Margret sat in complete darkness. It seemed the black out was just what she needed to top off a horrible day. She had been around the whole city, going from business to business, looking for work but every place turned her down. She had been to the bookstore and turned down by the blind man. An Asian lady at a little shop turned her down. She had been to the pub, diner, salon, church, coffee shop, and almost every business on her block but they all shook their heads at her request for work. She considered asking the Royal but Greta seemed disturbed after her encounter. She traveled by bus into the nicer parts of the city but nobody was hiring.

So she had to return to her small empty apartment. There was nothing in the room except a bed and suitcase that contained all of her belongings. While sitting on the bed she wondered if she could pay rent a little late. And now here she was in a black out.
Then the phone rang.

“Dad,”

“Margret,” he responded shortly.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“Listen, I have to move in by next week.”

“What! Next week! Dad, no! I just got fired for too many sick days and I have…”

“And you think I want to move into your stink hole town and that piece of crap apartment. And with your amount of success, ha. Don’t think I want to come live with you.”

“Now wait a minute. You told me John…”

“What about John? Huh? He’s not about to let me near his house. Trust me, his place and company is ten times yours. I’m going to be in by next week and you had better be ready.”

“You told me at least a month and there is no way I will have you coming over and screwing everything up. I need time to get everything together for your impossible standards.”

“Well, it won’t be a month so get ready.”

Margret was livid with anger when the old man hung up. It wasn’t an uncommon sight, her fights with her father. They had never really gotten along well. But this time there was going to be action. She couldn’t imagine living with her new roommate.

She stood and opened the curtains to her window, trying to let in some sort of light. On the street she could see Felix’s shadow glide on the sidewalk and into his tunnel. She needed to let off steam.

“Lets go, Mazurka.” The large dog grumbled and walked through the open door. Margret slammed it behind her.