Chapter 1 — The Morning Everything Changed (Part 4)
von The Metamorphosis
Gregor was still lying there, trying to force order into his thoughts—
when—
The doorbell rang.
A sharp, unmistakable sound.
It cut straight through the silence of the apartment.
Gregor froze.
“…Someone’s here.”
He didn’t need to guess.
He already knew.
“That must be someone from work.”
Of course it was.
Who else would come this early?
And then—
Everything stopped.
For a brief moment—
Silence.
But not for long.
Footsteps.
The maid.
Firm. Routine.
She crossed the hallway and opened the front door.
Gregor strained to listen.
He didn’t need to hear much.
Just a few words.
A greeting.
That was enough.
Because he recognized the voice immediately.
The chief clerk.
“…Of course it’s him.”
Why did it have to be him?
Why did it always escalate this quickly?
A single missed train—
And they sent someone to investigate.
Personally.
Suspicion.
Pressure.
Control.
That was how the company operated.
Gregor felt something twist inside him.
Frustration.
Anger.
“Am I the only one they treat like this?”
Were all the employees like him?
Or was he the only one expected to answer for everything immediately?
“Is there no one there who understands?”
No one who—
Just once—
Would hesitate before judging?
No one who might think—
Maybe something actually happened?
Instead—
They sent the chief clerk.
To his home.
To his family.
To make it clear—
This was serious.
Too serious to trust anyone else.
Gregor’s thoughts spiraled.
And with them—
His control slipped.
Before he fully realized what he was doing—
He moved.
He threw himself forward.
Hard.
Too hard.
His body slid off the bed—
And hit the floor.
A dull, heavy thud.
The sound wasn’t as loud as he expected.
The carpet softened it.
And—
Strangely—
So did his body.
His back felt harder than it should have been.
Almost resilient.
The impact didn’t hurt as much as it should have.
But—
His head.
He hadn’t controlled it properly.
It struck the floor.
Pain flared instantly.
Sharp.
Annoying.
Gregor turned it instinctively—
Pressing it against the carpet.
Rubbing it slightly.
Trying to ease the sting.
Outside—
A voice.
“That sounded like something fell.”
The chief clerk.
Left room.
Close.
Too close.
Gregor’s body tensed.
He hadn’t meant to make noise.
Not like that.
Not now.
Not when everything was already on edge.
For a brief moment—
A strange thought crossed his mind.
“Could something like this… happen to him?”
To the chief clerk.
Could he wake up like this?
Could he understand?
Could he even imagine it?
Gregor almost laughed—
But didn’t.
Because reality pressed back in.
Hard.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Footsteps.
Firm.
Measured.
The chief clerk moved closer.
Gregor could hear it clearly now.
Polished boots.
Steady.
Approaching.
From the right—
A whisper.
His sister.
“Gregor… the chief clerk is here.”
Gregor didn’t answer out loud.
“I know.”
But he didn’t dare say it.
Not like this.
Not with that voice.
Then—
His father.
From the left.
Louder now.
More urgent.
“Gregor.”
A pause.
Then—
“The chief clerk is here. He wants to know why you didn’t catch the early train.”
Each word hit like pressure.
“We don’t know what to tell him.”
Another pause.
And then—
“He wants to speak to you. Personally.”
That word hung in the air.
Personally.
No excuses.
No delays.
No hiding.
“So open the door.”
A knock.
Harder this time.
“I’m sure he’ll overlook the state of your room.”
Gregor didn’t move.
Not yet.
Then—
Another voice.
Right outside.
Closer than before.
“Good morning, Mr. Samsa.”
The chief clerk.
Polite.
But cold.
Before Gregor could react—
His mother spoke quickly.
“He’s not well!”
Her voice trembled.
She was already trying to protect him.
“Please believe me—he’s not well!”
She continued, almost rushing her words.
“Why else would he miss a train? He’s always so responsible—he thinks of nothing but work!”
Gregor listened.
Every word.
She was defending him.
Explaining him.
Trying to make sense of something she didn’t understand.
“He never goes out in the evenings,” she went on.
“He’s been home all week and hasn’t left once.”
“He sits with us. Reads. Studies train schedules.”
“As if that’s relaxation.”
Her voice softened slightly.
“He even made a little frame recently—took him just a few evenings. It’s hanging in his room.”
A pause.
Then—
“I’m glad you’re here. We couldn’t get him to open the door.”
Another pause.
Lower now.
“He’s so stubborn…”
And then—
Almost pleading—
“I’m sure he’s ill. He said so this morning.”
Gregor closed his eyes.
“…I said I was fine.”
But now—
That didn’t matter.
Because the situation had already moved beyond him.
The chief clerk spoke again.
Calm.
Controlled.
But with an edge.
“Well, Mrs. Samsa… I hope it’s nothing serious.”
A pause.
Then—
“But in our line of work…”
His tone shifted slightly.
“If we are unwell…”
“We simply have to overcome it.”
Business first.
Always.
Gregor felt something tighten in his chest.
That was it.
That was everything.
That was the world he lived in.