Marcus slumped into his small desk chair. Instinctively he reached down under the desk and flipped a switch to boot up his work computer. The three felt walls of his cubical were bare. No pictures of family or friends. It was the first day of his second month on the job as a reporter for the New Port Star, and he had no idea what his next assignment would be. The large computer screen flickered to life as he started to unbutton his jacket.
“Marcus!” He jumped at the sudden appearance of his gruff editor-in-chief. “Have you heard of this new health fad in town?” Marcus finished fumbling with his last button as the older man saddled up beside his desk. In direct contrast to Marcus’ youthful, tall and stringing physique the seasoned newspaper man was short, stout and balding. White hair wreathed his head and his white tightly trimmed moustache frequently twitched with annoyance. Marcus watched it dancing knowing the older man was expecting some kind of response.
“Um, no sir. I, um, can’t say I know of any fads,” he managed to fumble out.
The bushy white eyebrows launched up above the tops of the editor’s small round spectacles perched precariously on the end of his nose. “What?” he blustered out leaning forward on Marcus’ computer monitor and despite standing to Marcus’ sitting looking the young man straight in the eyes. “How is that possible? Fads are all around you. Tonics for what ails you. Clothes to stand out in a crowd. Music to make you go deaf. Food to turn your stomach. Endless diets for our sickly society. Do you live under a rock boy?”