Apartment at 5AM (Blogophiilia 10.7)



Jeremy had about the same amount of luck finding the lock on the door as he did the car. Steadying himself on the door frame, the key was willed in and turned.  He stumbled over the mail. “I get mail, therefore I am,” seemed to come from the darkness. He didn’t say that, must have been one of the voices.  They get restless like that when he hasn’t slept.  

Moving across the room by instinct, he missed the small sofa and coffee table.  He found his way into the kitchen and turned on the light.  The institutional white walls hurt his eyes.  A few molded dishes were still in their places from when he left this morning.  

Prescription bottles are lined up like toy soldiers on the kitchen counter, waiting to be played with. He couldn’t remember when he took them last. He didn’t care. It was another way to tweak the noses of the controlling pigs, just don’t play their mind control games.

A small clock radio sat next to bottles. The scarlet numerals weaved in and out of focus; he thought he saw 4:55. The sound was almost deafening as it was switched on.

…well, it’s almost quitting time for ol’ Harry.  One last song for your late night: “I Fought the Law… “

“And the Law Won!”  He said angrily as he clicked it back off.  They have always won, but not this time.

 Looking the fridge, he sees a couple of beers and grabs one.  

Sweating hard, he thinks about a shower. No. Opportunity is here. Ideas have a half life. If he waited too long, they would be stale and there would be no punishment.  Fumbling in one of the drawers, He finds some old accounting paper, the green kind with several columns.  Organization is key!  It marshals energy in the direction that it needs to go. Grabbing a pencil from the basket on the fridge, he sits down and begins to scribble furiously.

The tablet paper tears from the pressure, the anger is so great.  Tearing off the sheet slowly, he takes a deep breath.   The anger is getting the better of him. Deliberately, he notes down the asshole's names, their crimes and punishment. Should he rate them in importance? Nah, they are all about equal. The order in which they go will be based on opportunity.   Eyeing his handiwork, he pulls this sheet off and attaches it with a magnet to the rusted refrigerator.

Then he begins to list the items he will need in order to accomplish the goal.  In the next column he puts a code for the category. In the third a date by which each of the items should be obtained.  Satisfied with this, he turned the page. Next was  a list of procedure steps, again listed and grouped by category and importance.  The pages seem to glow with energy.  Making some notes in the margins for things he needs to research, he stops at how to lure them to the trap. That can wait until the rest of it is tested. His head is nodding uncontrollably as he drinks the last of the beer.  Comfortable the plan is sketched out, he surrenders to the galloping dream.  Tomorrow is another day.

Comments

  1. Restless voices with no sleep - I like that. Evocative - well done. You got the prompts in seamlessly

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  2. great atmospheric piece... can feel the list emerging... -David II

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  3. Great working in the prompts! I had to read it twice to locate them...of course I was so engrossed with the story that I forgot to look for them while reading. You have a great story here!

    8 points Earthling! :)

    Marvin

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  4. Utterly absorbing AND disturbing. Liking this very much.

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  5. Disturbing but none-the-less quite entertaining...quite a main character you have in this tale :-) Demme

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