Chapter 1 — The Morning Everything Changed (Part 2)
by The Metamorphosis · 2026-04-05
“God…”
The word slipped out of his thoughts, heavy with exhaustion.
“What a life I’ve chosen.”
Gregor stared at the ceiling as the familiar frustration crept in—stronger now, sharper than before.
“Traveling every single day… from place to place…”
It never stopped.
New towns. New trains. New faces.
And none of it mattered.
“Doing business like this… it’s far more exhausting than working in one place.”
At least then, there would be routine. Stability.
But not this.
Never this.
“The constant travel… worrying about connections… bad food… irregular meals…”
And the people.
Always new people.
Always temporary.
“You never get to know anyone.”
No friendships.
No real conversations.
Nothing that lasted.
“It can all go to hell.”
The thought came suddenly—and he didn’t stop it.
For a moment, he just lay there, breathing.
Then—
An itch.
It crawled slowly across his abdomen.
Uncomfortable. Persistent.
Gregor shifted slightly, forcing himself to move upward—just enough to see.
There.
Small white spots.
Dozens of them.
He didn’t know what they were.
They didn’t look right.
Carefully, hesitantly, he reached toward them with one of his legs.
The moment he made contact—
A violent shiver shot through him.
Cold.
Sharp.
Instant.
He jerked his leg back immediately.
“…No.”
That wasn’t something he wanted to touch again.
Gregor sank back into his original position.
Still on his back.
Still trapped.
“Waking up early every day…”
His thoughts returned to something safer. Familiar.
“It makes you stupid.”
The words felt bitter.
“You don’t get enough sleep. That’s the problem.”
Other traveling salesmen had it easy.
He knew they did.
“I’ve seen it myself.”
Whenever he returned to the guest house in the morning to copy out contracts—
They were still there.
Sitting comfortably.
Eating breakfast.
Relaxed.
Unhurried.
“Must be nice…”
Gregor imagined it.
Sitting there like them.
Taking his time.
Ignoring the pressure.
“What if I tried that?”
The idea surfaced—and for a brief moment, it almost felt possible.
“What if I just stayed seated… like them?”
But the answer came immediately.
“I’d be fired on the spot.”
No hesitation.
No warning.
Gone.
And yet—
“…maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
The thought lingered.
Stronger this time.
If not for one thing.
“My parents…”
That stopped everything.
Gregor exhaled slowly.
“If I didn’t have to think about them…”
He would have done it already.
He would have walked into his boss’s office—
Looked him straight in the eye—
And said everything he’d been holding back.
“I’d tell him exactly what I think.”
No filtering.
No pretending.
“I’d say everything.”
Every frustration.
Every resentment.
Every truth.
“He’d fall right off his desk.”
The image almost made him smile.
Almost.
And yet—
The reality was different.
The boss sat high above them.
Literally.
Looking down.
Speaking down.
Always from a distance.
“And you have to stand right up close to him just to be heard…”
Because the man could barely hear properly.
The whole situation was absurd.
Still—
Gregor knew the truth.
“There’s still time.”
A few more years.
Five.
Maybe six.
That was all it would take.
“To pay off my parents’ debt.”
Once that was done—
Everything would change.
“That’s when I’ll do it.”
No hesitation.
No looking back.
“I’ll quit.”
But not yet.
Not today.
“First… I have to get up.”
Reality snapped back into place.
“My train leaves at five.”
He turned his head.
Slowly.
Toward the chest of drawers.
The clock was there.
Ticking quietly.
Steady.
Unforgiving.
Gregor focused on it.
And then—
His entire body froze.
“God in heaven…”
It was already half past six.
The hands moved calmly forward.
Unbothered.
Unstoppable.
Closer to seven.
“How is that possible?”
The alarm had been set for four.
He knew it had.
He always set it.
Always.
“It must have rung…”
It had to have.
That loud, rattling noise—
Enough to shake the furniture.
There was no way he could have slept through it.
And yet—
He had.
“…How?”
He hadn’t slept well.
That much was certain.
But maybe—
Because of that—
He had slept deeper.
Heavier.
Unconsciously.
Gregor stared at the clock.
“What do I do now…?”
The next train—
Seven o’clock.
That was his only chance.
“If I catch that…”
He might still make it.
But—
The samples.
They weren’t packed.
And his body—
He didn’t feel ready.
Not even close.
“And even if I make it…”
It wouldn’t matter.
The damage was already done.
The office assistant would have seen the five o’clock train leave.
He would have noticed Gregor wasn’t there.
And he would have reported it.
Immediately.
Of course he would.
He was the boss’s man.
Obedient.
Spineless.
And completely lacking in understanding.
Gregor clenched his thoughts.
“What if I report sick…?”
The idea surfaced.
Weak.
Unconvincing.
He dismissed it almost immediately.
“No.”
That would look suspicious.
Too suspicious.
In five years—
He had never once been ill.
Not once.
The boss wouldn’t believe it.
Not for a second.
He would come personally.
Bring the company doctor.
Accuse his parents.
Lazy son.
Irresponsible.
And the doctor—
The doctor would agree.
They always did.
Because to them—
“No one is ever really sick.”
Only unwilling.
Only lazy.
And yet—
Gregor paused.
Because something didn’t add up.
“…Am I actually sick?”
Aside from the strange heaviness—
Aside from the exhaustion—
Aside from the transformation itself—
He felt…
Fine.
Strangely fine.
In fact—
He was hungry.
Hungrier than usual.
Gregor lay there, staring at the ceiling.
Trying to process everything.
Trying to decide.
But his body didn’t move.
He was still trapped.
Still stuck.
Still unable to get out of bed.
And time—
Was running out.