Elena woke up before her alarm. It was still dark outside.
For a few seconds, she forgot where she was. Then the cold air reminded her. Canada. Small apartment. Snow.
Today was Saturday. Her first trial shift.
She sat up slowly. Her body felt tight with tension. This was not just a job. This was proof. Proof that she could survive here. Proof that leaving home was not a mistake.
She checked her phone. A message from her mother.
"Your father slept well. He is still weak, but stable."
Elena closed her eyes in relief.
"Thank you, Mama. Please tell him I love him." she replied.
She got out of bed and moved quickly. Shower. Simple makeup. Hair packed neatly. Thick coat. Gloves.
She looked at herself in the mirror.
"You will not fail," she whispered.
But her stomach was nervous.
She left the house by 7:00 a.m. The sky was still grey. Snow covered everything again, fresh and untouched.
The bus ride felt longer than usual.
She kept going over small things in her head. Smile. Be polite. Work fast. Don't complain.
When she reached BrightCare Cleaning Services, the building looked bigger than she imagined. Simple. No luxury. Just work.
She pushed the door open. A woman from the office looked up.
"You're Elena?"
"Yes."
"Good. You're on time."
That alone felt like a small victory. Another lady stood beside her. She looked older, maybe early forties.
"This is Marth," the woman said. "She will train you today."
Marta nodded slightly.
"Come," she said.
No long welcome. No special introduction. Just movement.
They entered a storage room filled with cleaning supplies. Marta handed her gloves and showed her the trolley.
"Offices first. Then restrooms. Move fast. We don't waste time," Marta said.
Elena nodded. Her heart was beating fast. The first office building they entered was quiet. Weekend meant fewer people.
Marta moved quickly. Wipe tables. Empty trash. Vacuum floors. Spray. Clean.
Elena tried to copy her speed. At first, her hands felt stiff. She dropped a spray bottle once.
Marta looked at her but said nothing.
Elena picked it up quickly.
"I'm sorry."
"Just focus," Marta replied.
They moved from office to office. By the third room, Elena's back was already aching.
This was not like supervising work back home. This was physical. Her gloves were slightly too big. Her fingers hurt from gripping the mop. But she did not slow down. She could not.
At one point, Marta stopped and looked at her.
"You just moved here?" she asked.
"Yes."
"You have family?"
"My parents are back home."
Marta nodded.
"You send money?"
Elena hesitated.
"Yes."
Marta did not ask more. But her eyes softened a little. They continued working.
After two hours, Elena's arms felt weak.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She ignored it. Focus.
At the restroom section, she paused for a second. The smell was strong. She swallowed and stepped inside. Clean. Scrub. Wipe.
Her back screamed in protest. She remembered her father lying in a hospital bed. She scrubbed harder. Pain was not new. She could endure.
When they finished the first building, they moved to another. This one had more staff working even on Saturday.
As Elena vacuumed a hallway, she felt eyes on her. She looked up briefly.
A young man in a suit was watching her. Not smiling. Just observing. She quickly looked away.
Don't overthink. Just work. But the feeling stayed.
After some time, the same man passed by again. This time, he slowed down slightly.
"Elena?" he said suddenly.
Her hand froze on the vacuum handle.
She turned.
"Yes?"
He frowned slightly.
"Sorry. I thought you were someone else."
Her heart was beating fast.
"Oh."
He nodded and walked away. Elena stood there for a few seconds.
How did he know her name?
Did he read her tag?
She looked down.
Yes. Her name was printed on a temporary badge.
She exhaled slowly. Calm down. But something felt strange. When the shift finally ended, it was past 1 p.m.
Her whole body felt like it had been stretched and squeezed. Marta looked at her.
"You did okay," she said.
Just okay. Not great. Not bad. Okay.
The office woman approached.
"We'll see how tomorrow goes," she said. "If consistent, we proceed."
Elena nodded.
"Thank you."
Outside, the cold air hit her tired body.
She almost welcomed it. It numbed the ache slightly.
She walked slowly to the bus stop. Her phone buzzed again. Unknown number. The same type as yesterday. Her chest tightened. She stared at it. It stopped ringing.
A message came in immediately.
"You look different in uniform."
Her blood ran cold. She stopped walking. Her eyes scanned the street. People were moving normally. Cars passing. Snow falling lightly.
Who sent that?
Her hands trembled as she typed.
Who is this?
No reply.
Her heart was beating loudly in her ears. She felt exposed. Like someone had been watching her inside the building.
The young man in the suit? Or someone else?
Her phone buzzed again.
"You work hard."
Elena felt fear rising slowly. This was not random. Someone knew where she was. Someone saw her today. She quickly blocked the number.
Her breath came fast. This was not normal. But she could not go to the police with just that.
What would she even say? Someone complimented me?
She boarded the bus quietly. Her reflection in the window looked tired. But her eyes were sharp now.
Alert.
The bus moved. Her mind replayed the day. The man in the hallway. The unknown number. The message.
"You look different in uniform."
It meant they saw her clearly. Up close. She swallowed.
When she got home, she locked the door immediately. Double locked. She removed her coat slowly. Her body hurt everywhere. But her mind hurt more.
Her phone vibrated again. Different number this time. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest. She did not answer.
A message came instead.
"Blocking me won't help."
Tears filled her eyes. This was not just random. Someone was intentionally reaching her. Her hands felt weak. She typed carefully.
"Stop contacting me."
The reply came instantly.
"We will meet soon."
Her knees felt weak.
Meet?
How?
Where?
She threw the phone on the bed like it was burning her. Her room felt smaller suddenly. The walls closer. Her breathing uneven. She sat down slowly.
Who is this?
Is it someone from back home?
Did someone follow her here?
Or is it someone new?
Her phone buzzed again. She did not want to look. But she had to. She picked it up slowly. This time, it was her mother. She answered immediately.
"Mama?"
"How was your day?" her mother asked gently.
Elena tried to sound normal.
"It was fine. Just tired."
"You must eat and rest. Don't stress yourself too much."
Elena closed her eyes. If only it was that simple.
"I won't," she whispered.
After the call ended, she sat still. Her mind was racing.
She walked to the window and slightly moved the curtain. The street looked normal. But she no longer trusted normal.
Her phone buzzed one last time. Another message.
Saturday was just the beginning. Her heart pounded so hard she felt dizzy.
Just the beginning of what?
She slowly sank onto the floor beside her bed. Her body tired. Her spirit shaken.
She came to Canada to build a life. Not to be watched. Not to be hunted.
But deep inside, she felt something worse than fear. She felt that this person was close. Closer than she thought.
And tomorrow, she had to go back for the second shift. Same building. Same routine. Same possibility that whoever was watching her would be there again.
And this time, maybe not just watching.