Rain Hides The Stains

Today everything is worthwhile.

It’s morning. I’m still at my weird soulless job, the one where I don’t have internet access and can’t check out this site anymore. That sucks the most, you know. The rest of it is almost funny. If it wasn't my life, I'd find it entertaining.

The hourly workers are in a little corral of cubes, and the managers surround us, so many managers- really, do they need all those managers? There are more of them than there are of us. They watch us all the time. I was warned. They whisper about you. Cause trouble for you. But it doesn’t really matter you see, because they have taken away every distraction, everything of interest, ever spark of life that could ignite us. We have been told not to gossip, not to do personal things, not to talk to others. Just work. And most of us don’t have enough to do. It doesn’t make sense at all. Sometimes it feels like I'm participating in some weird sensory deprivation experiment.
The paper and pens are kept under lock and key- I know because that’s one of my most important jobs. I have the key to the paper. It’s kind of a power, really. If someone wants a pack of paper they have to sign it out. I don’t really know why. No one ever looks at the sign out sheets. There's no reconciliation. You could write anyone's name down I guess. But the managers think we all must be thieves. Isn't that what thieves think about everyone?

But today it is all worthwhile, because you see, we are having a massive thunder and rain storm outside. It is almost as dark as night time. The lights are flickering. And I feel alive! This is interesting! This is stimulating! They can’t take this away! This could destroy the building! The power could go off! The thunder rolls above us, and outside there is torrential rain. It’s all so beautiful.

I have always loved storms. If I was at home I would be outside getting wet. But I’m not. I’m here selling my minutes. They have put me in a cage but they can’t stop the storms! I am alive, and as long as this storm lasts, I’m happy.

Almost every person who works here is a large female. There's one other male but he is a temp worker and he seemed nice until he found out that they had hired me and he was still a temp. Now he hates me. I don't blame him. I'm glad I have a job, but they really should have hired him. He knows what he's doing.
Right now all of the large ladies are cowering. I guess they don’t like thunder. They come rushing in from the torrent outside all out of breath. I better not have to use the defib unit.

What are they worried about anyway? If the city flooded, they would float, I’m sure. Like little islands. They could be island women. Something I’m sure they’ve dreamt of, just not in the way I’m imagining. Well, I might as well go for it, since I’m daydreaming- I can see the streets flooded in my imagination and all the large women floating away! They’re bumping into each other as the water fills the streets and flows towards lower ground. But they’re not upset, no, they’re chatting away just like they always do. They like this! This had never happened before!

I hope the power goes out. I’ve heard it’s out in parts of the city. I hope we have to sit here in the dark, with just the emergency lights. Maybe we’ll all huddle together and start a little fire in a garbage can and tell ghost stories, or everyone will tell the horrid tale of some hideous injury they’ve had. When it’s my turn I will talk of working here, and remind them that once we all were free.

What a great start to a morning! I hope it storms all day! Rage, blow, you hurricanes!