Usual Lineup

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Tuesday 6:42 am, July 27th. Your alarm goes off in three minutes but unfortunately you woke up at a distressing time where there is no time to sleep but there is no comfort in staying conscious. You lay in your bed, watching the rain pour like any other day, constantly as the ticking of your wall clock passes through time. Due to having recently moved out from home finally, you have minimum decor in your bedroom let alone any entertainment. All the focus you have is set on your steady job. The change of weather has been so drastic lately that you have become easily sick, therefore meaning you have had to miss many many days from work. So missing any more may risk you to lose that job of yours. Not that you liked it. It was just putting items into boxes and sealing them for twelve hours straight. Without a break! Your boss says rest is for the weak though you wont complain as you worked so hard to even gain this occupation due to the lack of experience you have.

Finally, your annoying, agitating alarm went off; it screeched and disturbed the silence which you soon became accustomed to. With a harsh punch, you shut your alarm up and let out a brittle moan. You have only just recovered from your most recent cold but that doesn't mean that you feel great. Actually, you feel terrible. It was almost as if the weather was portraying your emotions. In the house of ice, you complete your usual morning routine: stretch, dress, eat and leave for work. This happened everyday and that was what bothered you the most. An endless cycle of depressing actions that rejected excitement. But what could you do about it? You're a poor pedestrian with little money and had recently lost contact from most family. 

It seemed that the rain had stopped at one point though it was unsettling as the same back-stabbing feeling of someone watching you had grown during the musky morning. With each second that passed, a quiet humming sound echoed throughout your ghostly halls which sounded like a demon choir preparing for their new sacrifice... which would be you. However you somehow brushed away the feeling as you ran out the door to set off on your journey to work. Luckily, it only took a matter of minutes to arrive as your apartment was only a short while away, which you had planned of course being the lazy person you are. Children giggled as they splashed in puddles with their friends and all you could  do was watch quietly. As usual, you got to work early and the doors were locked tight, so you took the opportunity to have a smoke. 

You envied these children whether you liked to admit it or not. They were living their childhood, no taxes, no work, no responsibilities other than to get to school... Those were the good days. But you left education early to find a job so you could leave that horrible place you used to call home. Your mother drank alcohol and used drugs at least twice a day, your father lived elsewhere and couldn't care much at all about you, your two siblings were taken away at a young age due to abuse and your mum's current partner who is just an asshole.

Now you are free. In your own residence with your own responsibilities and you have full control over what you do in your life. What more could you want? Maybe, a partner to love, a nice neighbourhood, a fun job and many friends. But that all takes time. So you'll get there one way or another. Clanks and screeches are heard from behind you where the barriers were being raised so you can earn your keep. With no regards of the Earth, you throw your cigarette onto the floor and enter the building morosely. To be honest you was actually the liveliest person in that box! Everyone else doesn't dare to speak a word, they slowly complete their tasks and yawn every five or so minutes. You could tell most of them were drug addicts. It was in your nature now to be able to tell them apart. The ones who do it for fun, and then the ones who were just down right addicted and were unable to cope with themselves. 

After work you threw your apron off and let out a deep sigh of relief. In your hands was an envelope with your paycheck in it. Now you can buy some food and pay your rent. Then you frowned. A sheep. You felt like a sheep, following everyone else which just made your blood boil. You were so determined to never become a sheep. But here you are doing the same thing all day, every day. Again, you suddenly feel the gaze of an unknown presence on your body which makes you feel vulnerable. One... Two... Three... BAM! You jump at a hundred and eighty degree angle and hit the building. But no one was there. All you saw was the few other workers who look shocked at your sudden outrage and collision of fist and metal. "What?" you grumpily ask. They all turned away and continued with their business.

Rain began to drizzle again, this time being lighter and softer than before. Could this be the start of climate change? Yesterday was windy and slightly snowing so what was the change you wondered. None of that mattered though. Not to you anyway. You wasn't afraid of death, you was more so welcoming it. No, you wasn't suicidal but your philosophy was that if death paid you a visit, you would accept it as it happens to everyone no matter what their life consisted of.

Tip tap tip tap tip tap. The rain's tapping on your windows started to annoy you and it drove you insane, even though you knew nothing would change. "Shut up... Shut up, shut up!" you stand up and raise your fist to the window knowing that if you broke it you're the one paying for it, not your mum anymore. It was time to try and conceal that temper of yours. But there was more. Knocking echoed on from your door to your ears which made you jump. Who could that be? You checked your handmade clock to read 7:39 pm. With anxiety raising through the roof and your fingers curled into a fist, you look from though the eye piece to look for the late roamer. No one was there. Knocking began again. 

Where was it coming from? Who could it be? Mother? Father? My boss?

With a deep breath, you swing the door open to be presented with nothing but your reflection in the puddles on the floor. "Stupid kids." you mutter as you shut the door quietly. But little did you know that a second presence had now grown in your home. From your kitchen, you heard your pots and pans being shuffled around obnoxiously. you wail in freight then grab an umbrella from the cloak room. "Who is here?" you ask nervously though there was no reply. Moments before you jump out into the open, you hid behind a wall for cover to ready yourself for the attack. But no one was there. Your pots and pans were messily lying on your floor which was proof you was not going insane. This was a regular occurrence not that you'd ever get used to the paranormal phenomenons. 

Nails on chalkboards echoed through the hallways, the source being your bedroom, you built up the courage to go check it out. In the past, you had hidden under your blankets and sang to overpower the chimes of death but this time you knew that enough was enough. You won't be made a fool again! In a fast pace, you ran to your room, unaware of your surroundings and shout to motivate your frail, tired self, "Show yourself!" 

A shadow stood in the corner of your room, two glowing eyes stared into your soul, freezing you to the spot. "Who are you?" you whisper as you drop your weapon of choice and stare with fear. 

Jeff The Killer X Male ReaderWhere stories live. Discover now