Night Terror
By Casey Douglass
for #fridayflash
‘Goodwin, my office
now please!’ The speaker system fizzled as it fell silent.
Goodwin felt all eyes
on him, every cubicle, every desk, the denizens of work group 4B
sensing a butt chewing in the air. He stood and slowly left the large
room, trying to gauge his walking to a
not-worried-but-better-not-dawdle pace. He ran a hand down his front,
easing the tie into line with his shirt buttons and checking his fly
when he reached the bottom. You just never know.
He passed Wilmer’s
secretary at her desk, her spectacles perching on her nose like some
kind of bird of prey swooping on...well, a big nose really. She
pointed at the large double doors without looking up at him. He
reached them and paused, sucking in as much breath as possible before
entering.
‘Ah Goodwin, take a
seat.’ The bulk of Henry Wilmer made a grand attempt at filling the
large floor to ceiling window behind him. On a less obstructed day,
there was a breathtaking view of the city. Wilmer moved behind his
large antique desk and sank into a plush chair, the leather squeaking
in protest.
Goodwin sat in the
smaller leather chair in front of the desk, his hands clasped in his
lap. ‘You wanted to see me Sir?’
‘Yes Goodwin. You
know I am a straight talker, I don’t like to beat around the bush.’
‘Yes Sir.’
‘You’re fired.’
Godwin’s jaw fell at
the same time as his cheeks constricted. ‘Fired? Why on earth?’
‘You just aren't up
to snuff my boy. Your department is behind every goal set for it, 4C
is outperforming you! 4C! The ‘special ones’ that struggle to
find the canteen!’
‘But wh-’
‘And then there’s
the other stuff...the allegations.’
‘What fucking
allegations!’ Goodwin jumped to his feet and placed his hands on
the desk, leaning forward to look squarely into Wilmer's sixty year
old face.
‘Calm down Goodwin!
It’s just some of the girls have made allegations
of...inappropriate conduct towards them, you know the thing, brushing
past their backsides, starring down blouses.’
‘That’s bullshit! I
only have eyes for one woman, you know that, Sophie!’
‘Ah yes, Sophie. Well
I spoke to her earlier this morning, she wasn’t impressed.’
Goodwin’s legs began
to shake. ‘You told her about this crap?’ His voice raised an
octave as his throat tightened.
‘Of course! And might
I say, she wasn’t at all surprised, said you’d been doing that
while out and about even with her!’
‘No I haven’t!’
‘She thinks you have
some kind of sexual addiction and, sorry to be the one to break this
to you, but she has gone to stay with her sister until you prove you
are getting help with it.’
Goodwin launched
himself at Wilmer, his hands gripping the sweating quivering neck.
‘What the fuck is going on! I’ll kill you you fat bastard! You
are ruining my life!’
He felt hands grab at
his shoulders and was bodily wrenched across the room. Two hulking
security guards loomed over him, each slowly unclipping a baton.
Wilmer choked and
spluttered, a hand cupping his jowls. ‘Go to work boys, teach this
ungrateful swine a lesson!’
They moved in, one of
them clutched Goodwin's shirt and heaved him to his feet. A hard slap
hit his cheek.
‘Goodwin! Goodwin!’
a female voice was shouting into his face.
His eyes flickered
open, a dazzling white light making them sting. A worried looking
woman was staring him in the face. ‘I didn’t do it!’
‘What? Captain
Goodwin, you are needed!’
He sat upright with a
start and stared around him, the sparse clean room, the humming
consoles, the alarm. ‘The alarm?’
‘We are under attack
Sir, a cruiser class ship with no electronic insignia.’
‘Go! Everyone to
their posts, I’m on my way to the command room.’
‘Yes Captain!’
The woman saluted and
ran from the room, the sound of the alarm intensifying as the large
double doors slid open.
Goodwin got to his feet
and stretched, a broad grin on this face. The remnants of the dream
slipped from his mind like a fragile spider-web being brushed away,
his mind his own once more. He slid into his uniform and sprinted
from the room, the first rumble of energy weapons coming to life
echoing around the hull of the ship. His ship.
THE END
