This story was originally written for the On The Job Challenge 2025 in April 2025.
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The box wasn't completely uncomfortable, there was at least a thin rubber pad on the bottom. It wasn't large enough for me to stretch out, even corner to corner, but at least when I leaned against the wall I could stretch out my legs.
It also wasn't completely dark inside, the ventilation hole let in light from the outside room, whatever that was. Not that there was anything to look at in here, the walls were all covered with black fabric. They wouldn't let me bring my phone or a book or anything which is reasonable, that kind of distraction would have invalidated the "experiment". Russell had my purse, phone and sneakers in a box, he said he would take care of it for me.
The smart watch they strapped on my wrist was just there to monitor my vital signs, it didn't actually display anything. They called it a safety feature, which was good of them, I guess. There was also a camera and microphone recording me, but there was no way to tell if anyone was watching the feed. In fact they probably weren't since it was super boring in here.
They were recording everything, though, in case I messed up and said something. I definitely didn't want to do that, I would miss out on too much money, and that was why I was in here to start with.
===
"What the hell do you mean you're moving out? Rent is due on Monday!" My roommates, and now former friends, Susan and Tim were hanging off one another. It was bad enough that they had spent the last several months making my life in the apartment hell. Not doing their part of the chores, constantly inviting people over and worst of all the noisy fucking sex in the living room. It wouldn't have been so bad if they had kept it to their bedroom, but doing it in the living room was just rude.
Now they had fucked me over, and based on the smirks on their faces they had done it on purpose. "Yeah, sorry, we just found out a couple of days ago that we could move in with Robyn and Jeff." That was bullshit. Even I knew that Robyn and Jeff had been looking for other roommates since the end of the spring semester. It was almost July, and there wouldn't be a new crop of students until the end of the summer. The apartment was foolishly only in my name, and I was screwed, there was no way I could scrape the money together in five days.
I left the apartment to avoid an explosive argument, but I did slam the door as I left. I headed toward the coffee shop, but realized that I couldn't even afford a cup of coffee. I slumped onto a bench across the street from the coffee shop and put my head in my hands. A few minutes later someone slipped onto the bench a little too close to me. Shit, now I've got to deal with this crap. The other end of the bench was empty, why did they have to sit so close?
"You ok? You look like shit." I looked up and saw Paisly, my favorite Barista. She looked good, as always, but was clearly at the end of her shift. Her clothes were rumpled and her hair was not perfect. She also smelled of coffee, which I guess is an occupational hazard.
"My fucking roommates just told me they are moving out this weekend, sticking me with the whole rent for next month. You don't know anybody looking for a place, do you?" I hopefully asked.
"No, sorry." Paisley thought for a moment, "Susan and Tim, right? Yeah, I'm not surprised. I've seen them be mean to people. And I've heard them talking about you, too. Sorry I never mentioned it."
I sighed and my shoulders drooped further, "No worries. I'm sure you see and hear lots of stuff."
Paisley asked, "How much are you short?"
"Oh, no, I couldn't!"
Paisley laughed and punched my shoulder lightly, "You're right you couldn't because I wasn't offering my money. Another customer tried to recruit me for a gig on Friday evening. He said it was a hundred dollars an hour for six hours, and not strenuous work at all. He gave me this card."
The card was for Russell Ward, a Human Resources Rep at an investment firm around the corner. "I don't know him outside the shop, but he and his group of suits usually treat the staff here well. That says something, I guess."
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The whole back side of the box was a door that opened from a service corridor, and it looked like there were at least three other similar doors further along that corridor. I had no idea what kind of room the box stuck out into, but it was well lit, and based on the echoes it sounded kind of large.
The confined space didn't bother me, and neither did the relative darkness. What quickly came to bother me, though, was the lack of a clock. I didn't realize how often I checked the time, and without any outside context I didn't know how long I had been in the box. Not long enough, obviously, I had just barely gotten there. Even when I first started wondering about the time I knew not much had passed.
It was quiet in the outside room at first, then I heard people talking and setting stuff up for a party, which of course is why I am here at all. Rich people and their stupid bets.
==
Russell's office was a typical HR office, with a large desk, several comfortable chairs and a big fake plant in the corner. Russell was a handsome 30 something man, with an athletic build and an easy smile. He shook my hand firmly and slid a $100 dollar bill into it. "That is for your time coming in today, regardless of if you take the job or not. I understand you are in a financial bind."
"Now, I would like you to sign an NDA, and then I will ask you to do something which could be very uncomfortable for you, but hopefully not." Well, that wasn't a very good start.
Russell saw my look of concern and raised his hands, "No, it's nothing bad. I have to check to see if you are afraid of the dark, or confined spaces. Either of those would disqualify you from the contract."
"Those seem like odd requirements for a contract, but now I'm more curious than before." I quickly signed the NDA and Russell led me to his closet. It was really just a coat closet, but there were boxes of office supplies stacked up on one side leaving barely enough room to stand.
Russell waived me into the closet, "OK, pull the door closed." I pulled the door closed and stood there in the mostly dark, lit only by the crack beneath the door.
A couple of minutes passed, "How are you doing in there?"
It was very weird to be trapped in a closet in an office building, but I had my phone and I wasn't worried. "I'm fine, thanks."
"OK, so not panicking? Is it ok if I lock the door?" Shit this just gets worse.
"Sure, go ahead." I heard him insert a key and lock the closet door. Luckily it didn't bother me.
===
I had been in the box for a while and it was starting to get warm. Not terribly warm, just enough that I started to sweat a little. I sat with my head under the ventilation hole, and that was pleasant, I guess. The room outside was filling up, I heard several voices, but they were indistinct and I couldn't make out any specific words.
"Fuck!!" Luckily I was able to keep myself from screaming that out as a partially filled plastic glass of sweet tasting wine bounced off my head, splashing all over me. I clapped my hands over my mouth to make sure I didn't accidentally swear.
I definitely didn't want to say anything out loud, that would ruin the whole purpose of my being in here.
===
Russell let me out of his closet a few minutes later, "Sorry about that, are you ok?"
I shrugged, "Yeah, I'm fine. Now, what was that about?"
