Coffee Part 3

I stood up and went over to the window, my mind racing. It was surreal watching people in the street below going about their everyday business as I died by inches no more than a couple of hundred feet away.

I looked at the windows of the buildings opposite, trying to find someone watching, something that didn't fit somehow. I saw nothing but reflections and shadows.

I sat down again and slid a letter opener from the stationery carousel on my desk. One edge was dull but the other was sharper and serrated; perhaps it would do the trick, I thought.

Disgusted with myself I put the opener back into the caddy and raked sweaty hair back from my brow, my hand trembling.

This had to be some kind of obscene joke, didn't it? Some kind of test? 

But what if it wasn't?

I glanced across at my oblivous co-worker. She was leaning forwards in her chair, lips pursed in concentration. In her glasses I could faintly see the reflection of a spreadsheet.

I didn't know I was going to do it until I was standing up, the letter opener suddenly in my hand again.

Coffee Part 2

I stood and made my way over to the water cooler, almost tripping over my own feet as I went. I drank down a cup of water so cold it made my teeth ache and then swallowed another in quick succession. Water blorped in harmony with my guts as the chilled reservoir refilled. 

I sat down again and re-read the message, desperately hoping that I'd misread it earlier. No such fucking luck.

"Seriously, you look really awful," my colleague said, sounding genuinely concerned. Could she really be such an excellent actor?

"I... I'm not feeling too great," I admitted. "Did... did you put something in the coffee?" I smiled to make it seem like a joke, but just from the feeling in my lips I coud tell that it looked more like a grimace.

She just laughed and said something about how funny I was, then went back to her work.

My computer bleeped again and I opened the new e-mail with a groan.

"Kill her if you want to live," it said.