You’re surrounded, commanded
booming metallic voice from outside. Give yourself up!The occupant inside barricaded room defiantly replies, I’m not giving up!
Moments later a squad a black uniformed men in combat boots burst into room amid a shower of splinters. The remnants of door lay in pieces under their feet. Every man’s rifle is pointed at “suspect”.
Stand back, he menaces threateningly! I’ve got a weapon. I’ve used it before and if I have to, I’ll use it again. Brandishing a pencil, he waves it about wildly. Another pencil is tucked behind his ear. The swat team freezes. It’s their worst scenario, one they dread most, a deranged “writer”.
Put down that pencil before someone gets hurt, squad leader calmly intones. We’ve got to take you in.
On what grounds, belligerent man stammers? “Impersonating an author” is reply.
For a moment suspect hesitates, trigger fingers flex nervously. Silence, and then squad leader speaks. It doesn’t have to be like this, he attempts to reason with potential assailant. All while, every member of swat team is thinking to himself, What if that pencil goes off? Adjectives and verbs and other projectiles could fill room with their deadly spray. And everyone knows that names really can hurt you!
The suspect appears confused and angry. You don’t understand, no one does. Not my wife, kids, or my boss at work. Even my own mother thinks I’m crazy to want to be a writer! His voice trails off, You don’t think I’m crazy, do you? Of course not, said, officer. Both men know he’s lying.
For a brief moment, there is silence in standoff. The situation appears to be stabilized, yet precariously perched on precipice of chaos. The sergeant glances around room. He is appalled by sight, obvious signs of an addict are all around! Pads of paper, writing journals, ...and pencils! Those deadly implements of senseless verbiage and prose. A trash can off to side is surrounded, overflowing with crumpled wads of attempted literary efforts. It’s much worse than I thought. If only someone seen signs, had turned him in, he could have gotten help. But now it’s come to this. Another literary “wannabe” with delusions of grandeur.
