“FUCK me!” Manny scrolled up on his phone. Three more rejections on the world’s most popular dating app. “I’m tired of this shit.” He closed the app and thumbed through the other programs he had running. It was typical of him to not check his phone every free moment he had; the idea of waiting hours before looking at his messages gave a false sense of hope that one day his inbox would bear good news if he checked everything at once.

He had seventeen new unread emails. He scrolled through them, the vast majority claiming that he had won gift cards or that there were single women of specific ethnicities in his location. Towards the bottom of the list there was a tagline that made his heart pound.

RE: Manny Emanuel Mannfred – Job Application Status

He froze mid-step, dreading the thought of opening up its contents. He took off his beanie hat and with one finger scratched the edge of his receding hairline. Using that same finger, he tapped the screen.

“Blah, blah, blah. We’re sorry but you’re not a fit for us at this time…”

Manny didn’t bother reading the copy and pasted concluding paragraph. He closed his email program and shoved the phone back into his pocket. He took a deep breath, letting the cool winter air chill his breath. The city was coated in snow. His fingers were numb because he didn’t bring gloves. And now his feet were wet because of the hole in his sneakers.

“SHIT. I guess I’ll have to hear my parents BITCH at me again.” Manny was more concerned with being scolded by his parents about not working rather than the fact that he remained unemployed. Dreading the inevitable tirade, he decided to take the long way home instead. He looked at the apartment across to his left and instead of using the crosswalk, he continued straight along the path with the intention of reaching the end of the block before making a U-Turn.

A few steps in he could feel his phone vibrate. He reached into his pocket and took out the phone. The home screen lit up and a familiar icon was shown at the top. It was a notification for one of his mobile games.

Idle Heralds: Champions – Your energy has been fully restored!

“About FUCKING time!” Manny opened the game, turning his phone sideways as he waited through the loading screen. He tapped the crosswalk button, noticing that the hand was still red before returning his attention to the screen. A familiar tune played as the usual tips scrolled through the bottom screen.

You can exchange Amethyst Gems to renew your energy at the shop!

“Come on, come on. Hurry the FUCK up.” Manny’s eyes shifted from the screen to the traffic passing through the crosswalk before looking back at the game. Now it was fully loaded and on the main menu screen. A large knight in silver armor stood on the side of the screen and give him a wave.

“Your orders, commander?” He said in a deep voice.

“Shut the FUCK up, please.”

The character didn’t respond.

“Thank you.” Manny’s eyes darted towards the red exclamation mark above the letter icon. “What is it now?” After tapping it, an advertisement covered his screen.

At first, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my life. I was at a crossroads…”

“Stupid FUCKING ads.” Manny looked up and saw that the crosswalk was clear to pass through. He took a step forward.

But now that I’ve gotten my degree at University of Griffin Online, I can do anything.”

“Why can’t I skip this SHIT?” Manny furiously taps the X icon at the corner of the advertisement but it doesn’t close. He takes another step forward and stays still in the intersection, continuously pounding on the touch screen now that screen is paused. A set of bright lights steal his attention. A garbage truck is coming at him.

“Is this ASSHOLE going to stop?”

Manny looks at the green vehicle. Not with a look of fear. Nor contempt. Instead it is one of curiosity. He remains still despite the crosswalk counting down and the garbage truck showing no signs of slowing. A horn is blared but Manny continues to be fixated by the oncoming headlights.

“SHI-“