I shot up from my bed in a cold sweat, as the digital alarm monotonously chimed beside my head. I usually woke like that. Taking a moment to get my bearings, staring around at the cold dreary condo walls, the horrors of it all began to subside as I began to tear myself from the unconscious world. Like tides, the night-terrors came in waves: they intensified and lessened with the cycle of the nights, yet they never truly subsided.

As I slowly pulled myself from under the doona covers, I stepped into the tiny en-suite - throwing off my pyjamas and quickly showering myself, before putting on my pants and throwing a suit-shirt over my shoulders - putting my arms through the sleeves and deftly fiddling with the little buttons. I stared down at the clock as I went to leave the bedroom.

"8:21am," it read.

Stepping into the apartment kitchen, I rummaged through the cupboard, grabbing a liquid breakfast container from the far corner, puncturing it with a straw as I grabbed my keys and stepped out into the corridor. I held the milk-box with my armpit as I locked the door, spilling a little bit of my breakfast on my sleeve as I did so. It probably would've been better if I'd just put it on the floor. I pulled my key from the lock, shoving it into my pocket, wandering down that repetitious corridor once more. Back to the elevator; back to work. I guess we'd find out what fresh hell this day in the office brought.

I pressed the elevator button, waiting, and as I did - a few haggard employees shambled up alongside me as they reached the elevator. They were grumbling about something, though I didn't really care enough about whatever they were talking about to bother eavesdropping on it. After a moment, I heard the faint ding of the elevator as it reached our floor, and I stepped inside, descending toward another day at the office.

The elevator fell once more down to the office floor. I sat alone in the corner of the elevator, staying out of the way as the other employees took up most of the elevator space, talking amongst themselves. This was usually how my mornings went: at least, it was when I didn't happen to pass out on my desk, at any rate. 

Finally reaching its destination, the elevator doors opened to the office floor once more - surprisingly empty at this time of morning, but by no means less dreary. A few people sauntered through the halls, drifting aimlessly like lost spirits as they went about their morning routines. As I stepped out of the elevator and onto the office floor, the haggard employees brushed past me, cutting me off as I went to exit the lift. I stood back sheepishly, letting them leave first. I didn't care enough to object.

As I approached my desk, I could see Vincent leaning against it, holding a manilla file. He was uncharacteristically early this morning. Usually, he was pretty tardy with the 9:00 start, despite the fact that he lived only three or four doors away from the lift. I guess there was something important he had to deal with this morning. 

"Good morning Malarie," Vincent said.

"Morning Vincent," I responded flatly. "You're a bit early."

"Yeah, I know," Vincent chuckled. "Being on time has never been my strong suit anyway, and with the despair this job creates, I'm not exactly keen to roll out of bed usually." 

"So, why are you here?" I asked bluntly.

Vincent scratched his head, before fiddling with the manilla folder for a moment, trying to come up with an answer. After a moment, he sighed, staring at me with a serious look in his eyes.

"Malarie, I'd like you to manage a case for me, if it's alright," Vincent replied. 

"A case?" I replied. "That's all?"

"Yeah, I wanted to make sure you ended up getting it. You're the only one here that I'd trust with something like this," Vincent replied. "I've been assigned a case for my cousin, Derrick Rodgers. It's a conflict of interest, so I need to transfer it off my desk, or I'll probably be thrown out. I want to make sure he gets a good life though. That's why I want to transfer it to you."

I sighed.

"Fine, I'll swap my fresh case for your cousin - but on one condition," I replied. "Whoever I get this morning, you have to make a good life for them, alright?"

"Sounds fair," Vincent replied with a smile. 

I wandered around to my desk, collecting the new case file from my in-tray and swapping it with Vincent. I gave it a brief skim, sucking from my liquid breakfast box as I sat there. Vincent smiled a little. 

"Thank you, Malarie," Vincent added. "This means a lot to me."

"Not a problem," I said. "Also, you're buying me dinner for this too. I'm sick of eating microwave meals."

"Fair enough, sounds like a date then," Vincent jeered.

"Don't get any funny ideas," I responded with a smile. "I'm still a married woman, you know?"

"Of course," Vincent replied. "I'll see you tonight, Malarie. Good luck with the case."

As Vincent wandered off, I sighed, staring down the hall. This was an important case for Vincent, and though few good people ever worked in this office, I knew Vincent was one of those people - the sort of person that at least tried to help others. I didn't want to let him down. Reading through the file in detail, I finished drinking from the liquid breakfast carton, chucking the insipid grey milk-box into the bland dustbin beneath my desk as I took a more detailed look at the case file I'd been handed. I smiled a little; it felt nice being acknowledged for a change.