Deep groan, from a deep place. [Story]

Image's source, from TextStudio

“A deep groan… from a place that can be considered deep…”

It's a strange line to start with, but that was Xac's thought, lying at the bottom of that place. The man had fallen from a structure he was climbing over to check on equipment installed near a roof, and he had a slight moment of dizziness.

It's a good thing Xac was wearing all his safety gear properly, even putting on the annoying accessory of a work helmet.

It was a support that attached to the back of the helmet and then went down to the neck, surrounding it from the back and sides. It's supposed to be a cervical protector, but most workers hate it… Actually, all workers hate that additive.

Xac is a strange name, but it's actually just a nickname. His real name was a bit awkward to pronounce, due to the unusual spelling of his late father's native language. Xac's father was an immigrant from a small country in another latitude, a country that suffered a violent and unfortunate war. Today, that country no longer exists, and what remains are its former inhabitants; some emigrated and others remained among the ruins. Each group had its own reasons and its own problems.

Just as now, Xac was worried about being lying and almost immobilized on that ground; he was in a semi-automated facility, and no one would be coming to work that weekend.

What this man most hoped for was to regain mobility, at least enough to be able to use his communicator and call for help. It would also help if one of his coworkers or supervisors noticed he wasn't returning from this job and started looking for him.

Xac feared the injury would be permanent. If he had hurt himself and was temporarily paralyzed by inflammation, that would be the best-case scenario. Lying there, Xac could only wait and pray that someone would find him, or that his mobility would return, whichever came first.

Perhaps the most philosophical and recurring thought in his mind was how fragile and ever-changing life is. Possibly, this was how his father felt at the beginning of the war that ended his homeland; perhaps this is how any person feels when everything in their life changes at such a rapid pace that they can't get used to it.

A deep moan sounded again in that deep place, like a low sound, demonstrating how helpless any human being is in the face of unforeseen events.