I leaned back in my chair, shoving my glasses onto my head and rub my burning eyes. God. What time was it? Late, it must be too late, again. The lab was already empty, everyone else had gone home. No wonder my vision felt grainy, my skull heavy. I've been buried deep in my data all week, polishing up for tomorrow's presentation. Maybe this time they'll give me the grant.
If I head home now, I'd still have few hours left to sleep before I have to get ready all over again. I should head back now. If I showed up half-dead, they're never going to take me seriously.
I packed my things in a blur, papers stacked in precise order, bag zipped, lights off. The building practically groaned when I stepped into the corridor.
There was always something so creepy about these halls after hours. The sterile tiles, the too-white walls, the endless doors sealed tight with their little red restricted-access panels. Too clean. Too clinical. Too dead.
