The Oversized Cubicle

Chris sat in the corner of his over sized cubicle. The cubicle had room for four people, but at the moment it was only occupied by two. His coworker was leaving early for the day, so it left him in this cube all alone for half a work day.

The phone rang.

“This is Chris.” . . . “Hello? . . .Heeellllooo?”

“Beep”

There was a small tone. It was similar to a high, quick, muffled xylophone note.

“Hello?”

Chris hung up the phone, and turned to face his computer monitor. He was bored at the moment, so he was working on a short story to pass the time. It was about himself at a desk and abnormal occurrences. He keyed away, letting his thoughts flow. Just to the back corner of his peripheral vision, he could see a dull green glow.  He turned his attention from his story towards the glow. The phone, which was a standard black phone with 16 speed dial buttons on it, was turning from a shiny black to a dull green.

A few hairs suddenly were noticeable on the back of his neck. Then his forearms showed the goose bumps, as well. Feeling his sci-fi geek arise within him, Chris decided not to notify anyone else in the office. He sat with his arms folded in his lap staring at the dull green phone on his desk. It seemed that everything else in view disappeared, except for the phone. He was focused on it. Ever so carefully, he lifted his right hand to the top of the desk.  He placed his palm on the top of the desk, and he could feel the sweat being left on the surface.  He slid his hand forward slowly.

Six inches, four inches, two inches . . . . He paused. “What will happen if I touch this?” he thought to himself. “Will my arm disintegrate? Will the phone explode? Will I be sucked into an alternate dimension?” “That would be kind of cool!”

The barely visible trail of sweat was now less than an inch from the phone.

Deep breath, and contact!

A chorus of voices hummed in harmony, while a sucking noise from all sides pierced his ears. The colors of everything leaped into extreme overemphasized clarity.  Everything had an abnormally bright and beautiful emphasis. His monitor was like a crystal clear pond he could dip his hand into. The file folders looked like sheets of gold. The stapler and speakers shot brilliant flashes of sparkles between them.

He took this all in, and at the moment he let himself succumb to the newness and overwhelming beauty of everything.

Then he noticed the phone. Everything else was dancing with never before seen colors and life, but the phone was back to black with a digital pea green screen.


“Oh no! No! No! Don’t let it ring! DON’T LET IT RING!!” He was screaming, and he could see himself from his monitor screen.  He was looking out of the monitor’s eyes at himself with veins prominent in his neck as he screamed. But it was silent. His mouth was moving, but there was never more silence anywhere along the time line of the universe.

Riiinnngg!

From the monitor, he watched his face go blank. His mouth shut.

Riiinnngg!

Riiinnngg!

“I have to,” whispered Chris. He picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Chris, this is Tyler. Do you mind getting me together the hardware for the Jenkins job from the back? Send them to me in St. Louis. I need them tomorrow. Thanks.”

Chris pushed his chair back, swiveled, and stood up to head towards the warehouse.

He had never felt so normal in his life.