They thought he was a hero.
He helped a wheezing old man fix a flat tire, worked a double shift to cover for a sick friend, and dove headfirst into a lake to save a drowning dog.
But when he was alone, he’d shriek “Fuck you” while cutting off cars, make obscene phone calls to women who’d forgotten him, and, late at night, wrap a baseball bat in a blanket and whack his neighbor’s mailbox to hell.
The next morning he’d help his neighbor clean up the mess and, shaking his head, whisper, “Who would do this? Who would do this?”
Good portrait of a complex, disturbing character.
Thank you!
Wow, what a story…you never know who is living next to you. This is a good one!
Glad you liked it!
Great job creating a layered character. It’s thought-provoking; the charitable part of me wonders if he has a mental illness that makes him forget his nighttime rages. But he’s probably just a twisted misanthrope.
Hi Debbra! I read this to my local writers group and others had the same question…does he remember his acts of anger? When I wrote it, I assumed he did and that he’s just bewildered by his own actions…but who knows… Happy you enjoyed the story!
Great twist. You never truly know people at all.
So glad you liked it!
Had you the misfortune to know someone like this character you’ve depicted so well? They do exist outside of your imagination. Narcissist feel unloved, unappreciated while they believe they are superior to others and get envious,very angry and seek revenge. All of that you’ve captured in this story.
Hi Ramona! Elaine Midcoh here. No, I’m happy to say I have never met someone like this…to this extreme. But I knew someone who had a “public persona” and a different private one. It boggles the mind a bit. Thank you for the kind comments about the story.