No Escape

by Erin 

-5:30 AM

He awoke to the never ending sound of the most irritating noise in the world. The alarm clock. No one liked hearing the alarm clock. For him it was just a reminder. Another day wasted. He threw back the covers and moved his legs over the side of the bed. He pulled himself out of bed stretching turning to look back at the empty bed bitterly. Another morning all alone.

-5:35 AM

He moved into the bathroom, flicking on the light. He looked in the mirror bitterly. Thirty-five years old and he was already going bald. How very sad. He had a pretty nice bald spot in the center of his plain brown hair. It wasn't quit big enough to be unhideable yet thankfully. He wondered if he would be one of those guys that used a comb over for denial or just shaved it all off once it was too far gone. He had crows feet developing at the corners of his eyes and dark circles under his eyes. Aging wrinkles starting to form on his face. He swore he could even see a liver spot through his hairline.

-5:40 AM

He got into the shower after making sure the water was just right. He started washing his hair and scrubbing his body. He looked down at his physique pitifully. His muscle mass from his teenage years was basically gone entirely. He wasn't really fat per say but he definitely had a gut on him. He knew if he wasn't careful he would develop the dreaded 'dun lap'. You know what that is right? Where your belly dun' laps over your belt? He was already getting the ever feared man boobs. When had those shown up?

-6:20 Am

He stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel from the rack. He dried his hair and body wrapping the towel around his waist. As he left the bathroom he took another glance at his empty bed. Thirty-five...and still no one to stare at while he got ready for work. He shook his head and decided to get dressed after he made coffee.

-6:25 AM

He moved into the kitchen and opened the coffee maker, dumping out the grains from yesterdays coffee. He put in exactly a scoop and half of his dark blend. He rinsed the pot out in the sink and filled it with water, using it to fill up the coffee maker. He filled it up, replacing the coffee pot and pushing the button to start the brewing. He opened his freezer, grabbing some toaster scrambles. He pulled four out of the packed and popped them into the toaster, setting it to four so they would be cooked but not crisp. He headed back to the bedroom to get dressed while his coffee and breakfast cooked.

-6:35 AM

He opened his closet, pulling out a navy blue suit with a white, button up undershirt. He opened his drawer pulling out a bland grey tie. One his mother had bought him some years ago. He pulled a pair of white briefs from his drawer, dropping his towel and slipping them on. He grabbed a pair of plain white socks, pulling them on, followed by his pants, and shirt, tucked in of course. He put his tie on, tying it like a robot. He didn't even have to think about it anymore when he did these things, it was just automatic. He pulled on a pair of black, worn out loafers. He grabbed his jacket and went back into the kitchen.

-6:40 AM

He hung his jacket on the back of his chair. He took note that his shirt seemed a little tighter than usual. He was gaining weight again. Wouldn't be long before he had to buy new suits again. He reach up, pushing on the nose piece of his glasses, pushing them back up on his face. They tended to slide down from time to time. He needed to have them refitted to his face again. He poured his coffee, preferring it black. He grabbed a small plate and put his toaster scrambles on it, careful with the hot pastry. He went to the front door, grabbing his paper from the floor in front of the door where it had been slid through the mail slot. He sat at the table, opening the paper and began to read as he sipped his coffee and took bites of his scrambles from time to time. Same old news, same old city. Rape, murder, violence, poverty, always the same.

-7:30 AM

He finally finished his paper and his last scramble. He took a final gulp of his third cup of coffee, placing the empty mug on the counter. He grabbed his jacket and grabbed his keys off the table in front of the front door and headed out the door. His little blue cavalier looked at him sadly. An ordinary car for an ordinary man. He opened the door and got in, starting the engine. As soon as the engine roared to life, after several tries, a country song blared on the radio. Something To Be Proud Of by Montgomery Gentry. Fantastic...

-7:55 AM

He parked in his usual spot in the parking lot and locked his car, grabbing his briefcase and heading inside. He walked up the front steps of the office building and made his way to the elevator. The door opened up to his floor and he turned right as soon as it opened, swiping his badge in the machine. Perfectly on time...as usual.

-8:00 AM

He moved through the maze of cubicles finding his own and sitting down at his desk. He booted up his computer, a Windows 98' dinosaur. It always took the old thing several minutes to boot up completely. He opened his desk and pulled out his list of names and numbers to call as well as the paper work he would need. He pulled exactly three pens from his desk and placed them neatly on his papers. One red, one blue, and one black. In that order. Like always. He got comfortable in his chair, picked up his phone and started dialing. The first person of the day picked up the phone.

“Hello Mrs. Aaron, I'm calling on behalf of Family Pharmaceuticals to tell you about our great new weight loss product. Do you need to lose 20 pounds or more?”

-7:55 PM

He hung up the phone on the last customer of the day. He sighed and stood up, grabbing his jacket from the back of his chair. He moved through the maze of cubicles, stopping to try to chit chat with the bosses secretary for just a moment. A lovely woman blooming in her mid thirties. Age had been kind to her. But as usual the conversation was awkward and fizzled away to strange silence as they waited to clock out. He looked at his watch and swiped his badge, clocking out right on time...as always.

-8:05 PM

He got in his car and started the short drive home. In the Darkness by Christian Kane coming on the radio. Wonderful...

-8:30 PM

He pulled into his driveway and cut off the engine. He got out of the car and headed inside. As always he went into the kitchen, pulling a Hungry Man TV dinner from the freezer and popping it into the microwave. He moved into the living room, flipping on the TV, putting it on the news. Same old news, same old city. Rape, murder, violent, poverty, always the same. He went into the kitchen and pulled his TV dinner from the microwave, pulling the plastic wrapping off of it. He grabbed a fork from the drawer and moved into the living room, grabbing a beer as he passed by the fridge.

-10:00 PM

He shut off the TV, moving to the kitchen to throw away his three beer cans and his empty TV dinner tray. He stretched and yawned moving through the house to his bedroom. He stripped of his clothes, tossing them in the dirty laundry bin. He grabbed a pair of boxers from his dresser and slipped them on. He pulled back the covers from the made bed. It was easy to make when you didn't move while you slept and you slept alone. Just put the covers back in place. He sighed as he climbed into the cold sheets, resting his head on the pillow. He turned his head to look at the empty side of the bed. Another day wasted...another night alone. He closed his eyes, falling asleep.

-5:30 AM

He awoke to the never ending sound of the most irritating noise in the world...the alarm clock. Another reminder...another day wasted.