EVERYTOWN USA
The building had been abandoned for years. Neglected and lifeless, it now sits out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by weeds and cracked cement. A depressing eyesore to be sure, and no one in town bothers to check on it any more. Only grumblings every once in a while that the owner is too greedy to lower the rent and too cheap to renovate.
With no sign of activity in front and nothing of interest to focus on, a typical passerby would just keep on driving. But if that same traveler would return after sunset and follow the driveway to the back of the property, he might just find something worth writing home about. A few trucks parked close to the building, some lights on downstairs, and a security guard next to the back entrance. Noises coming from inside the warehouse. Sounds of carts moving, boxes being loaded and four men in adjoining cubicles talking on the telephone. Trained by the best in the business, they are patient, polite and eager to please ….wearing different hats for different calls. Talented with accents, they can sell anything. One minute, a Scottish bloke selling insurance and the next, a computer geek from Mumbai. Different names, different packaging and different prices for the same exact product, but a path too long and twisted to ever uncover the real Wizard at the top … who won’t stop until he controls it ALL.
A car pulls up with its lights off, and while the driver waits with the engine running, the passenger gets out quickly. An exchange is made with the security guard, and in less than a minute, the car is back on the road again. Then a noise is heard from up above, in the darkened second story of the building. A weak and desperate cry is uttered when the car is heard pulling away. Tied up and too drugged to ever escape, the Wizard’s victims lie in the dark struggling to keep their sanity while they wait for help to come.
Copyright © 2015 (Michelle Parsons, Getting Back on Your Path). All Rights Reserved.
