, we don’t bring everything out to the publice like you always do… the press do not just publish content and articles to get viewers and likes- which I believe you’re now doing -but to also understand the stands of the masses and not to mislead them.’
'Sir I have seen nothing wrong in what I have done, I am doing my job and I am doing it well. Sir my content and articles are of true research and thorough investigation, with proof and witness to testify about it. Most of my articles has solved most closed cases and unknown ones. Reporters are meant to give the masses the truth and only the truth because that's what the deserve, to know what goes on I the city the live in. We can’t keep them in the dark all the time, we are their voice to the government and also the governments voice to the people. We shouldn’t mislead them, and I’m sure I haven’t done anything of such, Sir.’
The director pull open the drawal by his left desk and brought out a file with a red seal.
'Then how can you explain this act of blasphemy and contradiction-he said throwing the file to the other side of the desk towards Raya -is this what you call the truth and the right way to lead the masses? Or is it for your own selfish gain.’
Raya unsealed the file-what is this Sir?-she asked
‘Those are a compiled file of all the articles you have published since you signed as a reporter with this station.’
‘Oh! This was during the presidential election three years ago, headline reads… How candidate number one killed candidate number two and frame candidate number three, just imagine have that kind of person as a president, anybody that opposes him die or go missing, which is pratically the same thing as dying. If not for this article, who knows what state Los Angeles would have been in by now. And this one -she took up another page- was about the embezzlement of tax, by the so called executives who claim to be the government themselves… Oh! How can I forget this one -she took up another page- this was when a DPO’s son went on a serial r**e, but his father with his power chose to cover it up, but when it came to light he decieded to frame an innocent civilian for it… -she looked at the various pages on the desk, and was speechless, but dropped the remaining pages she was holding- their is something I don’t really understand, with all this and many more I can’t even dare look at, what you can say is that I am doing the wrong thing? - she looked at her hands because she can feel the trembling sensation- Sir if there is nothing more I can do for you, I would like to take my leave now.’
‘Yeah, you better… anyways you are from hence forth prohibited from publishing any content on your account for a month, you need to g home and remncies on what you have been doing in this station, faliure to do so will attract more consequences.’
[The present day]
“That's very calculative of you… at this point, I can't do anything anymore, I should probably get going, it's already dark outside. Are you seriously letting your only friend go in the dark? It's almost 12 in the night, and you wouldn't even ask me to stay for the night?”
Yeah… you should go, you leave nextdoor…
