At 42, Michael is an IT support engineer drowning in the gray hum of corporate routine, surrounded by frozen screens, forgotten passwords, and the absurdity of modern office life. His job is stable, predictable—utterly soul-numbing. Haunted by the sense that life should be more than email chains and performance reviews, Michael begins to dream of change. He imagines creating something real: a painting, a poem, a story. Anything with meaning.

Seeking inspiration, Michael turns inward and then outward, deciding to write a series of portraits based on the people he sees each day during his morning commute. Each day of the workweek becomes a character study:

• Monday: Himself—a man aching to break free from the script of routine.

• Tuesday: Bob, the apathetic accountant clinging to dreams of a lottery win.

• Wednesday: Rachael, a receptionist torn between fantasy and the harsh light of day.

• Thursday: Hector, the stoic construction worker weathering life’s unfair labor.

• Friday: José, the quietly wise barista, moving to a rhythm all his own.

As Michael writes, their lives intertwine, painting a subtle, poignant portrait of ordinary people searching for purpose in the machinery of the everyday. The Commuters is a meditation on quiet desperation, hidden hopes, and the fragile beauty of routine lives—and the possibility of transformation that lies within them.