Brrrrrring...

The sound of the alarm clock woke me up, and with my eyelids still closed, I forced myself to look out of my bedroom window.

My desire to get up was as great as my bank balance at the end of the month, but as my mother used to say: you don't just do what you like

I got out of bed and headed for the bathroom, walking like a zombie, my eyes still heavy with sleep and my mind in a muddle.

To wake me up to face another day, I stepped into the shower to take a hot bath, which helped to relax my muscles

After getting dressed, I went into the kitchen

After the shower, I finished my morning ritual of eating a loaf of bread with an egg and hot coffee. I hadn't forgotten to brush my teeth today.

I wasn't going to go around kissing people; I'm not a Don Juan, and even if I wanted to, it would be quite complicated; I don't consider myself outgoing, much less handsome; I've never been successful in relationships, well... Except... In high school.

Emma, the reliable, funny, beautiful, and intelligent girl, five years have passed, and I'm still here thinking about her, I just don't understand what she saw in me, a skinny boy full of acne who smelled of cheese snacks, like in an American teen movie, I couldn't be more stereotyped.

As soon as we left the last day of school, although I wasn't close to her, we talked a lot about the future, strangely as if we were best friends, I remember her telling me that she wanted to be a Red Cross doctor, I also remember her beautiful brown eyes and her black hair that made me look at her like a fool.

— "Hey Desmond, maybe one day... when I come back... maybe..." she said with a beautiful smile as she hugged me and then touched her lips to mine.

I was paralyzed by a statue; she hurried and ran, then, with a few steps, disappeared around a corner near the school; my heart leaped out of my chest, and I couldn't help but keep a naive smile on my face.

A child passing by holding her mother's hand began to cry.

— Mom, take me home! — the child shouted in a tearful voice as she snuggled up to her.

The child, who was only six years old, felt a chill at the sight of the fixed, disturbing smile. A strange look on his face, his lips curved into a macabre smile, as if he was trapped in a moment of pure madness.

The child didn't understand what was happening, but he felt a wave of fear when he realized that something wasn't right.

— What is it, son? — asked the mother, trying to calm the boy down.

— He... he... — sobbed the child, pointing at the skinny young man who was standing a few meters away from them

The mother followed her son's gaze and also felt uncomfortable when she saw that smile. It was as if he was contemplating something dark and sinister, something that shouldn't be shared with the world.

— Come on, let's go home, said the mother quickly, pulling her son away from the figure.

The boy continued to stand still as if rambling, totally ignoring the child's cry, which faded with every step he took. In a short moment, the smile disappeared from his face, but his steps remained light as he continued on his way home as if he were stepping on clouds.

But what none of those involved in those events ever knew was that;

An old man standing on top of a building next to the school was watching the unfolding of past events with great interest

— "The girl is cheeky, "said the old man with a laugh, and just like that, he disappeared as if he had never been there.

As I put on my shoes, the images of that day kept coming to mind.

Ah...

It feels like yesterday...

All I wanted to do was run to see her again, hug her, and kiss her again.

Unfortunately, shortly after that event, she moved away to study in another state, and in the end, I found out too late and couldn't say goodbye personally.

There was contact, in rare moments we exchanged messages and so it went on with less and less conversation between us, in the end, she was still at college the last time we exchanged messages, then we lost contact with each other, recently I learned that she was on a mission on another continent for the Red Cross, which made me happy to see her fulfill her dreams but also in a way sad.

Surely she'd forgotten about me by now, all that was left for me to do was to move on and live what each day had to offer, and today again, I'm going to follow the routine of work, home, video games, which I got right after graduating, a nice job with a tiny salary, living in a nice neighborhood, it's not a luxury, but it's my paradise.

As soon as I put my shoes on, I rush to the door and lock it, the sound of footsteps kicking off this new start to my daily journey.

I take two buses a day to get to the company where I work as a supervisory assistant, as I prefer to call the "boss's all-rounder", but it's not a bad job.

The first bus stop is about five hundred meters from my house. The route is quiet, passing rows of houses, a classic residential neighborhood. In contrast, there is a small market near the bus stop, which I can already see in the distance,

When I get to the bus stop, I usually meet a few acquaintances, some neighbors, and other regular passengers who exchange smiles and greetings while we wait for the bus.

I spend very little time waiting and soon the bus arrives.

The bus stopped in front of me and the doors opened with a mechanical sound.

As soon as I got on, I was greeted by the driver, an old man with a friendly smile.

— Good morning! — I said

The driver, a man of about 60, had a wrinkled, tired face, but his brown eyes shone with warm hospitality. His gray hair was cropped close, and his beard was neatly trimmed, revealing a square face and a wide mouth that smiled easily.

He wore a worn blue uniform with a badge that read Trevor in gold letters. His eyes were shielded by metal-framed reading glasses that dangled from the end of his nose.

When he smiled, his wrinkles deepened and his eyes lit up with an expression of genuine friendship. His voice was husky and soft.

— Good morning! — he said

After boarding a few moments later, the bus starts moving again and about twenty minutes later, I'm getting ready to get off at the next stop, where I'll catch the second bus that will take me to work.

Not long after, the last bus came, and I got off just in front of where I work.

"Phoenix Finance and Investments"

It didn't take long from the moment I walked in to find a small pile of papers in my hands.

— So shall we get started? — the beautiful middle-aged woman said with a big smile.

— Sure, boss — I replied.