The Box

She entered the box and there sat a man at a desk.
"Welcome!" he said, "This is yours to do with what you will".
She surveyed the high walls and translucent ceiling, everything gleamed with possibility. The man cut off her hazy daydreaming.
"Fill it with what you like, but remember you need structure."
"Structure?"
"Yes," he looked over his glasses at her, "And money."
"Money." She echoed quietly.
"Let's give you an idea of how to set yourself up." He turned from her to the door, "Enter!"
Two figures appeared carrying a large and awkward shape. The man gestured them to the corner behind her. They propped the shape up by the wall. It balanced ominously above her head, pressing into her chair.
"You need to work to get your money," the man said gesturing at the shape. "And the work will give you structure."
She looked up at the strange twisted block and back at the man. He pushed his glasses up onto his face, "Well of course, over time, you might hope that it fits in a little better" he gestured at the depleted space, "but for now this will suit you fine."

She took another glance at the shape and turned her attention back to the space that was left. She took a deep breath and surveyed it happily.
"All of this is still mine to fill."
"Yes!" The man said, "But of course you must sleep."
Oh yes, she had heard of sleep.
The figures wandered in again. This time unannounced. This shape looked simpler, there were no twists at all. But it kept on emerging from the door.
"No, no," she said, "I'll not need as much sleep as this."
The man retorted dryly in a cryptic manner, "The less sleep you fill your space with, the more space will be taken away from you."
"Oh," she replied, her chest falling. The shape was placed in the diagonal corner. It seemed to be denser in some areas than others. "Why does some of it look so different from the rest?"
"Some of it is good sleep and some of it is bad sleep."
"Oh, well if I can choose - I'll just take the good sleep... Right?"
"You would think, wouldn't you?" he said looking disinterested now and surveying the clipboard in front of him. "Right, not too much more. Just a few stock things."
He reeled off his list as figures came in one by one with single cubes.
"Commuting, preparing food, eating food, looking for things you've lost..."
She looked around the room. His voice trailed off, but his lips kept moving. She saw small white spots in her vision.

She got a hold of herself as the man edged his way over to the door.
"I'm not sure I can breathe."
He looked around, counted the checked boxes in front of him and tapped his clipboard affirmatively,
"There is still space left to breathe."

"You are free now to do whatever you want... Don't use it all up deciding!"
The figures started to withdraw. She slid down onto the floor as one removed the chair she was sitting on. They reached the man at the exit and shuffled past him, removing the last of the furniture. Sprawled on the floor, she looked at the contorted shapes looming down at her as the man clicked the top of his pen and shut the door behind him.