choice of a new desperation

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CHOICE

OF A

NEW DESPERATION

A Short Fiction

David A. Archer

02-15-1968

08-10-2006

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CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION – SHORT FICTION

The sixty cycle hum would probably have driven

anyone else mad by now…..but for some reason it didn’t

have much of an effect on me.

It oscillated and droned in a slight crescendo as the

neon letters lit up and then quickly disappeared.

“CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION” they

glowed out into the consistently slowing world.

It didn’t matter what time of the day or night it was.

The large attention stealing, mind numbing protrusion from

the building maintained its cadence and purpose.

I had to laugh at myself when I realized that the

humming was very similar to the sustained effect of a giant

bug light which some insect had caught itself in, in such a

way as to elongate the action and sounds of its own demise.

The cruelty in such isn’t the laugh…. The laugh is rooted

deep within the fact that everyone walking by on the street,

whether they actually take notice of the sign or not…. Is

and are, very much that dying insect. Unknowingly caught

in the effect of the brain sucking action of the mesmerizing

ploy itself if only just slightly….especially given the

saturation of such schemes within what we claim is modern

society, itself.

I could see the reflective luminance from the gigantic

suspended structure above my window, on the building

across the street. Some of it in more direct reflection upon

windows containing the emptiness of vacant rooms behind

them, while the most of it just spread itself in a pastel

fashion across the façade of mason work.

It was mostly blue…but then with the cycle of

growing and vanishing motion, it showed variations of

reds, pinks and purples.

Most of the people below on the street would never

realize how they were affected, especially if through some

unseen coincidence, they happened to stop off on the way

to where ever – and comply with the insatiable demands of

the neon protrusion.

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CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION – SHORT FICTION

It really only seems to be coincidence most of the

time.

In fact, even when people are purposefully

complying, they don’t begin to realize the smallest amount

of what is bound to befall them in such a choice.

Within the failed continuing stratagems and notions

we have come to call humanity and civilization, there are

several mutations of the sort that any mythical natural

selection would have done away with centuries ago…. If in

fact, they weren’t mythical.

“THE CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION” is one

of them. Comprised almost entirely of the sort a person

could easily compare to the average rodent and or

cockroach. Not physically mind you… or even outwardly

social in a personal manner. But within the safety of

confinement found in corporate structuring and the

mutations of society that happen within such influences…

it is entirely a different ball game, if it could be called a ball

game at all.

The act of a happenstance compliance in following

the urge to comply with such an advertising ploy as is said

“choice,” usually renders those having made such a choice

to the area of existence not far from the filler fat added to a

meat grinder in the effort to disguise a poor quality end

product.

The moment most people breach that threshold –

they, even without their knowledge, most often times

become stripped of anything and everything said rodents

and cockroaches might see as valuable from their

perspectives.

This transpiring under the cover and

desperate justifications of everything from “my shoe is

untied, so that guy owes me something” to “no one likes

that guy, I should get a bunch of his stuff,” and even further

“No one should like that guy, so I should get some stuff.”

Surprisingly, and more to be feared, there seems to be an

already mammoth and growing society of “litigators”

sworn to some cult like membership in support of these less

than magnificent – “breaking someone else’s piggy bank”

sort of tactics.

It has progressed so far within our society, that it is

even seen as standard and normal in some social circles. In

fact, there seems to be some sort of competition which is

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CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION – SHORT FICTION

rewarded, when it is that the most frivolous and inane

justification then garners the largest “prize” so to speak.

The more outrageous the rewarded claim is, the larger the

prize in recompense beyond the litigated matter becomes.

It is a double sort of inspiration within that particular

area of society for such claims to manifest, which looks to

have “evolved” from a combination of the “old slip and

fall” in its pre-historic phase, coupled with the

aforementioned cult like commitment within the bar

association and a dash or two of what could be considered

business world “head hunting.” Many of the modern forms

within this species have “evolved” into actually finding and

manipulating estates yet to be over seen by an executor. It

has become so common that the scientific world has even

assigned it a moniker connoting both the ancient

beginnings of this “society” and further the strength in

longevity

its

existence;

Insequor

Morbus

Afflictio Vehiculum Cum Pulchellus Coruscus Luminarius

If I am not mistaken, it roughly translates to; Chasers

of the illness affliction vehicle with pretty flashing lights.

Notice the length of the name itself. This would

indicate to anyone familiar with such scientific research,

that the given genus of species is and/or has been rather

prominent.

All of this then, as has historically been quite

common, being perpetrated under the posturing of “great

evil plan” and of course, “unmatched maniacal genius”

when really the effect in watching it transpire is similar to

what you can witness if you sit in a roach infested

apartment for a few minutes with the lights off…. Then

quietly turn them on again rather quickly.

The roaches thinking they were moments ago

involved in a great sneak in the dark, are suddenly

transformed into skittering, scatterbrained maniacs with

nothing more on their mind but to get away from anywhere

saturated with light.

Suddenly “evil genius” and “maniacal deservedness”

becomes something worlds away, and rather entertaining to

view. Entertaining that is, only for some time before it all

then begins to resemble some ill placed Rorschach test that

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CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION – SHORT FICTION

likens to a living rerun of sitcoms meant never to be

discovered.

It is really rather like watching the progress of society

instantly vaporize as you find yourself immersed in a world

seemingly still bent on proving the Earth to be the center of

the universe.

I suppose in all fairness, I should mention that another

grand and common justification used in this “CHOICE OF

A NEW DESPERATION,” is the one where those finding

themselves skittering away from the light insist that it is

somehow the light’s fault for now “knowing of their grand

and evil plan” really being no where near “grand” or even

slightly “evil” being so readily observed and even

predicted, then itself being somewhat laughable in

comparison to the waves of sheer horror that have swept

the planet itself, even in more recent history.

I know it sounds crazy, but it seems to work for them

somehow. And further, it must be of some position in the

larger scheme of things, being that it is so readily tolerated

and even promoted in said cult like fashion.

I don’t want to sound apocalyptic, but there are fewer

and fewer people walking down this street as I glance from

my vantage point below the large, beckoning mechanical

gesticulator.

I don’t want to draw conclusions…but I really don’t

think it is of any slight coincidence, nor result of some “evil

plan.”

I don’t want to laugh, but it is really hard not to

sometimes.

“How now” I think, “once said a man,” as I find

myself with pause in consideration.

Is this really what we have chosen civilization to

become?

The light, as it illuminates through my small rented

cell, seems to oscillate with the buzzing hum while it lopes

in accordance to the dimmer effect of the slogan, entering

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CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION – SHORT FICTION

and then exiting the configuration viewable from

somewhere outside.

How is it that we have managed to continue within

such a strange and efficient-less sea of frivolous

justifications and excuses? If only even, in one very

contained area within an otherwise progressive and

somewhat efficient society?

The pizza guy knocks on the door and I can almost

hear the throngs of anticipatory cheers from somewhere

within the thin walls of this abode.

“Maybe the “game” has already begun again, among

them?” I think as I move to the sofa with my warm pizza,

now knowing with its arrival that there will soon be

“prizes” to be divvied and then distributed, again within the

comfort of nothing more than the hum and soft glow of

what must surely be perceived as some form of deity in

their perspective. Associating in some subconscious

manner the dim luminance permeating the room while

promoting the “CHOICE OF A NEW DESPERATION”

with signifying both safety and reward to be had….unless

of course I fail to leave the empty pizza box on the table, or

maybe just for fun…I choose to sit in the quiet near

darkness for a while….

….and then flip the light switch on.