Stealth Or Spotlight?

The walk to work is tedious and draining. Ive walked here many times, much too accustomed to the everyday violence that unwinds in the streets. I try to ignore it because Im usually not a victim of it. Broken glass bottles lay on puddles of alcohol, blood, and another substance which puts me on edge to think about. How did it get there? Was it voluntary, or forced? Either way, I try my best to ignore everything that makes this alley terrifying.

Its not rained in a couple of days, so the streets are pretty dirty. I wish cleaners would come here to at least make this place look a little less like something out of a horror movie. I also wish there were more streetlights. I hate bumping into things, stepping on shit, and tripping over bottles on my way to and from work.

When I finally arrive, I breathe a sigh of relief. Ive made it here without any issues. Upon entering the club, I am greeted by blasting music, a crowd of dancers, people sitting at the bar, and numerous staff members. I hold back the urge to join everyone and start dancing on the dance floor. Maybe one time I will if I turn up to work drunk.

”Hey, Boss. We got a new shipment of wine. Where do you want these? ” An employee asks.

”You can place them there, ” I reply, pointing to the storage room. I make my way up the stairs then to the back and head into my office. I can barely hear myself think on the main dance floor.

I am met with papers strewn about on my desk. Sighing, I look through them. They mostly consist of bills I need to pay, and costs of certain equipment. I throw myself on my chair. I can afford it, but its exhausting all the same. The good thing about this place is that its very popular. Loads of customers enjoy coming here. The downside is this place is very expensive to keep running.

A knock on the door snaps me out of my reverie. I quickly sit up and shout, ”Come in! ” My Personal Assistant – David – enters.

”Have you received the email I sent to you? ” He asks, timidly.

”Not yet. Let me have a quick look. ” I grab my laptop from my bag, log in then load up my work emails. I notice the email from David and load it up. I open the attached file and come across a cash budget, containing the profit made and the costs for this month. According to this, weve made some good profit, but the costs are higher than ever. We had to invest in more seating arrangements because this place is so popular, new speakers, lights, drinks, etc. Everything nowadays has shot up in price. The numbers make my brain hurt. I wasn a big fan of maths in school, and I sure as hell am not a big fan of anything remotely close to maths now. I sometimes forget such basic calculations, and almost always need to use a calculator.

”Is that everything? ” I ask, wanting him to leave.

”Yep. Ill leave you to it. ” He leaves the office, gently closing the door on his way out. Once hes left, I lean back in my chair. I zone out, mentally preparing myself for my workload for today. I want to get this over with so I can go home and sleep all day. Hell, I could even sleep in here if it was not considered unprofessional.

***

After work – which is very late at night – I leave the club. Im too tired to be scared at the possibility of being harmed. I learned martial arts when I was younger anyway, so Ill just bust out some of those moves if anyone tries anything.

The silence unsettles me. There is no one in sight. The street is empty. There is no wind – its a warm, summer night. The only thing that can be heard is my footsteps, even though they
e quiet. Thats odd – I usually hear muffled noises or drunken laughter and chatter. I guess everyone decided to go home early tonight.

Footsteps approach from behind me. They
e running. Before I can turn around I go crashing to the ground, with the weight of someone else on top of me.

”Lady! You gotta save me! Please! ” Before I can answer, the man is thrown off me. I sit up to find another man choking him.

”You dare hurt my family? ” he mutters. The guy being choked whimpers.

I slowly back away, staggering upright. I make as little noise as possible to avoid being the next target. I stop breathing. What is even happening? Are they drunk? Is it fake? What do I do in a situ