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The original was posted on /r/nosleep by /u/02321 on 2024-11-21 18:59:12+00:00.
While going through my emails I saw a request that appeared simple enough. The Corporation needed someone to assist a cleanup worker. After a supernatural issue was resolved, someone needed to take care of the mess. Most of the time weaker Agents pulled double duties and cleaned the scenes using magic. However, the office managers felt like using magic was a waste of resources. They started to hire half-breeds, or humans to take care of the mess instead of manual labor. The issue with that is sometimes a scene wasn’t fully cleared or a monster who caused trouble came back to get a free meal. Scene cleaners were being targeted so now Contract Workers were getting paid to be with them as they worked.
I accepted the job and arrived at an old run-down factory in the middle of a field. The building was huge and must have provided most of the jobs in the local small town at one point. I greeted a few Agents on their way out. They just finished killing a monster but had made a bit of a mess. The factory had been a cooking oil packaging plant. We were requested to save any usable bottles and then clean up the spilled oil so it didn’t seep into the ground and affect the local wildlife.
After I got the basic run down, I came across a pair I didn’t expect to see again. Someone called my name and I turned to see who it was. The Agents waited by them ready to bring the pair along after they were done with our small meeting.
“We were nearby so I wanted to drop these off for you.” A sweet voice said as her pointed spider legs clicked against the parking lot.
Honey had bleached her hair. It suited her. She wore a long flowing dress that covered part of her spider half. Joey was next to her finding it hard to keep at her pace. He had shaved his face, trimmed his hair and his smile showed off a new set of braces. He had changed a lot in such a short amount of time. Honey handed me a package of baked goods I wanted to eat on the spot. I shoved a small cheesecake bit into my mouth shocked over how good it tasted.
“Did you make these?” I asked her.
She proudly nodded, hands smugly on her hips.
“I started cooking meals for Agents while they’re in the field. I’m very good at making soups but I rather baking. Who knew such a simple job would be so enjoyable?”
I looked between them. Honey had put on a little weight which was good for her. I didn’t realize how thin she was for her species until I saw her a bit healthier. I had a feeling she would get bored of cooking but at least Honey was able to explore options instead of her limited life choices from before.
“Are you two dating?” I asked wondering if Joey got his wish he risked the entire world for.
“No. Just friends for now.” He admitted.
He needed to work on himself a little bit before he dated anyone. Plus, he didn’t want to pressure Honey into a relationship when his taste was a bit on the weird side.
“I don’t feel as if I owe you anything else. If you want more food, call me. And don’t die. I’ve heard you have had a few close calls recently. You are a small and weak human. Stop doing things that are not meant for you to take care of.”
I thanked Honey for the treats and her advice. I wondered who had been talking about what I had been up to and what kind of information she heard. It wasn’t as if I was a talented Contract Worker who was well-known by Agents and other workers. I just barely scrapped by most days. They left so I could get to work and meet the scene cleaner. I was not looking forward to mopping up gallons of oil, but it could be worse.
I started walking around in the empty cracked parking lot. Plants had begun to take over from the lack of use. The building sat empty for at least two years. Whatever had happened back then caused the company to go under. All the equipment had been left behind as well as the products. It was a perfect kind of place for creatures to make a home inside. I wasn’t certain what The Corporation wanted with a bunch of probably expired cooking oil, but they were paying two people to help transport it.
My co-worker had arrived before me. She already got to work planning out the best way to start moving pallets of bottles without a forklift. I’m sure I could figure out how to drive one but the inside of the building had too much litter for it to be safe to do so. I waved to get her attention. She came over so we could introduce each other.
“I’m Rory. I heard your name is Richmond?” She asked after we shook hands.
She was average height with straight black hair cut at her shoulders. She didn’t wear any kind of makeup and had simple work clothes. Her voice sounded even, almost lacking emotion. I could tell she was human at a quick glance.
“What’s the dumpster for?” I asked her nodding towards a steel container by the open loading dock doors.
“Oh, it’s to transport things. I’ve used one before. We just need to dump stuff inside and it gets magically transported to where it needs to go. I was told that anything that hasn’t been nailed down is to be put inside the dumpster. Someone else will come by and break down the bigger equipment and take care of larger items we can’t lift.”
I nodded along, arms crossed wondering just how long this would take. It was warm for the season. I regretted wearing a sweater that day.
“This sounds like a Lupa job. Scrapping whatever can be reused to the last bolt and using human manual labor to do it. I think he’s underpaying us for this job. Did anyone mention what kind of creature had been taken care of before we got here?” I asked her.
She slowly shook her head and gave the building another look over. I didn’t know how long she worked as a scene cleaner. Rory seemed to share my concerns.
“I’ve heard Lupa doesn’t have the best reputation. Do you think there is a reason behind us being the ones he picked for this?” Her voice was even but her real message was clear.
I shrugged wishing I had a solid answer.
“Knowing him we’re either bait or not important enough for a real job. Let’s be extra careful and stay focused. While in the building don’t leave my side, ok?” I hoped I sounded more capable than I looked.
Rory gave me a silent thumbs-up with an expression that made me feel like she wasn’t very impressed by me. She listened to the idea of sticking together. We only had a cart and a dolly to start moving things to the dock. The container was the same height as the dock making it simple to just toss things out of the open door. It was a bit fun seeing whatever we unloaded sink and disappear somewhere else. Magic caused a lot of problems in the wrong hands but it was pretty useful.
We worked for hours barely speaking to each other. Rory wasn’t able to lift the heavier objects and asked me for help. Her tone was cold and direct. It made me think she didn’t like me much. If I was on this job alone, I would have gotten distracted. With her help, we got an area by the docks clear in a few hours. We both silently agreed on a break. We stood by the open bay doors, the wind cooling us down. The sun would set in the next hour or so. We should leave before then. I wasn’t going to risk being here in the dark. The old factory did not have power even if we did want to keep working.
“We should pack up soon. There isn’t a time limit on this cleanup.” I mentioned.
Rory took a quick glance in my direction and nodded.
“We’ll finish off the small section by the doors. You look awful.”
We both had been covered with dirt and leftover grime. I smiled trying to take her words the best I could.
“Thanks,” I said hoping I didn’t sound overly sarcastic.
She realized how rude her last comment was.
“You look worn out.” She corrected.
I agreed with her there. I had been working a bit too hard recently to be able to pay down a medical debt and afford food at the same time.
“I’ve heard the term Contract Worker, but I don’t know what kind of job it is.”
She was being nice enough to pretend to care about my personal life. Or she was looking to switch careers. I doubted she would last as a Contract Worker but at the same time, I worried for her safety if she stayed in her current position.
“Contract Work can be anything. Sometimes we take down a weaker threat. Or we’re called in to just investigate a location. We basically do anything Agents don’t have the time for.”
She looked bored. We stared off into the open field watching the breeze play across the tall grass. I took a deep inhale and then held it for a moment. There was magic in this place. The air outside was clean and fresh. Not so much for the inside of the factory. We soon discovered there had been a fire in the middle of the building at some point that tore through the ceiling. There had been some attempts to clean up the heavily damaged parts at some point. We had avoided that area wanting to clean it up last. For some reason, it felt odd being within those walls. It was as if we were being watched and yet I didn’t see anything odd or sense a creature lurking around.
“What got you into supernatural cleanup?” I asked her. “It’s not really a job you stumble into.”
She debated if…
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