The Rendezvous

A 'suspenseful' story written for English class. Enjoy!

As I wake and prepare my coffee, I turn on the radio to get a scoop on the daily news. A car chase is in pursuit along the 210 freeway, and I begin to think of how many lives are at stake. How many people could get hit as the driver carelessly skids left and right? Taking a bite of my zucchini bread, I realize that I have a rendezvous, which I have been dreading for weeks now, so I gobble up the bread and rush to freshen up. Looking into the mirror, I smile the widest I can; but a lump in my throat arises.

I then get into my red mini cooper and mindfully avoid the 210 freeway, contemplating whether or not I would rather be in that car chase than arrive at my destination. And to think, just 20 minutes ago, I had been nibbling on my zucchini bread. Oh, how I miss it. I am now one and three quarter miles away from said destination. I notice a puppy scurrying and sniffing amongst the busy sidewalk, about to sniff his way to a wakeless sleep, making his way south, towards the car in front of me. There is little, almost nothing I can do; I must get to the destination on time, plus there are seconds until the red light is to turn green. Aimlessly counting down to the green light change, I try to steer as far left as possible and hope for the best.

I am here. I step into an elevator and hold the mechanical door for a limping lanky, blonde woman wearing six inch black high heels. However, the elevator begins to rattle, produce a beeping noise that seems to never cease, and the light begins to flicker, using its last spark of energy. As I step out onto my floor, I wish the woman a nice day, she returns the polite compliment and the door shuts. After three footsteps onto the marble tile and I hear a boom coming from the elevator. Rushing frantically back, I pound on the buttons until all of them are lit with a yellow glow. Nothing, no response. I have somewhere to be, not because I want to, but because I have to. So I readjust my tie and hesitantly walk off, in hopes that the woman is alright.

I open the door to a vacant waiting room, filled with fluorescent lighting and the smell of disinfectant spray. My heart is racing, even though normal people do this at some point in their lives, every year to be exact. It’s supposedly healthy and good for you, but I would have to disagree. The idea of masked beings looking down at you as a bright light shines in your face. There is no going back. I have fifteen minutes left, wait- now only five, because I have spent the last ten overthinking. The magazines on the table in front of me contain models who are staring into my eyes, the TV above me is playing the 210 car chase. That’s still going on?

I try to steer my mind away from the thought of what’s about to happen, so I think about the puppy and the woman I encountered today. I should have stopped to save that puppy; I should have checked to see if the woman was alright. If I had done either, or even both, I would have the excuse to miss this. I can’t stop thinking about it, no matter how much tension is created between the car trying to get away and the police trying to catch him, no matter how much I regret not possibly saving those lives. How selfish could I possibly get? Two minutes. Two minutes until my last then first name is to be announced. What if I don't make it out alive? What if the mysterious events that were taken place before my eyes and ears today meant something bad was going to happen to me? After all, I do deserve bad karma for not helping the puppy and the woman out. One minute. One minute until I have to lay on a chair, and hear the amplified crumpling of the paper cover beneath me. One minute until I have to get a bright light shone in my face, and allow the instruments of torture to do their work in my mouth. Then, a nurse opens the door, revealing an even brighter light, as she calls out my name. She then directs me into the room, and tells me that my dentist will be here any minute.

Author's Note

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