Recursive

Shipment gone missing: one box of seven had the label slip off, fall off, rip off, or the box imploded. On the phone with customer service; or, should I say, a robotic voice, struggling to connect me with a representative. “I don’t understand you.” Twenty minutes later, I’m told to fill out a missing package form online. Log in, head to the website, read the status: “1 of 7 in transit”, the other six register as delivered. Select the missing package form, receive the headline: “Package has been delivered.” The page refreshes to show me the tracker, the circle halfway down the line highlighted.

No. 131

Intersection

A neighbor placed a tripod in the middle of a four-way stop intersection. She stood in front of it, giving a speech about something, her muffled voice unable to travel. Between her and the camera, her three-legged dog lay on the asphalt. Work trucks and sedans drove around her as she kept her focus on the camera, refusing to move or acknowledge the busyness of the neighborhood.

No. 094

Alarm

The automated voice came over the intercom and instructed everyone to proceed to the nearest exit. White lights flashed, accompanied by the high-BPM music that continued to play over the speakers. Nobody moved. The treadmills kept running, barbells kept pushing, and foam rollers kept stretching. The automated voice repeated its warning.

“Sorry,” one of the coaches said to a client. “I was on fire and they had to put me out.”

No. 065