The Infernal City

Ella stood in front of her car, unsure what to do about the device jammed around her tires. She was beyond frustrated with herself. It almost felt like the city could sense her weakness and act on it. It felt like the whole city was against her and wanted her out.

She saw the parking ticket tagged to her windshield. Apparently, she was in a no parking zone and her car was getting towed for it. She was sure there had been no sign of any such. Ella kicked the tire and the device all together with her high inch stilettos only to reason that was a huge mistake as she yelped out in pain.

She instantly clutched her foot, screaming as she bit down on her lip to not do just that. She clutched her foot as she looked around the street to be sure no one was there.

She wondered how the usually busy street was so secluded. She had gotten so carried away in her interview that she wasn't paying attention to where she parked. What did she even gain from the interview? Nothing! All they were really interested in were things that didn't matter.

She was darn good editor and someone out there had to have some sense enough to know it. At least that was how it seemed like to her. She was frustrated and she didn't know what else to take it out on. The city was against her. It was like the walls of the city knew to do all it could to make her rue the day that she stepped into the city.

Ella gave the device a quick once over as she heaved yet another sigh. She really hadn't accomplished much today and that bothered her. She was relatively new to the city and so far, Ella could wager dollars to doughnuts that the city hated her. She wasn't sure how much longer she could survive but she wasn't going down without a fight. The interview went as well as she thought it would. It ended with them telling her they would reach out but she knew they wouldn't.

Ella snatched the ticket that was tucked in her Ford's wiper. She'd gotten jabs about her car more times than she could count. She was lucky Alex was a very good friend. She knew she wouldn't have made a big leap if she didn't trust that someone would catch her. She hated to admit it but Alex was there for her. She didn't have her own place yet so there was that. Alex was her best friend who knew practically everything about her.

Ella quickly checked the mirror of her car to assess her appearance.

"I look like a mess," she said out loud as the city blazed on with its usual life.

What would it take for one of these agencies to hire her? She was good at what she does. Heck, she killed it every time. Ella is an avid reader that has been passionate about books for as long as she double read. She remembered her first book, trying to date back to when all this started. She sighed again, wondering why she couldn't have picked a profession that didn't require you to impress a bunch of people who didn't have as much respect for books as was deserving of their station.

She was going to try and get her car back later that evening. She watched with rage as a towing truck dragged her car away on two of the wheels.

She fished around her coat for her wallet, as she tried to create alternatives on getting home.

"Fuck!" She exclaimed out loud as she remembered that she had left her purse in her car.

She was truly screwed now, she thought to herself. Maybe she could take a cab home and have Alex pay but she was sure Alex was at one of her three jobs at this time. She was a waitress at a diner downtown amongst other things. She also worked as a Kid's instructor three days a week and a nanny sometimes. Ella admired Alex and her resolve to do something she loved. She was doing all these things to pay for College so she could get a degree. Ella had finished college a few years back but Alex was a different case entirely. She'd lost her parents when she was much younger leaving her to fend for herself. Both her parents died in a car accident. Ella's parents had taken her in but she eventually moved out when she was eighteen. Alex made sure she let them know they didn't do anything wrong and that this was something she needed to do.

Ella rubbed her temple as the sun blazed on. She was a hot, sweaty mess and she needed two showers to clear off the dirt she'd come in contact with today.

She packed her hair up offhandedly, mentally worrying that she looked like a train walked all over her and then came right back for good measure in case it missed anything. Ella had long black her, brown eyes and slender features that made Alex jealous of the dresses she could fit in without a problem. She was a picture of beauty as her best friend would often remind her.

'I mean, Scott never thought I was that beautiful, but I'll take your word for it.' She would often say. That talk usually ended up with Alex throwing whatever she could find at her and the both of them laughing uncontrollably.

She wiped the perspiration from her brow as she walked. It was bad enough that she didn't have any money. All she carried was a book in her coat.

She wondered why she wore one to begin with but then remembered that it was so cold she thought her ears would fall off from frostbite earlier on. She pulled off her coat and hung it over her head to try and shield herself from the sun. She continued walking until she bumped into someone she didn't notice was there.

"Oh for the love of God!" She exclaimed.

Why did this city have to be hard to live in? New Jersey was way better. The city smelled less like suffering and more like people actually had some courtesy. Here, it was you against a bunch of maniacs every single day.

One time, a man tried to grab her by the arm and said he thought she was his daughter. He smiled at her with his smoke stained teeth and alcohol breath, fully well knowing what he'd done.

She really wasn't in the mood to be hit on right now as she gently took off her coat, about to scream profanities when she heard a very gentle voice speak.

"I'm sorry." The voice told her. "I didn't see you there."

She took off her coat to be met by the gentlest eyes she had ever seen. She didn't notice him extend his hand out to her. Did he just introduce himself? She asked herself inwardly. She was probably looking stupid right now, she thought as she continued to stare at his eyes, unable to stop.

"I'm Joey," he said again, making her pay attention to his voice.

She gave a nervous laugh, as she took his hands.

"I'm sorry." Ella told him. "Long day. My name is Ella," she told him.

He didn't at all look offended or mind that she bumped into him. She had thought someone was trying to get her attention. Some people were very invasive like that.

"No problem." He told her. "It's not lunchtime yet though." He chided her.

"Yeah, well." She said in a rhetoric fashion. "That just shows how awesome a day I've had."

"You must have a pretty exciting job," he said.

Ella laughed, unsure why she was chatting it up with a stranger on the sidewalk or why talking to him relaxed her in a way. She went through her head, looking for a way to tell him she didn't have a job and she was actually job hunting. She was no expert but unemployed was usually a red flag for anybody.

"That's just it." She told him, mustering a laugh she didn't at all feel.

"It is?" He asked. "I'm confused now."

"I don't have a job. I actually just left an interview." She told him.

"Oh," he said. "So, I'm guessing you got the job?" He asked, knowing the answer to the question.

"I don't think so."

The two of them paused for a few seconds as Joey tapped the remote on his car to make sure the doors were locked.

"What do you do anyway?" He asked.

"I'm an editor." She told him.

"Oh wow." He said. "I think I can help." He told her as he closed the distance between them in a split second, causing Ella's heart to do a mini flip.

He gently placed a card in her pocket as he brought his mouth dangerously close to her ears.

"Call me." He told her as he vanished into the other side of the road.

Ella stood transfixed, wondering what just happened and how he meant by he could help. He was probably some guy that wanted to show off a little money. She shrugged, reminding herself not to pay any mind to it as she walked home.

* * *

Alex opened the door, looking extremely exhausted.

"Did it go great?" She asked Ella.

Ella had gotten tired of giving her bad news. She just wished she would be able to give her something for all the inconvenience she knew she put her through. She didn't say anything but Ella understood the feeling of not having your space all to yourself.

"That bad huhn?" She asked again, reading Ella's expression. "Something will come up." She told Ella.

How did she do that? Have that confidence that things were going to be fine. She had to have some pessimistic bone in her body at least. Ella mentally shrugged it off, resigned to not reason too much into it. She had always wondered how she managed to stay positive after all the shit that life had put her through.

"Thank you," she told Alex as she became more comfortable on the sofa.

She'd moved into her apartment about a month ago. This was only temporary until she found her own place. She had some savings but no apartment listings were coming up with her budget. She didn't want to push it. She wanted to get her own place as soon as she could afford to. Getting a job right now would boost her chances that was for sure. She just needed someone to take that chance on her. She'd gone through almost all the listings and calls for interviews in the city. Publishing agencies were hard to come by in a city where people preferred a different form of entertainment. She thought it was a shame that less and less people were inclined to pick up a book.

"So, I met someone today." She told Alex who was rummaging through the fridge for food. She stopped after the sentence, to be sure it sounded right to her too. She wasn't at all crazy because Alex was as shocked as she was when the rummaging suddenly stopped.

"Yes, yes." Ella said with a 'get over it' feature to her tone. "I know how it sounds."

It was like emptying a pint of blood in shark infested waters. It was too late. Alex was fan-girling her socks off.

"Tell me everything." She said with a crazed expression.

"Well, he is pretty hot." She started off.

"Well duh," she said, causing both of them to laugh.

"He said he could help me after I bumped into him."

"He did?"

"He even gave me a card." Ella said.

Alex jumped from the sofa, looking for her coat. Ella always found her enthusiasm a much needed part of her life. She was sure that without her, she would be a lot more depressed soul and less outdoorsy. Alex was all the good influence she needed. They did practically everything together.