Left. Right. Left. Right.
One. Two. Three. Four.
My footsteps crunch on the gravel ground below.
Left. Right.
Watch out for the tree’s shadow.
One. Two.
Wind whistling up the road.
Three. Four.
Baby crying in the house next door.
Construction crews chattering in code.
Car horn blaring.
Engines revving.
Left. Right. Left. Right.
One. Two. Three. Four.
Keys clang and jingle in my hands.
Click. The locks switch on each door. Secured.
Must press button twice. Click.
The sound of switches in the doors.
Left. Right.
Sirens singing off in the distance.
Footsteps approach the entrance. Two sets.
Cold metal door handle. Door swings out.
“Thank you.” Says the woman.
Crunchy footsteps turn to padding against tile.
Door closes softly. It bounces in its resting place a moment before settling.
Left. Right.
Stairs.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine.
Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left.
Turn right to continue up. Remember, start on the right.
Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen. Fifteen. Sixteen. Seventeen. Eighteen. Nineteen.
Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left. Right. Left.
Nineteen is an odd number for stairs.
The door to the office suite – heavy, wood and metal. A push door. Like a large metal button.
Depress the handle. Metal clicks and clacks. Door squeaks open.
Into the office. My fingers plug my ears. Enhanced ringing. Deep swirling like being underwater.
Ear-piercing clang as the door latches shut behind me.
Unplug my ears. World back to normal.
Keyboards typing from the offices within. Supervisor on a Teams call.
I roll out my wheely chair. A squeak when I sit.
Open my laptop. A silent hinge.
Clickety-clackety. Typing away.
Mouse gliding against mouse pad. Higher-pitched clicks.
Scroll wheel scrolling. Lower-pitched, like a plastic gear with a thousand notches.
An office door shuts. Must be an important call.
Clocked in.
Join the orchestra of keyboards and phone calls.
Trade the noise in my head for the comfort of monotony.
The nine-to-five grind. My escape from myself.
Ember Frost Writes 
Leave a comment