#employeeverse

There was a thin layer of dust on the desks in the office. No one had bothered cleaning them, not in several years. Not that it mattered since no one was coming here anymore.

597 was standing in the middle of the room, looking at one of the desks. It hadn’t come here in ages either. The office was always empty, everyone having left ages ago, so it had stopped cleaning at some point. It didn’t mind the dust, nor the cracks that were slowly appearing in the tiles on the ground. At least something was changing around there. 597 looked at the computer on the desk. It rarely left its office anymore, except to make sure that everything was still the way it had left it. The date was settled properly – 1st of April – making it pause for a second. It had been an important date, hadn’t it? At least one that people used to celebrate, or even to simply mention. There was something in his mind, something about paper fish hidden in people’s back for some reason, but it couldn’t recall anything more. Maybe it was something it had done in its life, placed fishes on people’s back. On his friends back, when it had any. It took a deep breath. All of that was long gone, if it had even ever existed. There was no point in thinking about it anymore. It wouldn’t bring the memories back, it never did. It wouldn’t bring anything else either, if it was being honest with itself.

Something tightened in its stomach, a way too familiar sensation accompanied by the conviction that it would find paper fish at some point or another in the office. It closed his eyes, holding a tear that was threatening to form, forcing itself to take a deep breath.

****

Perry’s hand was resting on zeir cane. Zey were walking slowly trying to not push too much on zeir legs. Still, zey wouldn’t have traded those walks for anything else. At least here there was grass, and trees and the sky, changing colour with the weather. Everything but being between boring white wall of an office again. Zey took a deep breath, enjoying the cold air filling zeir lungs. At first, zey had thought zey’d get used to it, that zey’d get bored of it again, but it had been years since zey had left and it felt as nice as the first time zey had felt it when escaping and finally feeling the wind on zeir skin again in an eternity.

There was a gently pressure on zeir back, and zey turned around. No one was around, but on zeir coat was a paper fish, hand drawn. It was teal, as zeir hair had been in the past – never again that colour, zey couldn’t stand seing zemselves looking like that in the mirror – and small. It appeared to be smiling, and Perry smiled as well. Probably something a kid had made and placed on zeir back when zey were not looking. Still smiling, zey carefully placed the fish in zeir pocket. Maybe zey’ll place it on the fridge when zey’d come home if zey remembered about it.

****

Amadeo had left the office a long time ago. Months, years, decades, it didn’t matter anymore. Outside of the office wasn’t really a better place to be. Outside was an overstatement as well. Leaving a parable for another on wasn’t what could be called an exist. But they had escaped in a way, reached the place they were supposed to be. Survived, despite everything. And they’ll continue to, no matter what it took. Not that they had any other choice, if they were being honestly to themselves, which they rarely were. They grabbed another bottle of whiskey, adding a bit of their own venom in it – anything to no longer have to think about what happened earlier in the day. Something in their back was itching and they reached out to it. On their sweater was a drawn fish on a piece of paper. One of a small fish, with brown stripes, that was sometimes put in aquariums. Centipede knifefish – another name for the Steatogenys duidae, although less commonly used. One of the rare fish names that they knew.

There was no one near, no one that could have placed the drawing there. And the only person that could have made things appear without them knowing was lost, locked in another universe, out of reach, and unable to send things across dimensions. Amadeo’s hand twitched, crumpling the paper. They didn’t want to think about it. Not after… They placed a hand on their stomach, trying to ignore the lump in their throat. Not after what had happened before they left. The paper flew across the room, falling right next to the bin. Too bad. They’ll threw it properly later on. Or not. It didn’t matter. The whiskey in their mouth was dry, burning, and they allowed themselves to forget.

****

Somewhere, inside a black hole, a drawing of a fish cut out in paper appeared. It had not been there a few minutes ago and if anyone had been there, they could have seeing it materialising out of nowhere. But no one was there. Black holes were lonely entities, meant only for destruction, engulfing everything they came across endlessly. That black hole didn’t make exception to the rule.

The fish was a pretty one, a silver colour that appeared to be glowing despite the paper being only regular paper, almost reminiscent of the moon’s glow when looked upon the right angle. It was outlined in red, a barely perceptible line around the fish, highlighting its beauty. The paper lasted only a few seconds. As soon as it appeared, it was pulled away, elongated and stretched beyond possibility, no longer looking like a fish, no longer even holding together, until it was completely gone. Nothing ever survived in a black hole, not even in this one.

****