** Bring me your tired, derivative, overwrought dead manuscripts, yearning to be erased from memory… This is the third in an ongoing series where authors get to share a piece of a novel/writing project that died long before it ever could have proven its worth to its parent, its master: the author. Instead of letting the maybe-horrible, maybe-unbearable Word doc remain untouched in some far off and forgotten file folder, why not let the readers at ENCLAVE have a look? Think of it as closure. They won’t laugh, I swear.
This time we have Troy Weaver, author of Witchita Stories sharing an excerpt from a dead novel entitled, “Post Persona.”
If you are interested in having an excerpt featured in the “From the Grave” series, be sure to email me at michael @ coping mechanisms dot net. **
1.
Tell me a story a story yes and one that involves a fat old man a story a story and the fat old man okay okay I’ll try a fat old man with deeply closed eyes lies down on a perfectly made bed in a small white room it is dark save a dim lamp on a little oak end table he cracks every knuckle he has and opening his mouth sniffs at the air he rubs at his eyelids a moment then stops with an abrupt jerk at the elbows he is wearing a nice suit it is a dark brown tweed affair chestnut a red tie chokes about his throat he reaches his wrinkled left hand and loosens the Windsor knot he stretches his mouth open further as if to yawn he doesn’t yawn his jaw looks nearly unhinged and yet he opens it wider his teeth are just little nubs of yellow and white the teeth of a child he keeps his mouth open continuing to stretch it beyond all logic and probability and beneath his is a suitcase and prays the suitcase will only ever stay beneath him oh lord have mercy beneath his under a bed under a floor under some earth
2.
You scared the hell out of me I’m the lucky one in that respect what are you muttering about you can’t scare me like that unless well loud sounds will make my heart jump up into my throat but only if they’re really loud and unexpected otherwise I man I wish I could’ve seen the look on your face you wouldn’t be able to bear the look on this face you know I haven’t always been this way I’ve seen some strange things before In fact I just keep seeing all of the things I’ve already seen over and over and over and over ad infintum alright ALRIGHT I get it now it’s all just ear-memory and muscle-memory the new ones anyway do we always have to talk about this you try living like this you need a better attitude I need a better attitude MUAH look at you all ready to go all packed up and eager and you didn’t even want to go on this trip even last night you told me you didn’t want to go I don’t I never do but you always drag me along anyway I do and what for fresh air open a window we don’t have to travel for fresh air we do and we are going to just as soon I pack and take a shower so sit tight I show my teeth to you you bastard arrr
3.
Wake up leave me alone I wasn’t in there that long that means nothing to me I know are you hungry starving me too I don’t want to go why are you packed I’m not sure you never want to go and yet you always go you have to go it will do you some good you know that you don’t get a choice in the matter anyway so just start accepting that as a value I know mother real nice
4.
Don’t burn them again put a sock in it then I’d really be in trouble one step away from Miss Keller God you sound funny when you laugh Miss Keller you’re one to talk mister manly man still what you sound hilarious you should hear yourself alright alright alright I get it ya fuckin’ joker don’t be a dick I hate my laugh it’s pleasant enough shut up seriously it’s not bad so quit acting of foreskin you were making fun of me first you can dish it but you can’t take it it’s the other way around let’s just drop it I’m sorry I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings ah god me too I’m sorry I was a dick for no reason at all we were just having fun eh of course we were are those eggs done yet pretty much I know I’m just waiting for you to hand me my plate stupid I’m starving hold out your hands there’s not any pepper on this sorry when are we leaving anyway when we finish eating but I have something I want to give you before we go present just something I thought you could use a new roommate eyes kind of anyway something that’ll help I think with your darkness that’s impossible you didn’t get me eyes c’mon just give me a little hint eat up we have a long day ahead of us keep it down with all that long day ahead of us business do you want it or not oh I want it alright here then so this is it huh a cane you got me a freakin’ cane and so surely a cane I was afraid I’d offend you but you never know out there in all that I may not always be there for you it is so you can find your way without me I suppose of course it is well thanks anyway you’re welcome now hey I’ve got it I’ve been itching all day to tell you do you want to hear your diagnoses well it doesn’t matter because I’m telling you anyway what I think you might have traits of paranoia a slight almost undefined Oedipus complex and also a tendency towards pedophilia well if not now in the near future I feel it is evident you have got to be the stupidest son-of-a-bitch in the world where do you come up with this stuff you told me yourself that the only thing Freud was fit for was death and in that way you’re just like him eh but death is the only thing fit for anybody who ever lived is it not and that’s what I say about all that you you can be such an asshole and stupid-faced calm down as of now it is only speculation fuck off you lunatic we’re leaving now so get off your ass pilgrim
