The fluorescent lights snap and sizzle as I make my way down the long hallway toward my office. Shadows skitter about with each echoing step, making my heart rate quicken as I keep my eyes straight ahead. No good comes from looking around.
Not here.
Not at the Basilica Malum.
Music pounds from the bar above my head, thumping deep into the walls, as if the underground is alive, breathing in and out with me. For a moment, I sway and rest my hand against the cool, damp stone. The very fabric of this place moves beneath my skin, almost as if it’s recoiling from my touch.
But then, I’m a human. I’m not exactly wanted here. No one should be.
Straightening my shoulders, I press forward, not wishing to be late. I knew what I was getting into when I signed up, but I couldn’t say no. With the way prices are in Los Angeles, I need every bit of money I can scrounge. For what they’re offering me, it’s a no brainer.
All I have to do is check the humans in and out. That’s it. Not major. I’m not even required to stop a monster if they decide to come my way.
My fingers tremble as I reach into my bag for my keycard. Nothing has happened to me in the three months I’ve been here. It’s stupid to think something will happen today. Yet, as I make my way forward, I can’t help but notice just how my heart skips every other beat until everything in me feels weak and trembly.
Shadows flit about, catching my eye, but still, I look forward. Only look forward.
From the end of the hallway, a dim light shines out like a welcoming beacon. Almost there. Just a few more feet. Once I’m inside, I’ll feel much safer. I know it.
It’s how I am every shift. Just make it to the light. Only today, I can’t shake off the feeling there is malice lurking in the brightness.
I’m just being silly.
Humming a soft tune under my breath, I force out all other stimuli until I rest my hand on the glass separating me from the other human inside. It’s frigid against my warm palm, sending a chill through me.
“Let me in.”
“ID,” she answers back, peering at me through the thick pane, her dark eyes never blinking.
Again, I fumble about in my purse until I grab hold of the disk and slide the bit of plastic through the slot. As with every shift I take over, the person inside peers at my picture and holds it up to the glass to study us both. Even though I know I’m a human, it makes me nervous every single time.
What if today is the day the shadows make me look weird? What if they just don’t want me making my shift on time? What if? While down here in the Basilica, my life revolves around the inane game of what if.
Cold, frigid blasts against the back of my neck, but I refuse to turn. No good will come from looking behind. If there’s a threat, the person in the booth will see it. They will sound the alarm.
“Please,” I whisper, my voice hoarse as dread drips through my veins like acid eating me from the inside out.
If they hear me, they make no show of it. “Turn to the side.”
Well, this is new. Taking in a deep breath, I turn, doing my best to keep my eyes from traveling. A slight shift in the shadows draws my attention. Unable to pull myself away, I study the wall, looking for any sign that I’m not alone.
My pulse pounds in my ears as minutes tick by like hours. Why won’t she just let me in? She’s seen me before. I haven’t changed.
“Turn to the other side.”
Frustration builds in my chest, sending tendrils of rage down my arms and into my fingertips. Again, I turn but spear the person a mean glare as I do so. I glance up at the clock behind her. Five minutes until my shift. Does she mean to make me stay out here until the last possible moment?
I can’t show fear. I cannot show fear. Fear makes you dead.
The mantra pounds into my brain as I scratch at my skirt. My ragged nails snag on the fabric, giving me something to occupy my mind while this woman decides whether or not to let me in.
Eventually, the loud buzzer peals out into the hall, making my knees nearly buckle from under me. As swiftly as I can in these ridiculous heels, I make my way over to the door and push myself in. Just one more door separates me from the safety of the office.
As I step in, the other woman gathers her things, her lips quirking into a smile. “Did you do something different with your hair?”
“N- no?”
“Makeup perhaps?”
“I mean, maybe a different shade, but-”
“Don’t change anything,” she growls at me, stuffing her book into her purse. “The way you look on your badge is how you need to look every time you show up here.” With a snap of her wrist, she slaps the plastic onto my palm.
“I’ve changed before, and no one-”
“I’m not just anyone. I take my job seriously. If they want to play loose with their life, then that’s on them. I choose to live.”
Unfortunately, she has a point. “How have things been this evening?”
“Quiet. Too quiet. Normally, there are some shenanigans that happen as the creatures go in and out of the Basilica, but not one of them so much as stopped to peer inside the glass.”
“I guess that’s better than being bothered. I’ve heard some stories.”
With a wave of her hand, she brushes off my last sentence as if in a hurry to get out of here. But then, I really can’t blame the woman. We all want to leave as fast as we can. “Well, the shift is yours. Good luck.”
She pushes past me and closes the door tightly behind her. Through the glass, I watch as she walks away, her short skirt gliding along the back of her thighs with each step. It’s absurd, really. Whoever picked out this uniform definitely didn’t think about comfort or ease of movement.
Unless that’s the point.
Unfortunately, it makes all too much sense that someone or something wants us helpless if the worst should happen. A shudder races down my spine as her slim form disappears from sight. Settling down at the desk, I stare out into the darkness beyond the glass.
Normally, when I come into work, it feels like a mini vacation. I usually read, listen to music, or catch up on social media. Today is different. For the first time since setting foot inside the basilica, it feels as if the shadows themselves are watching me.
