Future

Chapter One

The bright sunlight cut through the dimness of the bedroom like a knife. If it hadn’t been for the smell of coffee drifting through the apartment I probably would have tried to roll over and forget the events that were due to happen today. Of course, I really couldn’t push it out of my mind no matter how much I might wish I could.

                I stumbled out of the bedroom and into the bathroom to take care of the call of nature. I stood looking into the mirror knowing that it didn’t matter what I wore today because no matter what I was going to wear, I would have to throw it all out by the end of it. One of the great problems of my life, no matter how much I knew I still couldn’t change everything.

                I headed into the kitchen and poured a cup of life, otherwise known as coffee into a mug and walked over to the phone. A second later it rang.

                “Hey Mitchell. How soon do I need to be there?”

                “You know, Thomas, just once it would be nice if you pretended you didn’t know who was on the phone.”

                “Why? All that does is waste time. What time do I need to be there?”

                “I don’t know why I bother to call. You already know.”

                “The broad strokes but not the fine lines that make it come alive. So what time?”

                “Be at the studio at eleven am today,”Mitchell said sighing heavily into the phone. “They said they won’t need you early for makeup or anything. You will just be one of many guests on the talk show.”

                “Okay, and for once just listen to me. Don’t stop for your coffee at the Starbucks you normally go to.”

                “Why?”

                I don’t know why he bothers to ask. I won’t tell him and even if I did it would just make it worse. I like Mitchell, but sometimes he really just doesn’t get it.

                “I’m not repeating myself. Don’t go to Starbucks!”

                It isn’t often that I can change fate, but I still keep trying. I hate to think that everything we do is already set in stone. Truthfully I believe people are just too damn lazy. We are creatures of habit. We do the same things over and over again. It is only when we act outside our normal, day to day actions, that we really change. That is when you decide your fate and not have fate decide your life for you.

                I glanced at the clock. It was going on six twenty. I had some time, so  I strolled into the bathroom and showered. Now came the harder part of my morning, what to wear? I mean I was going on television, but then I’d also be covered in blood. Always hard to decide which outfit to go with. Do I go looking like a competent individual or do I go knowing that everything I have on is going to end up in the trash in a few hours? I mean, I don’t exactly have money coming in hand over fist. I decided I’d go middle ground.

                An old dress shirt that was blue, a pair of old faded jeans that looked pretty good on me, finished with a simple black tie. Not the most spectacular outfit I could wear, but then again, blood never really comes out in the wash.

                I grabbed the bus down to the center of town. It was just a local television station that broadcast here. Occasionally one of the stories here was picked up by ABC or NBC, but that was really rare. Most of the time it was just the local tales of who ran a red light or what local politician was seen eating a huge meal with friends and billing it to the county. Then there were the fluff pieces like I was getting sucked into for this stupid talk show. I hated this time of the year.