A Tortured Life - S01 E03

Story 1 month ago

A Tortured Life - S01 E03

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 3

Episode 3: A Tortured Life

The kitchen was no longer a place of work. It was a place of orange light and terrible heat. The smoke was thick and black. It looked like a giant snake crawling across the ceiling. Leo was on his knees. He could hear Sarah’s voice coming from his phone on the floor. She was calling his name over and over. She was crying because she heard the explosion. Leo wanted to pick up the phone. He wanted to tell her he was coming to save her from the rich man. But the fire was moving fast. It was eating the wooden tables. It was licking the walls. Leo had two choices. He could run for his life out the back window, or he could stay and save the restaurant that barely paid him enough to eat.

Most people would have run. The other workers were already gone. They did not care about the pots or the plates. They did not care about the mean owner with the loud voice. But Leo looked at the fire and felt something change inside him. He was tired of being pushed around. He was tired of things being taken away from him. He had lost his home. He was losing his girl.

He decided he would not lose this place too. This was his first sign of extreme readiness. He was ready to fight for something. He was ready to show the world that he was not just a boy with a paper degree. He was a man of action.

Leo saw a large fire extinguisher on the wall near the stove. It was red and heavy.

He crawled through the smoke. The air was so hot it felt like it was stinging his eyes. He reached up and grabbed the extinguisher. It was hot to the touch. He pulled the pin just like he had read in a book long ago. He pointed the nozzle at the base of the flames. A huge cloud of white powder came out. It hissed like a thousand snakes. The fire fought back. It roared and jumped. But Leo did not move. He stood his ground. He sprayed the powder until the orange light began to fade.

While he was fighting the fire, a piece of burning wood fell from the ceiling. It hit Leo’s arm. He felt a sharp, stinging pain. He wanted to scream. He could smell his own skin burning. But he did not drop the extinguisher. He kept spraying until the last spark was gone. The kitchen was now gray and quiet. There was no more fire.

There was only the smell of smoke and the sound of Leo’s heavy breathing. He fell to the floor, exhausted. His arm was red and blistered. His navy blue suit was ruined. It was covered in soot and white powder.

The restaurant owner came running in a few minutes later. He looked at the kitchen. He looked at Leo, who was sitting on the floor holding his burned arm. The owner looked surprised. He did not think the "book boy" would stay to help. He saw that the building was still standing because of Leo.

"You saved my restaurant," the owner said. His voice was not as loud as usual. He looked at Leo’s arm. "That looks very bad, boy. You are a brave person."

Leo looked up. He felt a tiny bit of hope. Maybe now the owner would give him a promotion. Maybe he would get enough money to buy Sarah a ring and show her father he was a success. "Does this mean I can keep working?" Leo asked quietly.

The owner looked down at the floor. He shook his head. "The kitchen is a mess,

Leo. There is water and powder everywhere. The stoves are broken. I have to close the restaurant for many weeks to do repairs. I have no money to pay you while we are closed. I am sorry. You did a good thing, but I have no work for you now."

Leo felt his heart sink. He had saved the building, but he had lost his job anyway. He was now badly burned, his clothes were destroyed, and he had no way to make money. He picked up his cracked phone. The call with Sarah had ended. He tried to call her back, but his phone was dead. The battery was gone. He was truly alone.

Leo walked out of the restaurant. He was limping because his legs felt weak. His arm was throbbing with pain. Every time the wind touched his burn, he winced. He walked through the city streets. He looked at the people in their clean cars. He looked at the tall buildings where people worked in air conditioned rooms. He felt like a ghost. He was the best student in his class, but here he was, injured and jobless, walking through the dirt.

He thought about Mama Grace. He thought about how she had sacrificed everything for him. He felt like he had failed her. He thought about Sarah. Right now, her father was probably talking to the rich suitor. They were probably planning a wedding. Leo felt a tear run down his face, mixing with the soot on his cheek. He had no money, no job, no phone, and no way to reach the girl he loved.

As he was limping home, he passed a trash can. On top of the trash was a newspaper from that morning. Usually, Leo did not look at the trash. But something caught his eye. A bright red circle had been drawn around a small box in the corner of the paper. Leo stopped. He reached out with his good hand and picked up the paper.

The red circle was around an advertisement. It said: "WANTED: General Assistant for The Vanguard Corporation. Must be hardworking and ready for anything. Immediate interview today."

Leo looked at the name of the company.

The Vanguard Corporation was the biggest company in the whole country. They owned banks and shipping lines and tall buildings. They were the most powerful people in the city. Leo looked at the time on a big clock on a nearby building. The clock said it was 9:30 AM.

He looked back at the paper. In small letters at the bottom, it said: "Interviews held at 10:00 AM sharp at the main headquarters. No late entries allowed."

Leo’s heart skipped a beat. He looked at his clothes. He was covered in black soot.

His suit was torn. His arm was burned and red. He smelled like smoke and sweat. He looked like a beggar, not a job seeker. He looked at the map in the newspaper. The headquarters was very far away. If he ran, he might make it in thirty minutes. But he could barely walk.

Leo looked at the paper again. This was a massive corporation. This was the kind of place he had dreamed of working when he was on that stage at graduation. This was his chance. But look at him! Who would hire a man who looked like he had just escaped a war? Sarah’s father was right. He looked like he had no future.

But then, Leo remembered the fire. He remembered how he did not run when the stove exploded. He remembered how he stayed when everyone else fled. He realized that the world had bolted the locks, but he was the one with the hammer. He did not need a clean suit to be a genius. He did not need a fancy watch to be a hard worker. He had the "blueprint" in his head, and he was ready for the "breakthrough" in his life.

"I have to go," Leo whispered to himself. "I have to try."

He started to move. He did not limp this time. He pushed through the pain in his leg. He ignored the stinging in his arm. He began to jog through the crowded sidewalk. People moved out of his way. They looked at him with fear and disgust. They saw a dirty, burned man running like a madman. They did not see a gold medalist. They did not see the best student in the class.

Leo ran past the shops. He ran past the market where he first met Sarah. He ran until his lungs felt like they were on fire, just like the kitchen. He could see the Vanguard building in the distance. It was a giant tower of glass and steel. It was beautiful and terrifying.

He reached the front of the building. There were many other men standing there.

They all had shiny shoes. They all had perfectly combed hair. They all had expensive briefcases. They looked at Leo and started to whisper. They laughed behind their hands. One man in a gray suit stepped away from Leo so he wouldn't get soot on his coat.

"Look at this guy," the man said. "He thinks he can get a job here? He looks like he belongs in a hospital or a jail."

Leo did not listen. He stood in the line. He kept his head up high. He was sweating, and the pain in his arm was making him feel dizzy. He looked at the big glass doors.

A security guard walked out. He looked at the line of men. Then he saw Leo. The guard walked over with a frown on his face. He reached for his baton.

"You," the guard said to Leo. "You cannot be here. Move along before I call the police. This is a place of business, not a place for bums."

Leo looked the guard in the eye. "I am here for the interview," Leo said. His voice was clear and strong. "The paper said 10:00 AM. It is exactly 10:00 AM."

The guard laughed. "Look at yourself, kid. You're a mess. You're bleeding. You're dirty. You think the CEO wants to see you?"

Just then, the big glass doors opened. A woman walked out. She was wearing a sharp black dress. Everyone went quiet. She was the secretary to the big boss. She looked at the crowd of clean, rich men. Then her eyes settled on Leo. She saw the soot. She saw the burns. She saw the ruined suit.

She looked at her watch. "The CEO is ready," she said. "But he is only seeing one person today. He said he wants the person who looks like they have already been through the fire."

The clean men looked at each other, confused. Leo took a step forward. His heart was hammering against his ribs. He didn't know if this was a trick or a miracle. He stepped toward the glass doors, but his vision started to blur. The pain in his arm was becoming too much. As he reached the threshold of the building, he saw a black car pull up.

In the back seat of the car, he saw a familiar face. It was Sarah’s father. He was talking to a man who looked very powerful.

Leo froze. If Sarah’s father saw him here, he would surely ruin everything. But if Leo didn't go inside now, he would lose his only chance to save Sarah.

He had to make a choice. He looked at the secretary. He looked at the car. And then, he saw something else. Inside the building, standing in the shadows of the lobby, was a man holding the exact same black paper Leo had found in the envelope days ago.

The man in the shadows raised the paper. Leo’s face turned pale once again. The mystery was not over. It was only getting bigger.

Why do you think the CEO wants someone who has "been through the fire"? Is he looking for strength or something else?

What is Sarah’s father doing at the Vanguard Corporation? Is he connected to the job Leo is looking for?

Who is the man in the shadows with the black paper? Is he a friend or an enemy?

Will Leo pass out from his injuries before he can even start the interview?

The Mystery Deepens!

Leo is at the door of his destiny, but the ghosts of his past are waiting in the shadows! Will he get the job of a lifetime, or is he walking into a trap set by Sarah’s father? The suspense is rising, and you cannot afford to miss what happens next!

To Be Continued..

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