Max's Message

I have a passion for writing. I love to write my thoughts and I hope that others will like to read them. Maybe my thoughts, ranting and opinions will get you thinking and start a dialogue among you and others, or maybe it'll just get you to say "Huh". I love music, books and movies and sharing my opinions about them because sometimes I want the world to know how amazing something is or I want to understand how others could like something I wasn't the biggest fan of. Finally and maybe what I'm most passionate about is I love stories, hearing them, reading them and especially writing them, which I do everyday and will be posting often. Each of my passions and writing exploits can be found labeled below. Pick one, get a little lost, maybe a little excited and hopefully always entertained.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Unadvisable- Ch. 2

Chapter II

It had happened a few months ago, while playing poker in the back room of his night gig at the grocery store. He and his cronies were having a good time, laughing, drinking, shooting the shit when this guy slams through the double doors.

“Hey Charly, you made it,” Paulie said, Tom’s boss. Paulie pulled out a chair at the table as Charly swayed over to it and collapsed in it. The guy was clearly wasted.

“Where have you been man? I’ve been trying to reach you for the past few weeks.” Paul said loudly. The man was haggard looking with his eyes constantly darting back and forth around the room. They were bloodshot and puffy like he hadn’t slept in ages.

“I’ve been around,” Charly said picking up a nearby glass of whisky and downing it. The guys continued to play poker with Charly watching. After a while people began to teeter off and leave with what was left of their money. Before Tom knew it he, Paulie and Charly were the only ones left. Charly’s eyes were half open and his expression was blank; his mouth dangling open. Paulie slapped him on the shoulder and Charly bolted upright.

“Are you ok man?” Tom asked. Charly leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. He then pulled a bottle of pills from his breat pocket, opened them, threw the entire contents of the bottle into his mouth and swallowed them down with the Jack Daniels bottle.

“Woah, hey man!” Both Paulie and Tom jumped out of their chairs. “What the hell are you doing, guy?!” Tom shouted. Charly leaned back, lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke out in perfect little circles. “I’m taking back the control they took from me.”

“Whose they?” Paulie asked cautiously, like he was approaching a skittish cat.

“The government. I found out something they weren’t so thrilled about. They’ve been trying to get a hold of me ever since. I don’t know what they’re planning on doing but I’m not waiting to find out.” He looked at the end of his cigarette and started chuckling to himself. This guy has gone nuts, Tom thought.

“What’s going on with you, man?” Paulie asked. Charly turned his head slowly towards him and said “Turns out the President doesn’t know everything.” Charly chuckled again. Paulie and Tom looked at each other “What are you talking about?” Tom was frustrated. This guy was babbling and wasting his time. Charly jumped up and grabbed Tom by the collar putting his face centimeters away from Tom’s. He had a crazed look in his eyes.

“The President’s advisors claim they are getting paid legally to make speeches and advise other private companies about business. What they don’t tell you is that the companies they are advising aren’t always of the best moral fiber.”

“Ok,” Tom said trying to pull always from Charly’s grip.

“Drugs, war missiles for other countries we are not supposed to be dealing with, the list goes on and on.” Charly let go of Tom’s shirt, ruffled through his pockets and slammed down a piece of paper on the table. With that his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell backwards. Paulie and Tom looked at each other stunned for a second before Paulie raced over to see if Charly was ok, calling 9-1-1 at the same time. Tom picked up the piece of paper.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Unadvisable- Ch. 1

Chapter I

“I gotta get out of here,” he said frantically.

“Get out of here? Get out of here and go where?” I asked.

“Somewhere. I’ll catch a ride. Wherever they take me, that’s where I’ll go.” He continued to quickly throw things into a duffle bag. He seemed very out of breath.
Tom was always getting into some kind of trouble ever since I had known him. The kind of trouble that was easily rectified with a call from his parents to the dean or the frat guys pooling together money for bail. This time there didn’t seem to be a fix at all.

“Tom slow down. What happened?”

“I can’t, I gotta get out of here. Tonight. Now.”

“So let me take you somewhere. I can drive you any where you need. We can talk about it on the way,” I said slowly.

“Whatever,” he said packing the last of his things and throwing his bag over his shoulder. I grabbed my keys and jacket and rushed out the door behind him. On the drive “just head south” he had directed, Tom was looking around himself constantly, eyes darting. He checked all the windows every few seconds and it began to make me feel anxious.

“All right buddy, start talking.” He took a deep breath, rolled down the window and lit a cigarette. Taking a few long puffs his breath slowed down.

“Who would you say is the most famous person in the world? The President?”

“Sure.”

“Well let’s say it is the President. He surrounds himself with the smartest, most capable people. People with nothing to hide and a lot to loose, right?”

“Right.”

“Well what if a few of these people, a few of these advisors did have some to hide? If you knew their dirty little secret would you expose them?”

“What are you getting at here, Tom?”

“What I’m getting at is that if you knew a secret that could bring down one of the most powerful person in the world’s advisors you’d do it, right?”

“I suppose do. It’d be the right thing to do.”
Tom took another drag from his cigarette, continuously looking out the windows; he said “That is unless one of them found out you knew before you could do anything about it.”

I paused. “Wait wait wait are you saying , are you actually trying to tell me you have a dark little secret about the President’s advisors and they know you know?”
Tom continued staring out the passenger window. “And now they’re after you?!”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” he said.

“Well come on then,” I said with a small smirk on my face. “What is it?”

“I’m in a shit storm of trouble, scared for my life because of this information and you think I’m gonna tell you and endanger one of my closest friends?”

“Well, yeah.”

He looked at me for a moment and then back out the window lighting a fresh cigarette with the end of his old one, flicking his old butt out the window. We sat in the car for a few minutes in silence, my car snaking through mountains with only the car’s headlights and moon to guide us.

“Ok well if you won’t tell me what it is can you at least share how you became privy to this top secret information?”

Tom looked around and behind us as though he expected to find someone in the back seat. Then he started talking.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Kaboom?

Less than one day left of this crap. And then Kamboom! Some people have been fighting it but the end of Earth is inevitable. And let’s face it there is so much more out there. My heart is beating with excitement. The junkyard of this planet has been able to fester and infect for too long. It’s time to get rid of the old and dirty. In with the new; infinite space and endless possibilities.

It was decided by the Extra- Wordly committee that Earth was to be destroyed about 6 months ago. Being the translator for 3 different languages and 2 different being groups I was privy to information but not to a reaction. I for one am thrilled. The only people left on earth are those who can’t afford a trip out here or those who like living in the waste and muck the planet has become.

For those unfortunates who couldn’t afford it before, this is their lucky time. They get a free trip to space on a new craft with temporary living and help finding employment. The others who say its “real life”, reaping what we sow from years of planet neglect and abuse, well they will just be blown up with their beloved garbage heap. We have no use for them anyway.

We are embarking on a huge endeavor. Space mobilization: the building of spatial structures moving through space as we explore the vast unknown and live life peaceably and full of curiosity. It was about 100 years ago when the decline of our planet was apparent. By 2200 we had already built enough structures in space to accommodate Europe, some of Asia and most of the US. World wide peace had allowed a fair trade atmosphere and speedy building occurred. The planet’s ozone had become so bad that parts of it were inhabitable and areas of the ocean had become black waste. As time wore on things only got worse and our country ties became stronger, out space vessels more advanced. We discovered things, amazing things. Coming only in peace with no gains of territorial domination we made allies with many new beings, once thought of as Alien but now known as friends.

At a certain point people began to request planet reassignment or space transfer. Like a wave more and more people made the migration everyday. Pods left every 15 minutes carrying the capacity of 500 and then some. Others however began protesting. “This is our home, our heritage, our mother!” Their cries became fewer and fewer as many of them were old and feeble and they began to well, pass away.

So what’s left of these naysayer’s are basically the oldies, the druggies and the loaners. The time is now, the future is near and the end of Earth is imminent. Taking up space and leaving dirt and disaster in its wake there’s no reason to leave it here. We must move forward.

---- ----

Who do they think they are deciding our fate, our history, without asking us? My mother got very ill and we can’t leave. We can barely afford the hovel they are still charging us for let alone the shitty “health” care they are giving her. And I know they said they’d pay for us to leave but like my mother we just can’t abandon this place because things get tough. Plus she is too sick to move. There is still good stuff here, life here. It just takes a little time and work.

For the past 4 months I’ve been working tirelessly to get my point heard. Protesting and shouting is doing no good. No, instead I’ve been appealing to members of the Extra Worldly committee playing on their weakness about their own mortality, relating it to my mother and Mother Earth. I think I’m starting to get through. A few have responded to my videos over the interlink and they seem to be coming from those higher and higher up in the bureaucratic chain. I’ve even received an anonymous message from someone in the Worldly Court Order. Now that is someone who can make a difference!

I just want people to see that if we do a little work together those who still want to live here can. Like my sick mother all it takes is a little tender loving care and support to bring it back to life. And if you want to explore you’ll still have a place to come home to. We deserve another chance, Earth, my mother, deserves another chance. Just because some place is dirty or sick doesn’t mean it should die or be destroyed or it’s unlivable.

Before the massive migration scientist had worked on and discovered resources and means to fix the ozone. With their help and those who still feel an affinity towards their home planet we can make this place even better than before. Destroying the world and all that is left isn’t fair, good or serving any justice at all.

---- ----

The translator has informed me that the countdown has begun. As a Supreme member of the Worldly Court Order I can decide if and when the destruction of Earth occurs. I must admit I’m having my doubts. A woman on Earth with a very sick mother has been sending some compelling messages about saving the planet that houses the fruit of our existence and the beginning of our future.

The translator and many others in the counsel believe our past is so far behind us and the Earth is just a dirty, defective reminder. I understand. There is a lurid history back there but there is history. Is it better to erase the past to create a new and hopefully better future or is it important to remember and cherish the past in order to have a future at all? I’m starting to think there can be both. Let’s face it, we used to teach history in schools, we used to want to save our planet. When did that stop?

The emergency counsel meeting button is right there, right in front of me. If I press it the countdown will stop and deliberation can begin. Do I want to be responsible for that? More than that: Do I really want to save Earth? What has Earth done for me? The depletion of the ozone almost killed my family. Our home had gotten so disgusting that we were inhaling toxins on a daily basis. Thank god for the career move into the order. Earth. There are some good people there though, obviously. People who deserve a second chance because they are still living, living in a belief that things can still be saved. How optimistic. Save the Earth?

The button is right there. Press it? Don’t press it?

---- ----

IN T- 30 SECONDS THE DESTRUCTION OF EARTH WILL BEGIN
---- ----

Yes! What we’ve been waiting for. I can barely translate the countdown. I’m so excited for our future to start.

---- ----

I can’t believe this is happening. I don’t want to die. I want to save us, save my mother from a horrible diseased death. Save my planet from uncontrollable destruction. Have my words gone unheeded?

---- ----

What do I do? As a man of justice all sides of the story should be presented. Have we heard all there is to hear?

---- ----
THE DESTRUCTION OF EARTH IS IN 5 – 4 – 3- 2 --------------

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

The Perfect Plan- Ch. 2

Chapter II- The Final Installment

Of course it would have to be a few months after the wedding, maybe 7 or so: avoid suspicion and still be entitled to a large portion of the marital assets. How would she do it?

That was the easiest part of this plan, actually. He was on heart medication and had been for quite sometime. Heart problems ran in his family. It was a large dose and heavily regulated. If he took even half a pill more than the designated amount he could go into cardiac arrest. Maybe they’d have a few too many drinks one night and he might accidentally take one pill too many. The ring sparkled at her again and she smiled.

The wedding was beautiful. Standing up at the alter in her $16,000 Oscar De LaRenta gown she smiled at him and internally started her countdown. At the reception everyone kept telling her how beautiful she looked and what a good match this was, only validating her plan even further.

When the marriage truly began he was at work a lot while she lived in the lap of luxury which meant boredom, constant boredom. She took up hobbies like photography and painting, calling back to her college days when she feigned creativity and passion. Even those triflings became dull. Whenever he came home and they’d sit together having cocktails, recounting the mundane adventures of his day, Lisa thought “Maybe this isn’t so bad, companionship, comforts.” This optimistic mood would last about two hours and then he would do something to put her steadfastly back on track: snort with laughter at his own not funny joke or spend twenty minutes trying to make her cum, give up, get on top and finish himself off in 30 seconds where he promptly would roll over and fall asleep. Asshole, she would always think. As the months wore on and the routine of their life continued Lisa felt herself become more like a drone and less like a human. Her resolve couldn’t get any stronger. It’s either him or me she thought.

Seven months, 14 days and some odd hours after they tied the knot the plan was in motion. He had had a particularly grueling day at work and had no problem accepting the scotch neat on top of scotch neat she kept handing him. She had seen him take his pill that morning but not the final one he took in the early evening. She handed him one now, he was already pretty buzzed and he swallowed it down with a gulp of scotch. His speech continued to slur as he ranted on and on about his day. Two hours later and he was a complete drunken mess. Casually she handed him another pill saying “Oh, you forgot to take your pill this evening darling, here you go.” He grabbed it, waving it around as he shouted about a deal that had gone sour, popped it in his mouth and downed his previously full glass of scotch.

The pills were quick. Twenty minutes later he was passed out on the ground. She gave it another ten minutes before calling 9-1-1 where she said she had been in the bathroom when she had found him unconscious on the living room floor.

Chapter III

Standing in the hallway of the hospital surrounded by his family she was in shock. Shock that everything she had fantasized about was coming true. His family mistook this shock for grief and clung to her crying, thinking they were commiserating with her. This is the huddled group the doctor found them in on the cheap sofas in the lounge when he told them that her husband was gone. “In his drunken state it seems he took one too many heart pills. With his weak heart it was just too much.” His mother burst into a fresh round of sobs. The doctor put his hand on Lisa’s shoulder which made her jump out of her stunned trance. “I’m very sorry for your loss.” She looked up at him and started to have trouble breathing. It had happened, she was free. Everything started to go fuzzy, she tried to get up and walk but the world was shaking. The floor started to move towards her then everything went black.
When she woke up she was in a hospital bed with his whole family surrounding her, smiling. “Wha-what happened?” she asked slowly sitting up.

“You fainted,” she looked over and the doctor was there checking her stats. “But everything is all right. In fact, wonderful I’d say.”

Then his mother blurted out through her tears “Congratulations, darling!”

“Huh?” she said confused and groggy.

“You’re pregnant!” she said wet with tears and a huge grin on her face.

Oh fuck, Lisa thought.

Monday, April 6, 2009

The Perfect Plan- Ch. 1

Chapter I

It was so shiny and sparkly. It glistened with every turn of her hand like it was winking at her. It was one of the most stunning engagement rings she had ever seen including those on her richest girlfriends or in a magazine. He certainly had good taste. One check in the “pro” column.

She did care for him. As a person he was good, in the battle for good and evil. And he loved her, truly loved her. Another check in the pro column. The ring didn’t hurt either though she wondered whether he really had taste that good or he called in one of her friends to help. Either way it was spectacular.

But a diamond does not a marriage make. He wasn’t that funny, Lisa thought, or charming. But he was rich from his inheritance from what his Grandfather and father had made on Wall Street as well as his own personal successes. He was kind and caring. He wasn’t that bad in bed. Being honest with herself Lisa didn’t know why she had stayed with him for as long as she had.

It had started casually enough. He actually had shown balls and asked to buy her a drink one night after she had an exceptionally hard day at work. They got to talking and drinks turned into dinner the next night and a movie a few nights later. Before long they were seeing each other 2 – 3 times a week, sleeping at each other’s apartments, meeting each other’s friends and family. Lisa had gotten in too deep to end it now. Or rather, he had. She was enjoying the freedom that came with someone loving you more than you love them, the wealth of that person and the ability to let go of cares you might have if you cared what the other person thought of you.

Many of her friends thought she was crazy not to be in love with him; he was handsome, in that conventional, wealthy, Khaki wearing, sweater vest kind of way. He was caring and unbelievably rich. But many of her so called friends were superficial, money grubbing socialites. She knew if she ended it now she would be worse off than she currently was. After all she had quit her job and sold her apartment.

“I have more money than you’ll ever need, baby. And if we’re going to be married you should move in sooner rather than later,” he said to her in a post coital haze.

Lisa was smart, resourceful, she could think of something. She was on the rise at her marketing firm before she got “swept off her feet” as her parents told all their friends with glee. They couldn’t have been happier that she had finally settled down and with someone so “sensible and safe” her mother said when Lisa told her the news of the engagement.

There must be some way to dispatch of the situation. Dispatch…that was it. She’d have to kill him. It wasn’t that she hated the guy or really felt he deserved to die but this was the only she’d get out free and clear, after all we could only look after ourselves in the end.

Vacation has come and gone

Mad Max Here:
It has been a little while since I've posted anything and this is not due to the problems I was having earlier in my blogging career where I couldn't buckle down and write. I was on vacation and I felt that a vacation meant a seperation from everything including my blog.

I love the blogging experience of course and so having returned to normal life I am returning to my writing. Today I am posting this little aside to let people know I've been gone but have returned and to share another new story or as I like to think of them as mini adventures. I hope you enjoy!