I'm sitting in a plain room with a large door and a faint metallic smell. Across from me sits a man I hate. As to why, I cannot say.
"What are we doing here Adrian?" I spit with a surprising amount of anger.
"I think you know the answer to that, Andrew," he smirks as he leans into the table between us. As I search my mind I realize my whereabouts aren't the only thing missing.
"Why can't I remember? It's like I just woke up."
"Oh no you've been awake. We've had quite the eventful evening." I try harder to find what is missing, but my dull memories cloud my mind like a storm. I'm just barely able to grab small scraps of what I'm forgetting and it forms into gibberish.
"I don't- know..." I remove my spectacles and press my fingertips to my temple, causing my brown hair to fall over my eyes, "I feel like I've gone mad." Adrian grins wide.
"Where's the trouble in that? We all go a little mad sometimes."
"For God's sake, Adrian! What happened!?" I find myself leaning forward as well as I replace my glasses and pierce Adrian with my gaze. He has the look of a child leaving a fair.
"Fine. Start from the beginning, when you woke up, and we'll see if you can remember more. I'll try to fill in the blanks." I calm down and close my eyes trying to focus on one cloud in the storm.
I heard a blaring noise pierce my mind and opened my eyes to my room. With a large groan. I slammed my alarm clock and contemplated going back to sleep. I apparently gave in because in what felt like seconds my phone was ringing and I was late for work.
"Hell- hello?" I stammered as I scrambled out of bed. Adrian's voice came from the speaker.
"Andrew? Where are you? Greg is getting mad."
"I slept in an-"
"Again?" Arian interrupted.
"Just- tell Greg I'm having car trouble and I'll be there soon, alright?"
"Alright, but you know he won't buy it." I hung up without a goodbye and went about my usual routine. Shower, dress, eat, leave. It's a routine I know so well I hardly remember getting into my car. As I drove, I found myself thinking about how my life was going. My cheap car, boring job, cramped apartment. My girlfriend, Elsa, is one of the few things I enjoy. I also pondered something peculiar. In my room is hung a painting of a raven and a dove. The raven has the dove pinned and in return the dove's beak is clamped on the raven's neck. It has hung in my apartment since before I lived there, but for some reason this morning I lingered on it. I pulled into the Wal-Mart parking lot and the thought was dropped completely. When I walked through the automatic doors the smell of the crowded building left me with a deflated feeling. I walked past dozens of people and thousands of products as I made my way to the back and swiped my badge. As the machine beeped, my supervisor, Greg, grabbed me by the shoulder and spun me around.
"Two. Hours. Two hours I've been dragging your slack without even a phone call. This is your last chance, understand? If you do this again you'll be out on the street," he spat into my face.
"But-"
"I don't want to hear it!" He was so angry even the bald spot on his head was turning red.
"Yes. Sir." I mumbled. I started running freight and Adrian came over to help.
"Morning, or is it afternoon by now?" he smirked.
