Big Corp Inc. (G/T)

Part 7: Just a Taste

Ronny stared down at his empty coffee cup, confused. She was gone. No coffee left for her to hide in either. Had he swallowed her, unaware? He didn't see how that was possible but then again she was very small, small enough to slide down his throat whole. He gripped his stomach. He couldn't feel her moving around inside at all. He had been angry, and vindictive, but not so much that he wanted to consume and kill her. He felt mildly guilty.

He felt guilty, until he saw a small movement on his desk of a tiny creature scurrying behind his computer monitor. A boiling wrath surged through him and he lifted the entire monitor to the side to expose the diminutive woman, dripping and stained with coffee, hiding behind it with terror. She squeaked and tried to run but he violently ensnared her in his fist.

"Goddammit woman, were you trying to give me a heart attack? You scared the shit out of me! I thought I was going to be in huge trouble with the boss!" Ronny yelled at her. Candy writhed in his hand with tears streaming down her face. He examined her with disgust. "Get out of my sight," he muttered, throwing her down on his desk. She sprinted away, finding by chance the human ladder installed on his desk that led up to the top of the cubicle walls. She clambered up the ladder and rushed over to her own desk. Ronny rolled his eyes as he watched the pathetic display. She was such a mess. He shook his head and got back to work typing on his computer.

Candy scampered back to the safety of her own cubicle. Her heart was beating so hard, she felt like it was going to break her ribs. She hid behind one of the giant objects on her huge desk and huddled up into a little ball. The tears started to flow and she couldn't stop herself from crying. She was so scared. She had nearly been eaten. If she hadn't managed to climb out of Ronny's coffee mug when she did, he probably would have imbibed her with the rest of his beverage and she'd be inside his belly, dead. She doubted a monster like him would even care.

And her boss had done nothing to help her! He thought it was funny! On top of that, he had even tasted the coffee, and given her a creepy, hungry look that implied he wanted to eat her too! Indignation burned inside her, and melded with her existing terror and sense of powerlessness. She had felt so good earlier, when she found she was able to do her job, but now that feeling had evaporated. She was just as worthless at this job as any of her other jobs. No matter how hard she tried, somehow she always managed to fail, to muck up her chances of a better life. This was her last chance, and she was blowing it, yet again.

She wiped away her tears and sat up. She wanted so badly to just crawl away and hide, but she couldn't do that. Even if she gave up and went home, she'd still have to walk in shame all the way across the Giant office in a coffee-soaked outfit, ask for help with the elevator, traverse the lobby, and ride the railway home. It was a long, long way, and she didn't feel like making the exhausting trip. If she wanted to keep her job, she needed to get back to work. With a labored sigh, she clasped the giant pen cores and started typing on the vast keyboard.

Candy's arms felt heavy, like lead, as she mechanically went through the motions. She had been slow in the morning, but now she was even slower. Her enthusiasm had drained away, leaving behind a hollow, dead shell. She lost track of time as she forced herself to work. Her coffee-stained clothes were starting to itch and irritate her skin. The reminder that she would have to walk all the way out the building when she was done with her shift only made her more miserable.

She was barely able to move, huffing and puffing with fatigue, by the time her work day was coming to a close. She consoled herself at least with the fact that her awful day was almost done. Her relief would be short-lived, however. A dark shadow fell over her and she gulped. She slowly turned around to see Mr. Hardon towering over her with a sinister leer. He rested his enormous hand on the desk next to her, pressing down with his weight.