Boy Black Hair

sketchfab

I'm glad to finally have some time to myself after being cooped up in this small office all day. I feel like a caged animal waiting to be unleashed upon the world outside. The fluorescent lights above my desk seem to hum with an otherworldly energy, casting an eerie glow over everything. I try to shake off the feeling of claustrophobia that's been building up inside me for weeks now, but it's no use. I'm stuck here, day in and day out, staring at these same four walls until my brain turns to mush. The phone on my desk rings incessantly, each jarring sound a reminder that there are people outside who need me to be productive. I pick up the receiver, trying to muster up some enthusiasm for whatever pointless conversation is about to ensue. "Hello?" I say, my voice sounding tired and worn out even to my own ears. "Hey, just checking in on you," my boss's voice says on the other end of the line. "How's it going?" He sounds cheerful, oblivious to the fact that I'm slowly losing my mind. I try to force a smile onto my face as I respond, "Oh, yeah, everything's great. Just peachy." I can almost hear him smiling back at me through the phone. I hang up the receiver and let out a deep sigh. Another day, another dollar, another step closer to losing myself completely in this soul-sucking job. I glance around the office, searching for something - anything - to take my mind off things. That's when I see him: our new intern, Tim. He looks like he just stepped out of a time machine from the 1950s, with his button-down shirt and slicked-back hair. I can almost hear the sound of vinyl records crackling in the background as he tries to fit in. I watch as Tim tries to make small talk with our coworkers, his words falling flat like a lead balloon. He's just so... earnest. So innocent. It's almost enough to make me want to roll my eyes right out of my head. But then I see something that makes my heart skip a beat: he's holding a small notebook and pencil, jotting down notes as he talks. For a moment, I forget all about the drudgery of this job and am transported back to a time when creativity and passion were still alive and well. When ideas flowed like water and dreams were within reach. Tim looks up and catches my eye, his face lighting up with a smile. "Hey, you're new around here, right?" he asks, his voice full of excitement. I nod, feeling a spark of hope ignite within me. Maybe, just maybe, this intern thing is exactly what I need to shake things up around here.