People... They are everywhere. No matter where you look, you'll see them. Walking around in the far distance or perhaps up close. People are everywhere. Some you may see, and others are harder to spot. Maybe it's because they want some distance? I don't quite know. But they exist. All of them surround us. All of them stare. Some are faded. Some are cut in half... burnt looking?...long.. so tall.. ....Maybe they are dead, or maybe I'm just looking too deeply into this.

However, there are certain people out there who show very obvious differences from you and me... you and me?.. Yeah... well.. The shadow people walk amongst us. They're the ones who look a bit transparent. The strange tall shadow people who most of the time look like they are hurt. I can see them, yet I wonder if my mind is playing tricks on me. But one thing is for sure: The moment I give any of them a glance, they notice. And they will look back. They always do. They crave it, I can see it in their emotionless eyes. I can feel it.. attention to them is like a moth to s flame, they'll run to it..

They have nothing to do. Nobody misses them. Nobody cares. Nobody acknowledges them. Nobody's there. So they will latch on to any ounce of attention. They will take anything they can get.

They walk aimlessly. Not knowing where to go... But they keep on walking. That is, unless someone can see them. They won't let that person go. They are attracted to anyone who gives them even a little bit of attention. But I always wonder if maybe they do have a place they want to go. Maybe they are looking for something? I mean it makes no sense? This is all speculation of what I've seen? I can't look at them I can't let them see me yet I look.. I look in fear..

People will probably say that I am crazy if I ever say that I saw these shadow people. That this isn't normal. But maybe they say that because they can't see. They look as real as me; how could they not be a normal thing to see? Maybe I just see too much.

...

Vivian is a normal man. All he does is stare at the clouds. He doesn't like to talk very much, since that's mentally draining. He enjoys keeping things in his mind most of the time. His head is his personal journal. It gets quite clustered up there, so Vivian likes to walk a lot. It's a de-stresser, he likes to say. Yet he's scared of everything and everyone. They are all out to get him. They all want to hurt him. They all want to kill him. Is what his mind tells at the back of his every action. So maybe walking isn't the best thing to do.

He's not safe with anyone. He's safe in his job.. It's his home.. That's his place... His job is his only safe place; it's the only place he has. It is the only place he is allowed to be in. It's the only place he was made to be. nowhere else...

Mr. Vivian, why are you alone?

"I don't know. I don't know why I'm alone."

Mr. Vivian, do you want a friend?

"I'm not too sure. Who are you?"

I am... I don't know. Does it matter though?

"I mean.. yes?"

No..

Any-who Vivian isn't the most socially acceptable person. He doesn't know how to talk to people, and that's why he prefers not to talk to people at all. Also, nobody truly wants him; Vivian gives off those weird, quiet person vibes. Such a strange man he is. Mutters to himself all the time.

"I- I can hear you.."

He thinks about things a lot but sometimes forgets he's in his imagination far too long. He thinks he's in his house but in reality he's at work or that he assumes that maybe his job is a play place, Because why else would he be waisting his time staring at nothing? Talking to nothing.
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"Vivian..."

"Vivian"

"VIVIAN PAY ATTENTION TO ME!"

"Huh?" The loud yell he heard beside him startled him. What is it? He turns his head to the side and looks up at his boss. She is staring down at him with an irritated scowl that paints her pretty face.

"I've been talking to you for a while now.  You didn't even hear a word I told you, didn't you? I swear, why do I even bother to keep up with you?"
His boss said while shaking her head side to side in a disappointed manner. She expected more from him, she always had a expectation she wanted him to follow. If Vivian failed at whatever she wanted, she always gave him that glare which made him feel sick to  his stomach. He felt like she was looking down the very core of his soul and it always made him uncomfortable. She'd always treat him as if he were a naughty puppy... but not a man. She never treated him as an equal.

"I'm sorry, I was just thinking. I don't really remember what I was thinking about, but...I was in my mind...again .. I'm sorry.." his voice falters a bit as he looked away from her. Not being able to keep eye contact when she was looking at him with those soul piercing glare of disappointment..

"I won't do it again." He muttered out softly in shame. He hated when she yelled at him. It's something he is hardly used to. It always made him feel awful every time she yelled at him, he felt like his heart might pop out from stress. Causing him to want to go back in his mind where he felt at least a bit of ease from all the stress that consumed him.

"Is this more important than what I have to say?"
She speaks in this rough tone, that kind of sounds like it could bite him if words had that special ability.

"What? No? No no no.. it's not- I just can't really control it. I'm sorry, I I..I'll try to fix this up." He looks down in shame. Thinking this might be his final straw. He might lose his job because he couldn't stop spacing out again. But what could he do? He couldn't control this? He didn't want to space out he just did it without a thought in his mind. If he could he would stop and obey her orders willingly. But he's been so stressed out lately he forgets why he's stressed and it's frustrating as hell.

His boss looks at him for a moment. She just stood there, thinking a little bit before saying anything. Then  she let out a dragged-out sigh. Her eyes were still locked on Vivian's like a viper ready to  strike at him if he dared say anything wrong. But her voice grows softer, and soon her eyes As if she realized she was stressing Vivian more and was attempting to calm herself down. "I'm sorry for yelling at you, Vivian. I'm just worried about you, and I don't mean to come out rude; it's just. I don't know how to say it. Scary? I don't think it's the word. But what I'm trying to say is that it's not normal—you space out almost every day. And it makes me think, How do you come here safely? you stop whatever you're doing and just stare at nothing blankly while talking to yourself?"

All she wanted was for Vivian to feel better. She didn't understand why, but lately he hasn't been acting normal. It might be a personal problem. He does look a bit more tired than normal, with black circles under his eyes. She laid her hands on his shoulder and gave him a sympathetic smile. "I hope you feel better soon Vivian." Her hands slowly moved away from him to slump to her sides as she turns her body away from him to walk back to her office. Vivian then looks back at his paperwork and sees he didn't do anything. And he's been at work for maybe an hour. That's probably the reason his boss came in. He appreciates how nice she has been to him. She is short-tempered most of the time, but that's just her personality. He's used to it by now since he has been friends with her since high school and they managed to work together through thick and thin. It's just a surprise that, later in life, she soon became his boss as well as his friend!

But isn't it interesting how, most of the time, when you turn your head slightly you can spot her looking at you neigh her office window?

Every...

time?..

No matter what you do.. she watches..

Is she watching you, Vivian? Is she stalking you, Vivian? Does she have bad intentions, Vivian? Why is it that every time you look at her window, her eyes peer back to look at you? Not once has she ever looked away from you... not once..  I don't like it. You shouldn't like it either.

" no. I don't think so. We just have a strong bond and she's my boss. Not ti mention she's my friend as well so why would sh-"

Think about it! Vivian, what if she's trying to bait you? Some predators like to wait a long time before they kill their prey. Some are even the ones you know. The ones closest bites the hardest..You might be her target. Also, why do you think it was so easy to get this job, Vivian? You were a stuttering mess at that job interview. It didn't matter that you're friends. You suck at this job. It makes no final sense! Most people will see that as a flaw. You barely do your job! I mean, look at yourself now! Your paper is completely blank, yet she hasn't fired you? You are a complete mess in every shape and form, but here you are still owning a job you don't deserve. But maybe the job was just a trap? That she is using it as a decoy to get you closer. Maybe this is all a lie. A trap? To inspect you to find your weak points. And she already knows a lot at this point, Vivian...

"Stop it! stop it! stop it! I have to work, and I don't know you. Neither do I know where you are. And you're talking badly about my friend, who isn't helping me with my work. They're just my boss!  Doing their job and has empathy towards me because she's my friend so Just shut up!" Vivian yells out to nobody. To nothing really. He is just yelling at the cubicle wall.

My my Vivian.. I see you are a bit stressed. I'll let you be Vivian... if that's truly what you desire.. Go Back to work. Work for the predator...feed her with your pestilence of submission... feed into her world of manipulation and watch yourself rot!

"Gosh!! It's so hard to do anything here. I hate it."
Vivian grunts out in a frustrated huff after he finally hears the strange voice fade away into a sense of ambiguous nothingness. Then he looks back down at his empty desk. "I'll just do this at home. I can't do this now." He mutters to himself as he gets up and walks to his boss's door since he wants to tell her about his departure. That is a rule she gave him: if he ever wanted to leave, he always had to ask for her permission before doing so. He never questioned that rule. It was one of the many odd rules she gave him. But he isn't quite thinking about those other rules right now. He stops when he hears her talking to somebody. So he decided to wait. But he could still hear faint words. Stuff like "when will things go back to normal?"
"Is it okay to do this?" "When will it work?" There are very vague things he heard from his boss, as she spoke quietly...but to whom is she speaking to? A higher up? But about what? Wants going back to normal? What's wrong? What's happening? So many questions.. but no answers

He softly knocks on her door when he hears her finish her call. "You can come in". He heard his boss say in a calm tone, but she sounded sad? Why was that? but he decided not to look too deeply into it and walked in with the empty paper in hand.

"I was wondering if I could finish my paperwork at home... And go home early?" Waiting patiently for her reply, he kept his head low and saw his hands were shaking lightly. But why? It wasn't cold? Her office was quite warm really.. was he scared? But What is there to be afraid of? He's done this before. He's been asked to do work at home and finish it and she was always okay with it?So why is he scared now? Is he scared that she'll say no? If that's the case, it's okay since he can try to do it here. It was strenuous to even ask her to do this at home. He is at work; he should do it here, but he just can't seem to do anything today. So it doesn't make sense why he feels scared. It's okay. It's fine; it's just paper. With important information that he didn't fill out. but then he looks down at the paper. It's blank; it's nothing. Yet it's important. Important.... Is it important???? why???

If it's important then why is it completely blank. What is this? Then he starts to  think a bit more randomly a logical question suddenly comes to mind. Why are there no other workers? Why is there just one cubicle for him, one door, and one office for his boss? Why is this building built so big on the outside but so small inside? Why am I alone with only my boss? How did I get here? Why am I with my boss? Why am I holding paper that has nothing what am I suppose to do with it? How do I even fill that out? What is its importance? Why is she staring at me? Why am I sweating? Why am I scared? I'm breathing, but I'm breathing fast. My heart is beating faster than I can think. I don't know her. I don't know why I'm here. Why? Who? Who is she? Why do I know them? I? I don't know how I got here. I don't understand. What is this paper in my hands?

He looks down and sees the paper is indeed just a blank white piece of paper... there's no mind games here? Is there? It's blank?

Why? Why do I have a blank piece of paper?

He looks back up at his boss, and she seems concerned. And he looks back down to see that the paper now has weird writing on it. Just a second ago, it was   blank, and now it has weird cryptic writing? He doesn't even know what it's saying. But it's glowing red? He can't understand any of this.. he drips the paper and started to breathe faster, and his vision was getting hazy.

"I don't know what's happening." Vivian said in a frantic tone, but just like that, he suddenly, out of nowhere, fainted on her floor. She looks at him. Frozen in place on her chair for a moment, then walks slowly towards his fainted body. She petted his hair and whispered unknown words to bis ear. He didn't know what she was saying it didn't make sense.

"I'll get you some water when you wake up. I'm sorry you got overwhelmed. Next time, I won't yell at you by accident. I feel that might have triggered you." She gets up and puts his unconscious body on one of her chairs, facing her desk. And went to get some water from the upside-down water jug with a small paper cup. She then places it down at her desk and goes back to petting his hair. "I don't know why you always do this. I don't know. But I also don't know why I do this." She says this in a quiet, monotone voice as she just stands there, towering over Vivian's unconscious body and petting his head as he's limply slouched over a chair.

She kissed Vivian's forehead, then left her office, lightly closing the door behind her as she left the room, leaving the room and turning off the lights so he could at least rest a little bit comfortably.