Too Close To Home - Part 5 (conclusion)

Part 5

My legs didn�t feel like my own by the time we got back onto tarmac. Having been hiking over rough terrain for over three hours all in all, I wasn�t so sure I could find the energy to carry on to my place of work. Amber looked to be getting really tired too.

Passing through what was normally quite a busy little suburb, and seeing the place almost deserted was strange to say the least. We both had agreed that we�d stop to talk to no-one, assuming we actually met anyone along the way. We�d also agreed that at the first sign of traffic, whether it be on the road or in the air, we�d head for the nearest garden for cover. It made sense to be safe rather than sorry.

We�d managed to get within a quarter mile of my office when we had to do just that. From somewhere behind us we could suddenly hear a vehicle accelerating along the street we were on. I grabbed Amber�s wrist and ran for the nearest garden, which thankfully had a bulky stretch of Beech bushes along its front where it met the pavement. We both plunged in through the leaves and landed on the grass lawn behind. I looked up and checked the windows � but there was no sign of life, no movement.
We lay there side by side, peering out through the underside of the bushes where they met the ground, and waited for the vehicle to pass. It was a large, white box-van, judging by what little we could see. It was only travelling at maybe twenty miles per hour, and seemed to take an age to pass by. As we watched I realised Amber was squeezing my hand with surprising strength. I glanced sideways at her, but she never took her brown eyes off the van, she didn�t seem to be aware she was doing it.

The van moved out of sight and carried on down the rest of the street before we moved. We got up, Amber realising she had a hold of my hand and releasing it with an awkward smile, �Sorry.�

�Come on, we�re nearly there,� I said returning the smile. We both ducked back out the garden gate and continued in the same direction the van had gone. Somewhere far above us, a distant roll of thunder rumbled in the air. The evening light had begun to dissipate quickly as the storm clouds moved in over the town, preparing to release their payload of rain.
We rounded the last bend before the residential street met the small business park which had been crammed into the last remaining plot some six years before. The office in which I worked was the first in the horseshoe-shaped complex, standing five stories high and sheathed in smoked glass and steel. We hurried across the open main road and in through the open gates.

�You are going to tell me you�ve got your keys after all this, aren�t you?�

I smiled and reached for my wallet, producing my key card, �I never leave home without it,� I said. We arrived at the large, double glass doors and I swiped the card reader, which gave a dull bleep and clunked as it unlocked.
I pulled the door open and we hurried inside. The feeling was incredible, even if it was only short-term; being back indoors and relatively safe for the moment was all that mattered. I continued past the deserted reception desk and through the door at the back, leading us both down the corridor to the stairs.

�No alarms?� asked Amber, keeping her voice to a whisper.

�It�s okay,� I said aloud, �There�s no-one here at the weekends, you don�t have to whisper. And the alarms are disabled as soon as a valid key card is used at the main entrance. They�ll stay off until we leave.� We climbed two flights of stairs and turned down another series of corridors. The bland, grey walls and lack of d�cor rushing by as we eventually reached my own office.
I swiped the reader on the door and we went inside. Amber closed the door behind us and locked it, and glanced around the room. �Very nice. Anyone would think you ran the place.�

I grimaced slightly and looked up from where I was searching for the cable that would connect my cell phone to the laptop sitting on my desk. �I have a confession on that one. Back when we were due to move in here, just after it had been completed, offices were being assigned to staff by a random computer poll. The company said it was the only fair way to do it as some of the offices were much more spacious than others.�

�And?�

�And� I fixed the results and got one of the larger offices.� I looked away and continued searching through the drawers of a large filing cabinet, which by the way, contained no files, just a collection of knotted cables, adapters and loose disks. I couldn�t help but grin.

�I�m disgusted, that�s a disgrace, imagine cheating your colleagues.�

I could tell from her voice she was kidding, �You�re looking at the only lowly network administrator in the country who�s got a bigger office than his boss.� I turned my head in her direction and winked.

I found the cable and untangled it from the rest, sitting down behind my desk to hook it all up. It only took a couple of minutes to do so and to get the laptop booted up and ready. My cell phone seemed to dial out with no obvious signs of a problem, and once the connection was made, I sat looking at the blank email on the screen, my hands either side of the laptop.

�Writers block?� asked Amber, sitting down in the other chair after dumping a large sheaf of papers on the floor.

�Where do you start?� I asked quietly.

Amber thought, and then said, �At the beginning. Just tell it like it is. Start from yesterday morning, at the petrol station.� When I didn�t move, she stood, �Is there a staff kitchen in this place? I�ll go and make us some coffee, see if I can find something to eat.�

�Sure, out the door, turn left, two doors down on the right. Don�t turn on any lights.� I replied. I looked up at her as she paused by the open door, thinking back over what we�d been through together the last two days. It didn�t seem like only two days, it seemed more like a week, and we were both exhausted.
I was going to say something to her then, something about the way I realised I was beginning to feel about her, but she gave a warm smile and turned out the door before I could, and that�s when I started typing.

As for whether any of this makes sense, I don�t know. I�m hoping it does, because I�m not going to have any time to re-read it before sending it. We�ve been here almost four hours now. The storm did break by the way, it�s been chucking it down outside for ages now.

Amber is sleeping in the other chair. God knows how, she looks uncomfortable as hell. I�ve heard a bit more activity from the helicopters we saw, but nothing else.

When you get this, do with it what you can. It might all blow over, but it might not. Either way I think people have a right to know what happened here. Or at least what might have been happening. All I can do is send you what little account I have of the last two days up here, and let others make their minds up. Be sure and post it on the website we first got to know each-other on at the very least, if anything stands in my mind, it�s the memory of their motto that sticks the most. If something is happening here, we can�t allow ignorance the chance to manifest. Above anything else it has to be denied that chance.

I�m going to try and get back to my place shortly, we can�t hide out in here forever and we need to find out what else has been happening. After I se -waitI hacve to go, cars outside,looks like they found us, can hear glass breaking. Sending now,will b in touch if I can.

deny ignorance!


In fear,
Tom

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The End?

Hope you liked it folks. I enjoyed writing it - haven't done a first-person perspective in ages. Would be really good to hear any comments or constructive criticism anyone has!

That was beautiful!!!
Awesome writing Fiction!
I just read all five parts and loved it...
Make this man a writer JB, that was amazing!!!
- Tass

*It almost sounds real... UF, commentary please?*

Originally posted by Tassadar
That was beautiful!!!

Awesome writing Fiction!
I just read all five parts and loved it...
Make this man a writer JB, that was amazing!!!
- Tass

*It almost sounds real... UF, commentary please?*

Thanks Tass, really glad you enjoyed it! As for your request to change my status to Writer, it's much appreciated.

Lots of it is real, well, in a round about kind of way. It's set in my home town, and as a result the locations are all genuine (some modified slightly for the story). I did really grow up out in the sticks, and the Gask Lodge (actually called Mains of Gask) was my genuine home, not far from the mentioned reservoir and stocked-loch. I'm hoping to have some photographs posted on my site, of the area in the story, will add to this thread when they're there.

This made it really easy to picture settings/scenes etc. In addition to that, Amber is a friend of mine, and the character was loosely based on her - this is perhaps why some of it came through as being realistic. As for the storyline itself - that was just another product of my imagination

Where can I find parts 1-4? I'd like to read them. Part 5 is very well written and has me wanting to know what the heck happened that led up to the office scene...

PEACE...
m...

Here's the short story forum (42):
www.abovetopsecret.com...

1.) Now listen very, very, VERY carefully Springer....
2.) You are going to click on the link above.
3.) Once the page loads click on Too Close To Home Part 1
4.) Once you are done reading, click back on your browser to return to the short stories forum.
5.) Now click on part two...
6.) When done reading click back....
7.) Now click on part three...
8.) Now click on back... (You still with me here?)
9.) Now click on part four...
10.) After that, you must continue on the road of adventure without my guidance....

Grace be with you,
- Tass

Well GOOD MORNING to you too!

I am REAL S L O W before that first cup of coffee... THANKS MAN!

PEACE...
m...

Hehe, providing you find it Springer, I hope you enjoy it. Your comments here would be appreciated when you've finished - if you've got any!

*15,15*
JB still hasn't made you a writer yet?
He must be slacking...
I guess he's still got a hangover from the party in Jakarta last night

Your piece really was amazing UF!
- Tass *40*