The Downfall: comedic drama, #1

By Fedios

a comedic/philosophical/sad/weird and random story of the journey of Ethan and his random encounters,filled with plot twists and 4th wall breaking

the ending will make you question your sanity

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fedios
• Release date: May 13, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224039135

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Table of Contents

The Downfall (comedic drama, #1)

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Why does it have to be like this? Ethan sighed as he walked down the street. It was 2am and he had just gotten off work at a factory that made paperclips. The factory was filled with robots, but they were only there for show. The actual production of the clips was done by hand by Ethan and his fellow coworkers, each working their own section of the assembly line. Each clip took around 30 seconds to produce, so that meant that every hour, you made about 120 paperclips. And that was what Ethan did from 9 am to 6 pm, Monday through Friday, and sometimes even Saturday depending on how busy things got. He’d come home, eat dinner, watch some TV, then sleep, waking up just before work the next day. That was his routine, and it was going to continue for the rest of his life.

Ethan had never liked it here. He’d always wanted to do something else with his life, but circumstances dictated otherwise. He needed money to live, and since he didn’t have any other skills or qualifications, he had no choice but to take this job. But he hated it. He hated coming into work every morning, putting in eight hours of labor just to make paperclips. It wasn’t even like they paid him well either! He was only making minimum wage, which was barely enough to cover rent and food. So why did he do it? Why did he subject himself to this torture every single day? Because he knew that if he stopped working, he would lose everything. If he quit, he wouldn’t have anywhere to go. He’d end up homeless on the streets, begging for change and eating out of garbage cans. And that was a fate worse than death itself.

As he walked along, his thoughts drifted towards his childhood. He remembered when he used to play soccer with his friends after school. They’d run around kicking balls until sunset, laughing and joking together. Those were good times, he thought wistfully. Nowadays though, none of them spoke anymore. They’d grown apart, each going their separate ways in life. One became a lawyer, another a doctor, while others found jobs in various fields. And yet, despite having achieved success in different areas, they still seemed empty inside. None of them truly felt happy anymore. Maybe it was because they’d forgotten what true happiness meant. Or maybe it was because they’d lost sight of what mattered most in life. Either way, Ethan couldn’t help but feel sorry for them.

He continued walking, eventually reaching his apartment building. He entered the lobby and took the elevator up to his floor. Upon opening the door, he noticed a note taped to his front door. It read: Dear Mr. Jones, We regret to inform you that your rent payment has not been received by us. Please contact our office immediately regarding this matter. Thank You, Management.

Great, Ethan muttered under his breath. He’d already missed two payments in a row now, and the landlord was threatening eviction if he didn’t pay up soon. He pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number listed on the flyer. After waiting several minutes, he finally heard someone answer.

Hello?

Hi, yes, my name is Ethan Jones. I live at Apartment 345A. My rent check hasn’t arrived yet, and I don’t know where it went. Can you please tell me when you expect it to arrive?

I’m sorry sir, but we haven’t received your rent yet. We will notify you once it arrives. Is there anything else I can help you with today?

No, thank you. Goodbye.

With that, Ethan hung up the phone. He sat down on the couch and stared blankly at the television screen. He wondered if anyone ever really cared about him. He’d spent most of his life working hard to provide for those around him, yet none of them seemed to appreciate his efforts. His family barely acknowledged him, his friends ignored him, and his boss treated him like dirt. All he wanted was to feel loved and appreciated, but nobody seemed capable of giving him that. Maybe that was part of the problem too. Maybe he expected too much from people. Maybe he should lower his standards a bit. Maybe he shouldn’t expect everyone to treat him fairly.

After sitting silently for awhile, he decided to stand up and stretch. He walked over to the window and looked outside. It was raining heavily now, and lightning flashed across the sky occasionally. He could see cars driving past the streetlamps, heading towards the highway. He watched as they disappeared into the darkness, leaving nothing behind except memories of better times. Suddenly, something caught his eye. A small figure standing alone in the rain. It looked like a