And so Don stood, watching the flock from afar. As their shepherd, he felt a quiet joy knowing they were safe from the wolves.
Then his eyes settled on one sheep, set apart from the others. It did not move with the flock. It did not belong.
There was no alternative.
He killed it.
A smile broke across his face even as tears filled his eyes. He laughed, and he wept. And as the flock remained safe and unaware, a single thought lingered within him: did he love them, or the idea of them?
Next scene
heads to work. He greets his colleague, "Hello, Dominic."
"Yo, wassup, Don," Dominic replies.
"I'm starting to feel like work drains my mood and emotions," Don responds.
"Well, I think that's sadly the only way to earn, or do you have other ideas?" Dominic says.
Erica chimes in, "Hey boys, before we discuss the sad work life we have, does anyone want to help me with this paperwork?"
Don smiles and looks to Dominic, and Dominic bursts out laughing, unable to control his laugh. That causes a chain reaction, with other coworkers laughing as well, because Dominic's laugh is funnily unique.
Next scene
The boss comes in.
"Okay, slackers, what's funny?"
"Nothing," Don replies.
"Good. Then get to work," the boss says. "Hey Don, please come to my office before leaving."
"Will do, sir," Don responds.
The boss heads to his office.
"I think someone is in trouble," Dominic remarks.
Don smiles as some of the others laugh.
Don responds, "Come on, let's be civil," laughing inwardly.
Next scene
Don enters the boss's office.
"Take a seat, Don," the boss says.
Don takes a seat. With a serious face, the boss asks, "How old are you?"
"Twenty," Don replies.
"Do you have a passion, a lover, or anything of worth at the moment?"
Don hesitates. "Sir… should I be honest?"
The boss smiles. "Yes."
Feeling relieved, Don replies, "Well, I don't necessarily have any of that. To be honest, I just work, eat, and sleep, and keep the cycle going. I don't want to complain though. I know I have it better than others."
The boss listens, his expression dropping. He raises his face again, this time not smiling, but sad.
He says to Don, "There's more to life than work. I am suspending you for three weeks. You have to get a passion."
Now confused, Don asks, "Am I not better as a complete machine, working for you and giving you superb results? Why suspend me?"
With a smirk, the boss responds, "In time, you'll understand."