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11/2/2007 - Uncle Twisty's Carnival.. Part Two.

He fumbles in his pocket searching for the one thing that will calm his
frazzled nerves. He lights the cigarette and pulls the smoke into his lungs with a deep breath, all the while watching Uncle Twisty. The people that lined the length of the bar haven’t moved since they entered the room all save the pale white complexioned bar tender, with the deep dark eyes. Uncle Twisty leaned towards Jack Ryder.
“Yeah Jack.. Even Eddie has issues.”
He lifted the cigarette to his lips and took in a slow drag.
“Eddie?.. Do you mean him?” he jerks his thumb towards the bartender.
Twisty motions to the cigarette, and Jack obliges the whim. He gives him a light and watch’s curiously as the clown seems to savor the first drag with a child like enthusiasm. He exhales the smoke, and rolls his eyes towards Jack.
“Let me tell you about Eddie Jack.. Eddie has been fucked up since day one, childhood obesity, that’s what got him first. Then everybody and their brother has been kicking his ass since, abusive bullies in and out of his family circle. He became withdrawn and sullen, a brooding baby boy.. Fat. Lazy.. unwilling or unable to ever function with anyone in the outside world in any social capacity. One day his mother flipped out and took to beating him with a coat hanger, because he stole a candy bar from her bedroom vanity, he was only ten.”
He pauses to take a drag off the Marlboro. Jack studies Eddie but says nothing.
“He took his first drink ten days after that beating, and from there ventured into hard drugs.. Cocaine.. Heroin.. Crack.. You name it, he tried it.. Then it was petty crime, stealing to support his heroin habit. Pathetic, he went to juvenile hall and got the shit beat out of him every other day for a year. But here Jack.. Here.. Eddies home.”
He stiffens up and lets Twisty’s words roll around for a time, as if he were trying to taste them.
“You call this Home?.. I’d rather burn in hell.”
Twisty’s smile widens.
“Ahh Jack.. Poor, Poor Jack.. You still don’t get it do you? Eddie belongs here, with people like him, here the playing field is truly level. Here there is no rich.. no poor. There are only lost souls.. That end up here because this is what they have created for themselves as a result of the poor choices that they have made.”
“Bullshit!”
“Oh really? Think about it Jack.. Did anyone force you to take that first drink? Or was it something that you did of your own Volition? Was it desperation that caused you to look for a way to take the pain away? Or was that just an excuse?” He chuckles coldly.
Jack Ryder lights another cigarette and stares at Twisty.
“You see Jack Its like this, every journey that you take in your life begins with just one step. And when it comes to the pain of battling ones personal demons, it simply boils down to making the right choice Jack.”
He lights another himself.
“You either take that first step towards the cure, or the disease.. But no one, and I do mean no one, can make that choice for you..”

He closes his eyes, and in his mind Jack Ryder reflects on his life’s decisions, what could have been different? Could he have possibly spared her from the accident take took her life?. He hears a faint ringing sound at first it is distant, and slowly it draws closer.. Its. The telephone? He opens his eyes slowly and he finds himself standing in his own living room. He picks up the phone, lifting to his ear.
“Hello?”
“Jack?.. Are you there?”
He recognizes the voice it is Madelyn’s best friend Annie Jackson, she is crying.
“Yes Annie I’m here.”
“Jack My God Its Maddy, she’s been in an accident, My god Jack.. She didn’t make it. She’s… dead.”
He feels his hands go numb, as the phone slips from his fingers.. The room has gone black and now all that he hears is thunder, he looks around and he is standing on the front lawn as the rain begins to fall, soaking his clothes.
He looks to the sky and wonders, why is he reliving the most horrible night of his life.
“Choice’s Jack.. Its all about the choices..”
His legs give out as he begins to sob, falling down on his knees.. The rain stops, and now the terrible cold settles in around him, and now he is lying on a cold marble floor a single light descends from the ceiling, ten feet from him he sees the bottle standing there alone.. Beside it on its side there is an empty glass.
“Do you remember how you numbed the pain the first time Jack?”
He slowly moves his body across the floor until his is sitting with the bottle out in front of him. He stares at it for a time.
“Choices Jack.. You either walk towards the disease or you walk towards the cure.”
He lifts the empty glass and stares into it, but finds no easy answers. He draws a deep breath and slowly turns the glass upside down and places it on the floor next to the bottle. He rises from the cold marble floor and turns to the door. He sees the face of Twisty smiling at him.
“Ahhh Jack… I see you’ve made yourself another choice..”
He turns to face Twisty.
“I don’t belong here.”
He steps through the smoke and he is back in the bar again, only this bar he knows.. He has spent many a night here trying to drown his demons.
Then he sees her sitting at the end by herself, so he asks to join her. They engage in small talk and Jack Ryder asks the beautiful young woman to join him for a cup of coffee at the diner down the street, and she reluctantly agrees. As they step outside into the cold night air a soft rain begins to fall.
“By the Way.” he tells her. “I’m Jack.. Jack Ryder.”
She smiles..
“Elisabeth.. Elisabeth Johns.”
The cab pulls up to the curb beside of them and the thin young man driving with the pale skin and odd smile asks them if they would like a ride.. They decide to walk.

Scratch.. ABT Copyright © 2007.