Allen Apple adjusted his clipboard.

Jeff Jelly adjusted his tie.

Neither of them wanted to be here.

They stood at the entrance of Snackland’s Overtime Compliance Zone, a gray room filled with blinking screens, punch clocks, and a massive board titled:

POINT SYSTEM – ABSOLUTELY FAIR – DO NOT QUESTION

Allen Apple cleared his throat.

“Okay, Jeff. HR protocol says anyone attempting to leave during mandatory overtime gets… one point.”

Jeff nodded nervously. “Just one. Simple. In, out, paperwork, done.”

That’s when the alarms went off.

Not loud alarms.

Divine alarms.

The doors at the far end of the room began to shake.

Out stepped Espearagas.

Tall.

Green.

Radiating offended discipline.

Beside him waddled Obesseus, chewing something and dragging a rolling office chair behind him.

“WHY DOORS LOCK,” Obesseus asked.

“WHY AIR TASTE LIKE MEETING.”

Allen Apple froze.

Jeff whispered, “Oh no.”

Espearagas slowly turned his gaze toward them.

“You have sealed the exits,” he said calmly.

“For overtime.”

Allen Apple swallowed. “It’s… temporary.”

Jeff raised the clipboard. “Company policy.”

Espearagas took one step forward.

The point board flickered.

“You believe,” Espearagas said, voice echoing,

“that you may assign points to me?”

Jeff’s gelatin rippled. “It’s not personal.”

Espearagas laughed — a dry, controlled sound.

“I am restraint. I am discipline. I do not accrue points. I define them.”

Allen Apple squeaked, “We still have to log the attempt.”

Obesseus gasped. “YOU GIVE POINT FOR ESCAPE?”

“Yes,” Allen said weakly.

“THAT RUDE.”

Jeff approached cautiously, pen shaking.

“Espearagas… attempted to leave… overtime…”

The pen hovered.

Espearagas leaned down.

“You dare mark a god… late?”

The pen snapped in half.

Jeff screamed internally.

Obesseus stepped forward. “OBESEUS ALSO TRY LEAVE.”

Allen blinked. “You did?”

“Yes,” Obesseus said proudly. “OBESEUS NEED NAP.”

Jeff hesitated. “That’s… also a point.”

Obesseus squinted.

“WHAT POINT DO?”

“It’s… bad,” Allen said.

Obesseus gasped louder than legally necessary.

“YOU PUNISH NAP?”

Obesseus sat down hard.

The floor cracked.

“I REFUSE.”

Espearagas crossed his arms.

“This system is beneath me.”

Allen Apple wiped sweat from his forehead. “We’re just enforcing—”

“YOU ENFORCE NOTHING,” Espearagas thundered.

The lights dimmed.

The point board reset itself to zero out of fear.

Jeff Jelly dropped the clipboard.

“That’s it,” Jeff said, exhausted. “No points. No overtime. No nothing.”

Allen nodded rapidly. “Yes. Cancel it. Cancel all of it.”

Obesseus stood up. “OBESEUS WIN?”

“Yes,” Jeff said. “Everyone wins.”

Espearagas sniffed.

“Good.”

He turned to leave.

Obesseus followed.

At the door, Espearagas paused.

“Do not summon me again,” he said.

“Especially with paperwork.”

The doors opened.

They were gone.

Silence.

Allen Apple slumped into a chair. “We’re not cut out for gods.”

Jeff Jelly sighed. “…Or Obesseus.”

The point board sparked, then updated itself:

OVERTIME: SUSPENDED

POINT SYSTEM: UNDER REVIEW

Allen looked at Jeff.

“Same time tomorrow?”

Jeff laughed hysterically.

“No.”