Morning all. I’m having a hard time getting going this morning and in truth would like another couple of hours to sleep, but alas the sun rose without consulting me. Which isn’t unusual. I’ve been trying to get on his schedule for a while now. So since the sun is up, why don’t we go ahead and get started on the morning prompt. Everyone set with their writing implement of choice? Fabulous. Let’s go.
You know in a strange way, I kind of like this one.
Tuesday, May 10th: She pressed her lips together forming a thin bloodless line.
She pressed her lips together to form a thin bloodless line. Anger fairly radiated off of her in waves. I blinked. I had never seen her angry before. I had never seen her with any emotion before. Usually she was as placid as pudding. Her lips remained in a neutrally pleasant position, eyes flat and disinterested. Occasionally she would nod politely, not as though she agreed but merely to indicate that she heard what she was saying.
To see her now, emotions roiling under the normally calm façade was both intriguing and disturbing. I didn’t know whether to run or prod her to see if she would actually explode.
I wondered what it was that made her so angry. What happened to cause an emotion, especially one so powerful to surge?
I looked about for the answer but saw nothing out of place. The office was as it always was. Papers were neatly stacked in in boxes. None of the files looked out of place. Computers were all turned off for the day. I glanced over to the employee break area. The coffee pot had been rinsed ad turned upside down in the drainer, the old grounds disposed of. Someone had even taken the trash out so that each of the desks and break area had fresh empty bags ready for the morning.
There was nothing out of place. I checked the clock. Had the office emptied early? No I was running late. Was I the cause of her ire? I didn’t think so,. I worked late before without her commenting.
‘Besides she isn’t even looking in my direction.’
As I realized this a part of me relaxed. Then I realized she might not even recognize that I was in the room. I was out of her direct line of sight. I was working on my notes, using a note book and pen instead of the keyboard. I doubt the light scratching would be as audible as the click clack of the keyboard keys. In fact my computer was even turned off.
Then I noticed it. In her hand was a cell phone. She clutched it tightly. I wondered if it was the source of her anger. Then I wondered if I should point out that I was there or not. For all her rage she was silent. Should I turn back to my notes and pretend not to see. I decided this might be the best course of action and blindly groped for my pen so that it would look as though I was still working.
All at once her lips flew apart and she yelled. It was a deep guttural bellow. The cell phone went flying across the room. It slammed into the wall and shattered into several large pieces. I opened my mouth knowing I could not have pretended not to notice that. Before any sound could issue forth she turned on her heels and stalked away. I heard the door to the back office slam. I looked at my notes and decided I could finish them at home. I quickly gathered my notebook and pen, slipped them into my bag and scuttled towards the door.
There was something terrifying about her display of emotion, something that made me not want to be the only witness.
Ten til Midnight 