Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Short Story - The office

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I sat slumped in my shitty chair, in front of my shitty desk, during my shitty job. My eyes remained focused on the clock with it's narrow, yet daunting hands, pacing so slowly I wondered to myself if I was going back in time. The time was 9:38AM, I soon after took a side-glance at the picture sitting on my desk. The portrait of the dog looked very good on my desk. I did not own the dog in the picture on my desk. My thoughts raced through the memories that I would have, had I owned the dog. Running through parking lots, up and down sidewalks. I would sit next to my imaginary fireplace, in a comfortable chair and rub his light brown belly. But that never happened. The time was 9:39PM. I put the picture from my desk in my pocket.


    The faces of my co-workers blurred out as I rushed to the elevator,  I pressed 1F on the elevator. While descending alone in the elevator I thought to myself, why do people own dogs? Is it to bask in the feeling of superiority? To enjoy the feeling of completely controlling another animals life? The companionship? The elevator reached the lobby, I made my way to the exit with a mask of determination over my face. The time was 9:45PM. Once out of the lobbies industrial grand doors, crafted out of glass and metal I began to sprint to my car. The time was 9:50PM. I unlocked my car, and hardly before I could sit down in my seat I hit the gas pedal and drove down the block at full speed. My eyes where being dragged off the road by the Speedometer, with it's narrow, yet daunting hands. I looked at my watch, it was 9:54PM.


   My brain was thinking faster than my watch could ever count, or my car could ever drive. About what? I do not remember. I turned Left. I turned Right. I turned Right again. The sky suddenly turned dark, I looked at my watch and it was 9:59PM. I began sweating, and breathing fast. I was anxious to reach my destination, so I pedaled the gas a bit farther. My dress collar began to wilt, my eyes where squinted in between the headlights weak illumination and the darkness of the city. I reached my destination. I wiped the sweat off my forehead, took a deep breath and looked at my watch. It was 10:01. I sat in my car screaming to myself, punching the steering wheel and crying. Until I looked up.



    Once I looked up I caught eye of a display window across the street from my destination. Inside of the window was a small dog, of which breed I am not sure. I looked at the picture in my pocket, then back at the dog. I shrugged my shoulders and said to myself "Good enough". I walked over to the storefront and broke the window, being careful not to get any glass on the puppy. Once the stores interior was available to me I picked up the little dog and placed him in my pocket, and put the picture of the dog in place of it.


   Day has broken, and again I sat slumped in my shitty chair, in front of my shitty desk, during my shitty job. But instead of looking at the clock, I thought of my new dog. I thought of what I would name him, where I would take him first, what I would teach him. I smiled to myself in the first time for over 20 years. All of my thoughts where drawn to a halt as three uniformed Police Officers walked into my office. The third one in closed the door to my office. Once in my office, the first Police officer reached into his coat pocket and with a smile, placed the portrait of the dog on my desk. Through his grin, he said "You forgot this." and walked away.


 I love my dog.

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