Do your best!
The next day, you return to work with a newfound smile and passion for your work, regardless of your docked pay; though it was unbeknownst to you how long that would last. All you wanted to do was play with puppies and from the moment you walked in through the door, their tiny bodies surrounded you with their playful joy; you seemed to feed off of the children’s youthful essence.
You walked student after student through lessons as you worked your way up slowly in social status since your undesirable first impression. Slowly you began to feel the sense of pride again, but soon it was all going to be taken away from you.
Word had gotten around with the parents about your previous behaviour and questioned your ability to teach and upbring the puppies, especially in this type of high-stress environment. They whispered about your incompetence in this leadership role for their children, constantly forcing you to prove yourself- to prove your worth in an environment where you thought you could truly be yourself.
Slowly the tedious pay and unrealistic overtime dissolved your passion into a job, and your interest began to wane, but that was just the beginning. After a while the snarky comments became a scattered sabotage, maybe some salt in your coffee, access to your students were cut off, you were ostracized in future meetings, doors were shut in your face both literally and metaphorically. Coworkers, parents, students, and even patients had shunned you from your workplace, ultimately forcing you from your position.
When the reality hit you, it was heartbreaking. On the last day of your work, you were directed to pack up the small items given to you after orientation.
“Oh that's right! Orientation!” You remembered. “That was a thing I had to go to yesterday… Dang.” You felt like kicking yourself. “No wonder I was missing out on vital skills I could have used to take me through this novel experience.” You thought to yourself, but by that time it was too late, you were already leaving the building, the premises, and soon even the entire campus. It felt like a dream, you were only here for moments, but now you have lost your only chance for making your life here, progressing through it, winning in your own ways, and progressing through the game.
You wandered the streets for weeks looking for opportunities, but all you found were scams. Whatever you worked to get had been taken by the ‘foreign tax’ and soon whatever was left would be robbed from you by bandits. Turns out this life wasn’t quite as ideal as you imagined.
The last thing you thought about before curling up on your cardboard box beneath your stinky bridge was how you could have done things differently. How much better your life had been if you were thinking properly, and where you could have been now, if you didn’t overlook that orientation.
Written by Driftingdragon on 11 June 2021
The end (for now)