What If…
Pam and Jim never existed
Mr. Roger Shutterbug of Insecurity Insurance was enjoying his daily turkey and Swiss on rye when he heard sirens. Loud sirens. Loud sirens that were outside his window, disrupting his lunch. He dropped his sandwich mid-bite to join his coworkers, who were already huddled around the large, glass window that looked out the 10th floor.
“What is going on, Emily?” He asked the tiny redheaded intern who was standing on a chair, hovering over everyone else to get a better view.
“The Scranton Business Park is burning down,” Emily replied unconcerned.
Sure enough, Roger could see a large, cloud of black smoke flowing from across the street. By 3 o’clock, the entire building was gone, only a few sheets of paper fluttered in the wind.
The next day, Roger picked up the morning paper to read about the fire. Apparently, authorities were still unsure what caused the fire, but the regional manager of Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company had been fired and the branch was officially closed. Thankfully, everyone made it out, only a few minor injuries occurring. The only causality was that of a small, gray cat named Bandit.
***
Pam had married Roy
It had been years since Jim had returned to Scranton and he only did so then because of his aging mother. The grocery store on the corner was untouched by time, as if he had never left and there, in the bread and cracker isle, he saw her. She was larger than she used to be, and obviously pregnant by the look of her swollen belly, but she wore the same, pink, striped blouse and her hair was pulled back with the same gold barrette that she had always worn. She was older now too, with wrinkles lining her face, and dark circles under her red and puffy eyes.
There were two young children with her. Sitting in the front of the shopping cart she pushed, a baby, sloppily dressed, crying loudly and throwing his arms around wildly in a tantrum and on his knees playing with the cereal boxes in the display next to the cart a small, long haired boy, with a mischievous face (very much resembling Pam, which made his heart ache a little). She was studying her list, too absorbed in it to care what was going on. He was glad he never had kids. He never felt the need.
He noticed the gaudy diamond ring on her left hand and felt the familiar turn in his stomach, though it was only a dull ache instead of blinding pain. Only a memory of what used to be. The love he once felt had slowly faded away over time and as he watched her, the only true thing he felt was pity. He played with his own wedding ring for a moment, happy that he someone to go home to.
He contemplated approaching her, but when she lifted her head in his direction, he was already walking the other way.
***
Jim ended up with Karen
Another year, another cleaning day. Pam never minded Michael’s mandatory spring cleaning because it was a break from the monotonous cycle that was her life. She emptied the contents of the recycling bin into the garbage (what was the point of having a recycling bin, she always wondered) when she noticed an old, torn Dunder-Mifflin newsletter. Out of curiosity, she skimmed it, reminiscing fondly over the disco themed holiday party Michael made them have last year.
On the backside, squished between Kelly’s fashion advice column and Meredith’s recipe for fun-time alcoholic beverages was a small box for corporate news. Pam gasped when she read it.
"...and in other news, CFO David Wallace would like to congratulate Senior VP Jim Halpert and his wife Karen for their donation of…"
The word ‘wife’ hit her like a brick and she slumped down onto her chair. She knew Jim had left the company not long after this newsletter was printed and she was slightly grateful for that but how had she not known he was married? Why did no one tell her? And why did he have to marry…her? She felt ill and crumpled up the newsletter, throwing it in the trash. She never thought the end of something so big in her life would come so quietly.
She decided to forgo spring cleaning that afternoon to put her résumé together. The newsletter was the catalyst she had needed to move on with her life.
***
Events played out naturally
The old woman shut the car door and proceeded to slowly walk up the crumbling cement path. She had done this many times over the years, but she knew this would be the last trip. Walking was harder for her than it used to be. She could feel her bones creaking and her joints stiffening, but the journey was worth the pain. Her daughter insisted she use some sort of walker, but she protested, claiming such things were not necessary.
It was peaceful day, not a cloud in the sunny sky and not a sound to be heard with the exception of the patter of her shoes on the cement and the rustle of a late afternoon breeze winding through the trees. Eventually, she veered off the path, onto the freshly cut grass and towards the old willow tree that loomed sadly, waiting for her.
She stood in front of the stone slab, as she had done so many times before, with tears in her eyes.
“I miss you Jim,” she whispered, laying a single red rose at the base of the grave, “But I’ll be seeing you soon.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Just some short what ifs I came up with while working on other things. The first one is supposed to be tongue and cheek while the others are more serious. Hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
iamapam1883 is the author of 7 other stories.
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