Deep in code, Maria looked up and suddenly she was alone in the office.
In between the curly braces of a function, and the syntax of JavaScript she must have missed her co-workers leaving for Christmas Eve to spend with their loved ones and families of which Maria had none. At least none near-by. Parents had decided to join her brother this festive season looking after Maria's new nephew and Maria still lived alone in a one-bed studio situated above a Chinese Restaurant.
Stretching, Maria checked her surroundings to see whether anyone was left? Neighbours Claire with the Hair and Steve from Accounting had vacant chairs, along with the intern Rachel who's desk was normally adorned with candy wrappers from the back-to-back fuddles that accompanied the festive season.
Maria was content being alone in the office. She preferred the solitude of herself, the glow of the computer, and rhythmic beat of lo-fi music. It was how she learnt the code, it was the environment that got her through college and now it is how it was providing her livelihood. Plus she could shave a couple of pennies of the heating bill by staying at HQ.
A break in her coding state meant re-entering the reality. Suddenly all her body started alerting the various needs that been neglected: recharge, empty, required sustenance, and stretching. Standing up from her desk she could fully see the vast rows of empty desks, cubicles, and meeting rooms. She might be the only worker still present. The empty silence was eerie and something she never really experienced. It made her feel small and isolated. Time to get out of here, Maria thought as she gathered her things.
Phone, ID card, glasses, keys, and laptop. Picking things up and placing them into her bag was her way of de-stressing from an intense work day. However reaching for her keys which usually sat on a hook attached to the desk, it was strangely missing. 'Aww not again' as Maria remembered a couple months ago spending two hours of her evening time looking all over the office for her keys; interrupting colleagues as she crawled under desks and shifted their personal belongings, she was like a gum shoe looking for clues only to find it in her jacket pocket. Her colleagues never let her live that down, so much so that her secret santa gift this year was a magnifying class, a joke gift from Susan the intern.
At least no-one was here to see her re-create her best Sherlock Holmes impression she thought she she began the usual inspection of her desk, under the desk and neighbours. As she prepared to descend to look under the desk she heard a jingle jingle. "Santa!?" was her initial thought as she still held the red jolly fellow fondly in her heart. But the jingling was a bit too close for her to not acknowledge St Nick in her proximity.
Plus the noise was a familiar sound.
Standing up she heard it again! Feeling around her jacket she found her house keys!
Breathing a sigh of relief she exited through the stairway, ready to enjoy her Christmas holidays
