The make shift jail cell, which used to be a storage bin, was cold and damp.  Fred replayed the night in his head trying to come up with an explanation; anything to justify his false imprisonment.   As he lay there, among the worst of Electroville, he thought of Ethel’s and Doris’ faces as they dragged him away from the Power Surge.  He sighed as he wondered if either would ever be able to forgive him… He found his emotions and thoughts lingering on Doris, and contemplated what this meant for him. 

Jimmy made his way to Fred, signing in for visitation.  “Fred! What happened?”  Fred told Jimmy his long sad story of Sally and his old addiction.  He swore he quit, but after hearing these news of Fred’s old ways, Jimmy’s view of Fred began to change.  How could Fred not of told him sooner?  He had seen the old has-beens, sitting dusty and miserable in piles hoping for just one more drop of ink.  He was thankful Fred never got to this point..but Jimmy was confused.  He left the jail cell full of thought and rushed back to Sue for comfort and advice.  Should he continue his quest to free Fred?

Doris’s bulbs beamed light red through the tears, as she quickly wiped them away to avoid rust, and electrocution.  She leaned against her cubicle wall as she watched Jimmy on his new mission to free Fred.  If he only knew what she knew; Fred would be free instantly.  Why was she hesitating?

 Ethel kept busy cleaning and dusting.  He mind often veering towards Fred, no matter how hard she tried not to let it.  She decided to head over to Doris’.  Once enemies, Ethel felt close to Doris, even though she didn’t know if Doris felt the same way.  They had a mutual affection towards someone that had been torn away like a paper being torn out of a typewriter.  Ethel approached Doris, relieved that she was received kindly.  She had to let it out, so she talked to Doris about her thoughts, their relationship, and everything she had ever kept secret.  She felt so relieved, as if a one of the “Big Ones” had come in and maintenance her themself.  Laughing and talking like old friends, they peered across the fluorescent lit carpet.  “Ethel”, Doris said quietly, “There is one more thing….”

To be continued…..

Based on the untrue story regarding the imaginative happenings within the fictionalized character…. Farah, a clerk.

Fred the printer hummed along while spewing out sheet after sheet, full of beautiful graphs, charts, and confidential information.  He loved producing crisp, warm pieces of paper while they shot out of him.  It gave him purpose, efficacy, and warmth as the motors hummed within him.  He was not the only one who notice his warm blankets of soon-to-be trash.  Doris the image viewer could be caught taking in the glorious sight through her magnifiers.  Her secret desire for Fred burned right down to her bulbs.  She had tried everything to get his attention, even letting one of her bulbs go out.  He barely noticed; too concerned with his paper outage he turned to power save mode in a fit of frustration.  One day, a horrific day according to Doris, Ethel the scanner was introduced to their dwellings.  Fred immediately took notice, spewing his papers toward her.  Ethel was pleased with this immediate attention, and secretly the jealousy she felt from Doris.  Ethel was a taker, a user; gathering information and storing it within herself.  Doris knew this, and cringed at the thought that she may scan Fred for her own personal pleasure; for she produced nothing.   Doris’s images became skewed and distorted with grief as she watched the warming current flow between the two machines.  What must she do get Fred to notice her before it is too late?

To be continued…..