Smell Bridges Burning (The Intern) - Revision history

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	[[Stories\|← Story Archive]]		[[Stories\|← Story Archive]]

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	[[Stories\|~~Back to the story archive~~]]		[[Stories\|← Story Archive]]

	[[Category:Bruekmann]]		[[Category:Bruekmann]]
	[[Category:Stories]]		[[Category:Stories]]
	[[Category:Built]]		[[Category:Built]]

The Liar at 13:16, 11 May 2010

2010-05-11T13:16:18Z

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Robotman: cat

2009-02-22T14:14:32Z

cat

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:14, 22 February 2009
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	“The sooner you’re out of here, the better.”		“The sooner you’re out of here, the better.”

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	I’d been working for Boss for almost a whole semester. He was a pretty harsh taskmaster, but we used to get along just fine. Then, three lousy weeks before I was set to have my Collections Department internship completed, a new intern entered the scene.		I’d been working for Boss for almost a whole semester. He was a pretty harsh taskmaster, but we used to get along just fine. Then, three lousy weeks before I was set to have my Collections Department internship completed, a new intern entered the scene.
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	And she knew what she was doing.		And she knew what she was doing.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	The first chance I got to talk to her alone, Boss had given her a job folding fliers for Museum guests. I figured it was my chance to make some small chit-chat, find out a little bit about her, tell her some flattering things about myself. I had no time to lose: I was leaving in a couple weeks.		The first chance I got to talk to her alone, Boss had given her a job folding fliers for Museum guests. I figured it was my chance to make some small chit-chat, find out a little bit about her, tell her some flattering things about myself. I had no time to lose: I was leaving in a couple weeks.
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	She wasn’t biting.		She wasn’t biting.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	This other time, Boss gave Steffi about fifteen pages of documents that he needed to have transcribed. She sat down at an empty desk across the room and pressed the button on the tower that would boot-up the computer’s hard-drive. I hated using that computer: it always crashed. Most of the computers in the office sucked. I was always calling tech-support hotlines to figure out what the heck was always going wrong with them.		This other time, Boss gave Steffi about fifteen pages of documents that he needed to have transcribed. She sat down at an empty desk across the room and pressed the button on the tower that would boot-up the computer’s hard-drive. I hated using that computer: it always crashed. Most of the computers in the office sucked. I was always calling tech-support hotlines to figure out what the heck was always going wrong with them.
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	“Joachim: why can’t you be more like Steffi?”		“Joachim: why can’t you be more like Steffi?”

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	“Hey Joachim! Want to take a break from that data-entry?” Boss called from around the corner, in his office. Steffi immediately looked up from proofreading some official Museum correspondence before it was sent out.		“Hey Joachim! Want to take a break from that data-entry?” Boss called from around the corner, in his office. Steffi immediately looked up from proofreading some official Museum correspondence before it was sent out.
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	I needed some aspirin.		I needed some aspirin.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	My stomach was rumbling. I was getting so hungry that it hurt. I kept looking at my watch at intervals of just a few minutes. After about two static hours of chipping away at the catalogs, Boss’s fat head peeked around the metal filing cabinets.		My stomach was rumbling. I was getting so hungry that it hurt. I kept looking at my watch at intervals of just a few minutes. After about two static hours of chipping away at the catalogs, Boss’s fat head peeked around the metal filing cabinets.
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	“Joe. Just remember: you’ve got a couple more days. After that, we’ll be out of each other’s hair.” He spat his words with contempt through green teeth. “But until then, you’re mine. Now, be quick about it, son.”		“Joe. Just remember: you’ve got a couple more days. After that, we’ll be out of each other’s hair.” He spat his words with contempt through green teeth. “But until then, you’re mine. Now, be quick about it, son.”

	-----~~-----~~		-----



	I trudged into China Gallery. I didn’t notice many Museum guests; attendance was already tapering off for the day.		I trudged into China Gallery. I didn’t notice many Museum guests; attendance was already tapering off for the day.
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	It was all I could do to keep up.		It was all I could do to keep up.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	Close on her heels, I followed Steffi back to the Collections Office. Her heels clicked evenly on the marble floor. Her self-confidence had returned.		Close on her heels, I followed Steffi back to the Collections Office. Her heels clicked evenly on the marble floor. Her self-confidence had returned.
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	I contented myself with that. The mere presence of her body was thanks enough. I closed my eyes and tried to memorize her features as I had seen them. I only had a few days left here, after all.		I contented myself with that. The mere presence of her body was thanks enough. I closed my eyes and tried to memorize her features as I had seen them. I only had a few days left here, after all.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	“Hi there, Steffi, my good lass.” Boss’s bad-tooth smile reached from ear to drooping, liver-spotted ear.		“Hi there, Steffi, my good lass.” Boss’s bad-tooth smile reached from ear to drooping, liver-spotted ear.
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	Back to work.		Back to work.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	ZZZZZZIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRR! Across the dark hall, Steffi had sharpened another pencil. That was the easiest job in the world.		ZZZZZZIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRR! Across the dark hall, Steffi had sharpened another pencil. That was the easiest job in the world.
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	“You do that,” I muttered as I bent down to start cleaning up her mess. At least it was a deviation from the data-entry, and all of the repetitive-motion injuries that such work entailed.		“You do that,” I muttered as I bent down to start cleaning up her mess. At least it was a deviation from the data-entry, and all of the repetitive-motion injuries that such work entailed.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	After a few minutes, I’d scooped what pencils were salvageable back into the box together. The pencils she had ruined – dozens and dozens of them – found their way to the rubbish bin. I went back to the Office.		After a few minutes, I’d scooped what pencils were salvageable back into the box together. The pencils she had ruined – dozens and dozens of them – found their way to the rubbish bin. I went back to the Office.
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	“I’m going to want those back Steffi!” I cried after her. “You don’t need all of them!” There was nothing else I could think off. I suppose working in the Collections Office for so long had thoroughly bureaucratized my mind.		“I’m going to want those back Steffi!” I cried after her. “You don’t need all of them!” There was nothing else I could think off. I suppose working in the Collections Office for so long had thoroughly bureaucratized my mind.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	That was weird, but I put it behind me.		That was weird, but I put it behind me.
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	WHOOZH...WHOOZH...WHOOZH...WHOOZH...		WHOOZH...WHOOZH...WHOOZH...WHOOZH...

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	I threw myself into the chair. What the hell was she playing at? I thought over the strange situation as I began to peel back the wrapper of the Twix bar. She was nuts! That’s the only explanation! Must be a combination of all the fumes coming off of her from all those health and beauty care products.		I threw myself into the chair. What the hell was she playing at? I thought over the strange situation as I began to peel back the wrapper of the Twix bar. She was nuts! That’s the only explanation! Must be a combination of all the fumes coming off of her from all those health and beauty care products.
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	I wasn’t hungry anymore.		I wasn’t hungry anymore.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	Suddenly someone rapped loudly on the door. Very loudly, like he was pounding with butt of a pistol or a club. It had to be a guard.		Suddenly someone rapped loudly on the door. Very loudly, like he was pounding with butt of a pistol or a club. It had to be a guard.
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	My skin was freezing; sweat in frigid air-conditioning.		My skin was freezing; sweat in frigid air-conditioning.

	~~-----~~-----		-----

	Man. She was robot!		Man. She was robot!
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	When I got home, I started drinking. All the while, I was thinking back to the little talk Steffi and I had had when she first began at the Museum. “State Institute of Technology...” I shuddered. I couldn’t sleep. I paced all around my dimly lit apartment. Kitchen – bedroom – hall – living room. Then back again. Living room – hall – bedroom – kitchen. And so on. I kept sipping on porter. I couldn’t eat. Hours passed. When my roommate came back with his girlfriend at around 4 AM, I just went into my bedroom. Didn’t say ‘hi’ to them or anything. I sat at my desk for three more hours then, still drunk, took a shower and got ready to go back to work.		When I got home, I started drinking. All the while, I was thinking back to the little talk Steffi and I had had when she first began at the Museum. “State Institute of Technology...” I shuddered. I couldn’t sleep. I paced all around my dimly lit apartment. Kitchen – bedroom – hall – living room. Then back again. Living room – hall – bedroom – kitchen. And so on. I kept sipping on porter. I couldn’t eat. Hours passed. When my roommate came back with his girlfriend at around 4 AM, I just went into my bedroom. Didn’t say ‘hi’ to them or anything. I sat at my desk for three more hours then, still drunk, took a shower and got ready to go back to work.

			-----

	~~-----~~-----

	There were police cars in the parking lot. The Museum was closed. They were turning visitors away.		There were police cars in the parking lot. The Museum was closed. They were turning visitors away.
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	The parking lot outside was warm. The sun played its warmth on my skin. I cruised past the police checkpoint and out onto the road.		The parking lot outside was warm. The sun played its warmth on my skin. I cruised past the police checkpoint and out onto the road.

			-----

			[[Stories\|Back to the story archive]]

			[[Category:Bruekmann]]
			[[Category:Stories]]

Lithorien at 07:59, 22 February 2009

2009-02-22T07:59:31Z

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	“Well! Thanks all the same, A. Forgetit Anyway.” Her puerile humor again.		“Well! Thanks all the same, A. Forgetit Anyway.” Her puerile humor again.

	“Right,” I said slowly. “You’re going to clean this mess up?”		“Right,” I said slowly. “You’re going to clean this mess up?”

	She stood there watching the machine produce copy after copy.		She stood there watching the machine produce copy after copy.

Lithorien at 07:59, 22 February 2009

2009-02-22T07:59:13Z

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	thought that I’d try to cheer up Boss. Rubbing my aching eyeballs, I thought that maybe reminding him that I only had a few days left at the Museum would make him a little bit happier. He’d be glad to be rid of me, now that he had a new, ass-kissing female intern to replace me. Plus, even talking to that old fossil was preferable to the misery of mind-numbing data-entry. I needed a reprieve, even if a few seconds were all I could realistically hope for. I spoke up.		I thought that I’d try to cheer up Boss. Rubbing my aching eyeballs, I thought that maybe reminding him that I only had a few days left at the Museum would make him a little bit happier. He’d be glad to be rid of me, now that he had a new, ass-kissing female intern to replace me. Plus, even talking to that old fossil was preferable to the misery of mind-numbing data-entry. I needed a reprieve, even if a few seconds were all I could realistically hope for. I spoke up.

	“You know Boss, in two weeks I’ll be through with my internment – uh... I mean... internship... here at the Museum.” Agh! Freudian slip. Put my foot right in my mouth. Whoops. But it wasn’t like I hadn’t been thinking that exact thing ever since Goody-Two-Shoes showed up. I thought back to how much I had drank the night before. Coming to work everyday with a hangover was a bummer.		“You know Boss, in two weeks I’ll be through with my internment – uh... I mean... internship... here at the Museum.” Agh! Freudian slip. Put my foot right in my mouth. Whoops. But it wasn’t like I hadn’t been thinking that exact thing ever since Goody-Two-Shoes showed up. I thought back to how much I had drank the night before. Coming to work everyday with a hangover was a bummer.

Lithorien: New page: thought that I’d try to cheer up Boss. Rubbing my aching eyeballs, I thought that maybe reminding him that I only had a few days left at the Museum would make him a little bit happier....

2009-02-22T07:58:56Z

New page: thought that I’d try to cheer up Boss. Rubbing my aching eyeballs, I thought that maybe reminding him that I only had a few days left at the Museum would make him a little bit happier....

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