Prologue: Monday Morning Dread

The alarm broke the peaceful silence of the bedroom with an ugly metallic buzz, the dial glowing sallow green numerals of an obscene hour. Brian rubbed his eyes; consciousness came slowly. Soon, that old feeling of “work dread” began to smother his spirit. The day ahead of him drifted into focus, and his all too familiar feeling of dismay was close behind: It’s time to go to work.

Like many, Brian lost his “will to work” years ago. The thought of a whole week at “that place” made him want to go back to sleep or to vanish and never return. The conflict, the oppression, the sadness, and the boredom were unbearable. Yet he could find no alternative. Bills needed to be paid, and he had become fond of eating.

Old habits ...

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