THE CORNER OFFICE

      You've lied, connived, deceived your way into becoming the Chief Executive Officer, and claiming the covered Corner Office,  The ceiling to floor windows affords you a spectacular view of lower Manhattan, parts of Brooklyn, and on a clear day, Secaucus New Jersey. You stand, hands-on-hips, a smirk on lips admiring the panoramic view. If you had a conscious or soul, Jeff, your methods of gaining the promotion would bother you. But you reason the ends justify the means. A sense of ultimate power fills you.

 You sit at your desk and plan the re-organization of the company. You plan to pink slip senior employees and bring in younger employees and paid them a lower wage. The rumors spread throughout the office that your draconian cuts will call for demotions and firings. You'll cut the top executive's duties, responsibilities, and salaries.  You instruct your secretary to type the list of names of the employees who will be affected.

 Your executive assistant leaves a stack of office mail on your desk. Two hours later, you sort thru the letters until you come upon an odd-looking envelope. You read the note inside and sit back, stunned.

Printed on the page in bold black letters, "YOU WILL DIE, TONIGHT. Signed, R.E. VENGE"

           At first, you laugh, thinking it's a joke. You buzz for your assistant, but she doesn't answer. You phone her. Still no answer. Walking out into the reception area, you find no one there. It's six o'clock on the digital wall clock. You vaguely remember your assistant saying good night an hour ago. You wonder if anyone was still there. Looking out over the cluster of empty cubicles in the dimly lit large rectangular office, you don't see or hear anyone. You feel a chill. You're feeling anxious. A dread grips you as you return to your desk.  You wonder which one of your employees wants dead. You realize there is no lack of suspects. 

You gather your belongings, and head for the door. Ten steps into the cubicle area, you hear a noise coming from the far end of the office. You look around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Who's there?" You call out.

No one answers, but the sound stops. You take a few steps down the aisle. Your breath stops as you see someone dash across the aisle.

"Who's there?" You ask again.

Silence. The low hum from the light fixtures is the only sound you hear. You were straining your eyes to look down the aisle when your office door slams behind you. You run back to your office door and try to open it, but the door won't open. Now the noise is coming from the other side of the office.  What will you do?

Your eyes focus on the area from where the sound came. An elongated shadow appears on the far wall, and you stop breathing. Your eyes follow the shadowy figure until it disappears.

"What could that be?" You ask yourself

You've never been this afraid. What will you do? Your survival instinct tells you you must get out. But the exit is across the office.

You're moving to the right with your back sliding against the wall. Your eyes dart back and forth when it dawns on you. Use your cell phone to call for help. You remove your phone. No connection. You slide along the wall looking around. To your left, standing in the doorway of a cubicle, you see a shadow.  You call out to them, but they lurk there, not responding. You steal-up your nerve and walk towards the masked figure. As you get closer, you see the machete in their right hand.

Your want to run, but your legs won't move. The person starts to take measured steps towards you, dragging the blade along the floor. It's metal sound echoes throughout the office. You pivot and run. Glancing over your shoulder, you see the figure following you.

You glance over your shoulder again, and there's no one there. Backing down the aisle, you sense someone standing behind you. You turn and duck. The machete slashes your coat sleeve. You slide down under the second swing. Keep running.  Can you hear the footsteps? Don't waste time looking back. The sound of their footsteps tells you they're gaining on you

Now you must turn and defend yourself. You turn, but no one is there. You search around. Where could the person have gone? You slowly walk around the corner. The exit is a few yards away now. Out of the shadows, a masked person blocks your path. With the sword in their left hand, they slash the air. How did they get ahead of you? No matter what, you need to either get by, around, or thru them.

           As you approach them, they take a step towards you. You're a few feet away from them, and you can hear the sword swings whistle thru the air—the cubicle. Run into the cubicle and climb over the wall. You run into the cubicle, followed by the masked person. As you climb the wall, the sword bangs against the wall, narrowly missing your leg. Tumbling over onto the floor, you scurry to your feet. You crawl backward, watching the wall. To your surprise, no one is following you.  While lying on the carpet, you peek out the doorway. Good luck. You're a few feet away from the exit. For the first time, you get the sense that you will make it. As you approach the door, a person with a butcher's knife stands watching you. You jump to your feet and walk out into the aisle. Backing down the aisle, you repeatedly ask, "Who are you?"

           The masked person with butcher never answers. He keeps taking measured steps towards you. The closer they get, the more fearful you become. They back you into the corner of a cubicle. You close your eyes and wait for death.

           The next morning, they find you in the fetal position. Your mind has broken.  

           No one knew what happen that night,  but only a few people knew of the changes you were planning.

Only a few employees knew the whole truth. But your employee list has mysteriously disappeared.