You watch worriedly as your assistant, a sweet sort named Brenda, distributes gift bags to the members of your team. Some people she hands a small bag with tissue paper peeking out the top while others get a medium-sized gift bag. But in the smallest bag, she places a small box wrapped in shiny red paper with a big white bow nestled firmly amidst the folds of the paper. You're guessing that's your gift. Finally, she hands a small bag to you.
''Bob Black, Finance Department,'' she says.
Geez, that didn't take long. You chuckle to yourself. It's funny how quickly people forget their manners. You grab your gift from the bag, unwrapping it to reveal a pair of brown boots.
''Wow, these are great boots!'' your friend Mario exclaims.
''That's a great gift!'' the other woman at the table comments.
You smile and exchange your own thanks while silently hoping that your idea of this gift got through. You consider what it is that you have purchased. It's something that seems more practical than anything, yet it is practical. You are trying to think of something that will allow you to walk to work in comfort with the snow falling outside. When you think of these things, you remember this line from a film you saw long ago...
''I don't need a reason to catch a cold.''
Your phone buzzes and you look down to read the text message.
''I'm speechless! What did you buy that brought up that line?''
''It's a secret,'' you jokingly reply.
''Did you just text with Little Red Riding Hood?!''
You quickly write back to Ian, your supervisor:
''OK... I'll give you the gift at lunch.''
The break is over and you go back to work. It's a little quieter at your desk; instead of a ton of distractions, you're working alone and focusing on things. You decide to browse the website that you purchased from. The site is clean and easy to navigate, and you finally find the boots that you bought for yourself...
They will be perfect!
The phone rings back and you answer it.
''It's for you,'' your computer tells you.
There's a message for you on Little Red Riding Hood's phone:
''Have a good afternoon. Get some rest.
Tonight, stop by my house around 5:30.''
You are glad she is being so thoughtful. You can't wait to put these boots on and go outside again. It's been quite some time since you have managed to go outside. You grab your coat and close the door to go outside to meet your friend.
Your boots look even better in person. The brown leather is soft and feels great on your feet. You go to walk out of the room and the buckles on your boots clip together, holding your feet in place. They look nice, but they have locked you into them...
And you've got even worse problems.
You've always been an overly careful individual, and it was driving your mom crazy. The phone would ring twice before you rushed to answer it. Everyone you came to visit at their home would be greeted with a lock on the door, and the deadbolt pulled. Every window would have the lock set securely.
It was an obsession with security, and it meant you didn't bother with other things. You don't have a car because you couldn't pass the driver's test. Just yesterday, you saw a neighbor of yours who had her driver's license for a year but didn't know how to drive. She rides her bike everywhere.
Well, those boots aren't coming off. Try as you might, you can't get them to release your feet. That's really bothering you. Now you're forced to walk everywhere. If you want to do anything else, you'll have to do it wearing your boots. What's worse is that with your shoes locked to your feet, you are unable to enter the building.
You try to walk outside, but the door will not open. You push and pull, trying to force your way outside. It will not open. There's something wrong, and you're not going to be able to accomplish anything if you can't get into your house. The thought of being trapped in these boots leaves you with a sinking feeling.
You realize that you wouldn't want to be stuck in these for days, if not weeks, so you need to figure out something. You check your phone again and see that there's a message for you from Little Red Riding Hood. You decide to read it...
''Stop by tonight around 7:30.
I'll be wearing my new costume.
''Ready for a good night's sleep?''
You smile and quickly respond:
''Yep, all ready for bed.
See you at 7:30.''
''Heh... ''ready'' for bed. That sounds good.''
You can tell Little Red Riding Hood is up to her old tricks. There's something going on in her apartment that is keeping her awake. That's where you need to be right now as well since you couldn't sleep.
Just then, your phone buzzes again.
''Are you OK?''
''Everything's fine,'' you reply.
''Those boots really are fabulous, and they're excellent for walking!''
''Yeah, I actually really like them. I'm going to wear them to the party tonight.''
''Good, have fun with that. And, well, enjoy your afternoon off.''
You hang up and go back to work. You can't just sit around all day. You need to get all of your work done before your manager arrives at 10:00. You'll also have to handle a lot of work for the Christmas party, since it goes on for a few hours. You're already behind and you're going to continue falling behind.
Your new boots are really confining you, but they will do the job. And if you can't stand them on, you can at least walk in them. It's not going to be easy, so you need to prepare for your journey outside.