His oppression

Encounters

Chapter Three: ENCOUNTERS

The next morning, I woke up groggy. It was a Monday and you know what most people feel about the start of the week especially if your job gives you below minimum wage and you had no other choice because you have to get by every single day. That kind of feeling which I’m used to but I’m just really tired of doing the same routine.

I finished college, I did yet I couldn’t land any job opportunity after the commotion I’ve been in. The first job I had was absolutely amazing, gave off a respectable pay but the thing was the company went bankrupt when I was a few months in. So they did what they had to to save the remnants of their business. It was an unavoidable decision and I could sympathise with how they dealt with it until the end. And of course, I was one of those people who lost their job.

Like I said before, I’m too prideful and wanted to be independent from my parents so for the sake of my pride, I didn’t tell them that I lost the job. Instead, I hunted down other positions I could handle. And here I am, having a life crisis at barely 30 years old. Eventually, I got a permanent job at a toy store however, I do believe we’re going to close branches soon enough and it’s sad.

We barely get customers anymore. No child wants to play with toys nowadays.

When I got to work, Diane, a co-worker of mine, had been the first one to greet me like she always does. She was a bubbly person even on a Monday and sometimes it irritates me at how positive she can get. Her smile sometimes blinds me. Like girl, please rub that on me. I need that for the rest of the week.

“Morning, Diane.” I greeted her back with a small smile as I opened my locker so I could change into my work clothes. “How was your weekend?”

“The family and I went on a boating trip. It was fun! We caught lots of fish! How about you, Aria?” she even speaks like a little kid though she is younger than me.

Would Diane believe me? I don’t think she will at all, truthfully speaking. This woman did not believe in ghosts.

“That’s good. I got a storage space. Planning to move all my stuff there the next weekend or so.” I replied as I got changed.

“Really? I have no plans next week, how about I help you with moving your things? I don’t mind!”

I scratched the back of my head, really wanting some help but my pride is nudging me, telling me otherwise. I could also use another contact in case something happens to me.

“S-sure..”

That’s it, keep on socialising and the next thing I know, I’ll have other friends outside of work. It’s the attitude that doesn’t get me many friends and I acknowledge that. I just can’t help it sometimes but! I’m trying to change ways. I’m trying to lose the attitude that’s gotten me in a lot of trouble now and before.

“Great! I’ll come to your apartment and we can go from there.”

Huh… someone coming to my apartment? That was something I haven’t gotten the pleasure of encountering. I just felt a little ashamed, embarrassed, because I really don’t want her to see how crap my apartment was.

I only nodded my head as a response to her affirmation as I put on the cap on my head. It was a little big on my head but I guess it will do, it conceals my massive forehead anyway. Then, I got out of the room, inhaling a breath in my lungs before releasing.

Another day at work, for sure.

A few hours in I was called by my higher up, not the manager, to check inventory in the back. There had been new toys that were delivered not too long ago so items needed to be checked if they all arrived on time. Being the good employee that I was, I obliged without making faces behind my employer’s back. I sometimes do that when there are other people who can do the job, them not really doing anything else, but since I’ll be at the back and not making contact with other people, I really couldn’t complain. I’d rather be at the back always rather than dealing with screaming children.

I got the checklist from Will, who was supposed to do this but he couldn’t because it was his damn break. As much as I could slap the smirk out of that smug face, I have to contain myself. After or out of work, sure. If I see him around and he talks to me with that expression again, I swear.

When I reached the back- the massive warehouse that had lights that haven’t been fixed for weeks now, I visibly winced, for sure. I’m surprised they still work well and have not ran out of juice whatsoever. There also have been stories that float around between employees that’s why most of them are too cowardly to even step foot here. I guess I could try and understand their fear of the unknown but come on! I’ve been here hundreds of times already but I have yet to see a ghost or whatever their imagination produces.

It felt as if I was walking down a very long path and my destination was unclear. The other side of the warehouse was in absolute darkness because the switch for that was on the same side. If you ask me it was stupid to have the light switches apart from one another. What? Are they trying to save electricity?

The smell of new products lingers around the place as my footsteps echoed. I turned the flashlight on once I got to the sections that had no light on and proceeded to the main light switch. A backdoor was situated there as well, I guess it kind of explains why the other breaker was located there.

Once I flipped the lever, the lights opened in a parallel fashion until not a single corner was hit with the glare. Now the atmosphere was much more tolerable than a ghostly one. There were no actual windows in the building itself, just ventilation, causing it to have cold air flowing inside. Maybe that was for security. I could only guess though. But I could be mistaken.

“Okay… let’s start from the Disney ones.” I muttered to myself when that was the first one that I saw on the clipboard as I inspected the crates one by one, opening them to see its contents.

Breathing out after a few counting of toys, I went to the next type that was on the list before opening the containers again.

My eyebrows furrowed when there was just a single toy inside. I couldn’t see it precisely so I extended my arms to reach it. I almost dropped the object when I finally came to realise what it was.

The doll.

The doll was on the passenger seat as I was going to the police station. I had to wait the rest of the day in uneasiness just to finish work. I had tried to put the damn thing back inside the crate and made sure that it was never coming out. But a few minutes later when I was checking the other toys, it was there with them! Its eyes were burning holes through me and I just can’t.

That is the worst thing that had ever happened to me in that store. If I don’t get rid of this thing, it’s going to haunt me.

I refuse to believe a ghost would be doing this. If that man who was in my apartment yesterday is doing this stunt, I’m going to find him and make him pay. A paranormal interpretation isn’t going to suffice for what I was feeling right now.

I took the doll with me when I got to the station and marched inside. Fortunately, the same police woman yesterday was sitting at the desk and I put the doll on top of what she was writing. “It showed up to me when I was at work, what is this!?”

I couldn’t blame the woman for the confused look she had written all over her face before she called over a fellow officer. The police officer that I was with in my room, the one I’ve told about the doll.

The police officer looked at the doll on the table, confused as well. “How did it get to you? We had it in the evidence room.”

“I don’t know what kind of freaky s**t this is but I want it to stop.”

I’m perhaps overreacting to some people but if I just have some sort of explanation for all of this then I’ll be more accepting, probably. But this is just mad, I tell you.

“We’ve checked the CCTV footage in your apartment building and nothing. We’ve also talked to your neighbours if they’ve seen a suspicious man lurking around. You didn’t see what the man looked like?’

I shook my head, panicking a little. “There was no man when I was there but when I got out, there was someone peering over the window. I-I don’t know what he looks like. The figure that appeared to be like a man’s… I-I’m sorry.”

“Okay, okay, ma’am calm down.” The woman smiled at me. Her smile was really reassuring since last night. I liked seeing it. “We’ve already sent an officer. There was no one following you. But we’ll still stick around.”

I nodded my head slowly. Even though I was being assured that they got my back, I was still not moved that I was secured.

Nevertheless, I bid farewell to them and went back to my car, making sure that I had purposely left the doll at the office and that I couldn’t possibly have taken it with me.