Thursday, September 28, 2006

Log entry. 9 December. Patient 389645

Patient refuses to talk, but does so most vociferously. Indeed, talks non-stop. Most helpful for observation.

Will observe patient at The Round Table in two days.

A voice from the neighbouring cell

"Pssst. Hey, pal."

"Who's that?"

"It's me, your neighbour."

"Is this some kind of trick? Are you one of Them?"

"No, nothing like that. I just wanted to tell you about some property."

"What?"

"Property. You know. Land. Houses."

"Are you sure you aren't one of Them?"

"Sure."

"How can I know?"

"Do I sound like one of Them? And if I were one of Them, would I be in a cell?"

"Well, no. I suppose not."

"OK, then."

"But how are you talking to me?"

"Look up. You see that vent way up in the top of your cell?"

"Yeah."

"It links to mine. We can talk through that. Then we won't feel so lonely."

"Well, as long as you are sure you aren't one of Them."

"Yeah. I'm sure. But about that property...."

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Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Nothing to say?

"Yes. Well, I can see you have nothing to say."

"That's right. Not a word. I don't want to talk to you again."

"Well, why not?"

"Oh, you know why not. Don't pretend that way. You and your conspiracy and your drugs and all. Yeah. I got nothing to say to you.

"What conspiracy?"

"Oh no. That ain't gonna work on me, pal. I'm onto ya. And I ain't talkin'."

"OK. OK. You don't have to talk."

"Good. 'Cos I don't got nothing to say to you. Or none of your slimy spying friends neither. I don't want to talk to you. Not a word. Not a word. Not a single word."

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Tuesday, September 26, 2006

You again

Oh. It's you. Again.

Yeah, I figured I'd be seeing you around.

But I got nothing to say to you.

That was a dirty trick, you know, drugging me up like that.

I really just don't want anything else to do with you.

Mum's the word, you know. All that sort of stuff.

Nothing to say to you, not at all.

I would rather not see you anymore too. Not to be rude or anything. It's just that after that dirty trick, I kind of think you are a lying cheat, you know.

And anyway, I got nothing to say to you.

Nothing. Not at all. Not a word. Nothing.

showintale's blog

Monday, September 25, 2006

Log entry. 7 December. Patient 390086

Patient, it seems, has been stringing me along all the while. Not abused. Delusional. Tells big whopping lies. Will monitor the situation further.

Next appointment set for two days from now.

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Further Questions

"Wait. Are you going to tell me you managed to land the plane in the jungle?"

"Well, yes. I mean, if you want to cut the long story short."

"What happened to that abusive fellow you were with?"

"The pilot?"

"No. The man you talked about in our last session."

"Oh. Um. Him?"

"Yes."

"Well, um... this was before I met him."

"I see."


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Sunday, September 24, 2006

Flying Over the Jungles of Africa

It was muggy and hot. Real hot. Sweat dripped from every part of my body. And I do mean every part.

The little plane bumped and bounced over the tops of the jungle's trees. The growth was thick. And the green of the trees was almost oppressive, it was so all-pervading.

Suddenly the engine on the right started sputtering. I leaned out of the side of the plane, and saw smoke streaming into the air.

"Hey!" I shouted at the pilot, grabbing his shoulder. "What's wrong with the engine?"

It was then that I noticed the small dart sticking out of the right side of his neck. He slumped over, either drugged or dead.

I sat back in stunned silence, sweating and all alone. "Don't panic," I told myself. "You can do this. You gotta get yourself out of this one."

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Friday, September 22, 2006

Log entry. 6 December. Patient 465791

Patient questioning my qualifications. Perhaps some paranoia and distrust, mixed with delusions noted in previous session.

Conducting a new round of observations at the Round Table on 10 December. Patient's behaviour in private will be observed through two-way mirrors.

A curious one, this patient.

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Commodification? Says who?

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Thursday, September 14, 2006

Log entry. 5 December. Patient 389645

Patient experiences extreme paranoia. He is certain that an unnamed "they" are listening in to every conversation. Indications that "they" may be voices in his head. Extremely unstable. Given to violence. Patient had to be sedated before the session ended. If further violence occurs, restraints may be in order.

Next session scheduled for 9 December, 11:20 am.

showintale's blog

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Query

"So you're sayi--"

"Shhhh!!!!!!! Didn't I tell you to keep your voice down?"

"Well, I just--"

"No, no, no, no! You don't understand how serious this is! Move over here closer... closer... there. If we keep our voices down, like this, we can talk more privately. Maybe then we stand a chance. Maybe."

"OK. So you're saying that someone is watching us?"

"Not just us. They are everywhere. And They have a finger in everything."

"OK. But who are 'they'."

"Listen, buddy, I know better than to risk that -- you know who They are."

"Well, what makes you so sure they care who we are? Tell me, when is the last time you saw one of them."

"Wait a second. You're one of Them, aren't you?"

"No. How could I be one of them?"

"Yeah, I should've known. Oh great. How did you find me?"

"Sir, you came in here of your own accord. Remember? You checked in yesterday."

"Yeah, that was a good cover. Real good."

"Listen, I want you to answer some questions for me. When did you first begin to feel someone was watching you?"

"I ain't saying nothing."

"Don't be silly. I'm not one of them. Just tell me when this whole thing started."

"Nope."

"Come on, now. Be reasonable. Didn't you come here for help?"

--

"Nothing to say?"

"Not a word. I know how you operate, and I won't be duped again. HELP!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SOMEONE GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THEY'VE GOT ME!!!!!!!!!!!! HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE--"

showintale's blog

Monday, September 11, 2006

They're listening

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh.
Not so loud.

They're listening, you know. They have ears everywhere. And they hear everything.

They're everywhere. We are never really safe from them. They're in our schools. They're in our places of worship. They're on the streets. They're in our offices. They're in our bars, our parks, our cars, our homes. We can't escape them. Sometimes I think they are even inside my head.

And they don't play nice, either. They have nasty, nasty practices. They'll torture, interrogate, and haunt your every step once they find you. So be careful. Very careful.

They are watching, I tell ya. If they get to you, you won't know what hit you. You won't even know who you are anymore.

showintale's blog

Log entry. 4 December. Patient 025486

Patient seems dissociated from the real world. Unable (or unwilling?) to communicate in normal patterns. Uses words in nonsensical orders, without meaning. Unable/unwilling to talk in any other form than a sort of "fruit salad" of words.

Next appointment set for 10 December, 4:30 pm.

showintale's blog

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Line of Questioning

"I see. Yes. Well, can you tell me what brings you here?"

"Torn in threes and fives, foundling siblings scramble by. Short-eared, dog-tailed, curvature of the spine. Halcyon nights, haunted days, wavering whimpering wallowing wildernesses..."

"Yes, yes, very well. How long have you been like this?"

"Fillet of fruitcake?"

"Come now. Do stop it."

"Schoolyard barndoors?"

"Seriously. Please do stop talking nonsense and answer me. How long have you been like this?"

-

"Well?"

-

"Nothing to say?"

-

"Very well. We'll just sit here until the hour is up then."

showintale's blog

Monday, September 04, 2006

Fruit Salad Speak

Jello scorched fallen porches. In fourteen thousand years we ran aground upon a treetop, looking toward firefox dens. Potatoes thrown forever farther, into a molten dive. Google gaggle jabberwocky overtly scalding sacred ground. Summed up, summoned over, taken aback, crying forward. Eighteen million times finally fixed on supernovas. Yesterday a few feasts muddled through another diner. Dinosaurs didn't dig it, and left.

showintale's blog

Sunday, September 03, 2006

Log entry. 4 December. Patient 390086

Patient shows little resistance to bullying tactics. Unable to stand on her own. When pushed, she capitulates. High tolerance for abusive relationships. (Self-loathing?) Inability to think under pressure. Strong attachments, all the more so when vulnerable. Cannot distinguish harmful behaviour from love. Mistakes own neediness for love too.

Patient's 4th appointment. Next scheduled for 7 December, 9:07 am. Was warned about tardiness. (Functionally, a test of will power.)

showintale's blog

Inquisition

"How long had the relationship been abusive?"

"Wha...? I didn't say abusive. It's just that sometimes he lost his patience. And I... well, I didn't help matters. He isn't a bad man...."

"Are you saying you still can't let go?"

"Well, I've let go. I mean, I don't live with him anymore or nothing."

"Is the relationship ongoing?"

"Huh?"

"Do you still keep in touch with that man?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, you can't just cut ties, can you?"

showintale's blog

Saturday, September 02, 2006

It was a dark and stormy night

It was a dark and stormy night. Or was it? I can't remember really. I wasn't focused on the weather, all curled up in front of the tube like I was. It was late at night, that I know. Nothing on but reruns. And lousy reruns at that.

But I wasn't watching them anyway, the reruns. I wasn't curled up in front of the TV in some nice cozy stance. Naw. I was curled up clutching my abdomen. I didn't have enough sense to wonder why it was aching so much. All my senses, instead, were caught up in the ache itself. It hurt. My abdomen, I mean. It hurt bad.

I didn't want to make yet another trip to the hospital Surely the frequency of my face being seen in the emergency was beginning to arouse suspicions. Wasn't it? Or was I just another face in the crowd, just another number on the forms filled up? I mean, it wasn't like anyone was calling me by name and offering me coffee while I sat for those countless hours in the waiting room.

But at least he was passed out by this time. If I decided to go to the emergency room again, it wasn't going to be that hard to get out of the apartment. Well, yeah it would be hard. But not because he was trying to stop me. At least not that, this time.