The old man stumbled over the dangling flap of his robe and fell to the ground. He couldn't find the strength to get back to his feet, so he kept crawling, making his knees bleed. He stretched out his trembling hand to reach the painted walls of the cave.
"Oh, I beg you, hear me! I've lost my way, and there is only darkness ahead. I know you're here!" The old man said.
His prayers are heard, and a blurred shape emerged out of the darkness. A defening voice rumbled: "Not everyone has the strength to walk their path to the end."
"We were endowed with eyes, but not sight. We stare into emptyness, and there's no way to see the road." The old man said to the blurred figure.
The old man slavishly bowed his forehead on the ground, and then he heard the answer. "You are right. Everyone is given a guilding line, but it's up to them how they use it."
The old man felt the hard cover of a book under his fingers and immediately looked up. He opened it and took out a card.
Nothingness
"All you see now is emptyness, but the cards will help you know and find something more and find something more in it. Now go." The figure roared.
The old man came out of the cave. His legs were trembling and barely obeyed him, his hands convulsively clasped the book to his chest.
---
Selina was about to call it a day when her secretary's head popped into the office.
"May I?" Her Secretary asked.
"Come in". She said to her.
She had a cup of coffee in one hand and some crumpled documents in the other one.
"What's the matter, Amelie?" Selena's voice was like a whip. The secretary straighten up and held her breath in fear. Oh, Amelie hated her so much!
"He really insists...I said..." Amelie stuttered trying to find the right word.
Without waiting for an invitation, a man burst into the office. He stopped at Selena's desk and asked impatiently. "Are you the director of the bridge corporation?"
"And you are? Also, what gives you the right to burst into my office like that?" Selena barked harshly.
"My name is Robert steltz. I'm a detective." The man answered her questions as he shows her his identification.
Selena's short patience came to an end. She plopped into the chair and said: "you have ten seconds to explain yourself before the security escorts you out."
For a moment, Rob froze. He saw sitting in front of him a girl of about twenty-seven years old. Her back was straight, she was composed and at the same time relaxed, and she had a bitch grin all over her face. Though young, she looked down on him from behind her walnut wood desk. He looked at her with interest and calmly said:"Great! I don't have time to waste either. We've been tipping off that a "cook" would be present during the city day celebration."
Selena was sorting through the documents as if she lost interest. Then she asked bored:"A cook?"
"Yeah. I'm from the Anti-Narcotic Task Force. I want to carry out an operation to arrest him. The city government gave the go-ahead. But since you and your company are sponsoring the event, I also need to get your permission." He puts a document on the table that Selena was sopposed to sign.
"No" Selena replied without looking at the paper.
"No?" Rob asked. He see no reason why she should not be signing this paper.
"I sponsored a holiday to advertise the company and build our image. I don't care about your operation. They'll interfare with my plans."
Rob came closer to the table, forcing Selena to look up at him. "Everything's ready. The "cook" is almost in our hands. Do you know how many he has killed with his shit?" Rob said trying to convince her.
"I've already said everything I had to say. " She turned to her assistant. "Amelie, coffee!"
Selena held out her hand, waiting for the cup of coffee. But Amelie's hand trembled. The lid came off, and the coffee spilled all over the documents.
Selena slowly turned her gaze to Amelie. She started at her in dismay. Selena ice cold voice rang out. "I keep wondering why I keep you around. Remind me why?"
"Sorry...I...I..." Ashamed, Amelie glanced at Rob—she didn't want anyone to witnesses her being scolded.
Rob intervened; his voice was calm, almost indifferent. "I think I'll go."
Selena barely payed attention to his departure."You'll start to make new copies."
Her cold voice rang out again, making Amelie flinch.
"But we don't have copies; we'll have to wait for another fax." Amelie said.
"So, you'll wait." Selena said.
"But I promised my daughter to the city day celebration, she's waiting for me." Amelie said, scared that her boss would ask her not to go.
"I don't care. And she's like one year old. How much would she remember anyways?" Selena said dismissively.
"She's four."
Selena didn't answer. She took her bag and left, slamming the door.
Amelie started to cry, imagining the hurt look of her daughter.
Amelie stared at the boss's empty chair choking in her on tears. Oh, she hated Selena so much.
---
City day was full of swing. There were long lines at each stall, children ran across the road, throwing confetti. Here and there balloons soared into the sky, excaping the small hands of their owners.
Screams were coming from the concert area.
Selena walked along the main road, looking at the designs of her future bridges. She almost never left the office lately. The only reason she came out this time, was to assess her latest investment, but she felt unusually wierd walking around the city.
Selena stooped. She suddenly felt someone's gaze following her..."hmm?"
She turned around sharply, but whoever was looking at her merged into the crowd and didn't want her to notice them.
KA BOOM!!
"She heard a shot." She was scared, but she is curious.
Everyone frozed, and held their breath. Selena looked around quickly. "What's going on?" She wondered.
The crowd parted. Selena saw Rob holding some guy.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be used against you in the court..." He said as he handcuffs the man.
"I didn't give him permission!" Selena rushed to the detective. Noticing her, Rob pulled the cook closer, as if pulling him away from Selena. But his movement was strange, as if he wasn't protecting Selena, but the "cook" from her.
"You see, it's all over. You could've given me the permission." Rob said shrugging.
"Exactly. I didn't!" Selena frowned hard. "Who's your boss." She asked impatiently.
Rob laughed. "You need that info—you go find out. I've gotten enough on my plate."
Selena was taken aback by such impudence. No one talk that way to her before. She said in her typical ice-cold voice. "You're in so much trouble."
The detective took the "cook" away and answered. "Trouble is my middle name".
Selena looked after him. Anger blazed inside her. "Let's see if you'll smile if you hand in your badge."
Selena was about to go home when she remembered that one of her product was exhibited at the fair. "I need to check how they set up the booth."
The fair was fenced off with an iron barricade. The entrance was made terribly narrow, which was why people impatiently pushed each other, trying to get inside as soon as possible. A woman was walking on the right. She slightly tipped over to the side and leaned the entire weight of her body on Selena.
" Damn—." Selena pushed her away a little. The woman turned to her indignantly.
"Hey, take it easy! Where are your manners?" The woman said with a frown.
'You're the one who needs to take it easy, you impudent...' Selena calmed herself. "you steeped on me, and I push you away lightly".
"Just listen to that?! She gently pushed away!" The woman scoffs.
"If it's anyone that lack manners here, it's you, honey." Selena retorted
"Rude...how dare you?!" The woman barked.
"I'm not the one being rude!" Selena screamed at her.
The woman snorted in displeasure and hurried on, disappearing in the crowd as if she were afraid that Selena would punch her.
Selena have to walk around the whole fair to find her product. "I knew it. With no direct supervision, this fools did everything wrong!" A lonely stand stood away from the attractions and survenir shops, surrended by the smell of a public toilet. "Amelie dropped the ball. Again. That girl is useless."
"Oh if you only knew how many useless things exist in the world!"
An old woman stumbled out of the darkness. She smelled of urine and impending death. Selena was obviously disgusted by her."
" For example, you—office plankton. How are you contributing to the world? If you die, no one will notice." The old woman spat out these words, insolently looking Selena in the eyes as if probing her.
"Say what you want, old hag. I don't care about you." Without waiting for an answer from Selena, the old woman spoke again.
"Enjoying the event?" She had a raspy voice, her mouth smelled of rotten teeth, her nails were yellow and long.
"Not really...it was too expensive." Selena answered without any emotion but couldn't contain the wariness in her eyes. The old woman walked back and front of her, like a predator before jumping on its prey.
"Expensive...Does money mean anything." The old woman asked.
"Only those who have no money think like that." Selena cautiously took a step back. 'what does she wants from me.' Selena wondered.
The old woman laughed, shook her head and waved her hand. Only then did Selena noticed that the old lady was holding the withered corspe of a snake biting it's own tail. Noticing the girl gaze, the old woman raised the creature even higher.
"It happens sometimes in nature. A snake can confuse its own own tail as something else. Say a hare ran along it—the scent confuses the snake, and it decides his tail is prey". The old woman laughed again. "Ironic." She started to cough.
'To hell with this. I'm just wasting my time with her.' without a word, Selena turned to leave, but the old woman rushed to her, grapped her hand, then muttered. "Where do you think you're going? No, no. Wait a second."
Selena tried to excape, but the old woman turned out to be suprisingly strong. "Let me go!" Selena screamed.
"Give me a couple of coins since you say money is so important? Help an old lady out."
Selena jerked her hand away and wipe the wrist the old woman touched on her pants.
"I don't give money to beggers." Selena spat.
"Someday we might trade places. Do you think anyone will help you?" The old woman said.
"I'll never become you." Selena frowned in disgust.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that." The old woman said while a smile.
Selena turned around to leave, but the old woman never let her go and she grapped her by the wrist.
"No, that won't work. This is wrong!" The old woman grapped her tighter.
"What do you want?! Let me go!"
This time the old woman squeezed her wrist so hand that Selena lost her strength to fight from the pain. In a panic, she scanned the crowd looking for help and noticing the police, she shouted. "Help! Police!"
"Hush, don't shout. What can an old lady do to you? Just talk to me."
"Get lost, Old hag!" She shouted again into the crowd. "Police!"
Finally, the police heard the plea and moved in her direction. Rob was among them. The old woman instantly released Selena.
"Detective steltz." He briefly introduced himself. "What's going on here?" Rob asked.
"Nothing. We were just chatting, detective." The old woman said.
"Just chatting?" Selena stretched her hand out so they could see the marks on her wrist. "She grabbed me! And she extorted me for money! Get her out of here, now!"
Selena was trembling. Why did she speak to that woman? Why did she let her touch her?!
Rob nooded to the cops, giving silent permission to act. One of the officers tried to take the woman out delicately, but she started to put up a fight.