An Odyssey in Drabbles Part III

(This drabble continues a story about a disgruntled customer seeking to retrieve his computer from repair, which can be found here: http://fortyfifthparadox.com/?p=163

 

It took me long enough to find the warehouse. Well, of course it wouldn't have taken me long if I had gone there directly, but that's rather hard to accomplish when one has to hitchhike his way there. Glancing ruefully up at the two story building, I wondered if my computer would have already been sent home by now. My stomach growled slightly, and I tried once again to quell the pain with a stick of gum. As usual, it only made me thirsty. Even the Cyclops's food hadn't lasted me long.

I stepped inside the door, not sure how else to enter the building. Walking up to the front desk, I found it empty. Curious, I went behind the desk, typing on the computer, locked out. Staying close to the wall, I glanced through the glass doors to the hallway beyond. Past the glass, the halls hadn't been cleaned as well, had cheep fluorescent lights instead of soft-lit lamps. The walls hadn't been painted beyond white, and the doors had been made with wood instead of glass.

After I stepped into the hall, I realized I had no shadows to hide in. I moved quickly, pointedly attempting to act like an employee at the same time. It didn't occur to me then how ridiculous it would be for a bearded, ragged man to show up to work without showering first. Finally at the end of the hall, I found a door. Leaning against it, I listened. On the other side I could hear men talking, laughing, and arguing. I peeked through the narrow rectangular window in the door, and gasped.

At the other side of the room, I could see my red laptop, Penelope. Employees surrounded her, debating who should take it home. I wondered if they fixed it or not yet as I carefully turned the knob. I planned on running and grabbing my computer, but Fate had different plans. My foot landed on a wayward wheeled cart. sending me skittering across the room. Some of the employees tried to block my path, but the momentum on the concrete floor barreled them out of the way.

Tumbling over the last, I lunged for my computer. Nabbing the computer and the notorious wooden cart, we slid out of the room together, into the hall, through the reception room, and out the door. I finally had Penelope back, but had no way to charge her battery.