Metaphor 2

Monday, June 04, 2007

Surely the car will melt, he thought

“Did you say something?” Mona tilted her head at him.  “I’m really sorry about all this.  I just thought I needed to make a faster exit.”

No kidding. We made it to my car, but where am I going? I’d ask why there’s half a dozen black SUVs following me, but I think I know the answer.

“They’ll give up pretty soon.” A thin cell phone rocked back and forth under her touch and the pursuing vehicles quickly found turn-off streets.  She waved to them through the side mirror. “So, where’re we headed? Today is a little holiday, isn’t it?”

It may have been a holiday but Henwore was a ghost town. They had been the first out of the airfield, moving through a crowd too stunned to offer any resistance. The least resistant was him, her impromptu escort, guided to the parking lot by this impossible girl. Even walking backwards, one hand on his shoulder and the other waving to the crowd, it was clear she was in charge. When she ducked into his car, fastened her seat belt and flashed him that perfectly bright smile, the only thing he could do was jump in and turn the key.

Now he was puttering down Rockport Street while his mind reverberated with conflicting thoughts. Do I take her home? What’ll my dad say if I tell him I’m going out with Mona Wiers? Is this a joke? Does she really want to go...

“Golfing?” She rattled his loose collection of clubs in the back seat. “So that’s where you’re headed! I haven’t had a chance to go golfing in months. Can I come along?”

Turning his head to look at her was a challenge. Was she serious? A glance at her face revealed no semblance of deception; she genuinely seemed to want to go golfing with him.  Somewhere, the Karma see-saw is ensuring that someone else is having a really terrible day. I’d better fulfill my half of the bargain so that person can come back up. He pulled a lever in the car and the left turn indicator blinked on. Eldrick Boulevard would take them to the Forest Hills Country Club.

Mona favored him with a quick grin and then rolled her eyes. “A man of few words, aren’t you?” Her fingers drummed on the arm rest as they waited at the light. Eager to get a glimpse of the golf course she leaned closer to him and spotted a picture taped to the dashboard. A man in his late twenties stood before a chalkboard full of complex equations, obviously abashed at having to hold his PhD in Theoretical Physics like a can of soda in a commercial.

“Hey, isn’t that…” Mona recognized him immediately. “What happened in New Mexico was a tragedy. He was a brilliant man.”

“Yeah…” Mark mumbled. “He was my brother.”

---

Wouldn't you know that the minute I make a neat car design in Forza Motorsport 2 that my Xbox 360 breaks? Microsoft's really trying my patience, although I guess I can be glad that: (a) the repair is free, and (b) I didn't buy Shadowrun. Reminder to myself and you all: if there are no reviews for a game on launch day, that's a very bad sign. Odin Sphere is still kinda fun, but I'm getting this sickening Double Dragon feeling. You know, the one where the combat engine is okay, but you're getting beaten to tar because there's no way to get out danger fast enough? Or maybe you don't know, since I'm the only one I can think of who's played through Ninja Gaiden and both God of Wars. At least my second run through of Final Fantasy XII is still entertaining.