Jacob (continued)

That is until, three minutes and twenty-two seconds later, when a large droplet of water landed squarely on his right jaw, causing Jacob to flinch. Why hadn’t he bought a different coat? The question assaulted his brain, leading him to almost miss the pedestrian subway- a necessary, if rather irksome, path on his daily journey. He cursed lightly under his breath, before regaining his composure, steadying his pace and making his way through, unscathed, for another day (that particular subway had been the focus of forty-one robberies, three rapes and two murders, to date). He was so focused on the numbers in his head, he wasn’t prepared for his own arrival.

The building accosted him as he turned the corner. Always the same feeling of bile rising to his mouth. Yet, as he walked through its doors, the customary relief of knowing filled his nostrils. Judy (a square-eyed girl who smelled of vanilla and had a brain the size of a pea) was at reception. Jacob passed by, ignoring her cheery good morning, putting his hand to his nose and mouth (her smell sickened him).

He made it to the elevator and stepped inside. He didn’t understand people’s fear of elevators. For him there was a sense of calm, a cool, steely solace that he greatly appreciated. Thirty-three seconds later, he stepped out in to the basement, looked left than right, before heading down the corridor to begin his day’s work.