CHOICE

OF A

NEW DESPERATION

A Short Fiction

By

David A. Archer

02-15-1968

08-10-2006

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 effected, 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.

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 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 of 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 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 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.