Simple Existence

She looked out the window of the building and watched as a beautiful flock of birds flew past. 'I would love to fly away and wander new lands as they do' she thought to herself as she watched their magnificent flying patterns. They danced in the sky and the whirlwind of colors hypnotized her. She imagined leaping out the window of her office building and floating away into the sky to join them.

"Stop daydreaming and get back to work Muraya!" She turned around to see her boss looming over her shoulder. He was a smug old man who could barely walk without stopping to catch his breath every few steps. His fat belly hung over his belt and peaked out under his wrinkled shirt. His greasy hair clung to his sweaty forehead as he chewed gum to mask the scent of coffee and cigarettes emanating from his breathe. His loud chewing only made his fat cheeks and neck jiggle as he smacked his dry lips over and over again. John Walker was the lazy, overweight, and obnoxious owner of OB Industries who demanded his employees work long hours with little pay, while doing minimal work himself. "If I catch you taking breaks again, I will send you home with no pay! I don't need lazy accountants wasting my money here!"

Muraya quickly apologized and returned her attention to her computer. She continued punching numbers into her keyboard as she calculated the finances for various OB mortgage loans. Several hours had passed and it was finally time to go home. She picked up her belongings and stood up from her cramped wooden desk. Her neck and shoulders were stiff from so many hours of focusing on the outdated computer in front of her. As she stretched her arms up and started to say her goodbyes to her co-workers, she heard Mr. Walker's office door creak open.

"You'd better hurry up and go before he makes you stay late again." She turned to her left where Yanet was also collecting her belongings and getting ready to run out of the office and continued, "come on, let's sneak out through the back. We can take the stairs instead. I can't stay any longer or I'll miss my daughters piano recital."

The two girls had become very good friends over the last 5 years while working for their pig-headed boss. They were both 26 years old and had graduated around the same time but from different universities. She was glad to have her in her life but wished she met her sooner. If they had been friends, her university experience would have been significantly more pleasant. They met when Muraya started her first day at OB Industries as an underpaid intern and were instantly very close friends. Yanet was one of the few people who kept Muraya sane in this dreary world and she was thankful for her friendship.

They snuck out the back door before John could come up with a reason for them to work late and an excuse to not pay overtime. They knew they would surely pay for their swift departure tomorrow but, they would cross that bridge when they came to it.

They quietly made their way down the 20 flights of stairs knowing John would never be able to follow. When they got to the first floor, they peered out the door and made their way to the back exit of the building.

Yanet poked her head out of the exit door and called out to Muraya "Coast is clear!" they let out a sigh of relief and laughed at their situation. "Oh man that would have sucked if he tried to keep us any longer. I really can't stand that man. Someday you and I will find a new job, with a new boss, in a gorgeous building and we'll have a great corner office with a view..."

Yanet droned on as they walked home and Muraya's mind started to wander. She was anxious to get home to log into her Cerebral Console. She only felt free and in control of her life when she played her full-dive games where she could be whoever she wanted to be. The rules and restrictions of the real world that kept her in a state of eternal depression, did not apply when she was crafting items or cultivating farms in other worlds. Muraya's paycheck was spent mostly on Cerebral games or hardware but she didn't care to spend it on other frivolous things. This is where she found the most joy in life. She stayed away from slaying monsters or gory games but instead enjoyed the simple pleasure of building a home, growing her flowers and selling goods in fantastical worlds.

"Hello!? What do you think? Are you even listening to me." Yanet was waving her hand in Muraya's face trying to get her attention. Yanet was a gorgeous woman with honey eyes and rose lips. Every man that met her, would try to court her but she was married to a hardworking man that provided for her and her daughter. Yanet didn't need to work and could solely depend on her husband, but she wanted to have a career so she worked at OB Industries to build up her résumé.

Muraya snapped back out of her dazed state and replied to Yanet. "Oh, um yeah. That sounds great!"

"Thats awesome! I've been dying for it to be released already," Yanet said gushing with excitement. We had to wait a whole 3 years for this game to come out, so tomorrow we can get a copy after work and start playing together! I know you usually don't like games like this one but I know you'll love it! There's so much to do and I've heard the battle system is different from all other games!"

Muraya wondered what she just agreed to but didn't want to disappoint Yanet so she simply nodded her head and said "Ok, Ill go with you tomorrow after work then."

"Yay! I have to hurry home and won't be able to play with you today but tomorrow is Friday so we can play all night after I put Abi to bed! See ya!" Her short blonde hair wafted in the wind as she turned and jogged away. Her small figure disappeared behind the buildings after she waved goodbye and turned a corner. Yanet lived in a luxurious home with her husband, Erick, and daughter, Abi, in the middle a quiet neighborhood.

Muraya turned the opposite way and continued walking in the direction of her building.