The Hatch
The following is the account of Harrison Bragg, security guard at the Verne Hatch Facility in Rolette County, North Dakota. Selected from Annex A-1311Y.
I'm currently traveling and away from my mic/recording setup - the audio version of this story will be published early next week!
It is November 15th, my first day on the job, and I can tell you now that this is the easiest gig I’ve ever had. Hell, I knew it would be – Jimmy, the fella that interviewed me, said as much.
“As long as you don’t mind the loneliness, you’ll be just fine. Did it four seasons myself back in the day – every time it was simplest ninety grand I ever did make.” He was a nice guy, mid 60’s, stout, looked like he could stand to lay off the brewskies – but hey, so could I. Who wouldn’t indulge a little if they were holed up in this place all winter? The way I look at it, they’re paying me to drink. There’s quite literally nothing else to do out here, especially now that the snow is starting to fall.
The shack they’ve got me in ain’t exactly large – I’ll call it cozy, for the sake of positivity. It’s exactly one room, about 20 feet by 20 feet, and it’s got everything that I need (and nothing I don’t) to make it through the winter. A bed that sags a bit in the middle, a couch that sags a LOT in the middle, a sink, a stove, a microwave, a shower, a wood burning furnace, a shitter, a fridge, a large chest freezer, and an old CRT TV. A small media cabinet houses a DVD and VHS player, and the drawers are filled with all manner of old, crappy movies that must have been plucked from the sale bin at Save-Mart almost 70 miles to the south in Minot. I picked up a few myself to add to the collection; Jimmy said everyone who’s stayed in the shack has, that it’s kind to everyone who comes after. There’s a small closet just inside the door that houses a snow shovel, an axe, tire chains, and a boot rack. The carpet is new and plush (“Lucky you!” said Jimmy), something I’m grateful for given the fact that my feet are always so damn cold in the winter. Then, of course, there is the hatch and its button.