Clamoring down the carpeted stairs of her one-bedroom apartment, she breached the front door, separating the warmth from the gusty fall morning. It was a little past 5 in the morning, and the sun still slept. She braced herself as the early winds of winter harshly slapped her face. More awake now than after her morning coffee, she breathed in deeply. The cold air expanding in her lungs caused a mix of emotions. There was the dread of snowy treks to work, iced-covered windshields, and the excitement and nostalgia of the holidays. Quickly zipping up her coat to cover her exposed neck, she fumbled to unlock her car.
The small town where she lives deserted of morning travelers. Only the occasional passerby begins their day. The streets, still mostly covered in shadows from the night, made the lights from the gas station she passed seem abrasive. She grew up in this area, and the 90s song playing on the radio helped take her back to that time. She was a child of the 80s, the best era for movies in her opinion. Merging on to the two lane highway she settled in to her car seat butt warmer preparing for the 20 minute drive. A few more cars had taken to the streets and the group of them traveled south.
After a quick stop for a tall French vanilla cappuccino, her car veered left into one of the two entrances to the three-story office building where she worked. It was a giant red brick building with extended parking spaces to support the 500+ workers who worked there. She parked and looked up at the building—the harsh glow of the fluorescent lights called out for the day ahead. Sitting there for a few moments, she prepared herself for people. The least favorite part of her day was the smiles, greetings, and head nods expected of her when passing people in the hall. She practiced smiling a few times, overstretching her mouth wide to ensure her face could do this one demand. An introvert by nature, she wished she could work from home.
Shaynanigans 