Micro Workplace Fatality: Bus Driver
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“Want a smoke?” Asked Debbie, offering the pack of cigarettes forward, her eyes locked on the newcomer. A young man with ginger hair, green eyes and many freckles across his face. “Ah, no thank you!” Rowan replied and Debbie retracted her hand, placing it back into her pocket. “Well, more to me.” She laughed, her voice hoarse, probably from years of smoking.
As the two talked, Debbie congratulating him on his new job, another coworker joined them. Short wavy black hair, styled with a bob haircut, and hazel eyes. It was clear from her uncombed hair and wrinkle black coveralls that she did not care much about appearances. At least, not when it came to her job. “You really shouldn’t be smoking at your age, Debbie.”
A snort came from the older woman, a sight that was rare among their community, although if anyone could make it into old age, it would certainly be a bus driver. “I made it this far in a world dominated by men and women twenty times my size, I ain’t dying of a smoke.” She joked, checking the clock. 5 more minutes before work truly began.
“And you’re the new guy?” Lisa changed her gaze. “Congratulations. It’s not everyday you see a new bus driver. Very sought after job.” She smiled, and the other guy followed suit. “I know right! I guess I was really lucky!”
Out of the few jobs people their size could get, bus drivers was by far one with the fewest fatalities. Very little risk was faced driving from Point A to Point B. Giants couldn’t fit in the tunnels to begin with, so it’s not like they had to worry about them, which were responsible for most of the casualties. And the most danger she ever heard of was an ant sneaking into the tube. All she knows is it was dealt with, although Debbie seems to change the how everytime the story is told.
Lisa punched in one minute before it was time to begin, and the half-circle door opened to let them in. Within less than 2 minutes, it would close, to prevent any insects to follow after them. The trio walked in, ready to drive people that would soon arrive from a different entrance. Lisa stretched, she just had to get through this. Just like last time.
It had been thirty years since the first underground bus system was built. It was small, covering less than one tenth of the city. Since then, there has barely been any work on it. Once in a while, when politicians have to pretend to care, they throw in some work. Lisa, Debbie and Rowan worked in the 3rd underground bus system. In theory, they would build 6 of them before connecting them all to form a unified pathway for all. Maybe in another 30 years.
Besides, not everyone could afford the bus to begin with. Certainly not a maid, for example. Having an additional charge everyday to get to work was a luxury only the minority of tinies could afford. That’s why there were only 3 bus drivers in the 3rd underground bus system. Each of them with one path and a selected number of passengers.
In fact, the buses themselves only had 12 seats. Well, 13, with the driver. They used to be bigger, but when so few used the buses to begin with, they made them smaller. Lisa wasn’t sure why, but she knew it wasn’t her place to ask.
Her place was to drive the bus. So when the passengers began to enter through a different door (albeit similar-shaped to theirs), she opened the bus and waited for the people in her line to go in. Each of them swiping their card against the reader, a beep noise proving they all had permission to enter.
Only 4. A man carrying an instrument, a young woman with red hair styled in pig-tails, and two men in suits. The last two she knew worked for the same place. Businessmen. She couldn’t tell if they were actually rich, but they looked better than any tiny she knew. After a few seconds, it was time to go. She closed the doors and began to drive the bus. So did the other two. Albeit together for now, it didn’t take long for them to go their separate ways. Debbie first. Rowan drove a couple of minutes together before separating too. Then, it was just her and the passengers.
The road was quiet. Although sometimes there was the odd noise of another tube carrying something, there were only 3 drivers in this system and they were all in their separate ways. The noise from the outside was muffled enough that it allowed Lisa a moment of respite from the world. Only the bus own’s noise, and sometimes the occasional splash of the tires going over some water that entered the tube some time ago.
The tunnel was lit with cheap lamps that barely shined enough to keep the whole place lit, some darkness between each lamp. Some flickered, and others were just broken, but the city definitely didn’t send money to have them fixed, and Lisa knew the path well enough that she didn’t really need them - specially when most of the path was just straight. Debbie had the worst, with many curves.
As she drove, the first stop was already in sight. “Fletcher Avenue.” She called, slowing the bus. The guy with the instrument held it close and prepared to stand up. Once the bus came to a halt, she opened the doors. He bid goodbye. A tired smile on his face. Each stop was akin to the entrance. A pathway that moved upwards, then ending with a semi-circle shaped metal door. He pressed the button near it to open it.
Lisa, watching the interaction, saw a glimpse of the outside. The noise of the wind managed to reach even her ears. She couldn’t quite see the sky, but from the looks of it, it seemed like the weather wasn’t pretty up there. Unlike the entrance for the bus driver and the passengers, the stops mostly lead to the outside. Well, it led to a little bus stop in an alley where only they (and some insects) could fit. Then it was their responsibility to reach their destination.
The door closed. So she closed the bus’ door and continued driving. A simple day so far.
Rowan’s first stop was some minutes later. “Thanks for using our service!” He smiled, eager and excited for his job. The woman smiled awkwardly, nodded and left. She walked the upwards path to the door and pressed the button. But unbeknown to them, the weather, which was already bad minutes before, had taken a turn for the worst. Once the door opened, water came pouring in. The lady was surprised and almost lost her footing, but managed to slim herself against the wall. The button was on the left of the door, and due to the path, it only went downwards and not to the side, where she stood.
“Oh gosh!” He said surprised, but then calmed down. “D-Don’t worry! The door will close by itself. You can stay there until it gets better or you can come back inside.” Well, they weren’t supposed to take people back unless they paid. But Rowan wasn’t a fan of letting her wait by herself like that. Maybe he could drop her off back home if she wanted…
“I’ll stay.” She said. Water continues to fill in the path. Rowan could go…but he decided to wait. He wanted to see the door close, just to reassure himself. When they started to close, he sighed in relief. But something surprised him. A stray piece of trash, following the rain current, managed to come just when the door was closing. SNICKERS. The logo of the plastic wrap said. Only a tiny bit of the candy inside, which was just strong enough to stop the door from closing completely. And because of that, water continued to pour in.
“Uh…M-Ma’am, maybe you could dislodge it?” He said. The woman hesitated, but decided it would be best to try. However, when she stepped outside her safe zone, the pathway worked just like a water slide, and she fell forward, then slid downwards.
The water continued to come in, and Rowan noticed it was actually pouring more and more. The rain was getting worse. He let the woman inside. “Anyone want to give it a go?” He asked, nobody said anything. He closed the door and began to drive off. “Ok…Ok…think…the next stop?”
But it would only lead to the rain outside too…well, except the entrance. “Ok everyone, we’re going back home. S-Sorry for the money you paid, but I don’t t-think it’s safe anywhere else.” There were no complaints.
Lisa continued her route. Soon she could drop the two businessmen at their destination…which she would have…had she not noticed water forwards. She halted the bus. “Ugh…what?” This piqued everyone’s interest. The red-haired woman was the first to break the silence. “Uhm…like, that’s not normal, right?” Lisa shook her head. “Wait…shit, I think it’s coming closer? Fuck, is there a leak?”
The tunnel wasn’t big enough to allow her to do a U-turn. She’d have to take the long way around, passing through the water, and drive in a big circle to go back. “Shit…ok, everyone, hold onto your seats, I’m driving faster than I’m allowed to.” There was no time to waste.
She drove through the water, and looked left, where more was coming. She couldn’t see where it came from…which meant there was enough water that it reached her from a far away place. “It’s no big deal, it’s just puddle-level right now…” She murmured to herself. But wasn’t sure what to think. As she drove forward, she took the first right…then the first right…then another right.
Soon, she was heading back towards the way she came, albeit in a different part of the tunnel…but as she came close to where she first spotted the water, it was much more flooded. “Ok, I’m not sure what is happening, but we’re going back…”
But as time went on, she realized she would probably not make it in time. The water level was increasing, which meant it had reached every inch of the system and was now rising upwards. The entrance was still far and she wasn’t sure they could make it. “Eventually the water will rise enough that the tires will float…the bus won’t connect to the floor…and then I can’t drive it…” She murmured once more, as if trying to think of a way out. She couldn’t outrun the water back to the entrance…
And then, a memory resurfaced. Three months ago, when she was the newbie, she remembered something that stood out to her. There was a stop that didn’t lead outside. She even commented with Debbie, who had informed her it was a building mistake. It actually led to some guy’s apartment. So that door was off-limits and nobody was allowed to go there, otherwise the guy could sue the city, and they would definitely get replaced for bringing that to light.
“Ok, everyone. I don’t think we’ll reach the entrance back on time.”
“What?” Yelled the red-haired girl. “Are we going to die?”
One of the businessmen spoke up. “Maybe the windows will hold? We’ll just wait until rescue?”
Lisa shook her head. “These cheap pieces of shit? You know the government didn’t spend any more than they needed. We’re on the lowest of the lowest of priorities. Look- there’s a place we can go. I’ll drive there. Just wanted to say so nobody freak out. But I think it’s our only chance.”
“But I-” She didn’t even pay attention to who was talking. “No buts. I don’t wanna die, nobody here wants to die. This is our only chance. You don’t believe me, then get out and do it quickly.” Nobody spoke up. “Good.”
The water was big enough that if she opened the doors, it would also spill inside the bus. But luckily for everyone within her bus, she could see the place. Or well, she was pretty sure it was the place. “Ok, so no pressure.” She said, driving towards the stop. The bus forced the water to splash against both sides of the tunnel as it made its way. “But who’s getting outside to press the button? Can’t be me, because I gotta drive this thing.”
After some moment of silence, one of the businessmen agreed to. He was slightly balding, and clearly the person with the most endurance among them. Lisa nodded, opening the door. Some water got in the steps, but not enough to start flooding the bus too. He jumped outside and Lisa closed the doors.
Everyone watched him. He walked at first, but then started swimming. He wasn’t fast, but nobody could ask for much since they were all in the bus too. When he made it to the ramp, it was much simpler, since the water wasn’t high enough to flood it entirely (or they would already be stuck, floating). He pressed the button and the door started to open. Luckily for everyone, Lisa was right. This was the guy’s apartment.
“So do we get off?” Asked the red-haired lady. “Huh? Oh, yes. Seems like it’s safe if he did it.” She was about to open the door, when she heard a loud splash noise coming her way. She looked back…another bus? She couldn’t quite discern who it was…but it didn’t seem to want to stop at all.
“Nevermind, we’re going full force.” She started the engine. The guy who opened the button got the idea and entered the apartment, moving away from the door. Then, starting to get speed, she started to move forward. The other bus behind her was getting faster and faster too. Lisa pressed the gas pedal and before the door could close by itself, rode the bus through the pathway and into the guy’s apartment. Then, she felt something rattle against her bus. Seemed like the other bus just hit hers too.
She sighed a sigh of relief. “W-” But it didn’t last long, as she noticed they were heading into some sort of other…another tunnel? But this one had a big entrance. She started the pedal to stop…but she was still being forced forward by the bus behind her. It was only after a while that both of them managed to cease moving.
She instantly opened the door and jumped out. Sweat all over her face. “Holy shit, we did it…although I’m not quite sure where we are…” Seemed like they passed through the only entrance, since light only came that way. But the smell was almost intoxicating. Like barbecue sauce.
As the other door opened, she saw none other than Debbie, panting. Debbie looked even more exhausted than she did. “It’s a… “ She paused to breathe. “A plastic bag thingie.” She said, having to catch her breath once again.
As Lisa’s passengers came out, so did Debbie’s. But only a woman came out, with blonde hair reaching her waist. “I didn’t think we’d make it.” Said the woman. “I was already making peace…” Debbie laughed. “I made it this far in a world dominated by men and women twenty times my size, I ain’t dying to water.”
Lisa laughed, not of joy, but forced out of stress and adrenaline. Somehow, even in this situation, Debbie was still crackling her jokes. “Do you think Rowan made it?” She asks Debbie in the darkly lit plastic bag. Debbie took a deep breath, her eyes returned to the metal door where they escaped, closing by itself. “Hope so, because I think it’s already too late for anyone left inside.” Lisa took a deep sigh. It wasn’t her problem…she just had to focus on getting out of here. Although… “How do you think the water got in?” Debbie hesitated to answer. “I don’t know…but I’m pretty sure it came from Rowan’s area-”
“Hey, like, shouldn’t we get out of here?” The red-haired woman spoke up. “Thanks for saving us, like, really. But I don’t think we’re totally on the clear.” She said, picking something from the floor. The darkness made it hard to see, but as she approached the group, it became clear. It was a crumb, yellowish. “I think we’re in a potato chips bag.” You could feel tension build up in the air. “Wait, do you think we’re getting eaten?” Asked the businessman that stayed within the bus. He was much younger than his coworker. The blonde lady from Debbie’s bus disagreed. “I don’t think so. It was on the floor, right? So whichever giant had it, it’s already done with it. Might as well as take this opportunity to take some from myself.”
Lisa looked at her surprised. “What?” She raised an eyebrow, and the blonde lady shrugged. “Food isn’t free. I’m sure the Micro Labour Union will make sure my pay isn’t docked from missing work due to flooding, but I still paid for the bus. I’m getting something out of this.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Asked Debbie, but Lisa just looked at her and shook her head. “Leave it, it’s not our problem if she wants to hang out here. Let 's just get out.” Debbie seems reluctant to leave her, but the businessman spoke up. “I’ll stay with her, you girls go ahead.”
The red haired woman spoke up. “Shouldn’t we, like, use the buses?” Debbie looked at the remnants of the crash. Both looked like they’d fall apart. “They don’t make those things to last.” She answered. “Even if we can make that thing work, it’s not meant to walk across tiles and carpets. I think we should just walk.” Following her direction, they left the other two behind.
-
It didn’t take long for the trio of women to reach the entrance - Debbie, Lisa and the red-haired woman. And when they did, the balding businessman, who opened the door for them, also reached the entrance as well. He looked confused. “I called the MCU-” He meant the Micro Labour Union “-So help should arrive…Wait, where’s Keith?”
Lisa spoke up. “If he’s your coworker, then he’s still inside. Either helping a lady or helping himself to some food. B-” But before she could continue, he just started running inside as well. “Ok, thanks.” Lisa looked over her shoulder in disbelief. “Ok! Who cares if you’re running into danger? I don’t!” She yelled back, but it warranted no response.
“Oh hush. If he wants to save his friend, let them. It’s not like there’s any danger.” Lisa rubbed her left temple. “No danger yet. We’re in a human apartment. The chips looked stale, but not rotten. He’s bound to come back! And I did let him go. See?” She motioned to his form, disappearing into the darkness. "He 's going!”
“Geez, stop fighting you two. We just gotta wait for the Bureau, right?” Debbie looked down. “I don’t think they’re coming…we weren’t supposed to come here in the first place…” The lady’s eyes went wide. “Seriously? Fuck, hate being a tiny. So they don’t wanna warn the giant?” Debbie sighed. “If we make it out we’ll probably be given hush money. And if you speak, well…I won’t advise that. Our world? Pfftch. But if it’s the giant’s word? That’s a whole other th-”.
A loud, thumping sound echoed through the room. Debbie stopped speaking in surprise, but nobody was actually expecting it. Although the sound itself was known in every tiny’s soul: the giant they were discussing was approaching. With the sound of the door being unlocked, the apartment’s owner revealed himself.
He seemed young, probably in his twenties. Slightly tanned skin and a muscular build. His face was hard to see from so far away, but Lisa could tell he was handsome. He had short brown hair styled in an undercut, as well as green eyes. As for his clothes, he wore black sport shoes, white shorts and a white sleeveless shirt. From his clothes, she quickly deduced he was either going to work out, or just did.
He seemed to look frantically for something, leaving the door slightly open behind him. As he did, he started to walk closer and closer to their location. His massive running shoes making louder and louder booming sounds. “I think…we’re slightly off his path.” Lisa commented. “But let’s move further just in case.” Her eyes met the other two women. Debbie nodded, and that was all the confirmation they needed. They made a diagonal away from the bag.
Not that they made much distance before he was practically on top of them. Lisa was right, they wouldn’t be hit anyway. What was actually in his path was the bag of chips he had chowed down yesterday. The three that had stayed, albeit knowing a giant was approaching, were left clueless of the happenings outside…until their world flattened unceremoniously.
The seconds prior to his demise, the balding businessman was making way across to their companions. “Keith! What are you still doing here!” He said, catching both the other attention’s. Keith had stuffed his pockets with crumbs. “O-Oh, I’m just helping her.” His coworker yelled louder. “Don’t you hear the giant approaching?”
The woman finally spoke up. “Do you think he’s here to eat this stale-” And just like that, it happened.
Crunch.
A series of crumbs were refined to smaller pieces under the giant’s weight. His feet had landed almost in the middle of the bag, albeit a little towards the opening. Inaudible among the various things crushed under his feet, most of which were stray pieces of chips, were the two buses that remained there. Debbie was right they’d probably fall apart at the slightest bump, but this meant they were utterly crushed beyond usage. Not only destroyed, but broken into incredibly small pieces, the size of the other potato crumbs.
Although worse than that, was the bald businessman who was rushing for the other two. He didn’t feel anything. He was alive one minute, and then he wasn’t. Pushed to the force in less than a second by a man a million times more powerful than him. The strongest among today’s survivors, reduced to nothing but a splatter. His two companions were luckier, since they had walked further inside to grab chips, they had avoided the same fate as him, although the giant was only in the apartment for less than a minute. They weren’t safe until he was out.
Outside, the trio watched as the bag got stepped on. The red-haired woman gasped in surprise, Debbie grimaced. Lisa’s hands turned into a fist. She opened her mouth, but didn’t say anything. She didn’t know for sure they got done for….but if they did…it wasn’t her fault. She told them to get out…so…it wasn’t her fault, right? It was their fault.
She looked away, ignoring those thoughts. “He left the door open…” She mentioned. “We can’t go back through the underground system since it’s still flooded. If we stay here we’ll end up like them…so we gotta go through there.” She pointed.
“Can we do it?” Asked the red-haired woman. “Even if we get outside, can we still get to safety? I mean, it’s raining, right? And there can be people outside t-” Lisa cut her off. “Listen, reddie. I’m going that way. You wanna stay here? Feel free to.” The redhead bit her lower lip.
"She 's right. It’s dangerous and our chances aren’t grand, but our chances are zero here.” Debbie said, reaching for her cigarettes, but stopped. “Damn, I think I left my lighter in the bus.” She looked back at the bag. “Too late for that.” She smiled, her little joke an attempt to lift up the mood. Seems like it worked.
“Also, it’s Ann.” Said the redhead. “That’s my name, don’t call me reddie.”
The trio continued to walk towards the door, albeit in a slower pace for Debbie to keep up. With their backs facing the giant, they weren’t privy to his movements, but after stepping on the bag, he looked down on what just crunched under his sole, his feet slightly retracting.
He reached down to grab, his fingers grasping pressing against it as he grasped it. He raised it to his face. “Huh, forgot this was here.” He said, loud enough for all the tinies in the apartment. The trio continued walking, relieved the giant was distracted. Not so much for the two within the bag. Especially now that the bag was upright, as opposed to horizontal.
This action caused most of the crumbs that weren’t stuck to the bag’s wall to fall to the bottom, including the two passengers within. The fall to the bottom wasn’t fatal. They were already somewhat deep within the bag and the chips provided some minor cushioning, albeit it was still quite painful.
When they fell, the businessman fell face-first and managed to skink slightly into the pile of crumbs. Samantha, the blonde woman,sank a little too, up to her waist, so only she could see upwards to the opening. An uncaring face with green eyes looking at the collection of crumbs on the bottom. There were many, enough for a fistful or two. He couldn’t see Samantha among them, her blonde hair mixing in the colors - and even if she had a different hair color, the bag wasn’t properly lit, nor was he paying much attention. “Ehhh…” The giant said, squinting his eyes slightly. He shrugged. It was food…
The action took less than a second. He raised the bag by tilting it. The bag went back to vertical, then back to horizontal, this time upside down. And like the last time, gravity worked it’s magic, bringing their contents towards his already opened mouth. “Holy shit!” She yelled as they went down. Keith took a little longer to realize what was happening. “Fuck! He’s going to eat us!”
Samanha looked around, noticing one area that was slightly pressed down, where one of his fingers was pitching it. She tried to hold onto it, but it only secured her a place for a couple of milliseconds, after which other chips pushed her down. This only brought her some time. The businessman fell first, landing on his tongue. Samantha, however, continued resisting. When she was just about to reach the end of the bag, she once more tried to take hold of it, hoping to grasp the opening plastic.
It didn’t quite work, she lost her grip just as quickly, but it was enough to change her position so that she landed on his lower lip instead, among an array of other crumbs. Not that this safety lasted for long either. When he closed his lips, it was enough to make Samantha lose her position and fall down once more. “Seriously?!” She asked, not that anybody was there to hear.
Falling down, past his chin, she looked downwards. This time, if she failed to hold onto something, she would surely die upon reaching the floor. The first thing that came to her mind on what to grasp on was his shirt. It was somewhat thigh against his body, slightly due to sweat, she could still see an opening down the rest of his body. But she didn’t care…third’s time the charm? No, she’d probably fail again…
That’s when it hit her. Her purse. She held onto the handle and moved the body away as far as possible, hoping it would be enough to pass to the other side…and as she reached the collar, her hopes were answered. The purse went inside, while she was outside. The handle curved against the shirt’s collar, halting her fall. She felt like the purse’s handle might come off, so Samantha used her other hand to grasp his shirt. And just like that, Samantha’s life was saved a third time today.
The same couldn’t be said for Keith. When the giant closed his lips, his world was thrown in darkness once more. Since all inside was a pile of crumbs (and him, of course), there was no need to actually chew the food inside his mouth. The giant simply tilted his head back and swallowed everything at once. His tongue only tasting the salty barbecue chips as both those, the remains of the bus, and Keith slid back into his throat. If his mouth was a cavern, then this would be a hole leading right to the bottom of the cave.
“No- wait!” He yelled, but nothing stopped. “I’m here! I’m not food!” Yet crumbs started to fall down. “D-Don’t eat me! I…I don’t wa…I don’t want to die!” Yet he would, and he realized so when his leg didn’t feel something underneath him. Gravity pulled his leg down, which in turn pulled the rest of his body down. He fell down the throat, which began to properly contract to send oncoming nutrients to the stomach. Keith, at this point, was just more nutrients to be digested and devoured.
He wouldn’t last very long. The giant was hungry, he hadn’t eaten in a little while, only deciding to devour these chips to get done with them. He’d land on a pile of crumbs that were already scattered enough that, with his weight, they would just give in and allow him to sink in the acid. He would gasp for air - and the acid would simply enter his system before he closed his mouth. And both from inside and outside, he would quickly be turned into nutrients to be burned in the giant’s next work out. Only Keith and Samantha being aware of his fate.
The giant, already having moved on from eating, began to crush the plastic bag, pulverizing anything that had escaped gravity, before throwing the ball half-way across the room. It landed just perfectly on the bin. “Yes!” He grinned, feeling mighty proud of himself. “Oh, right.” He said, remembering what he was actually here for: his water bottle and gym card. So he went to continue his search. Samantha, meanwhile, continued to hang on his shirt, waiting for a time where, if she were to let go, she’d land safely.
His search would continue for a few more minutes, giving enough time for the trio to reach the door. “Out of the fire and into the frying pan.” Debbie said, as they took advantage of the ajar door to slip past. They hadn’t taken much time to admire the apartment that they had entered. The bag wasn’t far from the door, so they just focused on it. But it was the living room, which was connected to the hallway to other apartments.
The hallway’s floor was covered in carpet tiles, meaning that unlike the normal tiled floor of the apartment, they’d have to walk through carpet to actually get out. “There…” Lisa pointed to the left. There was just one set of doors before the actual lobby. Ann looked up and noticed the apartment number. 103. “Wow, like, that’s pretty lucky. Could have ended up on the end of the hallway.”
“Don’t know if anything today was lucky.” Debbie retorts. “But we’re alive, eh? Just a little more walking on these old bones and we can do it.” She placed both hands against her back and pushed slightly, producing some cracks. “Alright, girls. It’ll be hard to see, but just gotta go straight.” She said, a smile on her face. “I reckon we’re out of here in less than twenty minutes.” And so, they continued their fight for survival.
Samantha continued to hang for dear life. Although her arms were starting to get tired, she’d be damned if she’d die after so many close calls today. With the bus, the bag and the fall, she was exhausted, but not willing to give up. Even as the giant continued to search his house, sometimes turning rapidly, she kept on hanging. One hand grasping the shirt, and the other one both the shirt and the bag’s handle. “God why can’t you just lay down in bed or something?” She asked, not expecting an answer, and not getting any.
Instead, she became privy to his every movement. At one point, he had even grabbed a little membership card. It was only a flash to her, but she managed to catch his name: Logan Hooper. The rest was a blur, as he simply pocketed the card without waiting for her.
Eventually, though, he finally found the bottle he was looking for. He grasped it with his hand, opened it in a swift movement, and began drinking. Samantha gasped as she watched him swallow a lake-sized amount of water. Well, it was a lake to her.
“Aaah~” He said, still holding his bottle. He could refill later at the gym. So he continued his path, moving towards the door he once arrived from. He hadn’t bothered locking it, since he would only be here for a few minutes. So just like the trio, albeit having to actually open the door entirely, he exited his apartment. Then he closed the door and locked it.
Of course, this was noticed by Lisa, Debbie and Ann. They all looked back to see Logan. “Fuck, can’t we get a break?” Lisa asked. The only answer was a booming fall of Logan’s running shoe. “Run!” Debbie yelled.
So the three girls did, but they weren’t covering much space. The carpet was like tallgrass and they weren’t going to win a race against Logan. Hell, even if they were the same size, he would win by a landslide. As Lisa ran, she lost sight of her two companions. She felt tense. They were so close to freedom. Would they make it this far only to die by an unaware jock?
“What th- What is this?!” She heard a voice to her left. “Debbie?” She asked, halting her movements. Lisa hesitated…and then went after her. What she saw, however, wasn’t good. Debbie was stuck in some sort of paste…or sauce…or something of that consistency. Seemed like it had stuck to the tile. “Shit Debbie- I…let me get you out.”
Boom. Logan was close.
“Run.” Debbie said, she looked at Lisa, no tears in her eyes, just a will to survive that had been shattered. “Just get out and go…” Lisa blinked. Debbie didn’t deserve this. She was tough as nails, did everything right to survive, but because she stepped into a mess she couldn’t see, she was going to die? This wasn’t her fault…
“Just go!” Lisa felt tears forming. “Do this for me, ok?”
Boom. He was one step away.
“Alright…” Lisa murmured, and continued to run. She ran, closing her eyes. It wasn’t logical, but she just didn’t feel like opening them. And as she continued forward, she heard a ‘squelch’ behind her, as well as a ‘crunch’.
“Ah shit…” Logan said, stopping. He sneered and lifted up his shoes, one hand holding his leg as he turned the sole towards him. Something red against the sole. “Disgusting…what did I step on?” The answer, if anyone cared to know, was ketchup. As well as Debbie, whose remains were impossible to distinguish.
Her last sight was of Logan’s sole, blocking the lights from lamps and casting a shadow. She didn’t utter a word, and had already ceased from attempting to get out. She led a good life, lived longer than practically everyone she knew. She just wished she had time to light up one more cigarette.
“Man, and these were brand new. What a bummer…” Logan said, still staring at his soles. He had already caused the death of three people after finishing his walk, but the only tragedy he could recognize were his new shoes stepping into something gooey. He sighted…then noticed something just slightly in his field of vision.
“Huh?” He asked, his focus shifting from his shoes to his shirt. Samantha was in a prime spot. Against the white shirt, she stood out, and being so close to his head meant she wasn’t far away from his eyes. Now that she was in the lit by the lamps, as opposed to stuck in a dark bag, she was finally spotted.
Although he hadn’t quite realized it was a tiny woman, Logan just had to pinch the strange object and raise it to his face, where it was easier to see. And squished between two fingers: there she was.
“Shit, what were you doing there?” He smirked, his eyes focusing squarely on Samantha. Despite the hell she had gone through, even now he could recognize she was pretty. Blonde hair that reached her waist, as well as clothes better than most her size would afford. Slim with curves in the right places.
“Holy shit…” She said, unsure whether to smile or scream. “You- oh my god. You don’t know what I’ve been through.” She said, lips curling into a smile, albeit one filled with anxiety at being so close to a giant. She had never been this close to one, and especially not the sole focus of one.
“It started when we were in the underground system, then came the water, and then we had to escape and got into your apartment and then-” But before she could retell her woes, Logan raised an eyebrow. “You were in my apartment? Miss, I think that’s not legal!” Despite his words, his tone was still light and his smile still there.
“Well, look, it’s not like that. It was life and death! You know, like-” But he interrupted her once again. “You know, I think we should get to know each other a little more.” With his other hand, he fished the keys to his apartment, turning around and heading back.
“Look that’s generous of you but if you could just drop me back home or- really…like here…” He laughed and gave her a playful wink. “Naw, I think we should go back home.”
As he unlocked the door and went back, Samantha had to wait a little before processing what was happening. “Wait…am I being…kidnapped?” She whispered to herself. Logan didn’t hear, or didn’t bother replying. He just locked the door back once he was inside.
With Logan back inside, Ann and Lisa were safe from immediate danger. Nobody seemed to be roaming the hallway or the lobby. They transversed the carpet and eventually found each other.
“It’s not raining anymore.” Ann pointed out. “Like, we can go back home.” She said, a smile across her lips. “Just wait for the new guy to open the door and we’re free to go!” Lisa didn’t bother replying, although she agreed with everything Ann said.
She could excuse the other people’s deaths. They choose to stay in the bag. They made the wrong decision. But what about Debbie? It wasn’t her fault. She made every right decision and still ended up dead. If anyone was to blame, it was the giant. No, it was the whole system. It was their fault the water got in, one way or another, it’s because they didn’t build it properly. Or didn’t build a system to drain the water and avoid these issues.
“Fuck them all.” She whispered to herself. Even for the people who stayed in the bag, they only got there because of the system. They wouldn’t be there if it hadn’t flooded. Everything was their fault. All the deaths…and it would all be sweeped up so the apartment owner wouldn’t sue. Bullshit…
“Okay, I see you’re super mad, so let’s just wait in silence.” Ann added, tapping her foot against the floor as they waited.
Eventually, someone would enter, opening the door, and they would get out. They parted ways pretty soon after. Lisa didn’t bother to hear Ann’s explanation. Her mind was elsewhere. She walked, making sure not to fall victim to passengers walking the sidewalk like her. The side closest to buildings was supposed to be used by tinies, so she just kept on that lane.
That doesn’t always mean safety, but she didn’t encounter any close calls before getting home. It was pitch-black when she finally returned to her crummy one-room apartment. She didn’t sleep. She just watched television, waiting for the news.
All that was said is that the place went underwater. It was presumed that everyone in Debbie’s and Lisa’s bus died, including the drivers. Rowan managed to drive back to the entrance, probably because he knew about the water issue earlier than anyone else. He was deemed a hero and was given enough money to not work as a bus driver. The reason was undermined, but it was assumed to be one of the other driver’s fault.
Debbie was right, hush money. Even if he had saved so many people, he wouldn’t get that much money. “Just in case he knows we entered that guy’s apartment?” She asked herself…and laughed. “Fuck! Hahaha!” She turned the remote against the wall.
Lisa would later return to the MCU, but was told to take the cash and not tell the story. When she didn’t take it, she was stripped off her job.
She spent a few weeks spending the money she had secured. She wanted to get her story out, but nobody would listen if she tried to. And she wasn’t going to tell the apartment guy, he killed plenty of people for her to know they were dangerous, even when they weren’t aware.
Just when her savings were about to end, she noticed a strange paper slipped under her door. An eye with a red tear…or maybe it was crying blood. She flipped it to read the message.
‘Giants have reigned us for too long. They’ve proven they’re vile, uncaring, sinful and corrupted.’
‘You’ve been deemed worthy to join us. Prove your loyalty and help us eradicate those guilty of atrocious acts.’
She looked down at the paper, noticing the address on the bottom. Her lips curled into a smile.
-
Hey. Sorry. Had to post this in two parts. This is another one-shot following the same world as Micro Workplace Fatality: Maid
(Should I shorten future titles to MWF? Maybe.)Another unaware story, as I enjoy them. This one does have some aware by the ending, as well as M/m, even though I am mostly a fan of M/f!
I really hope you enjoy the worldbuilding, the story, and well, the fatalities, even if, some people, do survive. Thanks for reading, any feedback is welcome.
