Lisa Reisert sighed as she mindlessly flicked a pencil, it touched her coffee cup and as it reflected back at her she gave it another soft push. While waiting for the pencil to roll to the mug and back she would glance at the phone, her computer screen, and the little monitor of her cell phone. She skillfully did all of these tasks for about ten minutes while remaining seated, keeping her chin of her fist, and being incredibly bored. Queen of Multitasking, she thought sarcastically.
Finally with much effort Lisa moved her ready hand and inch to the left and watched the yellow pencil fall to the floor with an unusually loud tap. She raised her chin off her hand and heaved a deep inward sigh as she put her hand on the phone. While looking at the long list of extension numbers to find the one of her friend Leslie Myrick she heard something. She almost jumped out of her skin. She let out a soft cry and slipped right off the chair onto the floor; she groaned and looked stupidly at the ringing phone.
Ever since her little "run-in" with a man named Jackson Rippner she had been on edge. Jumping severely and exaggerating all her bottled up fear to every little thing. Her family was all ready worried and her friends were getting there. Why have I let this creep do this to me, I might have hurt him but he's slowly killing me here!
Lisa heaved herself off the floor and back onto the chair, she immediately wanted to return to the safe floor after feeling the openness of the desk and chair, she looked over at the huge window over looking the city, that glass looked so thin, anyone could break that, she wasn't safe! She looked down at the cozy enclosure under her desk, "It's safe here Lisa!" it silently screamed at her. She felt her legs buckle as she started to slide down into its welcoming arms.
NO! Stop it! Stop it! What is wrong with me? Why am I still letting him do this to me! Lisa quickly sat up and violently snatched at the persistent phone. "Yes!" she almost yelled as her brutal movements whisked the phone dock right off of her desk.
There was a loud crash and the person on the other line cried, "What the…Lisa honey are you okay!"
"Fine, fine, I just… you know, I just... hit and off the, and it went…ya…" Lisa frowned,"Mabel?" She said with high hopes of talking to her beloved secretary.
"…Yes dear…" said Mabel with growing worry.
"Oh okay thank you, for calling I mean…do you need something?"
Mabel unsurely cleared her throat, "Yes Mr. Yammsdale, our Director of Sales, has broken his neck in a skiing accident and Danny says he wants you to go down and visit him, maybe bring him some flowers."
"Oh yes sure, I'll be right there."
"Well all right honey, just whenever you have time, it doesn't have to be… done… right now…" Mabel found she was looking right up into the eager face of Lisa Reisert. Mabel looked at the receiver that was still pressed up against her ear and chuckled as she put the phone down.
"Should I pick up the flowers or do you have them?"
"Here honey," Mabel said as she handed a lovely bouquet to Lisa, "Oh dear, sweetie now don't kill yourself." She added as Lisa sped out the door.
She nearly ran to the car, dove into it, and locked all the doors all with incredible speed. She let out a deep sigh as she strapped the tough seatbelt across her waist, Safety, she thought with peace, then as if doused with a gust of icy cool wind she froze. RUSTLE RUSTLE. Lisa closed her eyes and slowly placed her hand on the door knob. Help me… she almost thought out loud. When noting happened she slowly turned her head. She felt the blood run up to her cheeks as she saw a little breeze blowing through a crack in the window, as it peacefully traveled throughout her car it was simply nudging a newspaper. RUSTLE RUSTLE.
Lisa felt a hot tear run down her cheek as she turned around and stared out the window, then another, and another. She clutched the steering wheel of her nonmoving car as more tears escaped from her eyes. Why was he doing this to her? What is his problem? But after a few more moments of sobbing, a stunning realization came over her. What am I thinking, he's not doing anything, it's all me. I was just a job to him! A very hard and painful job, She argued with herself, reliving the icy remembrance of that silly kid's pen gliding into his soft unprotected neck, like butter, she thought again for the nth time.
As she shook off her thoughts she aw that she was moving and quickly coming up to a large overbearing sign screaming "Hospital" in your face. She made the steep plunge of the main road and down a ridiculous hill into the hospital roundabout. Geez, if someone goes down that hill to fast there going to need a hospital.
As she got out of her car she shook of the bad mood hat had over come her during the drive, she walked in, and looked up Mr. Yammsdale's room number. Lisa clutched the flowers and cautiously walked down the asylum-like hallway. She didn't like hospitals, she jut didn't. She kept her eyes down at her feet and walked very close to the wall, so that her shoulder was running up against it, she didn't want to see all of the people in the rooms. She shuddered. She continued to trudge along; His room just had to be at the end, huh?
"Ach!" Lisa cried as her shirt snagged on one of the name tags next to the door. She quickly moved her hand to free herself, when something caught her eye. It felt as though someone had dropped 234 pounds of bricks on every pressure point in her body. The sign read Jackson Rippner.