Another round. They want another round of minesweeper. As if I didn't have enough dust in my eyes already.

I go back to smiling, as I am expected to. The game begins. At every step the sweeper takes I open my mouth in an O and looked anxious. Then, when it becomes apparent that the step was safe, I go back to smiling that hateful smile.

Oh, what utter boredom is mine (no pun intended). Nobody to talk to, nothing to do. Except, of course, make ridiculously overstated faces. At least it's only beginner level. It won't be too long until it's over, unless they stop and go off and do something else. Once Director left near the end of the game to go to some internet site and left me smiling for an hour at least.

My, my, they actually won Beginner this time. This is the only part I like. Now I get to put on my dark glasses and tone my smile down to a believable level. And no-one else knows it, but I got my glasses upgraded. They play movies now. The movies each run about one minute, so I watch them in pieces. It is my one pleasure in life.

And now they proceed to Intermediate level and I have to put my glasses away, and make those hideous faces again. Ugh.

I wish I could go out and get a different job. An interesting job. But this is my ancestral place, and there's nowhere else for me to go. I want to scream, or at least whisper. I want a companion. Someone to talk to. Someone to relieve the boredom of my existence. I would even settle for talking to Boss, or the one that collects the flags, or the one who keeps the scoreboard, but I am doomed to isolation.

The sweeper takes another step, and the mines explode. I close my eyes tight and frown a very big frown. That's what I have to do. But I am actually pleased, because I managed to avoid getting any dust or dirt in my eyes at all this time.