Chapter 1

"I think you'll fit in just fine here," Laura's new-supervisor said with a distracted glance toward his computer. "If you can stand it," he said with a laugh as he returned his gaze to the blatantly plain figure of Laura Stevenson. She had shoulder length frumpy brown hair- obviously suffering from one perm too many and a frumpy outfit to match. He face squinched up into a nervous smile as she pulled at her shirt- afraid her mother would be right and her pannie line was showing. She lived in a small apartment with her disabled mother on N. Franklin Street. It wasn't far from the Danbury College of Veterinary medicine- where she now worked, but having no car it was a considerable walk- attesting to the bunching of her underwear.

Paul Henderson motioned to an empty desk and computer in a corner of the stuff room.

"That's where she used to sit," he said. Laura smiled appreciatively and took her seat. The desk was made of plastic disguised to look like wood and the only thing to look at was a message board covered in gray burlap covered with sheets of numbers and meaningless acronyms. She looked at the numbers apprehensibley and told herself she'd know what they meant soon enough. She looked back at Paul to see if he was going to give her further instructions but found he had been already swept away in a phone call about the failing pager system.

"I'm supposed to get a new order today. Yes, I know it's been three days, but I didn't have the new pagers- so what good would a new number do ya?" He said adding a laugh to break the tension. Laura looked back to her blank computer screen. She could wait to learn the ropes. She then noticed her bulky purse still sat on her lap like a small child or a curled up cat. It weighed about as much. She had everything it in she could possibly need: her wallet, id, checkbook, her eyeliner, her entire collection of CDs and her CD player. She carried all of the things out of necessity. Not that she needed any of them, but she needed to remember her purse and her favorite CDs served very well as insurance that she'd remember. So far her gambit had paid off. She hadn't set it down or left it on a counter or a dressing room floor, it had remained at her hip testifying to the presence of her new found mental stability and dependability. She reached into the purse and felt without taking it out a picture of a man with dark hair and eyes- in his early thirties but looking as old as the sea. He was her boyfriend turned fugitive. He looked much older than he was because his line of work aged him- he was lawless. Anything that got him into trouble seemed to be in his line of work. He would come into town unexpectedly and leave without a word. She had gotten used to it. No more crying phone calls or desperate letters. She would great him with unbridled rage when he showed up and mull about for days in destitution after his departure. She always had his picture with her wherever she was. At home she'd usually set it up by the window as she was washing dishes or by the computer when she was up late. She looked behind her and saw her co-workers desks were barren in terms of anything personal. There was no clue to their lives outside of the small plaster colored room or that they had anything that interested them besides the ceaseless clicty-clack of the key board and bleep of the phone. She accepted the loss of her picture and lowered her heavy purse tot he ground. She folded hands in her lap and tried not to be nervous. Just then Paul stirred in his chair and spun around.

"I've got to run out but that's Jill in the back," he said pointing to woman long gray hair and a native American pendant around her neck " and that's Cynthia and Tammy who get the phones along with you," he said as he stood up and made toward the door. Cynthia and Tammy made slight indications at the mention of their name that they acknowledged my presence and were glad of it.

"Tell her about all the people who ever sat in that chair," he added. Laura smiled uneasily. Both girls sat tight lipped "They all went crazy," he answered himself " and I mean literally- crazy," he added and walked out the door.

"Have a good day."