Death and Beauty - Chapter One
"A story about the blending of personal and career life.."
The spring breeze flowed gently between the rose petals, the sun illuminating the tranquil blend of passionate reds and vibrant pinks. A gentle tap was heard from inside, and did emerge a woman whose curves were concealed elegantly by a silky gown. She shook her refined hair as he presented her the luscious flowers. She frowned at the divine roses, as beautiful as they were her mind still worried, for again the mysterious gifts arrived with no message, no clue as to identify the sender. Thanking the courier with a generous tip she returned once again to her room, leaving nothing but a faint aroma pirouetting in the air.
Placing the flowers gently on the French counter, Rosé Marie Jun began to admire the gift, gently tracing the petals with her vulnerable ring-finger. There were six roses, all perfectly chosen. She couldn’t help but appreciate the eye for beauty her mysterious admirer possessed.
Her notions however, were cut short by the faint chiming of her telephone, causing her to retreat her gentle fingers and step towards the phone. After the third ring she swiftly answered the call. The voice on the line was hoarse and strained, it told her that a promising meeting was due to take place in ten days, and that her recently acquired role as a marketing and advertising junior would do well with its success, and bear the brunt of its failure. A welcome distraction she thought, as she hung the receiver. Rosé Marie knew that her first real assignment was a big one, and as a new employee she therefore had the most to prove. Jobs are scarce in and around the city, and she was often reminded of the fragile line between financial security and extreme poverty.
After showering and dressing, Rosé Marie was found walking the sun lit alleyways, tingling as the cool breeze danced on her neck. Walking was dangerous she knew, but it paled into comparison when compared with the dangers of driving and taking the train. Thieves sprawled the city, lurking in between the shadows, always eager to cause turmoil. Trains were an ample location, the gathering point of many working citizens, all prime targets for crime. She had experienced the ugly head of crime not long ago, the memory forever etched in her mind. No, she wouldn’t take the train. Her route comprised of streets and pathways, she kept her head down and asked no questions.
Twenty minutes later Rosé Marie arrived at the run-down exterior that loomed over 54th Street. To you and I it would seem peculiar, disdained and old-fashioned, but surrounded by similar buildings, some of which held severe bullet wounds scars from earlier riots, it would become easy to forgive its decrepit visage. Sure, there were talks of re-generation, and the heavens know this area was in need of it, but with crime rates at a rapid high it seemed unwise to bless this district with anything but a thought. This wasn’t the confine to which disaster struck, but is one of the worst areas hit. The economic global meltdown led to severe global turmoil, with strikes and inflation causing many profitable businesses to flee abroad or downsize, and the prompt rise in unemployment opened its doors for a flood of crime to occur. The city became a ghost town, a shell of its former self. Jobs were increasingly difficult to find, and Rosé Marie knew she had to make her mark or risk being fired.
As the doors swooshed open Rosé Marie sighed in relief, thankful that her journey to work was uneventful. She placed her black handbag onto the x-ray machine and walked through the metal detector. After clearance she was handed a name badge and made her way into the fourth floor, awaiting the distraction that the stressful job promised.
A briefing was held ten minutes after her arrival, disclosing details about the meeting she was called about earlier. Leading the meeting was Frank D’urmitage, her superior. Speaking in his distinctive hoarse tone he enclosed ambiguous details about a possible take-over deal, one that would help the marketing agency survive its depreciating condition. The business interested in our assets was a big player, Cane Enterprise, a megastar in the business world, one that was no doubt taking advantage of the strong economic downturn. After the briefing group tasks were allocated, with Rosé Marie placed in the Marketing division, a long side three other women. Their roles were to represent our business in the best possible light, which meant attending many social gatherings in order to maximize company value.
As the newest of the four colleagues Rosé Marie was given the task of condensing data into sizable chunks, and creating visual PowerPoint’s. A gawky brunette known as Gerbil, possibly for her scruffy appearance, was given back stage paperwork tasks such as that of organizing and data collecting. The remaining two women, Vicky and Florence, assigned themselves the role of presenting the company upfront. As the oldest of the four, they would know the tricks of the trade.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
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Creative Writing
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1 comments:
Purdy fine work there so far, chief. I think the best analogy I can give it is that of an exploding car tumbling down a hill; pretty awesome to watch, no idea what direction it's going in, and I have a foreboding feeling that what happens next isn't going to be good!
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