Chris walked alone down a small path, he could see units ahead of him as he came closer to the compound. The trip at least was over for this week. They had stayed in a grim hotel on the 2nd floor, his Brother had disappeared again, he always did.
Chris was always guarded about his possessions in the compound, this thought was loosely vibrating throughout his head, when suddenly he was faced with a unit, blocking his pathway and preventing him from any further movement. Chris went to defend himself automatically, recalling the time he'd been jumped by the group of units who took all his possessions and fled away into the distant night. Such was the constant underlying terror that hide dormant, ready at any time to unleash itself across the compound and it's inhabitants.
In this case, it wasn't hostile and Chris relaxed slightly, still remaining partly on guard. Chris looked at the unit, then looked around, all the other units that had a moment ago been sighted ahead had now departed.
'Did you enjoy your trip?' asked the unit
'No, not really.' Replied Chris
'Well never mind, they'll be another one next week.'
Chris remained silent
'You know why your here, don't you?' the unit enquired
Chris thought for a moment ' Well, to be honest, no not really.....'
after a short pause Chris started up again ' I don't know, I think I'm either dead or I'm dreaming.'
'Well your not dead.' confirmed the unit
'Are you sure?'
'Yes'
'So I'm dreaming then.....?'
'Yes'
'I knew it.....that's what I thought.' said Chris sounding relieved. He looked down for a second and smiled, then looked up at the unit........
'Wait a minute, how do you know exactly? And anyway, this all seems far to real to just be a dream, I mean...... I know the difference, you can tell, you know.......'
And with that, the unit was gone, just as quick as he'd first appeared.
Chris was still not convinced with the unit's reassurance that he was still alive.
Meanwhile back in the compound, it was going out night, on this particular evening random units would meet up and then drift away usually separately back to the rest quarters. Often randomly choosing a place amongst the rest rooms to settle. Chris headed for his usual bed, not a single unit was present at this time.
Some time later.............
Chris found himself in the bathroom, looking out towards a courtyard, it was school time in the compound, and as he watched, units filled the wood work class one by one. He had a strong feeling that he was also due to attend the same lesson, but as he left the washrooms, he turned away from the class and made for the common, which was situated all around. To the left of the class was the pack house he'd passed by recently. He thought he would walk for a while and try to find another unit to talk to. Communication was sparse in the compound, and sporadic to say the least, even at the best of times. Chris searched for what seemed like an eternity to him, eventually finding a lone unit, a female. She was located in the house quarters, which was very close to the rest area. In the house quarters the curtains were always drawn, and it always seemed to be 06.00am in the morning, the lights were on, as they always were.
Chris walked into the room, as he did this the female unit packed bags full of clothes and emptied out her drawers. She had filled several suitcases by now, and as Chris entered, her packing was coming to an end.
'Where are you going?' asked Chris
After drawing a huge sigh and placing her hands on her thighs, she replied....
'Nowhere.'
'But what about all your bags, all the packing?'
'I can't leave here.....' she replied
'How do you mean?'
'Everyday I do this, everyday I pack these bags, the same bags......then I go to the bus, I get on the bus, and soon after I'm back here again.' The female unit stood and looked at her bags placing a hand leaning on the handle of the largest case.
'For how long?' asked Chris
'I don't know........a long time.'
Chris looked at her, she was pretty, but looked tired and very skinny, her collar bones stood out and moved together as she spoke softly to him. She appeared quite young too he thought, certainly younger than he was. He looked over at her bags.
'I was told that I'm in a dream.....' he said.
The female unit looked up at him sharply and replied,
'This isn't a dream we're in....'
Chris looked her in the eye,
'Are you sure, how do you know?'
'I know only too well.' she replied
Chris moved around on the spot, suddenly feeling a shooting pain dart right across his stomach. The serious expression on her face when she spoke those words had sent a chill down his spine. He glanced round to look at her bags.
'Well, then why are we here, what for, do you know?' he asked.
The unit picked up her belongings one by one, throwing a bag over her right shoulder, that nearly knocked her sideways. She turned to face him.
'Yes I do..........give me a hand on to the bus and I'll tell you.'
Chris nodded his head, and moved towards her, shortly they left together, for the bus, which was situated a short walk outside the house quarters.
As they leave, the unit who had spoken to Chris earlier, stood back, carefully out of view, watching the pair of them board the bus.
Friday 14 May 2010
The unknown placement.
Chris looked on into the vast void of indescribable nothingness.
Another unit approached him from his blind side.
'And you thought living was bad' communicated the passing unit
'I did actually' Replied Chris
'Well, you might just be dreaming' and with that the unit was gone.
And that was the whole point, how could he tell.
Chris walked along through the gloom, and found the place he'd been dreaming about for so long.
He tried to remember what it felt like to dream this state he was now in, and if he was indeed still in deep slumber.
He looked toward the compound, it was set exactly as he had remembered it. He was now facing a ramp head on, other units were moving back and forth, right in front of his eyes. Some were women, and one short blonde women seemed to be leading the others. They were busy, but they seemed to be rushing to do nothing at all. Chris watched for a while to satisfy this observation. He looked to see if he could recognize any of the workers, but could not see their faces properly. There was much movement within the team, which lead to no obvious results.
There was very little, if any noise coming from the compound, this struck him as normal for some reason.
Suddenly the unit leader shouted to him 'Have you found it yet?'
Chris unable to offer a reply, looked at her briefly and then followed the ramp across to the living quarters.
'We've been looking for too long now, we need to get back to work soon.....' The unit leader shouted after him, but Chris had already gone.
Walking around the living area, he could recall straight away, where he was to retire, it all looked the same, but felt different this time, like a dream never feels completely real, this felt as real as it possibly could. He touched the wall for a second, it was stone cold. The area was empty, it comprised of a huge space divided into rooms, with many beds layed out per room. There was no visible order to anything that stood here. He remembered that sometimes units would often swap places, nothing would ever stay the same for too long. Units would come and go, he would get to know them, then never see them again. Once a women turned up by his quarters to stay, asking if he had any cigarettes spare, he did and she arrived some time later, baring a large blue suitcase on wheels. Then she vanished without a trace and he couldn't remember anything more about her. He now had no cigarettes.
Chris followed steps leading to another ward of rest rooms, for some reason it was here that felt most familiar to him. He sat down and closed his eyes. As he did so he thought to himself that the compound seemed to be spotless, not a single spec of dust could be found anywhere.
Just then he heard another unit come through the landing door, left ajar by Chris, it was his Brother. Standing tall and silent, dressed in nothing but white, as he always did, Larry entered the room. Not a word was spoken, but Chris knew precisely what was to come next........................
Chris sensed the uneasy feeling that always hung heavy over the compound, but like always, he was now ready for the trip. He felt somehow that the air of horror that surrounded would soon follow him, and with that Chris was gone.
Another unit approached him from his blind side.
'And you thought living was bad' communicated the passing unit
'I did actually' Replied Chris
'Well, you might just be dreaming' and with that the unit was gone.
And that was the whole point, how could he tell.
Chris walked along through the gloom, and found the place he'd been dreaming about for so long.
He tried to remember what it felt like to dream this state he was now in, and if he was indeed still in deep slumber.
He looked toward the compound, it was set exactly as he had remembered it. He was now facing a ramp head on, other units were moving back and forth, right in front of his eyes. Some were women, and one short blonde women seemed to be leading the others. They were busy, but they seemed to be rushing to do nothing at all. Chris watched for a while to satisfy this observation. He looked to see if he could recognize any of the workers, but could not see their faces properly. There was much movement within the team, which lead to no obvious results.
There was very little, if any noise coming from the compound, this struck him as normal for some reason.
Suddenly the unit leader shouted to him 'Have you found it yet?'
Chris unable to offer a reply, looked at her briefly and then followed the ramp across to the living quarters.
'We've been looking for too long now, we need to get back to work soon.....' The unit leader shouted after him, but Chris had already gone.
Walking around the living area, he could recall straight away, where he was to retire, it all looked the same, but felt different this time, like a dream never feels completely real, this felt as real as it possibly could. He touched the wall for a second, it was stone cold. The area was empty, it comprised of a huge space divided into rooms, with many beds layed out per room. There was no visible order to anything that stood here. He remembered that sometimes units would often swap places, nothing would ever stay the same for too long. Units would come and go, he would get to know them, then never see them again. Once a women turned up by his quarters to stay, asking if he had any cigarettes spare, he did and she arrived some time later, baring a large blue suitcase on wheels. Then she vanished without a trace and he couldn't remember anything more about her. He now had no cigarettes.
Chris followed steps leading to another ward of rest rooms, for some reason it was here that felt most familiar to him. He sat down and closed his eyes. As he did so he thought to himself that the compound seemed to be spotless, not a single spec of dust could be found anywhere.
Just then he heard another unit come through the landing door, left ajar by Chris, it was his Brother. Standing tall and silent, dressed in nothing but white, as he always did, Larry entered the room. Not a word was spoken, but Chris knew precisely what was to come next........................
Chris sensed the uneasy feeling that always hung heavy over the compound, but like always, he was now ready for the trip. He felt somehow that the air of horror that surrounded would soon follow him, and with that Chris was gone.
Tuesday 4 May 2010
Cash
It's after midnight at Visa International's offices in London, Steve a middle aged man, the night security officer sits on the reception, to his right are locked glass entrance doors. It's quiet now and Steve sits head in hands watching the wide screen tv in front of him, suddenly a man appears at the glass doors with a package in his hands, he's a courier decked out in UPS uniform and a handheld electronic signing device in his hand. Steve see's him and releases the doors.
The man put's on a black balaclava and removes a bag from his back pocket and walks quickley over to the reception.
Man 'I've got a gun, it's loaded, take me to the money....'
Steve looks at him not saying a word, the bag and object inside it now being pointed in his face.
Man 'Come on man, did you hear me?'
Steve 'Yes I heard you'
Man 'Well what you waitin for?'
slight pause and silence as both men look at each other the man standing over Steve
Man 'Don't play with me bruv, I'm not afraid to use this either you know....it's loaded I told you....'
Steve ' Well go on then....'
Man 'What'
Steve 'Well go on, if your gonna shoot me, then just do it and get it over and done with...'
Man scratches his head getting agitated.
Steve 'Look, I've just had the shift from hell ok, on top of that I'm heavily in debt, plus my whole life is in a mess, I got divorced last year, I left my travel card at home, it's fucking raining outside and holiday request has just been turned down......so I don't give a shit right now and like I say, if your gonna do it, let's go'
Man 'Look I want the money, that's why I came here, just take me to where the money is, right then I'm gone, that's it, you get me...'
Steve ' What money?'
Man 'Look I'm getting tired of this bro, you know what I'm saying, just give me the money, or your gonna get it I swear...'
Steve ' There is no money here, what money are you talking about?'
Man ' Don't get funny with me man, I swear down, this is Visa...'
Steve ' Yes but they don't have cash here, it's not a bank, it's electronic, cards, chips you know'
Man 'They must have some dough here'
Steve ' No they have no money here, I told you, it's a corporate office, what do you want....? Look, take it have my money, go on...'
coins are tossed out on to reception
Man 'What's this.. Well how much you got?'
Steve ' That's it, that's all I have...'
Man scratches his head again 'No man, I don't want your money, I'm at Visa credit card, you get me, I want Visa's notes not yours, put it away man'
Steve puts the money back in his pocket
Man ' Trust me to get some sick brea, right last chance ok, take me to the where the money is, or you get it, don't play with me.......'
Steve 'Your not gonna shoot me'
Man 'Look, I've got my boys outside right, one word from me and they'll be here so stop messin'...'
Steve glances at the camera 'I can't see anyone'
Man 'Why aren't you doin' what I say'
Steve ' Cause that's not a gun in that bag, is it? It's that stupid handheld devise you had outside, I saw you with it, and anyway when have you ever seen a gun shaped like that, I can see it through the bag.....'
silence as the man thinks
Steve ' It's not a gun is it?
Steve then starts pulling at the bag to reveal the handheld gadget
Man 'Come on man'
Steve 'See I knew it, now what you gonna do? and just take off that balaclava, at least let me see who I'm wasting all this time with.'
Man slowly takes off the hat
Steve 'Why are you doing this, why are you here, bothering me, with all this (looks at the hat and devise)
Man ' I need the money man, kids at home you know how it is, Visa took my cash bruv you know what I'm sayin'
Steve 'Do you work?'
Man 'Na, come on man, there's nothing out there, I've tried boy........your lucky, you know that?'
Steve 'Have you even looked?'
Man 'Yeah I've looked, I check every single day, then you never here nothing back anyway....'
Steve 'Where did you get the uniform from then?'
Man 'It's a friend's I borrowed it, especially'
Steve ' Can't you work for UPS? I mean you've got most of the equipment already....'
Man 'No, I checked'
slight pause
Steve ' Look, there's a job going upstairs, it's nothing much, you know up in the staff canteen, the managers a friend of mine, I know he's still looking........so are you interested?'
slight pause as the man thinks
Man 'Yeah...'
Steve ' Ok, just get here tomorrow in the afternoon to see him, say around 3, I'll give him a call, let him know your coming.....'
Man 'Ok, tomorrow...........................but why would you do this anyway? You know after, all this?'
Steve '.....I don't know, you need a job...?'
Man 'Yeah'
Steve ' what's your name anyway...?'
Man ' Ashley'
Steve 'Alright then Ashley, just write your number on here, the guy's name is Donis'
Man 'ok........ what about the cameras?'
Steve ' Don't worry, I'll sort it.......just be here tomorrow'
Man nods
The two men shake hands, then Ashley picks up his things and leaves, looking back at Steve before he closes the reception door.
Steve shakes his head and laughs softly to himself, he then glances over to a pile of newspapers stacked up concealing the laptop he'd only an hour earlier, stolen from upstairs.
END
The man put's on a black balaclava and removes a bag from his back pocket and walks quickley over to the reception.
Man 'I've got a gun, it's loaded, take me to the money....'
Steve looks at him not saying a word, the bag and object inside it now being pointed in his face.
Man 'Come on man, did you hear me?'
Steve 'Yes I heard you'
Man 'Well what you waitin for?'
slight pause and silence as both men look at each other the man standing over Steve
Man 'Don't play with me bruv, I'm not afraid to use this either you know....it's loaded I told you....'
Steve ' Well go on then....'
Man 'What'
Steve 'Well go on, if your gonna shoot me, then just do it and get it over and done with...'
Man scratches his head getting agitated.
Steve 'Look, I've just had the shift from hell ok, on top of that I'm heavily in debt, plus my whole life is in a mess, I got divorced last year, I left my travel card at home, it's fucking raining outside and holiday request has just been turned down......so I don't give a shit right now and like I say, if your gonna do it, let's go'
Man 'Look I want the money, that's why I came here, just take me to where the money is, right then I'm gone, that's it, you get me...'
Steve ' What money?'
Man 'Look I'm getting tired of this bro, you know what I'm saying, just give me the money, or your gonna get it I swear...'
Steve ' There is no money here, what money are you talking about?'
Man ' Don't get funny with me man, I swear down, this is Visa...'
Steve ' Yes but they don't have cash here, it's not a bank, it's electronic, cards, chips you know'
Man 'They must have some dough here'
Steve ' No they have no money here, I told you, it's a corporate office, what do you want....? Look, take it have my money, go on...'
coins are tossed out on to reception
Man 'What's this.. Well how much you got?'
Steve ' That's it, that's all I have...'
Man scratches his head again 'No man, I don't want your money, I'm at Visa credit card, you get me, I want Visa's notes not yours, put it away man'
Steve puts the money back in his pocket
Man ' Trust me to get some sick brea, right last chance ok, take me to the where the money is, or you get it, don't play with me.......'
Steve 'Your not gonna shoot me'
Man 'Look, I've got my boys outside right, one word from me and they'll be here so stop messin'...'
Steve glances at the camera 'I can't see anyone'
Man 'Why aren't you doin' what I say'
Steve ' Cause that's not a gun in that bag, is it? It's that stupid handheld devise you had outside, I saw you with it, and anyway when have you ever seen a gun shaped like that, I can see it through the bag.....'
silence as the man thinks
Steve ' It's not a gun is it?
Steve then starts pulling at the bag to reveal the handheld gadget
Man 'Come on man'
Steve 'See I knew it, now what you gonna do? and just take off that balaclava, at least let me see who I'm wasting all this time with.'
Man slowly takes off the hat
Steve 'Why are you doing this, why are you here, bothering me, with all this (looks at the hat and devise)
Man ' I need the money man, kids at home you know how it is, Visa took my cash bruv you know what I'm sayin'
Steve 'Do you work?'
Man 'Na, come on man, there's nothing out there, I've tried boy........your lucky, you know that?'
Steve 'Have you even looked?'
Man 'Yeah I've looked, I check every single day, then you never here nothing back anyway....'
Steve 'Where did you get the uniform from then?'
Man 'It's a friend's I borrowed it, especially'
Steve ' Can't you work for UPS? I mean you've got most of the equipment already....'
Man 'No, I checked'
slight pause
Steve ' Look, there's a job going upstairs, it's nothing much, you know up in the staff canteen, the managers a friend of mine, I know he's still looking........so are you interested?'
slight pause as the man thinks
Man 'Yeah...'
Steve ' Ok, just get here tomorrow in the afternoon to see him, say around 3, I'll give him a call, let him know your coming.....'
Man 'Ok, tomorrow...........................but why would you do this anyway? You know after, all this?'
Steve '.....I don't know, you need a job...?'
Man 'Yeah'
Steve ' what's your name anyway...?'
Man ' Ashley'
Steve 'Alright then Ashley, just write your number on here, the guy's name is Donis'
Man 'ok........ what about the cameras?'
Steve ' Don't worry, I'll sort it.......just be here tomorrow'
Man nods
The two men shake hands, then Ashley picks up his things and leaves, looking back at Steve before he closes the reception door.
Steve shakes his head and laughs softly to himself, he then glances over to a pile of newspapers stacked up concealing the laptop he'd only an hour earlier, stolen from upstairs.
END
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