So I got a job, surprising I know. After my training yesterday I got my last check from Donnie, he couldn't be happier; smiling through the entire process. I held my tongue, I wanted nothing more than to curse him out but what would that achieve? I thanked him and walked out of the store.
I walked through the longer route, probably because I don't want to be in my room yet. It's already dark, the street lamp is already on with only a few people on the road. The cracked sidewalk felt like a road to nowhere, maybe I'm lost, but I pressed on. Then I saw it, hanged at the gate, I saw the sign. Help wanted.
I jogged a little, and couldn't believe my eyes. I read the sign again and again to make sure I'm not misread it. Help wanted, ask the office for details. I don't know what the job was, but I need to live, and the check from Donnie will only last so long; so I walked to the office.
The office is almost empty when I get there, only two cars parked outside; but the light is still on so I know there are still people inside. I knocked on the door, hoping I'm not too late for the job. And the door opened, a guy with grey hair and uneven beard stood in front of me.
"Yes?"
"I read about the job, I'm hoping…"
"The job, yes. Come in, come in. Let's start the interview." He said a little too eagerly. He walked inside and signaled me to come in, and I did so.
The office smells damp almost like my room, it's chuck-full of papers stacked on top of each other, rows of tables lined in three with only one other person still typing on the computer. The guy who's still typing looks at me for a second before continuing to type on his computer. I guess he's really busy.
The guy who opened the door for me led me to one of the tables in the corner of the room. I followed him. I don't know why this interview felt kind of sudden, I didn't even bring any papers and I drenched in sweat after my training.
"Please sit so we can start the interview." The grey haired guy announced, I cleared my mind of any doubt. I don't need that right now, getting a job is my priority right now.
I sat in front of him, he buzzed through his drawer and pulled out a couple of papers and set them on the table. He also pulled out a badge, a radio, a flash light and pepper spray. I guess the job is a security guard, didn't I need some training for the job and do they actually hire a high schooler for this job?
"The job is a night shift security guard." He announced. "You will patrol every half an hour through the perimeter and report any unusual activities."
"I'm a high schooler. Don't I need some training for the job?"
"A high schooler?" He repeated.
"Yes."
He's silent for a couple of seconds, probably thinking I'm wasting his time.
"That's fine, are you okay with working a night shift?"
"I guess."
"Great. I would like to welcome you to our family." He proclaimed, shaking my hand before handing me the badge. "Please fill the form and turn it to me after you finish. I'll be at my table, there."
He then stood up and left me to fill the form. Didn't he get this entire process backwards? Shouldn't he have me fill the form, interview me before offering me the job. Plus, why is he so eager to give me the job? I'm not even dressed properly for a job interview, I just want to know what the job is and hope to set the interview on a later date. Is this a set up? Am I a fall guy or something? Should I just leave and look for another job? Something less sketchy.
The grey-haired guy is still talking to the typing guy, they talk in whispers, take a quick glance at me before returning to their conversation. Maybe I should bounce, this doesn't feel right. God knows I'm dumb but not that dumb.
"Finish?" Asked grey hair as I stood up, he walked back to me as quickly as he could.
"I don't think it's the right fit for me." I lied.
He took a quick glance at the empty form on the table, now realizing I'm not even putting anything on it.
"The pay is good," he muttered. "Really good, why don't you try it for a month?"
"I…"
"It also comes with dinner and a beverage choice of yours." He pleaded, damn it he knows how to hit in the right spot. A good pay and dinner, for someone like me it's a dream job. I could still go to school, train and get free dinner. It's all I could ask for, but why is it so good?
Is this place haunted? That's explained a lot, the good benefits and their eagerness. Why else would they want me to take the offer? The grey-haired guy that I still don't know his name is staring at me, half pleading, half begging.
"what do you say…uh?" Of course he just realized we do not even know each other's names yet.
"Rei." I introduce myself.
"Right, Rei. Eh…the job, could you start tomorrow?"
Should I ask about the haunting? Like do this place cursed that's why he wants me desperately to take the job offer.
"Right, Rei," he said, the name sounding a little too forced. "The job. Could you start tomorrow?"
I stared at him, my mind racing. A security job. Night shifts. No experience, no background check, and an interview that lasted less than a minute. The whole thing screamed "red flag." But a voice in my head, the one that always reminded me how little money I had, kept whispering. A good salary and a free meal every night. That was a lifeline.
"I... Is this place haunted?" The question tumbled out before I could stop it. My face flushed with embarrassment, but the man just blinked, a strange expression on his face.
He didn't laugh. He didn't scoff. He just looked at me with those pleading eyes. The other guy at the computer stopped typing, the only sound in the office was the low hum of the fluorescent lights. The silence stretched, heavy and thick.
"Haunted?" he finally said, his voice quiet. "No, nothing like that. It's just... a little unusual."
"Unusual how?" I pressed, a cold knot forming in my stomach.
He leaned forward, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Let's just say... we get a lot of visitors. Strange ones. People who come in the middle of the night, looking for things."
He glanced at the security badge, the radio, the flashlight, and the pepper spray he had laid out. "That's why we need someone who isn't afraid of the dark. Someone who can handle... unexpected situations. We've had a few security guards quit recently. Said they couldn't handle the... visitors."
I gulped. "What kind of visitors?"
"The kind that don't use the front door," he replied, a grim smile on his face. "The kind that move like shadows and talk in whispers. We don't want you to engage them, just observe. Report any unusual activity to us. Don't worry about the police, they don't care about this kind of thing anyway."
He saw the hesitation on my face. "Look, Rei. We need someone to be here at night to make sure things don't go out of hand, before you ask, yes that's why we are willing to pay so much. We'll give you a bonus just for showing up and doing the job. You can get dinner and go home without even having to deal with these... issues. You'll be on the other side of the building, safe in the office."
He gestured to the papers again, a final plea in his voice. "So, what do you say? A good salary, free dinner, and a job that will help you train your mind for... unusual activities. You seemed like a person who could handle it. I'll even write your first check in advance."
My mind flashed to the training dummy, the frantic commands of Phobos and Deimos, and the promise I made to myself. To survive. Not to be a wuss. This job might be exactly what I needed. It was dangerous, yes, but it was also a way to get stronger, to prepare for the inevitable fight. A training session with free food and a paycheck? It was too good to pass up. Plus, it makes me wonder what kind of visitors come here at night? Are they related to other riders? Or maybe another part of this whole cosmic mess.
I took a deep breath, the smell of damp paper and stale air filling my lungs.
"One more question."
"Yes?"
"Your name is?"
"Than…you can call me Nate." He answered with a weird chuckle. Weird.
Nevertheless. I picked up the pen and began to fill out the form. I don't know what kind of mess I get myself into but I couldn't be worse than what I'm in right now. What could be worse than being stuck in battle royale as an avatar of an exiled god?
"I'll take it," I said, and I never see a wider smile in my life.