Chapter One

It appeared as if it was going to be another slow night for Caitlyn Sussex as she gazed vacantly at her dusty Masters Degree hung crookedly on the wall. Graduated, but not with honours or even a recommendation from any of her professors, Caitlyn was the poster child for average student. Average everything in fact, average looks, average apartment, and average car. Nothing about her seemed to make her stand out from anybody else in the city. The only thing that set her apart was the fact that she was working the graveyard shift for a State Government run 24 hour Psychiatric Care facility. She wasn’t alone however, her secretary, Shirley, sat out in the other room, undoubtedly using the computers for social networking rather than actual work.

Caitlyn gazed out the window at the adjacent building. It was, until recently, a dilapidated old warehouse that had been home to a large group of squatters. They were less than thrilled when the city decided to gentrify the building into upscale loft apartments and were even less thrilled when they were hauled off by the Police Department in the middle of the night. Chuckling softly at the thought of these young couples paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for the same apartment where a group of homeless men use to live. On the streets below she was able to spot a trio of gang members, a prostitute, and a hoodlum tagging the walls below. She shook her head in frustration as to why anybody in their right mind would pay top dollar for a building where that kind of debauchery took place outside.

The world seemed to be getting worse every day, she thought. It seemed like every week the FWN News was reporting a scandal involving a Congressmen and a woman who wasn’t his wife. Those scandals were considered the good ones and not threatening to their jobs, with a tearful apology and a pledging of allegiance to Jesus, the incumbent would be able to keep their job for at least another term. It was the donkey love affair video of former Nevada Governor Jim Bibbons that proved to be fatal. However those news stories only hit about once a month so it offered some refuge in the meantime for people to try and regain some faith in humanity.

Crime was at an all time high in every major city across the United States and Canada. Gangs were aggressively fighting back against police with a casualty ratio of two police officers per gang member. Certain areas of town were no longer patrolled by beat officers and emergency vehicles would take hours to arrive, hoping residents would get the hint. Organized crime was more rampant than ever, pulling the invisible strings of politicians, corporate CEO’s, and supposedly corrupt Army officials. Mayors across the country have tried their best to maintain law and order; however panic has gripped the people as they flock back to Churches, Synagogues, and Temples in some weak attempt to assuage the fears of the darkening world around them.

Caitlyn’s head began to ache just thinking about the darkness that gripped the world around them and moral decay of society as a whole. Gripping her head she pressed down on the red button connected to her intercom and asked Shirley to run to the medicine room and fetch her some powerful Tylenols to combat the oncoming headache. In an all too forced “yes ma’am”, Caitlyn could hear Shirley exit down the hall towards the Doctors Clinic downstairs. Closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair Caitlyn began to think about what she was going to on her day off, perhaps go see the new movie everyone was raving about, or read the book she’s been neglecting for the past month.

Her eyes darted open and she quickly sat up straight as she heard the door to her office opening as to not look like she was dozing off in front of Shirley. However it was not her secretary that was standing in the door way but a pale young man from the looks of him in his mid twenties. He was dressed in all black suit and wearing a pea coat with an upturned collar and a strange talisman around his neck that Caitlyn did not recognize. While he was fairly handsome there was something haunting about his pale blue eyes, there was a sense of emptiness to them. His chestnut brown hair was cut short and tidy giving off the impression he was a business man of some sorts.

“Hello Ms. Sussex” he said confidently as he began to walk into the room, either ignorant or uncaring towards the perplexed look on Caitlyn’s face.

“Ah as I can tell you are probably a little confused, you see I am in need of advice and I do not wish to visit a Church and be fed whatever lies their people will try and shove down my throat. I apologize for not making a formal appointment, but I assumed that at this time you would not be busy as I could gather from your relaxed stance when I walked through the door. I am more than willing to pay you ten percent more than your hourly rate; however I must ask that you allow me to finish my story before we depart, are you accepting of these rules?” he asked graciously.

“Show me the money first”, Caitlyn said coldly. Shirley was unaware of this man’s presence which means she could pocket the money for herself and perhaps get those breast implants she so desperately wanted.

“Oh of course, forgive my clumsiness” he said apologetically as he put down a thick wad of 100 dollar bills on Caitlyn’s desk. “By the way, my name is Reginald, Reginald Stoleback”, he said extending a hand towards Caityln. She took his hand and regaled a little at the coldness of his touch, while it was middle December, his hand felt like that of a corpse. There was something unnatural about Reginald Stoleback, however the money he was offering was far more than she was use to so she signalled to him to have a seat as she got up and closed the office door behind her.

“So Reginald, what’s on your mind?” she asked with as much fake curiosity as she could muster, taking a seat behind her desk.