I’m still sitting in the truck. Shift ended hours ago, sun went down, now it’s just me and the parking lot lights making long shadows. It’s a rental, this rig. Mine’s still in the shop, needs a new transmission, so I’m blowing half my pay on this daily. Not that the pay is much these days. Construction’s feast or famine, you know? This job, it’s good money *if* you get the hours, but between the general contractor pulling a fast one on the invoice and the weather, it’s always a scramble. I got two kids, ex-wife in a different state, the whole nine. They expect… things. School trips, new shoes, the usual. I try. God, I really try. Was just scrolling the news, you know, waiting for the battery to die. Just headline after headline of… well, you know. Earthquakes, tsunamis, new virus popping up, some war nobody understands. And I’m sitting here, this beat-up truck, smelling like stale coffee and sawdust, just… nothing. No feeling. Like, I should feel something, right? Fear, panic, a little bit of *woah* for the end of the world. But it’s just… flat. Empty. My phone died a few minutes ago. Screen went black, and I didn’t even flinch. Just sat here in the dark. It’s kinda peaceful, I guess. Or maybe I’m just too tired to care. Used to have big plans. Thought I’d be running my own outfit by now, a real business, not just chasing the next gig. This foreman title, it’s a joke. No benefits, no sick days, just more headaches. My back’s been killing me, too. Probably from all the heavy lifting over the years. Or maybe it’s just stress. Who knows. I just keep scrolling, even when the screen is black. Like there’s something else to see. Something I missed. There isn’t. Just darkness. Just me. And the thought of having to wake up tomorrow and do it all again.