Day 2

Tall dark blue walls with maplewood accents, far spaced shelves throughout the store floor with a high ceiling and hanging metal light boxes. In the spacious and somewhat empty store was a central counter where behind two well dressed ladies stood. This was the Atelier de Montefiore, a place that was wholly unknown to me, but shouldn't have been.

I was dressed in a casual blazer. I briskly approached the counter, looking past the rows of luxury women's apparel, and inadvertently getting the attention of the two staff. One had dark grey-brown skin with short sleeked black hair. The other, perhaps blonde with a light pearly complexion. "Can I help you?" the blonde sternly asked, perhaps it was already clear I was no customer. I was confident enough, I've seen this trick happen to me before. I took a step further, to the side of the counter, just barely passing what any person could recognize to be an employee area, to see through frosted glass the second half of the store behind the central counter--there were additional patrons in the back near the changing rooms.

Interrupting my gaze, the blonde stepped in front of me. Changing course I replied, "you may not believe me...," I said while looking around. "...but I used to work here." The girls briefly looked to each other. My words were still nonsense. I walked around to the other side, and began to approach the back half of the store. Again, the blonde blocked me and made eye contact. This place had carpeted flooring like a library. Although it had a tall ceiling, nothing could compare its two floors of elegant decor to the metal and glass skyscraper anachronism that must have shared at least one interdimensional axis. From cafe to atelier.

"I used to work here," I repeated. I felt mischievous, and more importantly, felt like I was plot-determined to have my way. Susie gestured to Kaley who was still standing behind the counter, shyly. Together, and with several wordless pauses, they eventually conceded and began to escort me to the back.

So Susie was the name of the blonde and Kaley was the one with dark skin. She had long limbs, and a sleeveless white top. There were gold trim accents on her body, perhaps like bangles or loose hanging necklaces. We passed through the back of the store and Susie used the pinpad to open the employee door.

"This way," Kaley said softly before leading. The door behind closed and so Kaley and I were in a concrete hallway that I knew connected to the loading dock and dumpsters. In the hall was an older short man in overalls, both parties ignored each other. She opened the doors to the elevator shaft that went between this floor and the basement. No budget was allotted as to afford dressing any of the backrooms, everything was bare, the elevator housing wasn’t even enclosed. Being brought here made me feel recognized as staff.

We entered the elevator. As the doors closed I felt my stomach churn, realizing something was amiss. My bravado immediately drained from me as I looked to Kaley. She had a gun drawn. The bullet exploded through my throat.