July 5, 2024
I started my vehicle. The rumble from the motor shakes the ground, rattles the surrounding environment and alerts the neighbors that I am off to work. The vibration rattles me awake. Or could the jitters be from the 12 ounces of caffeinated coffee I chugged down before I left the house? It's Sunday, but it's not a fun day for me. I have to work. It sucks, but thankfully I only have to work every other weekend. The morning drive was deprived of human activity, so it was quiet ride into work since it seemed as if everyone was still sleeping but me. The birds' chirping broke the silence, voiding out any thoughts that an apocalypse could be upon us. Why don't we have more zombie animals? I dock my phone, set the music, don the sunglasses, and head out in search of the occurrence of crime and disorder. No, I'm not Batman. Only a guy entrusted by the public to do his job for an honest wage.
I leave my cul-de-sac towards the long stretch of treelined roadway, domed by a blue sky, brightened by a rising sun. What a beautiful day, it sucks to have to go to work. On my trip to the exit gate, I pass some people doing their morning walk. They are my first sight of people who exist, reassuring me that we are not currently being attacked by zombies. I feel relieved and let out a sigh. Now there won't be a delay to work. Like a man on a mission to the moon or another worthy trip, I focus on my drive on the winding roads. I hang a right and head east into a sea of brake lights. There is traffic, and there is a ton of it. My God, there must be an apocalypse occurring! People. Are. Fleeing!
What is up with this traffic on this beautiful Sunday? I dodge to the right lane, the lesser of the traffic lane, but about 10 other drivers decide to do the same thing and immediately clog my lane with their cars, creating a backup, but then freeing up the lane we just left, so I turn my car into that lane and pass them. But I see a few police cars with their lights activated, and the officers outside their cars are directing traffic back to the lane I just left. They blocked the whole intersection off, forcing cars to turn south., Wow, this must be a huge apocalypse, and they are warning us to stay away. As I inch closer, I can see that it was a traffic crash. It's not a zombie war. No need to panic; I only need to follow the traffic flow and find a new way to work. At this point, I should just go home.
I travel about a mile to the next major roadway, where I can turn east again. A car was in front of me, and the driver decided to drive very slowly. It's slower than the 40-mile-per-hour posted speed limit. They trickle down to around 12 miles per hour. But why so slow? Maybe the driver is turning into a zombie, and the zombie can't drive. Perhaps the driver is being attacked by a zombie by the person in a car who didn't know they would turn into a zombie. Oh no! It's mayhem, I think to myself. As we approached a dual-turn lane, I pulled alongside the car and saw that the problem was much worse than zombies. They are texting and driving. What a fool that person is.
I decided when the light was green, I would get away from them as quickly as possible, as if a zombie was coming for me. And with the green light, I zoom down the road, away from that car and any vehicle around me. I need to get to work. But at this point, I should just go home.
Weekends are made for family and friends, but I knew when I took this job that some work weekends would be required. I will honor what I signed up for. That makes it easier to drive towards the work site. An honest day pays for an honest day of work. And no matter how much I was hoping for a zombie apocalypse, It seemed that even that wouldn't stop me from getting here.
731 words
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