Snapshots of the Apocalypse by Katy Wimhurst

Author:Katy Wimhurst [WImhurst, Katy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: SHORT STORIES
Publisher: Fly on the wall poetry
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Inside, she was called to a desk where a thin Job Centre Advisor she didn’t recognise sat knitting something long and crimson. Joss was surprised he was allowed to do so at work. Still knitting, he asked about her job search. She told him she’d applied for fifteen jobs this last fortnight, with no luck.

“Hmm. Widen your search.”

“I already have.” She sighed. “Jobs like shop assistant or waiter won’t often consider me. I’m way overqualified, they say.”

He put down his knitting, and with a stern expression, typed into the computer. “You must still apply for those jobs.”

“I do,” she said through clenched teeth, hating the way certain advisors treated her as unmotivated or an idiot. “It’ll be on the computer.”

“How long have you been unemployed now?”

“Four months,” she said. “But—”

“Sign the form,” he interrupted, staring at her. “Then go to the computers and look for more jobs.”

Irritated, she scribbled a signature, stood brusquely, and went over to a free computer. When she’d lost her old job at the Spanish translation agency, she’d never expected to find it difficult to get a new one, not with a degree in Spanish, eight years teaching experience, and several years working as a translator. Damn the recession!

She stayed on the computer for two hours, drumming her slim fingers as she scrolled through online ads, most for low-paid, low-skill jobs. She completed three job application forms. Oh, to hell with this, she thought eventually.

She decided to walk the three miles home to save herself the bus fare; penny pinching was a new and tedious experience. Along High Street she turned her face away to avoid looking at The Bridal Boutique; a memory of Pablo came anyway, but she pushed it back before it could take hold. The day was now clear and crisp, so she headed into Castle Park, taking a long pathway lined with trees, mainly lime and cherry. She sniffed the air, she loved the spring, although – look! – the magnolia tree had already lost its flowers.

Joss strolled beside the river, which carried reflections of cumulus clouds like sunken islands. She crossed Miller’s Bridge, arched in surprise

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