A Kaleidoscope World - Take Another Turn
A Kaleidoscope World - Take Another Turn
August 01, 2024
Rick looked at Rita. Much like the work of W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey’s Paw, the two knew this was evil and they were damned for even contemplating using it.
“Should we?” It was such a simple question to ask, yet a nearly impossible one to answer.
Rita looked at her husband of 18 years. They had been rough years, full of lies, financial ruin, drugs, and deceit. She had left Rick more than once, but returned each time because of some invisible draw upon her emotions, leaving Rita bereft of something she could not explain.
Together Rick and Rita defeated all of the problems a couple could bear. Their son died soon after birth, most likely SIDS. Their daughter never even had the chance of being born. She died, in utero, at 7 months, on the way home from her first ultrasound. Rita called Rick to begin her conversation with good news. The paramedic finished the call notifying Rick of where Rita was going for emergency surgery.
Those days were behind the two, but not so far to forget they even existed. Their presence was a glimpse in the rear view mirror of life. Too far to be a constant worry. Too close to not be a worry.
Rita finally answered Rick’s question with a “Yes”.
It was Rick’s hand that held the device. Rita’s hand gave it a turn.
Best described as a mild case of vertigo, the pair awoke. They had both fallen to the floor, not their floor, but a better floor. This floor was clean. This floor was spacious and covered with a fine rug extended (nearly) from wall to wall. Rita remembered feeling the fibers of such a woven masterpiece once at a museum when she was in school. Rick had never even had that.
Once the pair arose, they went about searching the room, then all of the connecting rooms. Apparently, this was a home, an estate of scale suitable for a multimillionaire. They discovered the bedrooms, the kitchens, and the adjacent rooms for work and leisure. They had access to all of the rooms except one. This room was locked. The door displayed a spartan sign denying entrance to all. However, from the door handle hung a small silver chain with a skeleton key. Rita assumed the key would fit the door. Rick whispered that they should not tempt fate.
For once, the two decided to enjoy the gifts someone had bestowed upon them and quickly walk away from the temptation.
For the next 112 days, Rick and Rita swam at their leisure, ate delicious meals, enjoyed their media center, and (for the case of Rick) began reading great works of literature.
However, that door still stood as a silent sentinel to everything that might be. Rick was curious. Rita was adamant. She prevented Rick from even approaching the door. Their life was good, no, their life was great. She was not going to let Rick make another mistake.
But Rick was relentless. He applied arguments from Rousseau, John Jay, Franklin, and Aristotle hoping to erode Rita’s defenses of the door. He wondered that if there was nothing behind the door, then by opening the door, they had nothing to lose. But if there was something beneficial behind the door, it was their duty to discover the contents and apply it to their lives.
“But, what if the door holds at bay, something evil, something horrendous? Isn’t it better to follow directions and never even touch the door? Isn’t it better not to risk all we just gained?”
Rita’s argument was carefully considered and elegantly expressed. Rick should have heeded her concerns. However, even the moth knows the flame will kill it, but the light still compels his proximity to impending doom.
Rick just had to open the door. Rita just had to keep Rick from doing so.
On the morning of the 113th day in paradise, Rita discovered a pistol on a table where no pistol had ever been before. It wasn’t there on day 112. It most likely would not be there on day 114. This was an inauspicious turn of events in which Rita knew she must act while she could.
The minute she held the pistol, she knew how to use the pistol. As if her experience was gained from birth, she was confident she could keep Rick from undoing all of the gains they enjoyed.
When she found Rick trying to use the key to open the door, she drew the pistol and aimed for his head. The cocking of the hammer told Rick that Rita meant business. Inserting the key into the lock meant that Rick meant business.
No words were needed. Rita squeezed the trigger while Rick turned the key. If there was another occupant in the house, he could not testify, with certainty, of the sound the door made when opened. He could testify, with certainty, the sound of a discharged 9mm bullet made in an enclosed space.
Paul looked at Petra. Much like the work of W. W. Jacobs, The Monkey’s Paw, the two knew this was evil and they were damned for even contemplating using it.
“Should we?” It was such a simple question to ask, yet a nearly impossible one to answer.