The Bureaucrat Read online

  Suddenly, she felt hands on her dangling legs. She looked back.

  There was Moustache. And Brendan. And all the other drones, too many to count, all come out to protect one of their own.

  She kicked again, trying to crawl into Baldie’s booth, but though he was headless now, his hands kept slapping at her. She elbowed his arms out of the way and kicked out. Her foot made contact with something and she propelled herself face-first into the keyboard. She pushed herself up on her arms, grinning.

  But her triumph only lasted an instant. Neck whistling, Baldie grabbed her shoulders and shoved her back out towards the swarm.

  Three sets of hands grabbed onto each of her arms. Libby shrieked in panic when multiple hands grabbed her legs. She looked over her shoulder to see two big women hauling her legs over their shoulders, skirt twisting out of place.

  This whole place can see my underwear.

  The thought of what might happen next brought a new burst of fear to Libby. She struggled and screamed, but whoever had her by the shoulders stuffed some balled up yellow legal paper into her mouth and she had to focus on not choking for a while.

  The drones carried her down a zig zag of corridors, hoisting her like she had won a ballgame for them.

  Libby rolled her eyes like a spooked horse, only saw stone and numbers passing by. But she kept looking, kept trying to hold the numbers in her head.

  Then she saw the safety tape. The people at her shoulders pushed her up even higher. She could see the dark void.

  “No. NO!“ She tried screaming through her gag, but they dumped her off the edge.

  She hit something, then began sliding downwards…

  * * *

  She woke up bawling uncontrollably. It’ll never stop. I’ll never get through the maze. It’s hopeless.

  She rubbed her eyes, dreading what she would see next, the sterile concrete walls of the entrance, that stupid piece of paper…

  Instead, she saw her TV screen, her blue curtains, and the door leading to her living room.

  Her tears turned to gurgles, turned to laughter.

  She tossed the covers off and checked her nightstand clock. Time to get ready for work.

  The steamy shower felt divine after the dry recycled air of the maze.

  What maze? It was just a stupid dream.

  * * *

  Back at the office.

  She booted up Windows 95, set her Big Gulp full of Diet Coke in its spot in her drawer and sat down in the chair.

  She pushed the button, and the doors to her booth opened.

  “Now serving…K. 3. 2. 0. 1.”

  It was Paunch and Moody from the other day. Libby smiled, but their expressions didn’t change.

  The wife marched up to the desk and dropped her open notebook onto it. The papers fluttered like wings.

  The wife looked Libby in the eye.

  “Why did you give us a fake name?”

  “I didn’t!” said Libby.

  The wife’s eyes bulged. “I was on the phone three hours yesterday. THERE’S NO LINDA G.”

  “She’s real, I swear!” said Libby.

  That was when the world went dizzy. Spots floated before Libby’s eyes. No, in them. Floaters. That’s what Mom called them. I’ve got them, just like her.

  The wife’s face had gone pale. No anger there anymore, just astonishment and fear.

  “What’s your problem?” Libby was about to ask, but the vet pushed his wife out of the way and leaned over the desk. He struck quick as a cobra, had Libby’s neck in the crook of his elbow before she knew what was going on.

  Guess he was a combat vet after all.

  She scratched at his arms with needle-sharp claws, but her vision was already turning dark. Her scream came out a squeak. At least he hadn’t shot her.

  The gun sign works!

  She blacked out.

  * * *

  The orderly helped the soldiers from Nellis load the creature into the truck. A gurney and a white sheet had kept everyone from panicking, but these fellas seemed unconcerned by the inhuman shape beneath. He’d heard that the folks from Nellis sometimes did runs up to Area 51. Maybe that was the reason they weren’t bothered.

  He lingered after the gurney was secured inside the truck, but scuttled away after a pointed farewell from the driver.

  The men looked at each other.

  “It’s not classified,” said one.

  “Yet.“

  “Yeah, not yet, but in the meantime…”

  The soldiers checked around the sides of the truck for lookie-loos, then entered the back of the truck.

  They peeked under the sheet. The driver chuckled. His friend looked at him.

  “What are they gonna do with a giant, fat rat?”

  “Duh.” The driver cracked a smile. “Make it run mazes!”

  They rolled the truck’s loading door shut.

  Special Thanks…

  …to Brooke D., for her eagle-eye.

  …to my husband, who thought this was a great idea.

  …to J. Crochet, one of the GOOD VA workers who helped us out of the maze.

  …and to Tim, Coach, and the rest of the volunteer staff at Vets For Action, who blast through maze walls with high explosives. You guys have been a true blessing!

  Also by Danielle Williams

  WONDER Out Where the Sun Always Shines

  HORROR The Bureaucrat

  What the Cat Brought Back

  HUMOR The Purrfect Christmas

  FORTHCOMING Steel City, Veiled Kingdom

  A Gingersnap Cat Christmas

  Magic Fashion Frenchies #2: Salute a Pooch!

  For new story announcements, sign up for Danielle's newsletter at Pixelvania Publishing.

  About the Author

  Danielle Williams believes her outrageous imagination can be attributed to a healthy childhood diet of computer games, Bruce Coville books, Twilight Zone reruns, and Martin H. Greenberg horror anthologies.

  She graduated from Brigham Young University in the 2000’s and currently resides in the Wild West with her patient husband and threenager cat.

  Hints of fantasy and science fiction always sneak into whatever she’s writing.

  A Note from Danielle

  Hi, Reader!

  Thank you so much for reading my short story. I’m honored that you took the time to read and support me, an independent author.

  I would deeply appreciate it if you’d leave an honest review on Goodreads or the website where you bought The Bureaucrat. Your opinion matters—to me and to other readers looking to discover new stories.

  Thanks again!

  Your humble writer,

  Danielle Williams

  P.S. If you liked what you read, sign up for my free newsletter and be the first to know when I release a new story!