
20 - "Little surprises around every corner, but nothing dangerous." - 'Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory'
Having seen the film in question, I have no doubt that the puckish Mr. Wonka was being facetious-- his factory was as stocked full of deathtraps and danger as any would-be "haunted house" in which I've ever stepped foot. Between the dangers of drowning, incineration and gluttony, there were also those rather horrible orange creatures with which to contend.
That particular world, in fact, is in a number of ways not so different than the one I myself inhabit.
In both a literal and metaphorical sense, the life I lead is full of corners and surprises. From the almost endless and labyrinthine hallways of Wolfram & Hart's offices to the back alleys and side streets of the city, I find myself constantly stepping around corners into new situations.
More often than not, of course, what's waiting on the other side of those corners is far from safe or even simply disconcerting, like those orange creatures. In a place like Wolfram & Hart, turning a corner or opening a door could lead one anywhere from as mundane a destination as the copy room or as unfortunate a one as an inconveniently placed empty elevator shaft. When one mentioned seeing co-workers come and go, one meant on an hourly basis.
Out in Los Angeles, those alleys and streets are now the modern jungle, the new native hunting ground for the supernatural predator. Crossing the border into one of those dark and forbidding spaces could easily introduce the unwary to any one of the many varieties of vampire present in the greater metropolitan area, a famished demon with a taste for human flesh, or simply one of our domestic street gangs.
The best lesson to learn from all those hallways and alleys is caution, and I've found that a good torch is as useful in your collection of weapons as a stake.
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