He inserted the gray key card and punched in the numbers. Each number illuminated a red flashing glow as he entered the combination to secure the building. He was the last one to leave the building as usual.

The pewter-colored sedan pulled on the turnpike, it was very late, and the lights from the city could be seen turning off one by one, like seconds ticking off a clock.
The turnpike seemed extremely dark this night. Ominous shadows always appeared in the trees and flashed across the road, but they seem to run rabid this night. The shadows and figures made real by tired eyes which stared at computer screens for hours, and on nights like this even longer.
Jim was a computer engineer who often worked late. He lived alone and really had no one to go home to except his two dogs. Jim had been married once and had two wonderful children. After his wife divorced him, she moved to California and took the only thing that had made his life worthwhile. He wanted to follow her so he could be with the children, yet his work. How could he leave his work? Jim let himself plunge deeper into its depths. This is why he was on the turnpike on this dark and forsaken night. It was his job that it cost him his marriage. He let it become his mistress. He kept driving, he was alone, thinking, dreaming about his children. Jim's life could have been titled the demise of the nuclear family. More and more often people are left alone, engulfed in their work after divorce.
The trees became a solid blur as Jim drove on. His mind drifting to the past and he reminisced on his marriage, how good it was, how nice it was coming home and have everyone greet him. How he longed for those days, the stability, he would do anything different to make a work, if only if only'¦
The wind was howling as he pulled the sedan into the darkened apartment complex and the faded plaster walls that surrounded his parking stall. His thoughts slowly shifted back to his present surroundings. The three hour drive seemed hardly enough time for the thinking he needed to do. It seemed more like a snapshot held frozen in time.
As he inserted the key into the car door to lock it, he could feel every click of the key fall into place. How ingenious a lock, how simple, how wonderful! His mind drifted back to work and the day's circumstances. These experiences were the only ones he could relate to anymore. It was all that held his attention these days. His work had become his life. In fact, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, he spent his time at work and with the driving time, most of his life was work.
Jim constantly barked at Bill, perhaps it was because Bill had a rich and full life and Jim envied him. Many had tried to console Jim when he first became divorced, but he just buried himself deeper and deeper in his work. He became bitter and communicated less and less with people. Many had come to dislike him because of his rudeness.
Jim had tried getting involved once but this was only a failure. Jim had hounded the poor lass so much and tried so hard that he finally drove her away. How many had he driven away, how many friends and acquaintances? Oh the loneliness, the sadness. He caused so many to hate him. Yet, he wasn't a bad sort, just so lonely.

Jim slid the cardkey into the blackened slot to open the elevator door. This was of part of the security system in this secured building. As the elevator took him up, he could see through the glass window in the elevator, light from far away as it illuminated the shadows below. He never quite noticed the shadows in this perspective before. As the elevator doors opened he noticed the plants in the hallway, green, rich full of life. Why had he not noticed them before? They were so beautiful, had they always been there?
Jim entered the key into the door lock, and the next lock and the next, until every lock was swiftly opened. There was not the usual fumbling that occurred when he tried to unlock the doors. Jim's dogs were there to greet him, slightly wagging their tales. Jim quickly opened a bottle of Jack Daniels and sat down in an armchair, and clicked through channels on the television. As he watched the television his eyes became very weary, so he finally managed to get up and deadbolt the door. Jim carried himself to the bedroom. It was a small apartment and almost every room could be seen from the next. Yes, it was small but he did not have a need for anything larger, he constantly reminded himself. As Jim lay his head down, everything seemed brighter; the lights glowed more intensely than ever before. The room remained illuminated even after the lights were turned off. He drifted into sleep that night with a new outlook on life. He realized there was more to life than just work.
As he dreamed he was suddenly awakened by a sharp piercing in his left cheek. He could feel the needle like pain and the juice that was his very soul spilling out like molasses down his cheek. He struggled to awaken himself and seek the origin of this pain. It must be a dream he told himself. He tried to open his eyes but the pain, if it weren't for the pain. Finally, he managed to open his swollen eyes only to find himself in the grips of a dog. Why would one of his dogs do this? He struggled with the dog, but it was so strong. He pounded his fist into the dog's midsection to no avail, the dogs jaws locked tighter. As his eyes became more focused in the dark surroundings, he faced the dog eye to eye. He could see the darkness in the dog's iris. It was not one of his dogs. Panic struck to the marrow of his bones, like the cold on a New England winters mourn. His struggle became even more and more uncontrolled now, as he sought a weak spot on this monster. He finally found it, a choke collar. He fumbled about and slowly pulled the chain tight, and even more slowly the dog relinquished its grip. While he managed to keep the dog at bay for the time being, he asked himself, what of his dogs? He finally saw them in a corner whimpering like puppies. He pulled himself to the living room, still at bay with this monstrous dog, bleeding and asking himself why? An uneasy feeling came about him as he peered towards the front door. It was ajar, the locks undone. Terror came across his swollen face, someone was after him and they were still there.

Bill inserted the gray key card'¦..

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