Abyssnee J. Pelitar

The Promotion.

Jared stared blankly at his computer screen, feeling numb, displaced by it all. Life. Everything. Sometimes it just seemed like it was too much for him. Today was too much for him. He took it all in, as he took nothing in; his small cubicle, desk, the hallway outside, the building where he worked. All so metallic, so shiny, so listless. Twirling the locket with Marissa’s picture in his hand, he looked down at it. She was so beautiful. He wished he could be with her. He leaned back and let out a heavy sigh. It was almost time for his promotion. Everyone had been telling him for weeks that he should be excited; one more day, he only had to wait until the day after tomorrow and he could leave this cubicle behind. He could leave this whole building behind. He had a more important place to go. He should be excited, but he wasn’t. He was dreading it, but he didn’t know why. Surely anything would be better than this.