Entry 3:
I approached the front of the super-market, the night was dim and the sun was just about to disappear over the horizon. Flickering blue and cyan neon lights shined above as the slow hum of the electric motors filled my ears with a familiar sound of lost dignity. I scratched at my tight green vest and checked my name tag, “cashier” with “Marcus Mendor” written in poor handwritten pencil under it. I hate this place, I hate the outside, I hate the inside, I hate the customers, but mostly I hate Darly.
So I reluctantly went in and took my post, Paulie was working an early shift, so he only needed to work for 2 hours, I'd enter before him and leave after him. I stood there, eyes fixed on the many goods that my customers gave me, grabbing each item and scanning it, calculating the amount and change required, then moving to the next customer. Wait, grab, scan, calculate, wait, grab, scan, calculate, wait, grab, scan, calculate. This over and over and over again, constantly, without rest or break. The worst part being the items they hand me, a golden plush toy, worth 84 credits, a small fitness watcher, 164 credits, a foot massager, 93 credits. These people are spending money on these things because they can and yet they still continue to complain on their sleek cell phones about how they are not well off and are so bad because they had to buy the silver ring instead of the gold one. These people make me angry, very angry sometimes, but I'm a man of self control, I know how to keep my cool.
2 hours in, one hour until Paulie arrives, I was hoping I could hold this off but of course Darly would eventually find me. Scanning each item I slip, not a total slip, just a small one but I knocked a piece of chewing gum, still in the packet, on the floor. Like a startled deer his head pops up, his dark gray face squinting to find the source of the noise, Darly finds his target and closes in like a hawk.
“Well, Marcus, look where we are again,” he snarled at me, breathing down my neck.
“Sorry, sir, It was just a mistake, it should be fine, it was still in the packet” I quickly stuttered in desperation picking up the chewing gum.
“It was still in the packet? I guess you don't know how germs work then do you Marcus, for a university student I picked you as smarter than that. See, the germs of the floor go onto the chewing gum packet and when the customer touches the chewing gum packet, they get the germs on there fingers and then the customer touches the chewing gum, puts it in their mouth and they ingest the germs. They get sick, we get sued,” He smugly stated, then looking at the ground, with such condescension, “And look at the floor of your place, it's filthy, you've been shedding everywhere just like the filthy fox you are. So you know what? I think this could be a good lesson for you, about keeping your work station clean. So you're gonna pay for that gum yourself and anything you drop, you're gonna pay for. I want you to also clean your work station by tonight, if you don't, then I'll have you cleaning everyone's work station, or you'll be fired. So tell me, little fox, what is it going to be?”
My paws clenched up into fists, I breathed harder and harder, every ounce of restraint I had was fighting against my urge to say something. For only a piece of gum, giving me that crap, it's just not fair! Someone like him shouldn't be in charge, he should be locked away in a prison or locked away somewhere, somewhere where I couldn't see him. But I need this job, I need the money, so I did what is always hardest to do, I swallowed my pride and simply looked at him and said, “yes sir...”. The words seem disgusting, pitiful and pathetic but it is something I had to say, something I had to do. I hate this place, I hate this job and I most certainly hate this man, damn Darly.
By the time work finished I had enough, I just wanted to go home and clean up my apartment and take my mind off the entire day, but Paulie reminded me constantly and consistently, to meet him at the Zenny Gale so I couldn't use the “I forgot” excuse on him, I had to go. Well, I was at least happy to walk out of there and finally leave that god forsaken place.
I walked down the street, to the Zenny Gale, when I heard some noises, rustling, screaming, fighting even. I crept through the small maze of alleys that blocked my path in order to find the source of this commotion. There I saw it, one slim black cat sitting on the ground with watery eyes and four large white dogs standing above him. This cannot be good...