hard drive

i just got home. i collapsed onto a stool at my kitchen table and opened my computer to check on some things. my home was completely silent, which was a nice change. eventually, i noticed my eyebrows were furrowed, bringing my attention to my subconscious, which was detecting an almost imperceptible whirring sound. i realized that it was trying to figure out what the sound was, which is why i couldn't be totally focused on what i was doing. funny how your brain and your thoughts can be two different places simultaneously.

when i realized this, i stopped typing, and almost like a cat poised to pounce, looked up and paused, giving the sound my full attention. after a bit i realized that the culprit was my external hard drive on the other end of the table. i squinted my eyes in confusion.

it was plugged into the wall, but not the computer.

that was odd.

i went over and yanked the plug out of the wall. then i cocked my head, eyebrows still knit and stared at the external hard drive, half in mild bewilderment and half in amusement.

as a gentle chastisement, i thought to it, why are you doing all that extra work? you're using so much energy churning your wheels just to churn them, but you're not even accomplishing what you're meant to do. you're plugged into the wall, working hard and getting hot over nothing, because your usb cord isn't even connected into a computer.

and it just stared back at me. if it had an eyebrow, it would probably raise it, and look at me the same way i was looking at it.