Adventures Of A Goblin

"clack".

He closed the door behind him and breathed an air of relief.

He has managed to sort through the issue of picking an image to help promote their new product,

a task that is very demanding and involves a sizeable amount of brain power.

Picking the wrong image could lead to a huge flop in the product promotion, meaning a loss to the company, and the one that will be held responsible is the chief, but the chief will eventually direct it back to him, the team leader of the project.

In a company, the one destined to take the grunt of the company loss are always the ones at the lowest position, or the ones with less authority and connection.

He might hate his job where he gets less free time and more overtime, but that does not mean he is ready to quit it when he has a family of two to feed.

***

The lady noticed the sound of footsteps coming closer to her,

In panic, she hid what she was distracted with at the back of her system and put on a poker face.

"team leader, you are back"

"I am, how far are you with arranging the documents"

"I am almost done with it"

"you were slacking off again by wasting time on your phone weren't you".

"you caught me, but I am really almost done with it, that is why I decided to give myself an in between break"

"be grateful the chief has decided to transfer some of our workload to the other team, else you would have been in big trouble with spending the time you are supposed to use in working on pressing your phone".

"geez team leader, who uses press word nowadays, how old school are you".

"I don't care, just make sure you finish it before today and send it to the chief's folder".

"I will, I will. Even my mom does not nag me to this point".

Having relayed to her what he wanted to, he leaves her alone to continue her work while he went on to his own desk.

***

He stretches his left hand backwards with his right hand placed on his left shoulder to support the stretching.

"six o clock, just right on time".

He says, after checking the watch on his wrist.

"are you done with the document organizing",

He calls out to the Lady's desk located opposite his.

"yes I am, and I have sent it to the chief's folder. He should have seen it".

"great, that means we get to clock out early today".

"yay...., team leader, what do you say we treat ourselves to a little drink before heading home".

"no thank you, my wife will kill me if she knows I drank outside".

"then just don't tell her".

"no can't do. Being open minded is an important aspect of our relationship, keeping things from her is the same as saying I want to crumble said relationship".

The man seated beside the team leader pokes his head out to join the conversation.

"that is too bad, you are the only one in our team that is going to be absent".

"it's fine that way, just make sure you all don't drink yourselves to stupor only to come to the office late or with a puffed face, because I won't be cleaning up after whatever mess you make".

"you have nothing to worry about team leader, we are not as irresponsible as you make us out to be"

"I will believe you on that".

***

"click".

He pressed the button and the front door of the car opens after which he went inside.

"those kids, drinking heavily after work has now become an habit of theirs".

"it is good that they are enjoying their youth, but they are going too far with it".

"if I put up more resistance, I will only seem like a bad boss to them, I have no choice but to allow them".

"sigh..."

"i wish I were young again".

"thringgg, thringg".

He rummages through his pocket and brings out his phone.

"hello honey".

"darling, are you done with work".

"yes I am, I am on my way home now".

"is that so?, by the way, junior wants to talk to you".

"ho, hurry, give it to my cutie little pie, I want to hear his angelic voice soothe away the fatigue from work".

"darling, are you saying my voice is not enough to help you get rid of your fatigue.."

"no way, do not misunderstand me honey, yours is also enough, it is just that junior's voice washes it away completely".

"hmmph"

"come on honey, do not be like that".

"okay, I will give it to junior now".

"....."

"dad"

"!!!"

[no, no, no, no].

[let me out].

"urghhgh".

The deep coarse voice once again starts ringing in his head and tormenting him.

[let me out of here, this isn't me].

[none of this is].

[let me out, let me out].

The voice kept getting louder in his head giving the man a severe headache.

"dad, dad...."

"mom, dad isn't answering".

"what do you mean he is not answering, the phone is still connected, and I just finished talking to him now. Give it to me".

"darling, darling....".

The man was too preoccupied with trying to get the voice to go away and could not pay attention to the still connected phone.

He clasped his ears with his hand, while shaking it.

"go away whoever you are",

"leave me the heck alone".

***

The man putting on a white gown slides the document over to the man sitting in his front.

"doc, you sure this is right, this cannot be the full report".

"yes it is. This is the result of the body examination carried out on you, as it shows, you are completely fine".

"this cannot be true doc, I told you I keep hearing this loud voice in my head telling me no, no, no".

"I have told you already, that is an effect caused from the overuse of your body, you need to learn to give your body some free time".

"too much work is not advisable to the body, you are not indestructible you know".

"the voice you say you keep hearing, is simply a mirage brought about as a result of your body being fatigued. With a little bit of rest, you will be back to normal".

"no doc, this isn't a mirage, I am telling you, it is real, the voice is real".

"sigh, I want you take a one week leave from work and use that time to rest. If after your rest, the voice is still there, then we can talk".

"but for now, give your body the rest it is asking for, is that clear".

"....."

"alright doc, I will do as you say".

***

Back in his car, he opens the test result given to him by the doctor to once again verify the content.

"this result cannot be true".

"I am sure something is wrong with me, something that even the doctors cannot see".