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BLANK WHITE SKY

I left the office early, I don't really know why, the printer wasn't working, I was pressing print over and over and nothing was happening, so I just took my things and left. I went out to the courtyard and looked at the ducks swimming in the pond, all the office buildings looked down at us glittering, and between them was just white sky.

I didn't really know what to do, so I started to drive home, I hadn't even said goodbye to my coworkers, what was wrong with me? I guessed I'd tell them I was sick, but I'd never done something like this before, maybe they'd know, now Angela would have to fix the printer while I was gone, they were probably looking for me.

I didn't call though, just drove and eventually went past the turn to my apartment, Max would be home, I'd have to explain why I wasn't at work, the roads were getting more rural, blackberries grew along the sides, still there was only white sky beyond the trees.

My parents were living in a small house near the river, my mom planted sunflowers and other flowers in a garden outside. My father installed security cameras all around the house, a small TV in the office showed a view of all sides and all rooms.

I came in the door and went to find him, light was coming in the kitchen window, red flowers were cut in a vase on the table, the walls were grey, beige carpet.

Dad came out of the office and looked surprised,

You're home.

The white sky cast a strange glow, his face grey in the afternoon light.

At night, the house was very cold, I left to go out to the docks, the cranes building new developments stood all along the bank, small red lights blinked along the edges.

I was sitting watching the empty water when my father came down the path.

I saw you leaving and wondered what you were doing.

I just went for a walk.

I'm a bit worried about you, you've been acting a bit odd lately, coming home unannounced.

The house felt green at night, the light of the streetlights flowed in, my father was standing by the sink.

I'm thinking of building a bunker beneath the house.

He was looking out at the yard, watching for people crossing the paths and coming out of the woods.

I came back months later and the construction of the bunker had begun. He watched me approach on the security cameras, getting up from his office chair as I walked up to the porch.

The bunker connected to a removable hatch in the closet, he showed me the hole and stood back proudly, the inside was bright white with portable lights.

When I went back to work the printer still wasn't working, I sat at my computer and sent document after document to the printer, nothing happened, the machine stayed silent.

My coworker came up to my desk and asked if I'd like to join them for lunch. I looked out the window behind her at the big white buildings, the cranes were tilting and moving, carrying materials up to the workers above. I declined and continued pressing the same buttons on my computer.

The next time I was home my father had moved his office into the bunker, the screens still showed every room, I went down with him and watched my mother making lunch in the kitchen, her back turned away from the camera.

Doesn't it feel weird to watch her like this?

Oh, she doesn't care.

He looks at the wall of screens blankly.

Soon his bed was also moved to the bunker.

I asked my mom, are you okay with sleeping down there?

It's a little strange, she smiles, But you get used to it, they painted the walls dark green and moved the bed to the center of the carpet.

I go out during lunch and stare at the ducks swimming in circles.

He wasn't always like this, I remembered afternoons when we went on walks together, the day we both climbed the fence near our house and went together to find the abandoned cars he said were stolen, he used to smile at me as we trespassed.