Flash Fiction: quitting life

in #writing6 years ago

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She picked up a resignation form today. She had been thinking about it for a while, handing in her notice, taking her last year. Every day is just the same, different faces, different flavours, but underneath, it was all the same. Was there any point in the endless forward march, the slow decline into ill health, unemployment and poverty? She didn’t have children, no friends who came to visit, and it was at least three years since her last match.

She sat on the corner of her single bed, in her single room, the thin long window illuminating the bare floor. She pushed a loose strand of mousy blonde hair behind her ear, and picking at her thumb, she wandered in thought.

She could travel, she could see the ocean, she could stand beneath trees, she could sit in silence. For one year. It was as good as it got, some people only got 6 months. But was she ready?

She couldn’t keep going, not like this. She had seen the lifers, the people who worked for 65 years and collapsed, decrepit, into the hands of hapless, half-hearted “help”. She had even been that half-hearted, hapless help, she had worked for minimum wage, clearing up bodily fluids, spoon feeding, doing what she could, but it destroyed you, seeing all your future had to offer.

A lot of people who worked there handed in their notice; you had to do it between 40 and 55 to get the year. Some people applied for special circumstances after 55, but generally they got less time.

She was 47. A lot could change in her life still. She could meet someone, she could have children, grandchildren, she could grow old. Couldn’t she…? Did she want to? She turned it over in her mind. She had accepted a lot in her life, but she just couldn’t face the rest of her life, playing out, day by slow dragging, hardworking, lonely, day. Night after empty, starless night. If she took her year, she could get away from the cities and their thick rank pollution. She could escape the crush of the masses, the regimented flow of preoccupied people. Her parents took her to a forest once, before the regulations changed, and closing her eyes, she could almost hear the hushed whisper of branches, almost feel the dappled sunlight on her upturned face. Almost. She opened her eyes, was there ever really any question? She had dreamed of it for as long as she could remember, and in that moment, she realised, she was always going to quit, it was never a question of did she want to, just when. Was she ready?

She flopped back onto her bed, bouncing back against the overly springy mattress. Relief coursed through her. She was going to quit, maybe not today, but she would do it. The digital display in the wall flashed, green numbers ticking over, 23:00. Instinctively, she felt around her bedside tablet, and pressing the button, retrieved her small blue pill. Blue before bed, white before work. It dissolved on her tongue, and she felt the thoughtless relaxation wash over her.

The next morning, she woke before her alarm had chance to rouse her. She stood at the window, watching the constant ebb and flow of people and traffic, the living city beneath her never slept. Her resolve had only hardened overnight, it felt right. She retrieved the form. She would quit. She would take the year. One good year, then call it quits.

Ayla instinctively pressed the button and picked up the white pill. She turned the innocent looking white pill over in her fingers, and a bit of the white coating rubbed off on her thumb. "I wonder..." she mused. She took a kitchen knife and cut away a fourth of the pill. She popped the larger piece in her mouth and continued her morning routine.

The pills were provided by the government, and everyone she knew took them faithfully. Her head began to ache on the way to work, and there was a nagging feeling in the back of her mind, a lurking anxiety that she couldn't pinpoint.

She arrived at work and headed straight for Human Resources. Her hand trembled as she handed the form to the secretary. The secretary scanned it in. A tone sounded and the secretary said, "Ayla, the Director would like to see you in his office." Ayla nervously complied. "Ayla, please sit down. I don't think we've met before. Brad Sweeney, but you can call me Brad. Ayla sat down in a posh leather chair, and studied Brad. He had pale blue eyes, blond hair, and a gleaming smile, and her headache was threatening her sanity.

"I see that you turned in your resignation form today." Brad continued. "How have you been doing on your assignments"? Ayla swallowed, "Just fine sir, I have been completing my research scenarios in a timely manner". "Yes Ayla, you have been diligent without question. I was wondering if you might consider staying until the project is completed. It would be a pity to have to start over for lack of data." Brad steepled his fingers and waited for Ayla to respond. Ayla struggled out, "of course sir, how long do you think it would take?" Brad smiled broadly, "oh don't worry, I will keep you updated. Thanks for your help." Brad stood and shook her hand, and Ayla woodenly returned to her desk.

That evening she collapsed onto her bed. It seemed a dam of emotion had broken inside her, forgotten memories dulled by time inundated her like flashbulbs. Hot tears dampened her pillow, she took the white pill and fell mercifully into a dreamless sleep. The next day she again took the 3/4 white pill, but she was adapting to her awakened state, and her emotions became more manageable. She tried not to stare at her dull coworkers dutifully clacking away on keys. Why would the director care if she left? He had never spoken to her before, why now? She tried to focus on her current assignment and read the words on her screen.

You are the owner of a small dry cleaning business with 6 employees. A competitor has recently set up shop in the same city. The competitor is well established with large financial resources. They contact you and offer to buy your business at the market price. Do you accept or attempt to compete for market share?

Associations began to flash through her mind. This company has 6,000 employees, and a new competitor had broken ground downtown. She quickly scrolled through her previous assignments, and matched them to previous corporate maneuvers. She covered her eyes and felt like screaming. Brad was running the company based on her responses to thinly disguised research questions. Eyes turned as she lurched from her chair and marched towards Brad's office. It was time for a salary negotiation.

Thanks for reading my story! This is my entry into @F3nix's Finish the Story Fiction Contest week 18. You can read the other entries here. https://steemit.com/contest/@f3nix/finish-the-story-contest-week-18
Header image from Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/russia-office-men-women-working-95311/

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Great job @giddyupngo I liked that she asked for a raise, instead of shooting up the place. 👌

Yeah, I bet Brad got an earful, but it wasn't lead. :-)

I think that like Ayla, there are many. Someone said, I do not remember who, if you do not live for your dreams, you will be living to fulfill the dreams of others. I understand the woman in your fiction story. She knows and feels that she is not in the place she wants to be, but she is obliged by the circumstances: to pay the rent, the public services, the debts, etc. He has to work in a place that does not give him satisfaction, because he can not find another way out.

You spend your life fulfilling the dreams of others, and when you have no life, they replace you in three days. Another takes care of doing what you did. You are not indispensable. It's sad.

Do not wait until it is too late to make our own plans, dreams, dreams or whatever you want to call it come true. It's not easy, I have time trying it myself. But I keep asking myself if I want to live my own dream. That gives me strength and courage enough not to be discouraged.

(Probably the composition seems a little pointless, I hope Goggle translation can interpret what I write, I can read English, but I do not have the fluency to write complex sentences.)

Thank you for the comment, it makes total sense, the translation is good. I am happy you liked the story. We're you able to get Steem Basic Income on Autovote? @Reinaldoverdu may be able to help you if you need it.

Yes, he told me what I should do. I'm following the SteemBasicIncome account on their Steemauto Fanbase, but I have the impression that my vote is not reflected in their post. I have to do it by hand. Also, I have had problems with my Internet connection and it has been difficult for me to investigate in their Discord. I tried to configure your autovote platform, which I saw in one of your posts. But as I say, since the month of June my connection has been failing and the service company has not come to repair the problem. This has meant that I have not been able to interact in Steemit and it makes it difficult for me to find an answer. But I'll solve it.

I take this opportunity to thank you again and a thousand times for your support.

Hugs for you!

Hello, I checked and you upvoted the last 3 steembasicincome posts correctly. They only posted 3 times in the last 7 days, so you upvoted them all correctly. I cannot see your steemauto settings, but either steemauto is working or you are voting manually. I cannot tell, but you are up to date for now. Take care.

I really like how you have gone a different way with this, and in the end she doesn't quit, but instead realises something that had been right in front of her the whole time, it is a good twist. I like how you have explored the effects of the pill, and how they had been used to keep worker sedated and not thinking too much. Nice ending!

Thanks @Calluna for the encouraging comment. Take care. :-)

Hey dear friend, some friends and I are going to do a HUGE contest(100+ SBD in prizes.) A simple contest, do you want to participate? And also can I get you to resteem a post or two maybe? It's to help with the game and getting as many newbies to see it.

Sure, just let me know how I can help. :-)

I would say, first, make sure and play. I'd love to see you there. And secondly, I'm building a post to pre promote the contest. Can you resteem that when I'm through? And also,can yo resteem the actual contest post when it is released in the next couple days? Other then that, not much is needed. And thank you so much. This is going to help so many newbies!

I will definitely do the Resteems, and will play if I have time. Maybe just tag me in so I am sure not to miss it the pre post and post. Thanks!

Oh, brother, this is as far as I know a super easy comment contest. And yes I'll tag you.

I just released the post my dear friend.

Hello, @giddyupngo and @johndoer123. How are you two? Are you talking about SteemMonster? How can I play that game? Can you recommend me a post? I read that I can earn cryptocurrencies. I have never played cards in my life, so I must start by learning the rules. 😀

I have never played either. Here is the website though. https://steemmonsters.com/

Oh! Now, we are two 😀 Well, I visited the web, but I haven't idea how I should play. I will continue looking for the game instructions.

I hope my previous boss don't ever read your ending, or I'm pretty sure he could take ispiration for some of his mental manipulation attempts!
Nice ending!

Yeah, I wonder sometimes if evil dictators don't just read dystopian fiction for ideas. :-)

The miracles of a thinking mind free from drugs! In the end, she didn't need to grab the one year option to change her life. I like it because it's able to break the binary choice structure given by the prompt.

Thanks @f3nix, I really appreciate it.

Like the name Ayla and the spin on business. Hope she gets a pay raise!

Thank you @cyemela, she deserves one for sure. :-)

Wow talk about a jerk of a boss, is it weird that the stolen credit for her work makes me more mad than the drugging? This took a slightly foreign world and made it instantly relate-able, great job!

Yes, thank you, we have all had a bad boss or two, thanks for reading!

You got a plankton sized upvote from @worksinsane because your post appeared in the We Curate quality post search tool. It is a web art thingy thing that searches posts which fulfill predetermined guidelines. Upvoting isn't automated, @worksinsane reads posts before upvoting.

For more information read the introduction post.

Week #19 emerged from the shadows.. good luck, brave storyteller!

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