After her conversation with Mr.Johnson,Mia packed up her things and left the familiar building she had grown accustomed to.The six- story structure,with its crystal glass exterior seem to estrange her,making her want to stay longer than she already had.She was no more a stranger to the expectations of her superiors and this had encouraged her to take up Mr.Johnson's offer,even if there was something like a 'raise'.
As she walked home,she reminisced about the day she once used to be jobless and uncertain about her future.Her mother,Abigail Reed,had suggested that she leverage her face for a career in modeling or acting or anything that included fame.Abigail had always wished for her daughter to revive her abandoned dreams,but the young lady had other aspirations.
She was drawn to research like a magnet to a nail,and had a strong voice for critiquing people that her peers had predicted that she would one day be a renowned lawyer.However,Mary,her childhood friend,had recognized her abilities and referred her to one of the top editing companies.Mary's influential family had connections in the media industry making it less tedious for her to land the job.
Mary was indeed very wealthy and influential,even without her family as her backup.Despite her father's possessions,she had studied hard to be a tough striking journalist in the media realm,that she was feared by the celebrities themselves.Most of them refused to attend her interviews due to her professional way of twisting answers between her teeth.And before the interview would end,the public would be aware of their secrets.This had made her earn the pseudonym as The Devil's Media Personality and through this did she become associates with The G&N Web.
Mia strolled past several blocks of houses in the dark,chilly and silent streets of Chicago.The wind whipped through her ebony dreads,pressing its cold hands against her neck and the clicking of her boots breaking through the silence.The shivers that ran down her spine made her resentful of her late work hours.Fortunately,her home was nearby and that was what made her love her work.
She gazed at the moonless sky,the stars casting their tiny lights upon her.She continued to kick pebbles into the holes around,startling the nocturnal cats and spirits of the night.The streetlights made every bush dimly dark-too dark that she could point at the devil.
Upon entering her house,which wasn't entirely hers since she was occupying it with her two not-so-divorced-yet-divorced parents,and her younger sister Harper,she noticed the familiar porch light casting a yellow glow from the louvres.She was first greeted by her dog,Chase,who nuzzled and jumped into her arms.
"I didn't know you would be the only life waiting for me." Mia smiled at him,rubbing his head with her thumb.She let go of the dog from her embrace and hang her coat on the hanger and left her boots,with its torn soles,on the racks.
Mia's eyes danced around the living room, hoping to see her mother or father but was disappointed.She headed to the fridge to grab a bottle of water and then to the kitchen to fetch her mother's cooked meal.The bottle of water had worked its magic as she was now refreshed.
'What would a poor soul do without water?' she thought.
Scrolling through her phone,she watched the movies on Netflix to speed up her eating.Although she was attempting to eat before 12:30 a.m,her eyes barely left the screen as she was deeply in love with the romantic drama unfolding..
"Oh my gwash!" Her eyes gleamed in excitement and she returned the spoon to the bowl."He finally kissed her!! You go!"
Suddenly,a muffled cry from upstairs broke her concentration.She waited a few minutes before resuming her meal,but the cries persisted,growing louder and softer in intervals.Mia assumed it was someone watching a teary movie or something but soon realized it was growing louder and the only room nearest to her was her sister's.
She slightly opened the door and peeked inside, finding Harper devouring junk food in the middle of the night while crying.There was a song playing from her phone and Mia was sure it was 'Past Lives' which the girl had become glued to.
Harper quickly gobbled everything as if to soothe her hurt soul but later shook her head.It was now feeling like realization had dawned on her.
"No,no,no! No! I can't..just do it." With that,she watched her sister ran into the washroom.
Mia decided not to enter,but the gaggling and groans behind the door concerned her.She took silent steps,and opened the washroom door,only to find Harper forcing her hand down her throat,trying to induce vomiting.Harper fell beside the sink,panting for breath and resumed to consuming a small bottle with no label. She got up,went back to the sink and emptied her mouth again.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Mia asked, her voice laced with concern and anger.She was unsure of what to say. She strode to the bottle and inhaled its scent- it had none.
"What is wrong with you Harper?" she asked again.
Harper merely looked up,turned around and faced the mirror."I am fine now. I need my beauty sleep."
She brushed it off like nothing had happened and went back to bed,leaving Mia to figure out what was in the bottle.