"Meghan Bushman," I tell the man in front of me. I am being interrogated in one of those superficial and over-used-in-TV-shows-but-is-really-what-it-looks-like interrogation rooms. The grey floors and walls, one-way glass, good cop/bad cop duet or one of them in the room and one behind the class. I have been through all the scenarios. This is (probably) my last interrogation of the day. Hopefully.

"And where are you from, Meghan Bushman?" The man sits easily in his seemingly uncomfortable chair, like he is only asking a celebrity or friend 20 questions.

"I am originally from Canada, but have lived in the states for most of my life."

"And why are you here in Germany?"

I smile and let out a little giggle. "Why wouldn't anyone be in Germany? Berlin? Munich? Frankfurt? I am a sucker for history, love World War ||. I am no Hitler, but I love world history."

He turns his head so I see his earpiece as he starts to laugh. "What?" I ask in defeat. His laughter does not stop as he answers my question.

"No... nothing... it's just funny how a dead woman can be in Germany."

"Shit! But how was I, Michael?"

"Your interrogation was great." We get up and go into the break room. "It was really believable. No one would have taken you for an agent or anything like that, completely innocent. You just need to work on a good name. No more dead people."

He picks up a donut from the centre of the table as I pick up a plastic cup filled with water. "I just do not see why being in security for the President could 'potentially get you kidnapped.'" I make sure to over-exaggerate my air quotations. Michael laughs and continues to eat his donut. "No," I follow him around the room. "Seriously, though? What's the worst that could happen?"

The both of us only realize our third companion in the room with us as he answers my question. "World domination?"

Michael laughs at what Simon says. That's the one thing that can get annoying about Michael; it's like the only thing he does is laugh. "Someone's been watching too many movies."

Simon gets up from his chair in the corner of the room and walks over to get a donut himself. "Sorry, I just wanted to say something as outrageous as practicing interrogations." I laugh at his joke but get the stink-eye from Michael. For someone who laughs so much, he sure does not like people laughing at his expense. "Mike, all I am saying is that I do not see why we are being interrogated. I think Denise is right."

Michael sighs and finishes his donut. "In the rare chance that someone does get kidnapped-- and 'someone' includes the two of you-- then I want you to be prepared. I don't want you guys to get scared if someone puts a gun to your head and asks for personal information about the President." Michael walks out of the office; in anger, annoyance or because something else is on his schedule, no one would be able to tell you.

I finish my drink, throw it out, and walk over to Simon. "Do you think it would really happen?"

"What?"

I swallow the invisible and imaginary lump in my throat. "If someone would actually try to obtain world dominance?"

He shrugs his shoulders and gets called from down the hallway, leaving the room and me alone in it.

It isn't just now that I am... sensitive.... around matters of world domination. No, it all started when I was little. My brother is a bit... Out of it. Crazy, if you will. He always thought that world domination already existed, that the President was in charge of it all, actually chosen by a select group of people. I think it's a pretty basic fact that the United States President and overall Government have the most power in all of the world, and that's what my dad was fixated on. I think it was only fair that I finally go see for myself, and it isn't world domination. It never has been.

I think world dominance is about only being in power for the sake of being in power, not for the greater good. The United States Government is mostly for the greater good, so it isn't really about world dominance. It just... Isn't. My curiosity about the subject is why I wanted this job, but I know and always have known that world dominance doesn't actually exist. It's only for crazy people, and I haven't crossed many crazy people in a long time.

World dominance is no longer a word I use in my own vocabulary. Hopefully it never will be again.

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I walk into work the day after all the boring interrogation games. Thank God that's over. I am late so I go into my boss's office to apologize, but I know something is wrong. I wait outside the door because I hear him yelling on the phone, and that's what really made everything from yesterday seem so necessary.

"What do you MEAN Simon isn't here anymore? He was here when the lights went out and then he was GONE? That sounds like BULLSHIT. And all he was doing was checking ID's today, right? He probably just went home... Okay... Talk to you later.... Yes... Bye."

He hangs up the phone and walks out of the office. "Hey Denise. You're late. There was a short black out, I need you to go check all the exits, okay? Denise? Are you okay?"

I wake up in my bed in a sweaty heap. Just a nightmare. Thank God. Except when I got to work and Simon wasn't there, it became just the more scarier and real.