Big Corp Inc. (G/T)

Part 23: A Pitiful New Home

The rest of the workday was uneventful. Candy didn't have to worry about Mr. Hardon harassing her, since he was upstairs in meetings all day. She didn't know why, but Ronny mercifully left her alone as well. Candy kept working until her shift was done. She had made up her mind. Since she had nowhere to go, she was going to stay in the building.

She knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she didn't want to be out on the streets, homeless. Even if she were on the human side, she wouldn't feel safe or comfortable, and she'd have no place for her belongings. Candy figured, since she was so small in the Giant building, nobody would notice if she made a home for herself on the third floor. It was hardly an optimal place to live, but at least she'd have shelter from the elements and access to essential amenities like water.

She didn't think she could get away with living in her cubicle, but there was plenty of space in the massive building. She just had to find an inconspicuous corner where nobody would disturb her things. After some consideration, she placed her hope on the janitor closet. Once the office cleared out, she'd scope it out and see if it was a suitable location for her to live temporarily. Candy shut off her computer, hid behind her monitor, and waited.

The sounds and vibrations of Giant voices and footsteps swelled as the employees wrapped up their work for the day and vacated the premises. She heard Mr. Hardon return to his office and lock the door behind him as he left. He glanced over at her desk, but when he didn't see her assumed she had already left as well. Even Martin stopped by to check on her, perhaps hoping to walk her out. Candy was tempted to reveal herself, but she needed to figure out her living situation first.

Eventually, the whole floor was deserted. Candy peeked out from behind the monitor, and once she was certain the coast was clear she emerged from her hiding spot and rode the capsule launcher to the floor. She collected her bags and changed into her socks and sneakers so her feet wouldn't get sore on the long journey ahead.

Her rolling suitcase sounded loud in the relative hush of the empty floor. Much like when she arrived early with Martin's cake, the only sound was the smooth hum of the electronics. Candy felt unsettled and despondent. She couldn't believe she had been reduced to such a state. She was going to be living like a rat in the walls. She sighed. It was better than living outside.

After walking what must've been miles, Candy made it to the closet. She slipped under the door, since the crack between the door and the floor was wide enough for her body to fit. The closet was too dark to see anything, so Candy went back out to grab a flashlight from her bag and returned. She clicked on the light and surveyed the area. The closet was basically what Candy expected: dusty, musty, and full of cleaning supplies. There was a mop bucket, a couple of brooms, a duster, a vacuum cleaner, big jugs of chemicals, and other supplies, blown up to a huge scale and thick with dust.

Candy explored around inside, coughing on plumes of dust. She ran into an old cobweb and shrieked, flailing to release her body from the sticky gossamer threads. Once she freed herself, she pawed at the substance on her limbs, clothes, and hair, disgusted. Candy did not like bugs, at all. She hoped she wouldn't run into a nasty oversized spider or similar critter.

Candy found that the back corner of the closet was protected from view, and could function as a place to sleep and stash her stuff. She cleaned up the dust bunnies and cobwebs as best she could and went outside to retrieve her bags. She was able to slip her suitcase and backpack underneath the door. She lugged them to the back of the closet and stored them behind the mop bucket. She discovered a package of giant clean sponges and hauled one over to the corner so she could use it as a mattress. It wasn't anywhere near as comfortable as a real bed, but it was preferable to sleeping on the cold, hard ground.