the ride home And Other Short Stories

The Realisation

It was a normal day at work. The assembly belt still turning as we passed the night-shift, tired, silent. We took our stations and set to work. The wheals and handles to the side as bodies of cars and bikes roll down. Handles for bikes, wheals for cars. It was a dull job. 8 till 8. Then home. This was the worst part. We weren't allowed to sleep incase we where called back because of someone dying. So there was no bed, no tv because there was no signal and no one to talk to because we had, and weren't to leave until work , our own house. We just sat, watching the snow drift slowly down. It was a lonely life. But i was made to do it until i die. The day went slowly until finally the alarm sounded for us to leave. We passed the night-shift and trundled home in the snow.

The next day was the same. Pass night-shift and stand in station. Suddenly a bike with no wheels rolled through. We stared in bewilderment. In the distance i could hear my boss shouting, looking down at his inferior.  Our boss was very tall, he spoke in a loud booming voice and had a big beard. I looked over. Is that joal. I thought to my self. But before i could confirm this, he was turned around. A door opened and he vanished.

There was a door in this place that, even as a small one, we are not to go in. The only people that go in and out are the boss, and if they muck up, a worker. It only opens to his voice on a special incantation. No one who entered left.

The day went on in silence. The temptation to speak to the person opposite me was increasing. Finally The alarm sounded and we left in silence. I sat on my only chair and watched the snow as usual. There was a cry in the distance that lasted for a while then silence. Silence.

The morning was silent. Someone had resigned over night. No one knew who. Four people collapsed from tiredness on the way in. We don't last long out here. I've only worked here two weeks, we can go four with out sleep. I took my station and looked at the person across from me. He looked different from yesterday. There was one conversation i could make out from all those that had started later in the day. Someone was complaining to the boss about no sleep. It must be his first day. I thought to myself. The big boss put on his red coat, that was never good. And escorted the newbie to the door. I had no work at the moment so went to observe.

I saw the door close as the coat disappeared. I heard nothing but silence. The chattering rose around me. I slouched back to my station as the next car appeared. There was a crash as the power went out. The noise rose however i couldn't hear anything because it was too dark*. Some candles came on and hearing returned to me, i wouldn't have known if not for the tap of small feet lighting the other candles. three people ran in and looked about. One of them ran off while the others stood there. We watched the one run. Out the front door and into the distance. He transformed into a speck on the horizon. There was a gun shot from above. The speck collapsed. We looked to the others. They stood, silently. The big boss strode down from his office. None of us dared look away. No one could hear anything. All we saw was shouting and arguing, then they where marched to the door. The same door everyone who fucks up is sent. Boss pulled 4 random people from the line to be engineers. They ran off while boss entered the dreaded room. The lights flickered back to life, the belt's movement returned. Everyone went back to work as normal. Everyone except me. I stood and imagined what was back there.

In my mind, there was another assembly line behind the door. the people who fuck up on one line move down until they don't fuck up or there are no more assembly lines to work. I couldn't imagine what happened then. This was all speculation of course. I needed to know what actually happened there. I just needed to.

The rest of the day and night went as normal. The next day i concocted my plan. I would wait until someone got in trouble and sneak in before the door closes. That's how i wanted it to go. I had no idea whether it would go like that or not. I had no idea what was going to happen. Right enough though, someone fucked up. I ran to where the door was and hid behind it. The boss put his red coat on and escorted the fuck up here. He spoke in an ancient language no one had learned for a thousand years and spoke this incantation:"be ba  ba dap ba dop a do do i'd been married a long time ago, where did you come from where did you go, where did you come from cotton eyed joe"* the door swung open and they entered. I grabbed a block from the belt, lego section, And jammed it in the door. I waited. Boss took his time, but he left eventually and didn't check the door. I watched him walk to his office. I ran to the door and pushed it open ensuring the block stayed in place. **I waited a while before walking up to the door once again. I peaked round the corner not sure what i would find. The "fuck up" in pieces on the floor. A pool of red surrounded. A big fat figure slouched over the mess. I almost doubled over before i was frozen in fear. The figure started to turn round. "someone's been naughty". The figure's face finally revealed. Big white beard covered in red. His eyes glowed with fire. He beckoned me over. I didn't move. He frowned and beckoned me again. I still didn't move. "ho ho ho, this is going to be fun" he snarled as he stood up. I ran without thinking. I had no idea where i was going. I just ran. I heard the door slam and loud booming footsteps behind me. I didn't dare look back. The footsteps grew closer. I continued running down a small corridor. The footsteps still getting louder. It was a dead end. 2 doors only. A brown door and white door. "i got you know" i hear behind me. No time to think i open the brown door and enter. Its pitch black but not very long or wide. The footsteps stopped outside. I heard a door open. No light entered the room. I waited for a while then exited the room. I looked back in. The room now lit up. There was another door. I opened it and walked through. Rows and rows of glass tanks. Each had a single organism inside. I wondered down the line. Each organism getting bigger as i went. I reached the end. I looked in the tank. It was unmistakable. We where being grown. The door flung open. The red suit stared down to me. There was no escape. His fist met my face. All went dark.

I woke up chained to the floor. A door opened. A shadow appeared in the light. "a snack for when i return" he said leaving the door open. He moved aside and the sleigh was loaded there where thousands of other elves chained with me. For tonight was christmas eve and santa feasted on christmas day.
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*an inside joke with a friend. His d&d character said this to cast spells

** after a year away this is where i started again.