Boundaries

I could feel the cold concrete beneath me and numbness settling over my body. I would have never predicted the day to end in a tragedy with such a spectacular start.

I woke up late as usual for work. I rushed through my morning routine: brush my teeth, wash face, throw hint of mascara and sparkles on my eyes and dress for work. Except today I was very late. Without thinking I grabbed my hot coffee and purse, then mindlessly rushed to my car forgetting to open the door. I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting the piping hot coffee to spill over my clothes and burn my skin, but no new sensation washed over me. In fact, I was standing outside the door, coffee in one hand, purse in the other, completely unharmed. Bewildered, I looked around and thought, Am I dreaming? How could I have just walked through a door?

Standing in front of my car, I tested out my new-found ability, reaching my hand through the door of the car and touching the steering wheel. I quickly pulled my hand out. Hmm. Stepping into my car and sitting in the driver seat without opening the door in the slightest. I looked in the rear-view mirror preparing to back out, thinking about my newfound ability, ahhh today will be a good day.

“Hi Suzy” I said walking past the receptionist to the elevator.

“Good morning Natalie” she said as perky as ever. “Natalie, do you have time to hear the latest?” she said with a smirk.

“Of course,”, I said thinking how great today is, new ability and new gossip. I was known for being the gossip of the office, always the first to hear the latest drama on my coworker’s lives.

“Tina, on floor 10, is dating Greg, floor 27, but she’s also seeing the other Greg, floor 50”, Suzy said with excitement.

“Jeez, at least she won’t slip up their names”, I said laughing.

I heard the elevator door open and told Suzy I had to go. I rushed into the elevator slamming floor 66 with my finger. Funny thing, Greg from floor 50 was right next to me. As he exited the elevator I asked him, “what’s it like being the other Greg”. I caught a glimpse of the confusion in his face just before the elevator doors closed.

I heard the ding for floor 66. Gosh I love stirring the pot, I thought to myself.

I felt such a buzz throughout the day between killing it at my job and maintaining my title as the office gossip. I had the reputation for having the latest information on all my coworkers. I only let those deserving enough, like Suzy, in on the dirty details. I liked to toy with everyone else about their personal lives. For instance, last month I knew Dave, on floor 65, was getting divorced before he did. Instead of playing with this new information, I had the heart to tell him. Oh, boy was that fun.

Just as I was finishing up an email, I saw Tina hurriedly pass by my desk. She was suspiciously covering a brown paper bag and walking fast toward the bathroom.

First off why is Tina on my floor? Why is she concealing a paper bag? Hmmmm, today is getting better, I thought with smiling inwardly. I know something juicy is about to be uncovered. I quickly sent my email, then gently pushed my chair away from my desk.

I had to be sneaky, Tina would have easily heard me if I walked through the bathroom door. I looked around in the hallway and pushed my ear against the wall connected to the bathroom. I could feel the pressure build around my head until it was all the way through, ending up in one of the bathroom stalls.

Yes! Not only can I go through doors, but walls too, I thought to myself.

“Oh no, not a baby”, Tina cried out between sobs. “No, no, no”.

I felt the pressure around my head again as I pulled out of the wall. A baby! HA! I quickly walked back to my desk. I phoned Suzy right away to tell her the news.

Tina walked past my desk 15 min later. She did a good job of covering up the tears, aside from the slight smudge of mascara on the corner of her eyes.

“Tina!”, I said giddily, “Let’s grab drinks later!”

Tina looked at me trying to hold back tears and said, “Sorry, Nat I can’t tonight”. She rushed to the elevator without waiting for my reply.

This ability has sharpened my gossiping skills and I’m here for it. I found that if I stuck my head through the wall of the break room I could get an assortment of information from my colleagues; who will call out sick next Friday to who has a connect for the best coke. By the end of the day I had so much dirt on everyone, at least a month worth’s blackmail. All I could think for next hour was wow my life is getting better and better.

I looked at the clock, 5:30pm, finally it was the end of the day. All the employees were trickling out and I was the last one left on the floor.

“LISTEN HERE” my boss came into the office yelling on his phone. His face was beat red and sweat dripped down his cheek. “This is ridiculous, you can’t do this to the team”, he begged through the phone. He saw me as he came in, wiped the sweat off his face and lowered his voice so I couldn’t hear. He passed me with a quick head nod and slammed his office door shut.

There is no way I can leave without getting the latest. I hope someone is getting fired, I thought smugly. I scanned the room looking for the wall connected to my boss’s office. I had to hurry before his conversation ended. I found what looked like the perfect wall, concealed enough so no one would see me if they walked onto the floor.

I pushed my head halfway through the wall to get a better listen. Ugh I still couldn’t hear anything. These walls must be very thick, I thought gently pushing forward. The pressure was building around my head the further I got through, but I must know the latest, I must know, I must know…

WHOOSH!

I had the feeling of nails piercing my face with the cold gust of air slamming my body. I was falling fast. It took a moment to truly realize I was falling off my building. The wall to my boss’s office, was in fact the wall to the outside.

Why me? I thought as I flew past Dave on floor 65. It took 15 floors, passing Greg on floor 50 to ask myself, what did I do to deserve this? After flying past Greg, floor 27, it slowly hit me, this is my karma. By the time I flew past Tina, floor 10, I felt nauseous. I turned my body to look up at the 66th floor. The nausea wasn’t from falling, it was the sickening realization idle gossip was my downfall.