22:13

They were all there. Debbie’s mother was there, Debbie’s sister was there, Debbie’s uncles and aunts were there. They were all having a celebration of some sort, when just like that they were gone, and Debbie found herself back at the office, doing the menial work of stuffing envelopes with foreclosure notices. It was never a choice of hers to work there, but until something good came along, she needed to keep herself afloat.

She was snacking away at some Durian chips and staring at a giant pile of letters that seemed to never end, when her cell phone rang.

“Hello?” She answered timidly when realizing it’s actually her phone that’s ringing.

“Hello, am I speaking to Debra Haze?” A woman inquired from the other end.

“Yes, this is she.”

“Hi Debbie, my name is Ph.. Gr…” The connection was spotty. Debbie couldn’t quite catch the caller’s name over the static.

“Do you know where I’m calling you from?” The mystery woman continued.

“Vision Comics?” Debbie took a wild guess.

“Precisely my dear! I’m calling about your submission. Do you have any idea how talented you are?”

Debbie was flabbergasted. She didn’t even remember sending out the submission.

“Are you serious? Does this mean?...”

“Indeed my darling. I want to offer you the position of head artist right here at the world’s best publisher for comics and graphic novels (or at least we’d like to think so).” The caller giggled.

“I can’t believe it!” Debbie was amazed. Her entire body filled up with a tingling sensation.

Just like that Debbie found herself at Vision Comic’s HQ. Her fingernails, which she used to bite to the flesh and beyond, were now long and painted with the loveliest shade of blue. She always knew that once she managed to quit biting them, she would paint them blue.

Her caller, now finally introduced as Phoebe the art director, was showing her around the place.

“This is our office kitchen. It has everything you could possibly need, including a never-ending supply of Durian chips.” She winked at Debbie, who was beaming with excitement.

“Now let me introduce you to the team. These two will be working for you.” She pointed at two young ladies who looked super cool to Debbie, and were smiling ear-to-ear.

“Hi Debbie” The two young ladies greeted her simultaneously.

“And this guy’s also a head artist for our other team.”

The guy she was pointing at turned around. He was a gorgeous, 6-foot tall, sculpted man, with dark hair and piercing green eyes.

“Oh.. Um.. Hey.” He smiled and bashfully waved at Debbie, who was confused by his nervousness. Could this Greek god be giving her a signal? The notion quickly dropped as they walked past a mirror where she saw her fat, chip-crumbs covered figure reflecting back at her.

Everything stopped as she was staring at that reflection. Not recognizing herself at that moment, she overheard her two new employees whispering things about her. She couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, but it reminded her of the girls from elementary school at recess. She tried vigorously to brush off the crumbs from her blouse, but they weren’t coming off. Her employees’ whispers grew louder, and she was now rubbing the crumbs off with one hand, while holding her other hand against her ear, trying to block out the voices. Her heart was beating fast, sweat started to drip from her forehead, when all of a sudden, it was lunch time.

Debbie and Jake, the Greek god, were now having lunch together outside the office.

“I can’t believe I get to work here!” Debbie said in true disbelief.

“Well you should believe it. Not a lot of people send-in work like yours you know.” Jake said quietly, with a hint of embarrassment, as if feeling inadequate to be sitting with such a master illustrator.

“It feels like just a moment ago I was pushing letters into envelopes, just trying to make ends meet. Nine years I worked at that law-firm. Nine friggin years!”

“That’s outrageous! What a waste of your talent.” Jake responded with genuine vex.

“It’s hard to even imagine myself not going back there anymore. It’s like in that movie, Infinity Chamber where…”

“You can’t tell if the guy managed to escape or not” Jake completed her sentence.

They both locked eyes.

It’s a week later, and the company is having a team-building day at the beach. Debbie is having a laugh with her two employees when Jake approaches. He doesn’t even look at the two girls, who, in Debbie’s mind, are much more attractive than she is, and asks Debbie to go on a stroll with him.

“It’s so hard to find somebody to actually connect with.” Jake opens up, but with a saying straight out of a testimonial from a reality love show. Debbie doesn’t mind it though. She has always felt the exact same way.

“I know what you mean. I feel like I’ve spent my entire life looking for someone to see the world the way I do. To have so much in common with, so that they can’t live without someone like me in their life. Even if we’re just friends, you know. I guess I just gave up on that at some point.” Debbie resonated. Suddenly she was filled up by a deep, ominous sadness.

The two stopped walking and Jake, who noticed Debbie’s state of gloom, went in to kiss her. It was a beautiful moment by all accounts, but something was not sitting right with Debbie.

“This is incredible. I get my dream job, my dream guy, all in the same week.” Debbie didn’t notice herself saying this out loud.

“Don’t worry about it.” Jake said, to Debbie’s bafflement.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

“I need a tox screen and a gastric lavage kit, stat.” Jake continued.

It’s now the emergency room of the Los Angeles general medical center. Debbie is being rushed on a stretcher as she lays on it unconscious.

“How long since you found her like this?” The doctor asks Debbie’s roommate as they both run through the hallway, following the stretcher that’s being shoved by the nursing assistants.

“Um… Oh god… I don’t… I came home at 20:00, 20:15 maybe. I thought she was out so I took a shower and…”

“So since 20:00 then, as far as you know, yes? And what’s the name of the pills you found next to her” The doctor asked urgently.

“Zol… Zolpidem, uh, I think” Debbie’s roommate murmured as the doctor and hospital staff disappeared into the OR.

“Wait, what time is it now?” He yelled out as if someone was there to answer, and then pulled out his phone.

22:11, damn.

Back on the beach Debbie’s looking at the waves as they crash on the shoreline.

“Is it really over?” She asks, possibly referring to the company’s team-building day.

“Are you sure you don’t want to finish that project you started for your portfolio first?”

Jake asks. But as Debbie turns to him, it isn’t him standing there at all. It’s her mom. Looking at her with that same worried expression she had when Debbie was hospitalized for appendicitis.

“Nah, I don’t feel so good. I think I should probably rest for a little while.” Debbie responds in a care-free manner and lays down on the sand.

“You’re right sweetie. Finishing things can be hard.” Her mom comforts her. Debbie looks at the beach, then at her mother.

“Mom, I just wanna tell you…”