“Beautiful piece,” Sarah whispered, running her fingers over the intricate silver pendant her new boss had given her. The jewelry felt oddly warm against her skin, despite the office’s aggressive air conditioning.
“It’s been in the company for generations,” Ms. Chen smiled, her red lips curling up at the corners. “We give it to our most promising employees.”
Sarah had only been at Morton & Associates for three months, but she’d already earned a reputation for staying late and delivering impeccable work. The pendant seemed like validation of her efforts.
“Thank you, I’ll treasure it,” she said, clasping it around her neck.
That night, Sarah found herself unable to leave her desk. Her fingers flew across the keyboard with inhuman speed, churning out report after report. The pendant pulsed with a faint glow.
“Working late again?” The janitor’s voice made her jump. She checked the time - 11:47 PM.
“I just… can’t seem to stop,” Sarah admitted, her voice trembling slightly. Her hands wouldn’t leave the keyboard.
The janitor’s face softened with recognition. “Ah, you got the pendant.” He shuffled closer, his ancient eyes fixed on the silver piece. “They all did, you know. The promising ones.”
“What do you mean?”
“Been here thirty years. Seen five of them get that necklace. All climbing the corporate ladder faster than humanly possible.” He paused, wiping his brow. “Until they couldn’t climb anymore.”
Sarah’s throat tightened. “What happened to them?”
“Burned out. Literally.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “Found the last one, Monica, slumped over her desk. Nothing left but ash and that pendant, good as new.”
Sarah’s fingers trembled as they continued typing. The pendant felt heavier, hotter.
“Can’t… take it off,” she gasped, tugging at the chain.
The janitor shook his head sadly. “Nobody can. It’s part of you now. Company policy, you might say.”
Through the glass walls of her office, Sarah could see Ms. Chen watching from her corner office, that same cryptic smile playing on her lips. The older woman raised her hand to her throat, where an identical pendant gleamed.
“How long?” Sarah managed to ask.
“Depends on how hard you work,” the janitor replied, already shuffling away. “The harder you work, the faster you burn.”
Sarah’s reflection in the computer screen showed dark circles under her eyes, but her hands kept moving, kept producing. The pendant glowed brighter, warmer against her chest.
In her peripheral vision, she caught glimpses of other figures in the office - transparent shapes hunched over long-dark computers, all wearing identical pendants. Their fingers moved in endless motion, their faces masks of perpetual productivity.
She wanted to scream, but instead, she found herself opening another spreadsheet.
From her office, Ms. Chen watched, absently touching her own pendant. Soon, Sarah would join the others, feeding the insatiable hunger of Morton & Associates. The jewelry was eternal, after all. It just needed new wearers from time to time.
Sarah’s fingers continued their dance across the keyboard as the night grew deeper, the pendant’s warmth spreading through her chest like a slow-burning flame.