Superhero

Description

Zhenya let go of the mouse, pushed the keyboard forward, and rubbed his tired eyes. It had been a difficult day. Exhaustion was rolling in waves. He desperately wanted to drop onto the unmade bed right beside him and sleep for an eternity, right this very second.
With an effort of will he dismissed this momentary impulse, dictated as it was by weakness. A mountain of urgent and vitally important matters lay ahead. There was no time for rest. Zhenya smiled the sad smile of a man who had seen everything and was proudly bearing a burden that no one else could carry. If it has to be done, it has to be done. There was absolutely no one who could replace him.
Water. He desperately wanted water. He had completely forgotten when he’d last had any. His hand reached automatically for a mug, but it was empty. As were all the others standing nearby.
This grimy company, showing off the remnants of dried tea at the bottom of each vessel, fixed a reproachful gaze on their owner and silently demanded change. His parched throat prevented Zhenya from entering into debate. And so, bestowing on them one last equally reproachful look, he trudged silently to the kitchen.
On the way, he stepped over a pair of socks he’d abandoned there the previous week — not in their first freshness — stumbled over some box, and knocked over a mug left on the floor. Fortunately empty, like all the others.
The kitchen offered no surprises and no comfort. Empty and dirty. Nothing to drink, nothing to eat. A mountain of unwashed dishes. Zhenya made a last-ditch circuit of the kitchen, opening the fridge, the breadbox, the cupboards in turn. Empty. The loud echo of doors opening and closing mixed with the sound of his slippers peeling off the sticky, dirty floor.
Abandoning all hope of eating, Zhenya turned to the sink, resolved to drink from the tap and return to the great work of his life. But his gaze stopped on a sticky note reminding him that the internet bill needed to be paid.