As the clock struck midnight, Alex Mercer tossed his belongings into a cardboard box, calling it a day after another tech company marathon. Renowned for burning the midnight oil, he bagged the "Employee of the Year" title three times running.
Alex waltz through the hall way with his 5 foot 8 inches frame with a sky blue tie hanging loosely around his neck and his white shirt untucked beneath his black jacket, he began to stroll through the dimly lit office halls, the glow of computer screens gave way to the flickering hum of fluorescent lights.
The AC's drone serenaded the silence as Alex headed for the parking lot, where his trusty, pint-sized car, a pitiful reward for his corporate servitude waited patiently.
He went to the trunk and placed the cardboard box inside before slamming the trunk down.
But like a familiar song, Alex was well aware that his car's trunk had a knack for staying closed only after a couple of slams.
"Ah fuck it!!" Alex cursed.
With a sigh of resignation, he placed both hands on the stubborn trunk and leaned into it, using his entire body weight to ensure it stayed shut. It was a routine he had mastered, although a tad embarrassing.
The root of this issue traced back to Alex's early driving days – a time when he was still figuring out the ropes. A mishap on his part had left the trunk with a tendency to misbehave. Despite being fully aware of the problem, Alex's thrifty nature prevented him from seeking professional help to fix it. This was testament to his penny-pinching ways, choosing to endure the inconvenience rather than spending money on repairs, even when the fault lay in his own novice driving.
But just like his car, there were other things that were defective in Alex's life. For one, he had never been in a relationship as a lot of people found him ..extra.
More so, he gave up approaching any girl as countless hits to his self esteem in form of derogatory statements about his not so attractive look back in highschool and college took their toll on him. Although he had come a long way from his college days and was now less of an eye sore.
He still kept the motto of "Riches before bitches"
Now he was just an average man, working at a big tech company and earning a fairly decent salary.
Still, one look and anyone could see he lived a rather pitiful life, one with no companion.
As Alex headed for the front door, he glanced around the parking lot, his eyes skimming over the traffic just ahead like a watchful sentry.
"Looks decent, should be home in about an hour," he muttered to himself.
The parking space echoed with the quiet hum of distant traffic, and a shiver ran down his spine as the night's cold started to seep into his bones.
Rubbing his shoulders, he quickened his pace, the crisp air signaling the onset of a chilly night, and the parking lot's stillness heightened the feeling of solitude as he moved towards the front door.
On getting into the car, Alex caught glimpse of a glint of light in his side mirror—a quick flash of headlights disappearing into the dark just as soon as he saw it.
"Must be the security guys leaving. Wonder what they are being paid for," Alex remarked with a scoff.
Unfazed, he turned the key and glided through the parking garage's narrow ramps, moving effortlessly now as his driving skills had improved over the years.
His hand reached for the radio button to quieten the hush that enveloped the space; the sounds of cars far off weren't enough to drift his thoughts away.
A catchy tune filled the car, and Alex began to tap his index finger on the steering wheel, the rhythm infectious, his head bopped as he whistled along, letting the music take over. As the lyrics kicked in, he couldn't help but burst into a one man concert of his own.
"Yeah, I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road
I'm gonna ride 'til I can't no more
I'm gonna take my horse to the old town road"
His head swayed with the rhythm, turning the routine drive into a lively performance, a one-person party in the quiet garage.
"Riding on a tractor...
Lean all in my bladder..
Cheated on my baby..
You can go and ask her...
My life is a movie...
Bull riding and boobies...
Cowboy hat from Gucci..
Wrangler on my boo.."
~Boom!!!~
Alex's world did a somersault as his car pirouetted with the concrete. Dazed, he hung upside-down, airbag aroma puffed out covering his vision for a second as he struggled to make it out. His mouth immediately became a concoction of different taste, mostly the metallic tang of blood.
Blinking back confusion, he looked around, perceiving a distant loud horn. But this was all due to the impact as his treasured car now lay upside down with glasses shattered and a coupled of parts dismantled.
Alex squirmed out of the seatbelt, coughing as he crawled through the shattered window. Lying on the cold ground, he felt the stickiness of blood on his forehead.
"Shhhhittt!!" Alex cursed as he rolled from his back to his knee. He coughed, finding it hard to breath or swallow. He panicked, fearing some of the broken glass might have flown into his throat while he had his mouth wide open singing.
Attempting to stand upright, a blinding light hit his face, and the distant growl of an automobile engine grew louder, almost the same with those ones he would hear when drivers in formular one sped across tracks. He looked towards the sound of the engine being revved and immediately, his eyes bulged out in panic as a vehicle thundered toward him.
"Aww... crap, crap, crap!!!" Alex muttered, adrenaline surging.
"Nope...not today," Alex said, heels turned the opposite way and already limping, creating crucial distance away from the vehicle.
He looked back to see the headlights were getting close and the words left his mouth...
"Nah, not today, not today Satan!!!!" he cried out, sweat, tears and all kinds of liquid spilling out of him from different orifices spontaneously all within that moment as he hauled himself into a sprint.
**********
[A/N : Started this book a month ago and ended up unfortunately sick. I'm well now and back. Please show support by adding to your library, voting with powerstones, golden tickets and gifts if you may]