Empty Wrists

Chapter 3: Inspection

The picture above is what I imagine Jess to look like.

I breathed in the scent of the leaves as I trekked through the dense forest. I had been nervous and unsure about moving to such an isolated area, but I had grown to love the fresh air, the peace, and the chance to truly appreciate the beautiful things in life. Besides, I wasn't truly isolated. Every weekend I would travel to the nearest town, a quaint and cozy place, where I sold and repaired electronics for a living. Working with computers and technology was something that I had found fascinating. Safe to say, I had become adept at my craft and earned a steady living for myself.

Expecting to see my cabin bathed in solitude, I was surprised to see a middle-aged man wearing glasses and holding a clipboard impatiently waiting near my door. Judging by his strict face and his disciplined demeanor, he was a man of importance. Treading slowly towards him, I asked, "Excuse me, sir?" His head snapped up from his clipboard as he threw me an impatient look. "Ms. Trekk, I assume? I have been waiting here for the past 45 minutes. I assumed you had forgotten about our appointment and was getting ready to leave." "What appointment? What are you talking about?" I was confused and hoped this guy wasn't here to rob me. He didn't look like he had enough strength to take me on, but then again, he wouldn't need a lot. I hadn't been working out lately..."Ms. Trekk, I am Christopher Jones. My office scheduled a meeting with you on the April of last year for the annual inspection to take place today." Oh, right, I remembered now. Because I lived near the country border, I was to undergo a yearly inspection by a government agency. I wasn't entirely sure what for, though. "I am so sorry, Mr. Jones! I was out of town, I completely forgot about our appointment. Please, come in." I scrambled for my keys and swung open my cabin door, hoping that by some miracle the cabin wasn't as messy as it usually was.

The inspector walked in and seemed a bit disgusted by the lack of furniture in my cabin. I followed him as he looked under my mattress, rifled through my drawers, and checked every closet and corner while taking notes. "It would be rather difficult to hide anything in here..." I heard him muttering to himself. "Excuse me, sir, what is the purpose of this inspection, exactly?" I found myself asking. "Oh....just making sure that everything is fine and to ensure your safety.." He stated in a low voice, avoiding my curious gaze. I found myself unable to believe him, but couldn't figure out why an inspector from a government agency would have anything to hide.

He turned around to address me and his eyes landed on my wrist. My sleeve had ridden up. His eyes widened and he sputtered out, "Wh-what happened to your LCODE?" His face had seemed to lose all color, and I don't know why but I felt the need to lie to him. "My husband and I had a fight. He doesn't want to live here with me and wants to stay in the city, so I covered up my LCODE with some makeup because I was angry with him." Hearing this, Mr. Jones assumed his normal air of authority. He had fallen for my lie and seemed a bit relieved. "That's understandable. Everything here seems to be fine. I shall take my leave." With that, he stepped out of my cabin and retreated into the darkness of the forest.