Thompson has his nightmare. The fist of its kind. And it leaves an indelible mark on him
Thompson had been a graduate for the past seven years and was unable to secure a job for himself. He had weird parents whose words always rang in his head, sending shudders down his six packed belly; words from his father like: "look son, you are twenty one, you need to get a job soon and have your own life to yourself."
He puffed a thick, foggy smoke from his big tobacco pipe, as he continued his guttural narration: "I was seventeen when I acquired this house and as at twenty one, I was that Toyota Camry sports car came as a second automobile achievement."
His mother, Melissa; a woman she christen the name "Melissa the wild bitch" had been on the streets all her life from birth. She had a different and gory story to tell. "Your father's case is even an easier one." She scraped her son's chin with clawlike nails. Rainbow coloured.
"I was born a balded human being, and mother hated me for that. Father tagged me useless and never deemed it fit to send me to college. I only enjoyed the shelter - a garage though, where I had to sneak into at night."
"At thirteen I was deflowered by my principal. Had my first abortion. Was a drug addict and a striper. Think I told you your dad met me at the strip club and he gave life to what was dead in me. Since my parents kicked me out, they never cared if I was alive or dead till the moment."
The only way out of Thompson's misery, was to get a job. His résumé had littered all offices in all crevices of the country.
Jean - his money freak girlfriend stamped a warning on his face; "go and get a job am tired of your excuses for financial incompetence."
That was the last straw that broke his back. The one he loved had turned his back on him. "Don't worry baby. I'll get a job just hang on." The heart thumping crash of the door, was more than enough indication that those words fell on deaf ears.
His phone rang. It definitely was a clerk who wanted to schedule him for an interview. So looking at the screen would waste a second. "Hello" the female voice filtered into his ears with such ease and sweetness like never before.
Thompson knew he responded with a "hello" but he wasn't sure it was a whisper or not. "Am I with Mr. Thompson Gregor please?" "You're correct." The sonorous female voice cleared her throat. Thompson guessed his responsive had startled her.
"Good. This is Annie Collins from Whitestone College, you are to come for an interview by 9:00am on tomorrow." Thompson barely dropped the call before he screamed "great" in excitement.
Thompson was furious at the black night. Tomorrow seemed like a decade. The pendulum clock ticked. To his dismay, it made only three clanging sounds. "Shit, it's just 3:00am.
Dawn finally arrived like the arrival of a cargo train. Thompson had done all chores in less than two hours, with great gusto, and left his parents gaping mouths ajar like a new born chick.
The greatest achievement and moment of his life was getting to Whitestone College by 8:30am. The likes of it would be to get the; "congratulations you have the job" tone. It actually happened
He finally met the sweetest voice he had ever heard on phone in person. "I want to suppose you called yesterday." Thompsons coarse hand was taken in delicate slim fingers. "Yes i did" came the response with a smile that revealed an immaculate set of teeth.
It was a cold night. The wind forcefully gained entry into his body like a burglar. It was his first night as a library guard. As he approached the school gate, he peered surreptitiously at his watch - 7:45pm. He heaved a shoulder high. He had made a good first impression. He wasn't late.
The night guard welcomed him in such a strange way. Though it was dark, but Thompson could feel the stolidity in his welcome note. His stomach twitched as he moved towards his place of employment - the library.
His freedom from his weird parents and insulting girlfriend overwhelmed the ominous feelings the surroundings brought.
As he moved close to the wooden door, he stopped dead in his tracks at the strange noises he heard behind the door. Whatever those noises were, Thompson was convinced they weren't from a pleasant source.
Caught in a dilemma, as to whether to go back home or walk through the door into what he wasn't sure was safe for him. He felt his blood race like an athlete, his legs and hand went numb, as he listened to the crashing of wooden shelves.
Painful shrieks, as the splash of liquid on the window he was flanked by filled him with bloodcurdling horror. More to his dismay, was that the liquid was actually blood. Crimson red blood.
He opened the door and the horrible monster, with nail like canines roaring death at him made him Thompson scream so loud with his heart almost running out of his mouth.
Thompson heard his mother's soothing voice. "It's okay baby. Mommy is here. It a nightmare again." She gave soft pats to her thirteen year old son who heaved a deep relieve sigh at the reality that was warm and receptive than his dream.
Thompson has a several good years left before he truly experiences the nightmare of finding a meaningful job, or most importantly--a life with meaning.
As I read, it looked like Thompson's whole life was a nightmare. But the ending revealed that he really only was a nightmare. At 13, Thompson's thoughts were very adult.
Once again, good editing would help. A stripper is the guy who works hard to remove caked on paint using a stripping liquid or gel of some type that penetrates the old paint and softens it. A striper is a guy who can paint narrow stripes, usually on cars creating faux body lines and interesting designs like tattoos.
On the other hand, a stripper does striptease routines in a strip club, stripping her customers of their hard-earned dollars in faux sex.
3 WAY MIRROR is about a lost identity as experienced by a twenty-eight-year old who thinks he's Charles Randall, until strange events suggest otherwise.
Part Three in the Mu Series - Sarah Thompson reluctantly abandons her desperate search for her soul mate on Maui and returns to her Montana hometown. Her brother has had a terrible accident...
