Depiction

Depiction

The only sound that filled the room was the old ragged clock near my desk. God, I can't wait for this day to be over. I've never thought of myself as someone who'd work 9-5 at a desk. Never. I just know everybody in this office didn't either. You see, Jess wanted to be a clothing designer (I know pretty boring), Adrian had dreams and aspirations of being a painter (also a little boring), and me? I don't know the answer to that. "Time to clock out", Adrian said whilst grabbing his bag. Jess gave me the look. The really worried look. "What, do I have something on my face?" I said, trying to make her laugh. And I succeeded, she laughed. But she motioned me to look at the windows. "Look at that blizzard, imagine it on a linen canvas," Adrian said in awe, I just rolled my eyes. So I guess we're stuck?. "I guess so", they both said in unison. 

                 I looked over to Jess, she was on her desk fixing up her loose button. Then to the left of me, I looked over to Adrian, he seemed to be analyzing the big painting by the halls. He always looks at that painting like it’s a new one every time. My eyes wandered around the room and landed on the one door nobody goes in. It has a code lock, but no sign on the door. In my whole 3 years of working here, I’ve never seen anyone go out in that door. 

                 Rumor has it that once you go in, you’ll never go out. I don’t believe it. There's probably just extra supplies in there, nothing special. But still, I was interested. In fact, Jess and Adrian had the same idea as me. Out of nowhere, Adrian said, “I’ll give you 20 bucks if you go in it”. I would but there’s a code. It was officially a contest now. The person who guesses the combination and goes in wins 20 dollars. But hey, free money so why not. We all gathered around the lock. Saying random combinations to get it. “Why don’t you try 3690”. Surprising all of us, the lock unhinged. 

                “Pay up”. They laughed but I was serious, I won fair and square. “No, I said that you have to go in, and then I’ll pay you”. I grabbed a cinnamon-scented candlelight from some person’s desk. The room was dark. I stepped in with the candlelight and nothing. There was nothing in it. “See guys there's noth-”. I turned around to face them but they weren’t there. What kind of sick joke was this. “Guys this isn’t funny”. I started to get claustrophobic. The room was neither big nor small. It was just a dark space. 

                 They’re playing a  joke on me, it can’t be, this doesn’t exist. “Adrian I swear to go-”, suddenly I was cut off by the sound of the office clock. I was confused. I turned around and I was back in the office. The same place I was sitting and everything. Everything was untouched. The cinnamon-scented candle was in the same place I got it. I’m starting to think this isn’t a joke. The door was still there so of course, I ran back to see if they were there. It seemed that every time I opened the door, I’d be back in the office. I want to believe they’re playing games with me, but something feels wrong.

                 I went to every floor of the building, nobody was there. The clock wouldn’t move but would make the sounds of ticking. Something is wrong. One last time, I went back through the door. Only this time a loud ringing noise filled my ears. I was met with Jes. I was happy she was okay. With her back facing towards me, I try to turn her around to greet her with joy. But her eyes. Her eyes were sewn. Her mouth was wide open, pooling with black goo,  and her hands had needles like she was trying to knit something. I yelled at her. Not out of anger but out of fear. “Jes, Jes why are you doing this, talk to me we’ll get out of this together”, I said frantically. She continued knitting. This isn’t real. I turned back around. 

                    Once again I’m back. Back at the same place I started. I took a deep breath trying to relax from what I had just seen. Again I look for someone in the building. No one. It was isolated. But something had drawn me to the paintings. For the first time, I saw the beauty of the colors. They were beautiful. I stared and stared, not knowing how long I’ve been staring. There was something in the painting, I took a closer look. “A-Adrian”. This isn’t real. Adrian was in the painting, Adrian was blended within the colors. This isn’t real. I screamed out of anger and fear. I screamed until I realized that nobody could hear me. I’m losing my mind, It feels like I’ve been here forever and the clock has barely moved. I resented the unhidden door, but I needed a way back. 

                  One last time I went back in, praying that I’ll be back. But there was nothing but darkness. I fell on my knees, never in a million years would I think this would happen to me. I cried and cried hoping I would die in this darkness and never have to repeat this nightmare again. When suddenly I felt a tapping “Roldan, what are you doing” said Jes. I was in disbelief. Is this another trick? I didn’t want to get my hopes up so I kept my eyes closed. “Seriously what are you doing, you're gonna get in trouble, get up”. I looked up to see Jes, it was sunny, nothing changed. “Jes you were-, you were possessed and Adrian he was - he was in the painting and then-”. She cut me off “What are you talking about silly”. “What day is it”. “June 23”. 

                  I was shocked, I didn’t move. “But I was in a loop a-and nobody was here and I was in this door the whole time and it’s only been a few hours, what do you mean it’s June?”. The whole office put their attention on me. Adrian walked up to me and I flinched out of panic. “What happened to you, you were fine yesterday”. Yesterday?? I wasn’t here yesterday, or the past 6 months. What’s happening to me. 

                “No. it’s December 21st, and we were all going in the door and then-”. “Bro, the game lasted like 2 minutes, you went in and then came back out, and then the blizzard had stopped and you went home”. This can’t be. That wasn’t me. Who was that because that wasn’t me? “Adrian you have to listen to me, that man who’s been replacing me, isn’t me. Please you have to believe me, I’ve been gone for an hour but for you guys I’ve been gone for 6 months?? That man isn’t me”. He looked at me in disbelief but deep down I knew he believed me. 

                “Look man, go to the washroom and wake yourself up with cold water, you're acting crazy”. I went into the bathroom and started washing my face, but my reflection was delayed. Every move I made was delayed. My own reflection smiled at me. I was in a state of horror, in total distress. “I’m better off being here, go away”, he said to me. “Why are you doing this, did you do this to me?”. He grinned. “No, you did this to yourself”. No, I didn’t why would I put myself through this. 

                And then I remembered, I got this job from a contract. A contract I didn’t even read. No this is impossible, why would somebody do this to me.  “You signed yourself up for this, you pledged to give me your life to have this job, now leave”. But- but this is unfair I never saw this in the contract, what kind of sick game are you playing on me. “It’s your time”. With a snap of his finger, I saw the whole view of the office, I saw myself come out of the bathroom and Adrian asking if I was okay. “NO. ADRIAN THAT ISN'T ME”. I yelled and yelled and nobody heard me. Adrian looked directly at me, he depicted me. I looked around me, and I was the painting. Every person who’s gone through that door was destined to be the next painting. I was stuck, no way to be heard, and no way out.