Return to Sender

an excerpt

Wires hung like stalactites, suspended from the warehouse ceiling. Without sunlight, the exposed rafters and pallet racking lined aisles made the workplace cavernous. Sam often said he worked in a big brown box much like the packages he assembled. There was nothing glamourous about the shipping and receiving department. C’est la vie.

The owner’s office sat at the mezzanine level but the majority of staff remained confined to the concrete main floor. Throughout the day, the overhead doors rose indicating activity with the outside world. Everyone ignored the mouse trap snap coming from the corner. The forklift hum drowned most conversations.

“Are you new?” asked the attractive raven-haired girl, her sleek ponytail swaying as she spoke. She stood stuffing envelopes at the adjacent workbench to Sam. He recognized her from the bus stop.

“I’ve been here two months,” replied Sam. He wasn’t surprised she didn’t recall his face. His own mother described him as bland.