Resilience

It was a cold winter day, the black asphalt still had slight trails of snow from the blizzard that passed through a couple of days ago during that time. To start my day off, I walked 5 miles to my job which was an internship at The Daily Fox Warner Journal. "You're one minute late! This is the seventeenth time you've been late! Work on your punctuality Constantine. Every great journalist is always on time!" shouted Peyton as she lightly let down her round red-framed spectacles over her button nose. "Sorry, I slipped on some ice on my way here," I replied. Peyton lightly pressed up against her glasses and walked ahead of me, "Come on, we have some papers to edit! Follow me!". Peyton leads me to a dimly lit room and ties her long red hair in a ponytail, "Now come on, start editing these entries with me!". Peyton and I worked for three hours straight, editing paper entries for the newest story of the election of a new mayor. "Don't you just love this mayor Constantine? He's so smart and thoughtful of everyone. And it doesn't help he's also incredibly handsome.". I didn't respond to her fangirlish remarks about the chairman, so I kept editing. Suddenly, the door burst open with a tall heavy-set African American Man coming in. "What papers do you have for me?" he asked. "Sorry for taking so long Mr. Parsons, we would've gotten ahead earlier if it wasn't for Constantine being late.". "Oh no worries, we're right on schedule, go ahead and take a lunch break.". Mr. Parsons quickly adjusted his tie and walked out of the room.

As I and Peyton were heading towards the cafe we stumbled upon a poster of the mayor. The Sunlight beaming through the pane windows, a single streak of light landed upon the mayor's head. Peyton smiles and exclaims "Must be a sign from God that a new messiah has risen." I look at her in confusion for a moment, then we continued forth to the cafe. Once we got there I got my usual latte and biscuit while Peyton ordered 2 cold brew coffees for herself, as she drank her coffee her glasses started to fog. I had told her to take them off but she kept refusing since she didn't like being seen without them on, I laughed at her as she drank her coffee while blushing. After that, we headed back to the office to continue our work. Once we were in the building Peyton headed to the 5th floor to continue her work by herself at her desk. I wanted to look over some of my drafts but I had forgotten my notebook in the editorial board room, I opened the door to find 4 men dead on the floor. The room was painted with the blood of the dead men who were all head editors at the office working on a paper about the mayor. I hurried to a phone to dial the authorities, not long after a herd of policemen raced through the front doors the access the situation. I was requested at the station the next day to answer some questions, and I ended up being framed for the murder due to me not having a "good enough alibi" even though I had told them I had just gotten back from a lunch break with Peyton. Apparently, Peyton denied ever going to lunch with me and even told them she didn't even know who I was, that was the moment when I realized that I really didn't go to lunch with Peyton nor did I even work at that office. As I sat there they asked me to show them a form of identification, I reached in my pocket to grab my ID and the name I had gone by my entire life wasn't on there. I was not Constatine Walsh, a 26-year-old man working at the Daily Fox Warner Journal office and according to records had died of unexpected heart disease. Instead, my name was Joseph Hansen a 22-year-old plumber. I was put on trial for the murders, I ended up being found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison. The moment I was stepped in front of my cell I had unintentionally screamed the loudest I've ever screamed in my entire life for five minutes straight and then eventually... I woke up.