The headline was curiously appalling
The headline was curiously appalling.
Strangely abhorrent:
9:52:00 am NT: Man dies after being mauled by dogs.
In his 45th floor office, he and his fellow workers saw the news and
a few commented.
“Jesus Christ” one of them groaned “unbelievable”.
Yes, he thought, the meek shall not so much inherit the earth
as be eaten by a pack of mongrels.
He felt ashamed that such a fate,
such a demonic and horrorful fate,
could befall anyone
no matter how helpless
no matter how derelict.
And in the ‘lucky country’ to boot!
They all gradually regathered their thoughts
and went on with whatever
it was they were doing
before 9:52:00.
But if you had some sort of magic glasses;
you know, special ones that you could slip on
and see the thought bubbles
floating above the heads of others,
you would see everyone thinking
exactly the
same
thing….
Comments
jesus christ!
yes, i saw those headlines too – and i thought ‘is this the beginning of the apocalypse? – have we come to the time where people are eaten by dogs and the rivers run with blood?’ Somehow it would have seemed less horrifying, less like the truth of a city where a helpless person can be torn apart by animals. you have rendered this vivid with your disturbing voice. why do we look away so quickly? brave and confronting writing!
thank you hsien ku, it isdifficult to imagine a time in aust history when we have been so bereft of compasionate leadership and so consumed with fascile rhetoric. how can we presume to lecture the world on HR when we ourselves have problems that are truly disturbing,
– Rex Inkpen
well put, what we all think i believe, that question about how does just one person make a difference in these times. but one added to one added to one added to one…. makes a difference.
thanks rubyjo, yes it’s not an original theme, but nor i suppose is the tragic recurrence of the problem.
– Rex Inkpen
a very thoughtful piece and the big picture -
thank you nadine.
– Rex Inkpen
I have sometimes thought about what a person thinks in the final seconds of a horrific death, if we could read their bubbles too, would it be the same? Thank you, deep and meaningful.
thank you anna, yes; death is all around us yet somehow appears quite remote.. we really do think that it will happen to someone else!
– Rex Inkpen
The collective consciousness …it has more power than I think people realize and to have thought bubbles….Oh the mind boggles at this Rex.
Your story touches and bursts this thought bubble me thinks " What a way to die….of all the ways to exit….what a mongrel thing to happen.."
thank you AT, i am always very happy to see you having a look at my work. I hope you are well. There is a longer version of this story there as well that i personally prefer. thanks again my friend.
– Rex Inkpen