A voice came to Jerry. It called out beguilingly. It said, “Jim.” Jerry didn’t think it was talking to him at first but after a while he realized that this was just an affectation, like calling everyone “Boss” or “Chief.” He tuned in to the voice. It said, “Come to me, leave behind what you have known, leave your family, your loved ones, leave behind any idea you believe, and in return I will put a dagger in your hand and lift the shame from your heart.” Jerry was arrested later that afternoon in the parking lot of the grocery store, brandishing a knife, ranting about dark nights and dark blood. He told the police that his name was Jim. The arresting officer, who knew Jerry a little bit from when he had played baseball with Jerry’s son, handled the older man gingerly. “Come on, Mr. Forte,” he said. “Watch your head.”
©2021 Ben Greenman/Stupid Ideas
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