Post by Thrif on Nov 9, 2008 12:07:43 GMT 8
An old country CD was playing through the room that separated the small dormitory-like living facility from the stationhouse where the firefighting apparatus’ where kept as a tall, brunette man slowly closed the fridge, a sandwich held firmly between his teeth as he quietly tiptoed his way out of the kitchen area and towards the small living area above the garage bay where the rest of the fire fighters usually hung out until a dispatch was called. Today, half of men where all playing a quick game of basketball while the sergeant took a quick cat-nap on the couch. He had left the TV on again.
The television got two channels.
They both had static and neither of them had sports.There was the news. Unfunny syndicated comedies with canned laughter he never echoed; and occasional reruns of black-and-white movies he’d seen a million times before. In his first week at the station, he was demanding a sports package, HBO, and a decent pay-per-view adult film channel. Of course he got nothing.
But that was another thing he loved about the job. He could just about be as lazy as he wanted to until they got a call, or a weekly/ bi-weekly routine, and get paid to do it. Truth be told he hadn’t really stuck to a real job since before he started work here with the fire department, and it was perfect for him!
Spencer scratching behind his ear and took a deep breath in and started to edge towards the front door, cringing each time the footboards creaked, chancing a glance at the Sergeant, making sure he was still snoozing. He suddenly pictured himself as Indiana Jones, in the Raiders of the Lost Arc after he attempted to take the Golden idol in the start of the film as he extended his hand towards the doorknob, his fingers almost touching it’s brass surface when he heard The Voice.
“You got somewhere to be Spence?” The 28 year old went rigid as he heard the voice, slowly turning to face a balding middle aged, with a large barrel chested man standing up from the couch, staring at him.
Spencer’s eyes where wide as he dropped the sandwich into his hand, quickly composing himself. “Yeah, dentist appointment. Remember I chipped my tooth and I got that, uh...” He frowned. “I sent you an email, for a leave request two days ago about this, Augie, you never check your mail.”
“Spencer.” The Sergeant sighed. “This is the third time this month you’ve tried sneaking out early. Do you want to want to get fired?”
“You can’t leave well enough alone, Sergeant . Never could. Nothing’s ever enough for you.” He took a bite from the sandwich.
“Nothing, Spencer, is all you give me.”
“Ouch. A bit harsh, Boss.”
Aurgie crossed his arms over his large barrel-like chest “Just the two of us here.”
He could see the flash of teeth from Spencer’s smile. “Yeah, I know. No witnesses.”
“I don’t want to fire you Spence,” Augie tried to look serious now. “But if you don’t buckle down and at least act like you want to be here I might have to.”
Spencer crinkled his nose at his superior, like a little kid would do when he didn’t get his own way. He’d heard this lecture too many times. He knew that old Augie wouldn’t fire him. His bark was worse than his bite. Just at that moment, the phone on the wall beside the fridge started to ring. Spencer ran towards the kitchen area, almost skidding to a stop near the phone before he picked it up, dropping the sandwich in the bin. “You’re speaking to Spencer Costello, boy who cried wolf and who must now suffer from periodontal disease from it. How may I help you?”
He paused and listened as the person on the other line spoke. “Sure,” he finally replied, putting his hand over the mouthpiece he looked over at Augie, who had already walked over to him during the time he’d been on the phone. “It’s your wife. She wants me to remind you not to let me answer the phone.” He then handed it to him with a satisfied grin on his face.
Augie gave Spence one of his ‘We’re not finished here’ looks before he signalled him out of the room. The 28 year old jumped over the couch and stretched out languidly, he noticed a mirror laying on the coffee table in front of him and picked it up, running his fingers through his hair, admiring it.
About two minutes later, Augie stepped out of the room, looking more than a little agitated. Spencer got to his feet, mirror still in his hand and stood there as Augie spoke. “I’m letting you go, Spence.”
His words hit Spencer in the belly like a concrete pylon. “Your serious?”
It’s nothing personal.”
“Well, I’m sorry.”
“You’re always sorry. You never change and you never learn, but yeah, you’re always sorry.” He almost looked sorry.
Spencer winced. He hated that look in his eye...You know that look that your parents give you? The one that says ‘I’m not angry. I’m just really dissapointed’. Yeah. That was the look he was getting right now. “When did you start sounding like my father?”
“You have to learn to take responsibility. I just don’t think your mature enough for this.”
“No.” Spencer disagreed. “Your wife doesn’t think I’m mature enough.” He stood there for a long moment. “Fine. But I’m telling you Aug, that wife of yours has you under her thumb.” He took a step forwards before he lurched forwards. “Oooh,” he groaned, feeling the room spin around him. “Boss, I don’t feel too...” A bright light flashed in front of his eyes and he felt himself trip forwards. He heard the sound of glass smashing and be blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision as he looked around at his dim surroundings.
“What the fuck?” He said slowly, heart thumping in his chest. Then looking down at the smashed hand mirror near his feet, he stooped down and picked up a shard, looking into its surface.
Seven years bad luck. He looked around again. He knew he was in a forest. The woods around him where quiet, except for the song of birds and the shriek of seagulls flying inland. That meant that he wasn’t too far from a beach. Maybe he could follow that till he found some people. It’d be allot safer than trudging through a dark spooky forest. It was also day time, he could tell looking up into the trees, he could see the sky.
“Seven years bad luck.” He looked down at the glass again. “Two thousand, five hundred fifty days. Okay. Sixty-one thousand, three hundred twenty hours. Minutes. I don’t know. Seven years is an awful lot of minutes. I don’t even know if I have years, or months, or days. Who knows how long I could be standing here...who knows how long I have been standing here.”
Did I pass out from food poisoning? That chicken had been in that fridge an awfully long time...Where’s Augie? Was he here? Ooh I hope that old Codger is feeling guilty about firing me now! Would he look for me? He wondered.
It was a comforting thought, actually. He wanted to know that Augie was going to look for him. That was the kind of guy his boss was. Once he had an idea stuck in his head he’d torture himself over it till he’d finished it. That was when his stupid wife wasnt giving him ideas. I mean, what business of it was hers telling Augie to fire him like that? Sure he goofed off allot, but he was a hard worker.
He tossed the mirror shard aside, not wanting to move or go anywhere, and not even sure he was brave enough to anyway. He strode towards a tree and sat down, resting his head back against the trunk. He could see a picture in his head of his boss saying that he wasn’t going to rest until he found out whatever happened to his favorite employee, and that the people responsible were dismembered! He wanted this to be Augie’s Moby Dick.
The television got two channels.
They both had static and neither of them had sports.There was the news. Unfunny syndicated comedies with canned laughter he never echoed; and occasional reruns of black-and-white movies he’d seen a million times before. In his first week at the station, he was demanding a sports package, HBO, and a decent pay-per-view adult film channel. Of course he got nothing.
But that was another thing he loved about the job. He could just about be as lazy as he wanted to until they got a call, or a weekly/ bi-weekly routine, and get paid to do it. Truth be told he hadn’t really stuck to a real job since before he started work here with the fire department, and it was perfect for him!
Spencer scratching behind his ear and took a deep breath in and started to edge towards the front door, cringing each time the footboards creaked, chancing a glance at the Sergeant, making sure he was still snoozing. He suddenly pictured himself as Indiana Jones, in the Raiders of the Lost Arc after he attempted to take the Golden idol in the start of the film as he extended his hand towards the doorknob, his fingers almost touching it’s brass surface when he heard The Voice.
“You got somewhere to be Spence?” The 28 year old went rigid as he heard the voice, slowly turning to face a balding middle aged, with a large barrel chested man standing up from the couch, staring at him.
Spencer’s eyes where wide as he dropped the sandwich into his hand, quickly composing himself. “Yeah, dentist appointment. Remember I chipped my tooth and I got that, uh...” He frowned. “I sent you an email, for a leave request two days ago about this, Augie, you never check your mail.”
“Spencer.” The Sergeant sighed. “This is the third time this month you’ve tried sneaking out early. Do you want to want to get fired?”
“You can’t leave well enough alone, Sergeant . Never could. Nothing’s ever enough for you.” He took a bite from the sandwich.
“Nothing, Spencer, is all you give me.”
“Ouch. A bit harsh, Boss.”
Aurgie crossed his arms over his large barrel-like chest “Just the two of us here.”
He could see the flash of teeth from Spencer’s smile. “Yeah, I know. No witnesses.”
“I don’t want to fire you Spence,” Augie tried to look serious now. “But if you don’t buckle down and at least act like you want to be here I might have to.”
Spencer crinkled his nose at his superior, like a little kid would do when he didn’t get his own way. He’d heard this lecture too many times. He knew that old Augie wouldn’t fire him. His bark was worse than his bite. Just at that moment, the phone on the wall beside the fridge started to ring. Spencer ran towards the kitchen area, almost skidding to a stop near the phone before he picked it up, dropping the sandwich in the bin. “You’re speaking to Spencer Costello, boy who cried wolf and who must now suffer from periodontal disease from it. How may I help you?”
He paused and listened as the person on the other line spoke. “Sure,” he finally replied, putting his hand over the mouthpiece he looked over at Augie, who had already walked over to him during the time he’d been on the phone. “It’s your wife. She wants me to remind you not to let me answer the phone.” He then handed it to him with a satisfied grin on his face.
Augie gave Spence one of his ‘We’re not finished here’ looks before he signalled him out of the room. The 28 year old jumped over the couch and stretched out languidly, he noticed a mirror laying on the coffee table in front of him and picked it up, running his fingers through his hair, admiring it.
About two minutes later, Augie stepped out of the room, looking more than a little agitated. Spencer got to his feet, mirror still in his hand and stood there as Augie spoke. “I’m letting you go, Spence.”
His words hit Spencer in the belly like a concrete pylon. “Your serious?”
It’s nothing personal.”
“Well, I’m sorry.”
“You’re always sorry. You never change and you never learn, but yeah, you’re always sorry.” He almost looked sorry.
Spencer winced. He hated that look in his eye...You know that look that your parents give you? The one that says ‘I’m not angry. I’m just really dissapointed’. Yeah. That was the look he was getting right now. “When did you start sounding like my father?”
“You have to learn to take responsibility. I just don’t think your mature enough for this.”
“No.” Spencer disagreed. “Your wife doesn’t think I’m mature enough.” He stood there for a long moment. “Fine. But I’m telling you Aug, that wife of yours has you under her thumb.” He took a step forwards before he lurched forwards. “Oooh,” he groaned, feeling the room spin around him. “Boss, I don’t feel too...” A bright light flashed in front of his eyes and he felt himself trip forwards. He heard the sound of glass smashing and be blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision as he looked around at his dim surroundings.
“What the fuck?” He said slowly, heart thumping in his chest. Then looking down at the smashed hand mirror near his feet, he stooped down and picked up a shard, looking into its surface.
Seven years bad luck. He looked around again. He knew he was in a forest. The woods around him where quiet, except for the song of birds and the shriek of seagulls flying inland. That meant that he wasn’t too far from a beach. Maybe he could follow that till he found some people. It’d be allot safer than trudging through a dark spooky forest. It was also day time, he could tell looking up into the trees, he could see the sky.
“Seven years bad luck.” He looked down at the glass again. “Two thousand, five hundred fifty days. Okay. Sixty-one thousand, three hundred twenty hours. Minutes. I don’t know. Seven years is an awful lot of minutes. I don’t even know if I have years, or months, or days. Who knows how long I could be standing here...who knows how long I have been standing here.”
Did I pass out from food poisoning? That chicken had been in that fridge an awfully long time...Where’s Augie? Was he here? Ooh I hope that old Codger is feeling guilty about firing me now! Would he look for me? He wondered.
It was a comforting thought, actually. He wanted to know that Augie was going to look for him. That was the kind of guy his boss was. Once he had an idea stuck in his head he’d torture himself over it till he’d finished it. That was when his stupid wife wasnt giving him ideas. I mean, what business of it was hers telling Augie to fire him like that? Sure he goofed off allot, but he was a hard worker.
He tossed the mirror shard aside, not wanting to move or go anywhere, and not even sure he was brave enough to anyway. He strode towards a tree and sat down, resting his head back against the trunk. He could see a picture in his head of his boss saying that he wasn’t going to rest until he found out whatever happened to his favorite employee, and that the people responsible were dismembered! He wanted this to be Augie’s Moby Dick.
