Slow Goings

This week's update won't be for Irredeemable, as it should be. While doing some research I recently stumbled upon this terrible, terrible thing and realised I have to do some serious thinking if I want to make Ray Douglas work as an original story. If you read the plot to that series of books in the link it is pretty similar to some stuff I had going on with Ray. I think that I have to really take him back to the basics and work on themes etc to build it up from the ground again with a clear vision for a unique and dynamic character. In the meantime I've whipped up something hopefully dryly comedic to take my mind off of it. Hopefully more Ray Douglas and Irredemable when I can get some ideas down on paper and a clear plot outline that I can follow and be happy that it hasn't been done before.

Also, Josh Pyke - Eat Me Alive is giving me some really good ideas for short stories, and some longer ones. (This is becoming more like an actual blog with each post.)

John Young
By Tim Harvey


John Young's left eye began to twitch as he sat limply on a medium sized office chair that felt too big for him. Drowning in his brown suit, surrounded by layers of musty cotton that hadn't been worn for years, John wondered if Principal Wright would notice his failure to control his twitching eye.
“Mr. Young, if you can't control your own eye, how do you expect me to hire you to teach these teenagers?” John looked up at Principal Wright in a panic and realised that he hadn't said anything, he was still busy reading through John's references. Blinking rapidly, he tried to disrupt the nervous flinching of his facial muscles. He felt they were flinching in preparation for the books and stationary that would presently be hurled at him at any moment.
Shifting in his seat John Young felt beads of warm sweat trickle down his forehead and drip into his left eye. 'Oh hell, just kill me now!' He exclaimed to himself.
“What was that?” Principal Wright flicked his attention to the small man seated across from him. 'Did I say that aloud?'
“Sorry... What?” John spat the words out, his pitch shifting as he forced a painful smile onto his face, awaiting an answer.
“I thought you said something.”
“When?”
“Just then,” Principal Wright answered quickly.
He was a man of action John thought as he shook his head; “No, I didn't say anything.” His pained smile stretched wider and he shifted his position again.
“Oh... Sorry then,” Principal Wright's face flushed and a wave of confusion flowed across his features, followed by a disinterested shrug as he continued reading.
“Oh, that's quite all right,” John Young answered, despite Principal Wright's shift in attention from the confused stuttering conversation to his reading.

John raised a shaking finger to loosen his tie and realised it was already hanging slackly around his neck. Stifling a cough, John yanked his tie up until it was choking him.
Principal Wright raised his eyes and from behind his glasses saw John sitting rather awkwardly, and smiling expectantly at him.
When Principal Wright's eyes settled back onto his reading, John loosened his tie marginally. He felt too cold whenever the oscillating desk fan faced him, chilling his sweaty forehead, and too hot whenever it neglected him. Reaching to turn the base of the fan slightly, John's arm shot back to his lap when he noticed Principal Wright was still looking at him.
“I... ju-” John's mind searched for words to explain his actions but halted when he realised he didn't know what or why he was trying to explain anything.
Principal Wright's eyebrows scrunched up in accusatory confusion, the rest of his face remained calm, but his eyes appeared to protrude from his head.
John felt his face flush; “Yeah, when...” He raised a limp finger at the fan and let out a nervous, undecided giggle; “And I just... With the- uh.”
Principal Wright glared at John, his eyes only shifting to the fan that John had weakly indicated after he managed to decipher the mumbling before him. Shifting the base of the fan so that it faced John, Principal Wright inquired; “Better?”
“Muc- Yes much... Thank you,” John stifled another cough as he forced the words out.
Principal Wright held his gaze, his eyebrows raised now. John held his gaze awkwardly and smiled at the Principal until he resumed reading.

John Young was too cold now. He wanted to leave, this was too much. Scanning the room for quick exit strategies John's mind created a myriad of excuses for a swift escape.
“If you'll excuse me, I have to use the bathroom, Principal Wright.”
“Certainly Mr. Young.”
“I'll be back in a tic!”

“Are those lilies over there?”
“Yes”
“Sorry I'm deathly allergic, I'll wait in the hall, okay?”
“Sure thing Mr. Young.”

“How old is that fire extinguisher, Principal Wright?”
“Well, I'm not sure.”
“It appears to be a pre-war model XT-3. They had a notoriously high malfunction rate, you know?”
“My God, I had no idea! We should wait in the hall Mr. Young, should a fire break out in here.”
“My thoughts exactly Principal Wright, you can thank me later. Let's go!” John Young declared as they ran dramatically to the door, pausing only for a moment before diving into the hall.

John Young noticed he was biting his nails now. The sweat on his forehead felt icy and his left leg was twitching along with the eye.
“Do you mind?” Principal Wright declared, indicating the nail-biting.
John's hand again shot into his lap.
“Thank you,” the Principal answered, returning to the list of references.
How many references did I have anyway, John asked himself. This is taking forever, and it's going nowhere, John groaned.
“Excuse me, Mr. Young. Would you prefer to wait in the hall?” Principal Wright asked, distracted by the deep, depressing groan that poured out of John Young.
“Wha- I... No, no, no. I'm here,” John struggled as Principal Wright eyed him suspiciously.
“I mean, I'm good... I'm all good... in here.” John fumbled with the words, before staring at Principal Wright, smiling, as always.
“All right then, could you please sit quietly, this will only take another minute.” Principal Wright glared at John and returned to his work.
John mentally slapped his face and continued to fidget and twitch, breathing heavily as he waited.

“All right Mr. Young.” Principal Wright declared suddenly after countless hours of scrutinising John's reference list, a list which only contained six names.
John snapped to attention, leaning forward in his seat eagerly; “All right!” He declared, also.
“Yes, well... I've checked through this list and your references appear to be in good order.” Principal Wright eyed John.
“Ah- Aha... Yes, good.” John nodded with sharp jerking movements.
“Yes...” Principal Wright nodded slowly, took one last look over the papers spread before him,sighed and offered his hand to John; “Well it looks like you've got the job.”
John Young raised his arm to shake Principal Wright's outstretched hand, but felt a sudden and violent tremor move through his body.
Principal Wright stood suddenly, his face flushed and he was clearly alarmed; “Are you all right, John?”
John Young nodded, slid off his chair and was dead.


NOTE: If the ending seems abrupt it's because I didn't really have a plan for the story and it wasn't really going anywhere...