Alarm Clock Dawn (installment 7)

Stephanie rested her elbows on the table and looked Josh right in the eyes, "If the answer is no I suggest you start to ponder it. The world can be a harsh place outside these walls.  Especially for those who have no tangible work experience."

That was about the truest thing Josh had heard all day and the thought of it sent waves of shivers down his spine.  He knew that the big corporations wielded almost absolute power in this faltering economy.  Even someone like Josh, who graduated Magna Cum Laude from a prestigious university, couldn't be foolish enough to jeopardize his job.

When Stephanie got started she had the tendency to drone on and on until her victim looked satisfactorily dejected. Josh caught on to this after a few months and became quite good at the fine art of hanging his head in shame. While going through the familiar routine his eyes glazed over and his mind wandered.  "If she gets on a roll this could take hours. I can't be late, not tonight." 

Mrs. Collier was perhaps Josh's greatest enigma.  She was a short, fat middle-aged woman that didn't play well with others.  She had the volatile combination of abrupt mood swings and a particular brand of vindictiveness that few could match.  Stephanie seemed to take absolute pleasure in belittling him at every opportunity. To his dismay, the more Josh tried to please her the more she seemed to despise him.

Stephanie Collier was part of the angry average.  Not that there's a thing wrong being average. The fact is that most of us are members of this not-so-exclusive club.  But Stephanie was of the worst variety, the only thing she resented more than her own mediocrity was anyone who reminded her of it.  Unfortunately for Josh he did just that. Again and again.

Although he knew he'd hate himself for it, he decided to give her what she so thirsted for.  Like a seasoned actor, his eyes reddened and a tear ever so subtly spilled from the bottom of Josh's eyelid.  The very minute Stephanie spotted it the corners of her mouth turned upward ever so slightly and her eyes took on a softness that you might say bordered on ecstasy.

She equally enjoyed dealing out punishment and benevolence and sometimes did so in almost the same breath. Stephanie was good cop and bad cop all rolled into one.

"Tomorrow, I promise you I'll figure it out tomorrow." Josh said.  You sadistic bitch, Josh thought to himself wishing he had the courage to say it.

"I'll hold you to that. Now get out of my sight." she said with a sense of accomplishment and her hands perched on her wide-set hips.  

People always say that children are cruel but in fact they have it all wrong. The art of cruelty just begins to be honed as the playground fades into a distant memory. In the adult world, after years of practice, it becomes a sleek and strategic weapon with lethal aim. As sad as it seems, at some time or another, we all have our finger on the trigger.

To be continued....