Our Mirrored World

Chapter One - Normal

The rays of the sunlight were creeping inside of a room uninvited, but thanks to that, it warmed up and lit up that specific dim, untidy room.

It wasn't a while until the ringing of the old alarm clock tried to wake Zarina up at exactly 6 A.M. This was a normal time for her to get ready for work.

She groaned before hiding herself underneath her pillow that's filled with her drool, but she didn't care. Her saliva was a part of her well-being, at least that's what she believed excluding her personal hygiene.

Unfortunately, that old alarm clock was persistent in waking her up. Zarina was highly annoyed by the irritating noise that it was making.

She threw her pillow out of her face before trying to extend her hand to hit the top of its head while her eyes were closed. She tried to hit it several times, but it wasn't responding to her constant smashing.

Her temper was about to reach its limits when her one last smash on its head almost broke it as it stopped making that irritable ringing.

"Stupid alarm clock," she grunted before raising her body on her twin-sized bed, she yawned and tasted her morning breath.

She scrunched her face in disgust because it tasted like Cheetos that weren't brushed up last night. Shaking her head, Zarina decided to stand up to fix her sheets and pillows before she went towards her bathroom.

Zarina lives alone in a small apartment she rented for many months now. She moved away from their house right after she graduated with honors at the university that she attended. It wasn't prestigious, but it was enough to give her the knowledge that she needed in life. She wanted to be independent and not rely on her parents any longer, to which, they immediately agreed.

Her stay at this small apartment was pretty much...normal. She was used to the loud karaoke of her neighbor during midnight and the golden retriever on the other side that keeps on barking as if its life depends on it, she thought that it's just looking for its owner.

After brushing her teeth and washing her face with some clean water, Zarina idly paced towards her windows to open the sheets and shades of her curtains.

She used a plain fabric to tie those sheets and shades up on the side as she used her one hand to block the sun that immediately lightened up her room.

The soft breeze of the northern winds made her close her eyes as she tapped her fingers at the edge of her windows. It created a calming sound that soothed her nerves.

It cheered her up from what happened with her and that alarm clock that she destroyed because of her merciless smashing.

"Good morning, Mr. Sun, I guess I have to buy a new alarm clock now," she mumbled to herself before she decided to go out of her kitchen to make breakfast.

She knew how to make certain types of dishes that her body needs, so her independent life meals weren't always bought in the convenience stores.

It didn't take her a while to make her breakfast. A bowl of cold leftover rice is good for fried rice so she made one for herself, partnering up with some spam that her mom delivered to her days ago.

Zarina hummed an off-tune song when she started cooking her spam, the sizzling sound that's coming from her pan was the only thing that she could hear aside from the ringing of her phone.

She blew some air out of her mouth before she decided to dry off her hands to check who it was this early in the morning.

Her hand caressed her phone and sighed when she noticed that it was her mom, probably trying to annoy her this early in the morning.

She tapped the green button before placing it in her ears, [Sweetheart! Have you eaten breakfast?] Her mom, Jane Dorris Taylor yelled on the other line, so Zarina distanced herself from her phone for a moment.

"If you keep talking to me right now I wouldn't be able to," she sighed while scratching the back of her head, "Didn't I tell you to stop calling me this early?" Zarina complained, no matter how many times she reminded her mom, it seemed like the message wasn't being delivered.

[I just can't help it, your daddy and I just miss you so much already,] her mom sounded like she was about to tear up, so Zarina just sighed.

"Not as much how you miss your cat when it roams around the streets there," she tried to joke around, which worked because her mom chuckled.

[You never changed sweetheart, I'm just worried about you, you know?] Her mom sounded like she was truly worried about her only daughter.

"I'm fine, mom, you don't have to worry so much, I'm not 18 anymore," Zarina reassured her paranoid mother.

A loud sigh was to be heard on the other line, Zarina immediately knew her mother wasn't convinced, “Okay, how about I visit there this next weekend? Bake me some cookies,” Zarina suggested.

[You mean it? That would be great, sweetheart,] Jane sounded pleased, so Zarina knew that she cheered up instantly.

"Alright, I'll end the call now, I have to stop by at a shop before going to work to buy a new alarm clock, see you soon," Zarina informed before ending the call.

She smelled something burning in the air, so her eyes widened before looking at the pan where she was cooking her spam a while ago.

It was already burnt to black and no part of it is still edible, "Oh crap!" she sprinted over there and immediately turned off the stove, she threw her pan on the sink and drenched it with water.

Smoke filled up in the air as she coughed tremendously when she sucked in some of it, "So much for having breakfast," she hissed and threw her apron at the chair.

Zarina ate the fried rice that she cooked even without that dish that was burnt. After eating her breakfast, she washed all of the dishes before she decided to take a bath.

The stomping of her heels was the only thing that she could hear as she paced out of her apartment door in her work outfit and securely locked them from behind, she only had like a half-hour left before she could stop by a shop to buy herself a new alarm clock.

"Taxi!" she yelled and luckily, a cab stopped after she called it. She didn't waste any more time and securely buckled herself with seatbelts.

"Where to today ma'am?" the driver hummed on the front while tightly gripping his covered steering wheel.

"To WalterMart please," Zarina requested while counting her things in her bag like they're sheep lost in the high mountains, she forgot to fix it again and she has no time to rearrange it.

"On it," the driver shifted its lever before stepping on the pedal to drive away in the front of her apartment.

The city was busy during the day, so a lot of people were seen walking with phones in their ears, talking to important people. Zarina didn't pay attention to anything as she set her mind on what kind of alarm clock she needed to buy.

Lots of shiny merchandise stores were to be seen along the road and she prepared herself when she noticed that they're almost near her designated place. She lives in a city called Lander, it's the capital of their nation where almost all of the businesses of different entrepreneurs are built, it's also the main transportation towards various provinces including where her parents live right now.

Aside from being independent, she decided to leave the province since she wanted to explore more about the city and the job opportunities were more promising at Lander City. Luckily, her parents approved of it although they're very protective of her.

"We have arrived, 10 dollars ma'am," the driver pushed the hazard button, so Zarina immediately took out some money and thanked him.

After she got out of that taxi, she didn't waste any more time running inside of the mart to look for her new alarm clock. She only has 15 minutes left to choose from before coming to work next. She's critical when it comes to her time, she doesn't want to waste every single passing minute.

Zarina strides to the halls like she was being chased by some rampaging bulls, she surprises some of the salesmen and women around the stalls she sprinted into.

She felt thrilled after she found the stalls of different types and colors of alarm clocks. There were too many and she's having a hard time choosing.

"Is there anything I could help you with?" Zarina stopped and looked at the smiling saleswoman beside her that looked like she just had her hair gelled partnered with that bright red lipstick on her lips. 

She used to hate saleswomen who approached her when she's looking for something at the malls and stores. It felt like they're pressuring her to go away and to not touch things if she's not going to buy.

Zarina was getting so anxious about it that she just decided to take it in and pointed to one of the alarm clocks to help her choose quickly.

"May I check on those please?" she pointed at the red alarm clock that looks decent enough to replace what she had back there in her apartment that she destroyed.

"I wouldn't recommend it to you madame, but you can pick this," the saleswoman grabbed the black one beside it.

"This would be more durable if you're looking for a long time use," the saleswoman explained and Zarina doesn't need that marketing right now because she's almost at the time she saved for this shopping trip.

"W-Whatever is fine, put it in the box and counter," she ordered, so the saleswoman just nodded as Zarina followed that saleswoman.

It didn't take them a while until she paid for her new alarm clock, she skipped the demonstration of how it's going to be used as she insisted on leaving.

She immediately called a taxi for her to ride in after she got out of that store, "To Milly Publishing please," she requested, the driver just gave her a small nod and drove off after she settled in.

It didn't take her a while to arrive at her work, Zarina works in a publishing company where she proofread lots of novels that are candidates for being published.

After she paid her fee, she immediately sprinted to scan her identification card on the main entrance while waving her hands at the guard she's known for many months now. 

She's very good at remembering names, one of her perks working here. Zarina is highly skilled at remembering novels and names, "Good morning, Sir George!" she greeted while sprinting off like some marathon runner in the fields.

"And to you as well ma'am, careful not to hit the floor!" the guard playfully warned Zarina, but she didn't mind it as she pushed the button towards the elevator.

"Come on, come on," she muttered beneath her breath while she kept on glancing on her wristwatch. She can't be late, her boss would be meeting them this early.

A loud sound of ting was to be heard from the elevator before it opened, Zarina immediately invited herself in and repeatedly pushed the button to close the door.

She sighed in relief when the elevator started climbing up, the good thing is it didn't stop on many specific floors until she arrived at her designated floor.

The smell of cold and freshly picked tropical roses embraced her nose as she sprinted out of the elevator after it opened, she's right in time for her meeting today.

She slammed the door and a few eyes looked at her as they decided to continue discussing what they were talking about. She may not look like it but Zarina's the manager of the proofreaders in her field, so she has to be here.

"So the issue that will be discussed today has been stated on the folders, we've been lacking the click that I've been looking for this company to have, we're looking for extraordinary stories, I'm fed up with these familiar werewolf stories," the CEO allowed his secretary to distribute the folders for them to read.

When Zarina received hers, she read what was stated over there and immediately knew what the problem was, "Maybe we just have to look at it differently, all stories are extraordinary and I could claim that because we're the ones who have been reading it," Zarina confidently said while raising her head.

"Werewolves has always been a click for our readers that's why our writers are always pressured to write it because of the massive reads they've been receiving," she claimed.

"Maybe we just have to encourage our writers to put something that isn't there before to make it more unique, for example, fantasy, elements, science fiction, something like that," Zarina suggested, so a lot of their people looked at her intently.

"I recently read one of our writers wrote something about that, she used royalty and werewolf, it became a click towards various targeted readers in our platform," she added confidently, so the CEO just massaged his chin, looking like he's considering her suggestion.

"There's that, but we can't just assume that our writers will do that, after all, it's their right to write whatever they wish for their readers to read," Zarina knew that woman would immediately disapprove of her idea.

It's that woman who dislikes her. Whatever she suggests or says, this woman always has something to say. Zarina seriously didn't know what she did for this woman to start bugging her like she's the cruelest woman in their office.

“I believe with proper monitoring we would be able to accomplish that suggestion, but we will be willing to hear your final plan, president,” she decided to ignore her. It’s better to stay quiet than fight fire with fuel plus, she's not in the mood to answer statements that will neglect the purpose of this meeting.

The CEO gazed professionally at Zarina with a small smile plastered on his lips, even if he didn’t say anything, he was pleased to hear what she suggested and the fact that she ignored Kirstin this time.

These two are always exchanging words whenever they had meetings like this, he finds it a little bit unprofessional, so he's glad he noticed some changes. Though he thought Zarina still doesn't get along with anyone, she highly excels at work, but everyone seemed to be more intimidated by her than their boss.

“I would update you all tomorrow for the final decision, for now, get back to your work,” he ordered everyone, so they all just nodded and exited the conference room.

Zarina bowed her head and exited with everyone else as they decided to go to their different departments.

Kirstin immediately caught up to her with a sly grin plastered on her lips, “You were late, where have you been?” She raises her eyebrows at Zarina who is continuously avoiding her.

“Hey, I’m talking to you proofreader manager!” she exclaimed, so Zarina furiously glared at her. She had a bad breakfast today and she doesn’t want to deal with bad manager departments either.

“None of your business,” after she said those words coldly, she left Kirstin shaking in fear on her back.

To be continued...