The First Internship
For long time, Thork only one in cave who bang rock together. He very good at banging rock. Sometime people give him mammoth tusk. Then one day, Gark decide he want to bang rock. He ask Thork if okay to join. Thork give him one rock to start. “Bang against own head for year,” Thork tell Gark. “Then we see if ready for second rock.” Gark ask what he get for banging rock against head. “It good experience,” Thork say. “Look good on résumé.”
The First Project
Thork have big rock pile. Pile big as dino. Thork tell Gark start banging rock. Gark take rock from pile and bang against head. Gark head hurt, but he want do good job. So he bang more. Hour later, pile half gone. Thork lie in shade with eyes closed. He ask Gark, “What ETA on that?”
The First “Friendly Reminder”
Gark sit on ground and bang rock against head. Thork come up behind. “Just friendly reminder,” Thork tell Gark. “You need to bang rock against head.”
The First Promotion
After while, Gark have big bump on head. Thork like Gark. He give Gark stump to sit on instead of ground. Gark get nice loincloth. He splurge on water from hot spring at fancy food cave. Gark big shot. Maybe rock not so bad after all, Gark think. Thork invent new words for Gark: “Associate Director of Marketing.”
The First Client
Yeek have rock he want broke. Yeek ask Thork and Gark to break rock. He show them mammoth tusk. He say “I give tusk if you break rock.” Thork pick up spear, kill Yeek. Thork take mammoth tusk. “Look,” he tell Gark, “we make profit.”
The First Sick Day
Gark wake up one day and not feel good. He maybe eat bad turtle meat from cave on corner. So Gark shout Thork name. He shout at Thork that he not bang rock today. Thork grunt reply. “Make sure fill out time tracking.”
The First “Hope All Is Well”
Thork start sentence by telling Gark “hope all is well.” Gark not know why, but he suddenly hate Thork.
The First Job Search
Gark hear about group who make art. They paint cave in hip Lascaux neighborhood. I be good at that, Gark think. He make portfolio of horse painting. He still break rock, but dream of painting cave. After week, Gark get stone tablet. It read “thank you for interest, but you not right fit.” Gark sad. He drink rotten juice of berry to make pain go away.
The First Performance Review
One day, Gark not pay attention. He think about cloud, about flying lizard. He distracted. He break rock he not supposed to. Gark look at Thork. Thork look at Gark. He want to tell Gark bad job. Thork lean toward Gark and belch in Gark face. That night, Gark take long way back to cave with head down.
The First Farewell Letter
Gark feel sad. He not like Thork. He not like rock. Rock too corporate. “Dear Thork,” Gark carve in stone tablet. “I not bang rock anymore. I go away now.” Gark furrow protruding forehead. He scratch head. How not make awkward? he wonder. Gark think hard, then carve one more thing. "Keep in touch.”