THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW by Adrian Mompoint

THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW Francis has a passion for acting. He eats, drinks, and breathes theater. But the constant pressure he puts on himself to be great comes with a cost. Severe migraines begin to pull him away from the stage, forcing him to step back from the life he loves. With no other choice, Francis takes a quiet 9–5 job at a place known simply as The Company. The work seems simple enough—just sorting paperwork in a calm, structured office. But something about the workplace feels… off. The employees all dress the same. Conversations feel rehearsed. Smiles linger a little too long. What first appears to be a routine office job slowly reveals itself to be something far stranger. As the days pass, Francis begins to realize that The Company may not be what it seems—and that everyone around him may be playing a role in something he doesn’t yet understand. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION Corporate life meets the Twilight Zone: Adrian based The Performance Review on his friend Francisco, a former theater actor whose real corporate horror stories were so strange Adrian assumed he was making them up Once an actor, always an actor: Why Francis treats his cubicle job like a performance, and Adrian's belief that everyone acts differently depending on who they're with Yogurt, milk, and dead-eyed smiles: The small, off details that make Francis wonder if the company is a cult, and where Adrian's cult-documentary habit comes in The real laugh in a quiet room: How Fiona announces herself before Francis ever sees her, and why the two of them build a secret signal to catch if either one starts to slip From The Performance Review to the screen: The short film Adrian is scripting with Francisco starring, the connected novel In Between Rooms, and the ideas he's still pulling from notebooks he's kept since he was ten ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adrian M. Mompoint is a horror and thriller writer focused on psychological storytelling and atmospheric tension. Inspired by early exposure to The Shining, he developed a fascination with fear—what creates it, and why it lingers. He is primarily a behind-the-scenes photographer, capturing the unseen moments of film and production. Adrian is also a film actor and stunt performer, as well as a big and tall model. Outside of his creative work, he volunteers in his community by cleaning and restoring graves and helping maintain outdoor spaces. Connect with Adrian Mompoint through linktr.ee/Adrianmompoint for links to his social media and website accounts. Get The Performance Review: https://amzn.to/4wNkwal