FirstLineFiction beta

from Contest #3

  I read about it in the paper, in the subway, on my way to work. They supposedly had finally gone and done it. I thought to myself as I flipped through the pages to continue the story. The headline was bold as bold could be and still with the words standing there in Helvetica type, I could not believe my eyes. This would rock my world. It would rock the whole world in fact; I suppose it would be like a God send to others, and then to some, like me, a constant thorn in the side.

  The write up about it wasn't that long, but it contained enough information to spur on the minds of most fanatics. Was I one? I never considered myself to be, but I suppose in light of the new found information contained in this newspaper, I was being told to choose.

  So the time has finally come, I thought to myself as someone leaned over towards me to read the glaring headline. I saw him squint as he leaned forward. I pulled back the pages towards my face, making sure I locked eyes with his. He spoke first, forcing me to speak any sort of conviction into the air that was full of cramped people with open ears.

  "Do you suspect that that will make its way here?" He asked, nodding his head towards the subject of the paper. The man had a brown wide brimmed hat and a long dark overcoat. He reached a shaky boney hand and extended his wrinkled finger in a manner that made sure my attention was focused on the subject at hand.

  “I suppose so.” I said softly, placing the paper down on my lap to give this elderly man my undivided attention. “Anything is possible, if the first, second and third testing trials have proven conclusively that it does work, I’m certain it is just a matter of time, for all of us.” The hum of the subway roared down its steel track and squealed as the steel wheels sparked with heated friction.

  “Would you?” The man asked, raising his eyebrows urging me for an answer.

  “I- couldn’t. I mean we shouldn’t, we mustn’t.”  I shook my head, knowing that this was the right thing to say, but having still so much confusion within my heart. The question that was posed was too soon, as it did not give me enough time to answer. I wanted time to digest it. I wanted to be able to make an informed decision. I did not like to decide anything in haste and I wanted to research this more before I made my mind sure.

  “Would you?” I asked the question back to him. He smiled a yellow toothy grin and sat there for quite some time just looking at me. It almost gave me the creeps if I were to be honest about it.

 “I won’t be needing it by the time it gets here.” He finally spoke. I nodded my nose high signifying that I got the innuendo that he was not a man of youth, and quite obviously. “And where I am going, I won’t need it.” His eyes flickered a playful sense of light, confusing my senses a bit as I was unsure how to take his comment. I shrugged it of, and gave a little chuckle to let him know that I understood his sly remark and lifted up the paper and continued to read.

  “You didn’t answer my question.” He prodded.

  “Excuse me?” I asked. I pulled the paper all the way down to my lap and looked at the wrinkled man questioningly.

  “Would you?” He asked, his eyes beckoned me for further elucidation. “You said you couldn’t, not that you wouldn’t.” His words were quick to remind me that I should not dance around any loophole. The answer was either or, not in-between.

  “Well, we don’t know if there are any health risks, the paper is non specific.” I was clearly scrambling trying to by time to get together what I did know in my mind. “Have you heard of this before?” I asked, trying to divert the questioning his way.

  “I have. It has been in the works for quite some time. I suspect since before you were born.” He smiled again. I knew that the 50’s and 60’s were a time of great discovery among the many scientific communities. I supposed that what this man was saying was possible. Technology had come a long way. I struggled for another question so as not to answer his posed to me too quickly. “I imagine you have seen humanity come along leaps and bounds.” I said.

  “In a manner of speaking,” He nodded. “Humanity has a way of bouncing back from its mistakes.” He lifted his hand and flipped it over again in a gesture to make his words more succinct. “She has always found a way out under her mistakes.” He said and a long pause lingered between us.

  “Do you think this is a mistake?” I asked point blank.

  “Ah it matters not what I think, I am not going to be here long, and this leads us back to the first question. Would you?” He leaned in further wanting to know my answer. I stumbled and perhaps knowing I was feeling put on the spot, he added, “You will have to choose, and it is best to choose sooner rather than later.”  He sat back in his seat, almost in an indignant manner and as I looked back at him, he turned his smile down, in an authoritative frown. His eyes changed almost showing me he knew my answer in a way that conveyed to me that he had my number and that He had pegged me just right.

  I absolutely hate clichés but what I hated more was that they were often used rightly. This man perhaps did have me dead to rights, but it wasn’t that I needed time, but more that I wanted time. And he wasn’t giving me the time to make a decision. I assumed that our silence was the end of it and I pulled the paper haughtily to my face. I did not want to see the man, and I wanted him to know that I didn’t want him to disturb me any further.

  The words below the headline stirred in my mind. I couldn’t pull myself together to read any more, and in fact, any time I tried, I ended up reading one sentence over and over! Oh, for pity’s sake! I chastised myself in the silence of my head. I ruffled the paper in an attempt to straighten it, but the words continued to stare out at me in bold print like a press release.

  Terrorism will continue and the world will forever live in fear. With it, the nation’s people can live in peace and harmony. Without it, she will never be victorious.

  Who wrote this paper? I asked silently to myself. What was I reading? Did I really believe the hype and should I? I looked to the pages to see if I was reading a true city newspaper and did I not pick up a tabloid by mistake? It was left behind by some other person on the seat when I sat down. I had not purchased it. I wanted to read something on the journey to work, if only to pass the time. The story was proving to me that time was of the essence. A decision had been made, and it was time that people get on board to the idea of this thing. Myself included.

  “Well?” The man was certainly persistent. My mind was screaming at him to go away and leave me alone! I was about to encourage him to perhaps find another seat, when someone had come up from the cramped isle and occupied the one I had spied from the corner of my eye. He looked over in the direction and quickly posted his attention on me.

  His deep blue eyes held knowledge and a spark that spoke that his life had been full and perhaps eventful. That maybe he had tasted the luxuries of this life and all it had to offer that satiated his every whim. His age was now at a point where he had reached the fullness of it, although still satisfied. The lines around his eyes were deep and spoke of a historic life full of determination and hardship. I imagined him seeing atrocities, failures, and successes that I could not even imagine. His elderly stance assured me of that, and so I dared not speak to this man out of turn and in fact, I owed him much respect.

  “Sir, My opinion doesn’t matter that much does it?” I asked hoping that that would in itself lead him astray and maybe pester someone else. I looked at my watch and had a twenty-minute ride left. Our bodies shook as we rounded the familiar corner that led us on the straightaway.

  “Time is running out,” He spoke as he looked at my watch. Was it another cliché? I pondered the thought. “Your opinion is greatly significant because your choice has bearing on your future.” His eyes pointed to the article of the paper.

  “Yes, this seems to be the way of our future.” I said rather glibly.

  “Knowing the way of the future, and knowing what you know today, would you?” He asked putting his hand on mine in a gesture that would not allow me to divert the question.

  His hand was neither hot nor cold and it was rather off putting because for some strange reason it caused me to think of something that I had never realized. I knew that eventually I had a choice, but never thought I would be forced into making one so soon. This man was proving that when the time came, the choice had to be made, not then, but now. I would not be allowed to slip idly by like I had been, and like I was doing. The choice was either or, and like this man’s hand, is either or. My decision had to be acted upon now, and had to come from somewhere other than the means of what the article was proving.

  “Time’s up.” He said with a smile. “What say you?” He lifted his hand off mine and held out his palm as a gesture to give me the floor.

  “No. I will not.” I boldly looked into his eyes and darkness engulfed the train as it clacked through the darkened tunnel. When the car exited, the sun streamed through its windows and my eyes adjusted to stare at a vacant seat.

  I looked around to see if he had slipped among the wavering teetering crowd, but they were stagnant. There were no signs that he was anywhere, and certainly, he could not have gotten off the train. I asked myself if I had imagined the conversation, and clearly, I had not. I had never given myself over to flights of fancy in imagery or hallucinations of the mind before. Where had he gone and who was he?

  I pondered his question that he urgently asked of me. His questioning wasn’t insistent that he had to know. It was more that he wanted me to choose. He wasn’t forcing me to make a decision I hadn’t already thought of, but more that he was trying to get me to decide one way or another, to make my choice secure.

  Feeling the car slowly come to a stop, I folded the newspaper and tucked it under my arm, not without glancing and the front-page headline first. I suppose it was meant to instill shock and awe among its readers but for me, I wanted to keep it for nostalgia and did not need to be vexed by its comments.

  I was more interested in finding out who the man was. His disappearance gave me a clue, but still, I held uncertainty and if I could find him, the least I could do was to thank him.

  The subway spilled out its contents as the doors opened, and as I stepped out, I searched the cars side panel doors, looking for any signs of the stranger. I noticed that when he had been sitting in front of me he held a brief case with initials on the side that I assumed were his monogrammed initials, A.C. They were in bold golden cursive thread on a brown leather attaché. It looked to be of considerable value and I pondered his name. Anthony, Aaron, Andrew. None of them seemed to fit the character of the man.

  I took bold high healed steps with the words "No. I will not." echoing with each click of my shoes. The newspaper was secure under my arm, and I hurried myself in the direction towards the tall sleek office building that loomed high above the entrance tunnel to the subway. My body forced forward in full motion until someone in the empty subway car caught my eye as I passed the row of vacant windows.

  He looked at me, I looked at him, and instantly his eyes stopped me in my tracks. The same man had talked with me just a short while earlier and was staring deeply into my eyes. I could not break from his stare. He had a bundle of today’s papers under his arm, and he was randomly placing them on the empty seats.

  Without realizing it, the paper loosened from my grip and slowly and silently fell to the ground behind me, and then the man raised his finger to his pursed lips and motioned me to remain silent. I couldn’t do anything but stare. Suddenly I knew who this man was! His monogram came to the forefront of my mind and suddenly it all made sense, including the headline that started it all.

  Implantable chips the size of a pill will bring an end to world terrorism!

  I wanted to get away from that moment as fast as I could and began making my way to the office tower in quick sweeps and gestures past the on coming crowd wanting to board the subway. Little did I know that someone had seen me drop the paper, picked it up and began to search the headline in confusion with the elderly man not far behind them.

 

 

back to Contest #3