Guardian Angel (A Sample) - Page 13/28

WEDNESDAY

Distracted he pushed through the frosted glass door of the pristine, brilliant white room. The reception desk was large and imposing, even the large letters on the front of the white surface were white. He was in the offices of AoD: Irish Operations. The only reason the letters could be read was because of the shadow cast behind them from the flushed fluorescent lights in the pure white ceiling. The walls, as in the rest of the offices, were symmetrical slabs of white and frosted glass.

The receptionist looked up from her position behind the desk. Even she blended in well with her surroundings. Her face was pale, down to her frosted pale pink lipstick. Her eyes were a light shade of blue and her long straight hair was a shade lighter than baby blonde.

" Mr. Ahern is looking for you, Daimhin." Even her voice sounded white.

" Good morning, Miss Brown." He smirked internally at the irony that she could be considered a brown stain in the otherwise untainted room.

" Morning. You're late."

" I am on my way to the morning meeting, can't it wait till after?"

" No. He said he wanted to see you before the meeting this morning."

Daimhin walked past her and down the long white passage. The symmetrical slabs of white integrated with frosted glass on the walls continued on each side alongside him. The white polished tiles under his feet reflected the lights from the ceiling.

He walked past several closed white office doors. Human Resources, Accounting, System Room. He always felt a pull of apprehension as he walked past the system room with its large interior and machines which regulated destiny, fate, birth and death. It was as if the door knew what he had done a little more than seventeen years ago, and had done more than a few times in between. It was as if it looked at him accusingly, and one day soon it would open and suck him in.

He continued walking down the long passage. He nodded in greeting when Gavin walked past him. He had not yet made a lot of friends here. Relatively speaking he had not been here very long, and should they decide to downscale and applied the principle of last in, first out, he would be the very first out. Also, it was not as if he made friends easily. Granted, surrounded by humankind he was able to see them for who they really were. He could see what interested them, what hurt them and what they wanted from life. He had been given this specific talent because of the circumstances which brought him here.