SonicInfinity
12-08-2007, 08:45 PM
Yeah, I was bored and had some extra time that I could not spend outside of a confined room, so I decided to write a Ron Paul story. Part 1 was written on November 29th, and part 2 was written on December 4th. There may be grammatical errors, spelling errors, formatting errors, ERROR errors, etc., but this was a free write, so I didn't pay much attention. Just grind your teeth and move on if you see any.
I'll probably bump the topic a couple of times since I did put a decent effort into this, so yeah. I tried to figure out how the heck to format it on these forums, but I can't seem to get it into paragraphs, so if you want to have something "easier" to read, download the .txt file here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=J85JUE30
I couldn't think of a good title, so if anybody of you think you have a good name for it, that'd be great.
ⓅⒶⓇⓉ ➀
....The morning was crisp as the sun rose above the horizon. Steve, who had only slept for five hours (the usual), was wide awake, ready to start the day he had been planning for ever a month. He knew it was still fifteen hours away, but that did not matter. Steve was ready to go now, and no amount of blurred vision could stop him.
....After having a quick bite and saying goodbye to his wife, Tiffany, Steven headed out to the dry cleaners to pick up his white suit. His face smiled when he received his five hundred dollar suit back in better condition than when he first bought it.
...."So, you headin' out to the rally tonight?" asked the restorer.
...."Yeah, I guess you can say that," responded Steve with a smile.
...."You be makin' sure you get there an hour early. I heard the turn-out is going to be well over nine thousand!"
...."I know, I know."
....Heading to his next destination, Steve remembered that he was running low on gasoline. As he drove up to the light, he was plagued with a decision. On th eleft, gasoline had the price of only $2.70, but there was a FOX News van parked in the place where you pump your tires with air. On the right, gasoline was $2.94, but there were no cars in sight. Steve looked in his wallet, and he grudgingly went left.
....In front of him, two cars had pulled into two of the spots, and since the other spots were full, Steve had no choice but to pull into the spot next to the FOX News van. Although he was at least twenty feet away, he could still hear the people who were filling up the van's tires with air talking. One man was tall and slim, another was short and chubby, and the third, being the only female, was in-between the two's height and weight--what she lacked in I.Q., she made up in looks. Right as Steve began to take out his credit card to pay for gas at the machine, the tall and slim man came over.
...."Hello there law-abiding citizen!" exclaimed the man with high enthusiasm.
...."Um, hello," replied Steve uninterestingly.
...."My name's Terry, and I work for the FOX Cable News Network. These two are my fellow colleagues, Brian and Alice."
...."Hey there," said Brian.
...."Much obliged," said Alice.
...."My my, aren't we incredibly formal?" replied Brian in a playful tone.
...."Oh-oh, how very observant!"
...."Please, you two," said Terry to both, annoyed. "Sorry about that, those two are new to the business and do not understand how they are supposed to act in the presence of people they have never met before."
...."Oh-ho, how very observant!" mocked Brian.
...."Gee Brian, maybe you should go to CNN if you keep presenting such an unorthodox attitude!"
...."Meh, same hell, different colored flame."
...."Hey, I have a very important ob for the both of you!" commanded Terry.
...."Yes?" they asked in unison.
...."How about Brian fills up the tires, you, Alice, replace the burnt out bulb in the van, and I ask Mr.... I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
...."Steve. Steve Olivera."
...."Yes, I ask Mr. Olivera a couple of questions."
...."But we don't have any spare bulbs in the van," said Alice.
...."Oh-ho, how very observant!" replied Brian accordingly.
....Having no patience left, Terry grabbed them both by the ears and dragged them behind the van, as a parent would when scolding children. Steve proceeded to fill up his tank, hoping to finish before Terry, but such luck was not on his side.
...."Well Mr. Olivera, shall we begin?"
...."Begin what?" thought Steve, starting to feel tense.
...."I noticed that you have a Ron Paul bumper sticker on your car. Can you tell me why you support this candidate?"
...."Personally, Ron Paul's message speaks volumes," replied Steve, preparing for battle. "His message of liberty and freedom is something that speaks to a lot of individuals."
...."I see. Of course, we both know that he will not get the nomination, so when he runs as a third-party candidate, will you still support him?"
...."I don't know where everybody keeps getting that idea, but he is in the race to win. Dr. Paul is the only anti-war, pro-Constitution candidate on that stage and, quite frankly, the only guy out of the bunch to make any sense."
...."But Dr. Paul keeps talking about frivolous things like pulling the troops out of Iraq in less than a year, abolishing the department of education, doing away with the IRS, stopping plans for a nonexistent North American Union, and cutting off millions of families who rely on the government for money. He has even proposed legalizing many drugs that are currently illegals and returning this nation to the gold standard, setting us back hundreds of years!"
....With the end of that sentence, the pump clicked.
...."I'm sorry, but I'm on a tight schedule, and I must go now," replied Steve with a sour look on his face.
...."But sir-"
....A flash came from inside the van.
...."Terry!" screamed Alice.
...."What have you done?" asked Terry, seeming to already know the answer.
...."Well, I bought a light bulb from the store like you told me, and I screwed it in, but I noticed it would not go in all the way at first, so I screw it in harder. After I flipped the power on, the bulb exploded!"
...."I guess you must have bought the wrong bulb!" exclaimed Terry in a rage.
...."Oh-ho, how very observant!" responded Brian.
....The slap from Alice echoed throughout the gas station as Steve pulled out onto the road.
....Stressed as he could be, Steve turned on the radio. They were playing back a speech given by President Bush. Although Steve did not like the President that much, he fully enjoyed the President's speeches. Steven always like to tally how many times the word "terrorism" (and its variants) was said, as well as recording sound bites of the President messing up or stuttering. He put it all in a video series on YouTube called "Blueberry Bush"; his latest video had gotten the honor of being the #2 most viewed video of the day (being behind the daily fake sex video, naturally). Nevertheless, Steve sometimes cried when he heard the President speak, because he knew that every word was a punch in the face to the founding fathers. He could usually hold off crying until the third time.
...."After all", though Steve, "third time's the charm!"
....As soon as he arrived to his third and final destination of the morning, Steve parked his car and headed on in, hoping to see some signs outside. Sure enough, there were five signs in support for Ron Paul, two for Barrack Obama, and one for Hillary Clinton. A police officer (or maybe it was just a guard; they all seem to look the same) was standing in front of the door, keeping order. Steve greeted him, the police officer greeted back, and Steve got a shopping cart.
....While inside, Steve noticed that M&Ms were on sale, which he found to be convenient considering that M&Ms was the only candy that his daughter, Emily, would eat. After he finished shopping, Steve paid for his food and headed back outside. To his surprise, all five signs supporting Ron Paul were gone, three were added for Mike Huckabee, four more appeared for Hillary, two more for Barrack, and the police officer was nowhere in sight.
...."Just a typical day," sighed Steve, adapting to the situation and keeping his cool.
...."Steve arrived home, put up the groceries, and checked his watch. In order to make it, he would have to leave by 9 a.m. He wanted to say goodbye and receive good luck, but his wife had left for work and his daughter was visiting her Aunt Sue in Michigan, which was only a state away.
...."In just 7½ more months," said Steve to himself, "little Emily will finally start Kindergarten. I hope another seven months from there is when your education can begin."
....With that afterthought, Steve headed out on his ten-hour journey. He brought along all the essential supplies: water, crackers, tissues, and Ron Paul buttons. The latter, oddly enough, filled his trunk completely, so he had to put the other supplies in the back seat. Driving his car with all the extra weight seemed natural to him considering he almost always drove with his wife and daughter. He had everything he had ever dreamed of, and yet, Steve was very tired. One would assume it was from the lack of sleep, but no matter how much sleep he got, he just could not shake off the fatigue. Steve only thought the question of "Why?" briefly as another Presidential speech came on the radio, and the though, reaching temporary resolve, quickly vanished.
....After the drive (which he managed in only nine hours and thirty five minutes due to a "speed rush" he luckily obtained during 3 o'clock due to the little traffic), Steve's eyes were scanning for any possible trace of a restroom. Almost running, Steve briskly moved toward heaven. Along the way, he bumped into the man he had came to see.
...."I'm so sorry," said Steve.
...."It's quite alright. I'm used to getting knocked down nowadays. Nevertheless, I will always get back up and take another step."
....Before Steve could reply to that adamant response, many people came to the man's aid.
...."What were you doing?" asked one of the aiders.
...."I'm sorry, I jut, I really need to 'let out the demons'."
....Steve glared into the direction of the restroom akin to Superman using his heat vision.
...."Okay, well, then go!"
....Steve did not have to be told twice. He made it there faster than the sentence above the latest quote would take to say. Literally.
....After he took care of business, Steve began to hand out Ron Paul buttons, waiting for the speech to being. Usual men would be panicking, but not Steve; he had memorized his lines ten times over.
...."Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!"
....The speech had started sooner than he had thought it would. Steve moved through the crowd like a hot knife through butter.
...."Tonight, we have all gathered here in support of one man! This man plans on defending our civil liberties, restoring our Constitution, and bringing freedom back into our grand nation. Now, I'd like to introduce the man who will be introducing Ron Paul. Give it up for long-time supporter and friend, Steve Olivera!"
....Steve had made it through all of the audience and proceeded to the stage. As he was heading up, he had noticed a grass stain on Ron Paul's slacks. Ron did not seem bothered, though; Ron gave Steve a smile as he walked up the steps and onto the platform.
...."Hello there everybody. First and foremost, I'd like to apologize to Dr. Paul for the incident earlier today. I was in a rush, and, as you can see, we both had an accident. Unfortunately for Dr. Paul, you can see his."
....Ron laughed, knowing that most of the audience would not understand (and it was better that way).
...."Dr. Paul has been a friend of mine for well over twenty years now. He was also the man who had delivered my four-year-old daughter, Emily."
...."Wait, I thought Dr. Paul was no longer and active doctor," said somebody in the crowd.
...."Well, when you're stuck in an airport heading home from a new Year's Party with no hospital in sight, there aren't too many options," replied Steve.
....Everybody just laughed, with Ron Paul laughing the loudest.
...."Anyway, enough of the chit-chat," said Steve, decided to cut his little speech even shorter than it was already. "You all came here to see one man, so it is my honor and a great privilege to introduce to you my long-time friend and soon-to-be President of the United States, Ron Paul!"
....A roaring applause that can only be equated to an 8.5 earthquake shook the stage. This roar was soon followed by a Ron Paul chant that lasted for 40 seconds, followed by another short but loud standing ovation.
...."Guys, I haven't even said anything yet!" Ron said jokingly.
....Ron Paul's speech lasted for about two hours (at least a third of this consisted of cheers). After the speech was over, Ron called Steve over and chatted quickly before he had to head on an airplane to Tennessee for a rally three days from that time.
...."I really appreciate you driving all this way," said Ron.
...."Well, I may have had to let Emily have the airplane ride to see her Aunt, but it was worth it."
...."Seeing families like your's really helps me continue to move every day. Without all of these supporters, I would never have the will to challenge the special interest and the government in the manner that I am currently doing."
...."Like I said earlier today to an annoying FOX News reporter, your message speaks volumes to those who are thirsty for freedom."
...."Yeah, well, I hope their thirsts aren't quenched by poison."
...."Ron, we need to go," said an advisor."
...."Okay. You take care, Steve!"
...."You too, Dr. Paul!"
....As Steve was heading home, he turned on the radio to hear yet another Presidential speech. he munched on some crackers, drank some water, and pulled out some tissues as he began to listen.
ⓅⒶⓇⓉ ➁
....Steve had awoken the next day an hour later than usual due to the rally held earlier. Of course, he knew that he could not drive all the way back home that day, because it would throw off his sleep schedule, so he stayed in a motel. The bed he had slept in, an odd yellow color, felt more stiff than his bed at home, but it had three additional pillows which he put to good use. He had left the television on all night to cover up the noise the heater was making.
....As he rose from his med, Steve noticed that the mood outside had changed drastically. Instead of it being sunny and crisp, it was cloudy and dank. He looked on the ground, and it had turned white. Apparently, a ten-hour drive is enough to put you in a completely different region, because Steve had not seen snow in over three years. Knowing that he needed to get a quick bit before he left, eh reached in the refrigerator only to pull out an empty tissue box he had misplaced the prior day.
...."Wow, that Bush can make anybody cry, can't he?" said a voice across the room. "I just came here to remind you that you only have an hour left before your time here expires."
...."Thanks," said Steve, trying to shake the cobwebs.
...."Since there was nothing to eat in the motel (nothing good, anyway), Steve decided that he would go to a local pancake shop. The first place that caught his eye was called "Roxanne's Home Cooked Delights." He parked his car, went inside, and was seated. After some time, he was ready to order.
...."Hello sir, what will you be having today?" asked the waitress mechanically, albeit politely.
...."I'll have the Supreme Deluxe Breakfast."
...."Scrambled eggs or fried?"
...."Scrambled."
...."What kind of toast?"
...."Wheat--no, do you have rye?"
...."Yes, we do."
...."Okay, I'll take that."
....Steve had eaten wheat toast eight days in a row and wanted something different.
...."Alright sir, your order will be ready shortly."
....Little did Steve know (due to lack of experience) that the word "shortly", at breakfast shops, meant "before the next hour or within thirty minutes, whichever is longer."
....It was 6:17 a.m.
....To pass the time, Steve brought out his laptop and began editing his latest "Blueberry Bush" video. He used advanced video software so that it did not have that Windows Movie Maker-feeling to it. As he began to edit, a couple sitting across the table began to talk to him.
...."Wow, that's a nice laptop you got yourself there," said a man with a heavy Texan accent, although this was not Texas. "How much did it cost ya?"
...."About $800."
...."You got it that cheap?!" exclaimed the Texan's wife, speaking in a heavy Brookland accent. "I bet you got it off that Ebay, didn't ya?"
....They continued to chat for the remainder of the hour about random things. Steve wanted to get in something about Ron Paul, but the couple continued bringing up subject after subject. It was almost as if their minds were digitally linked to a library consisting of only mainstream materials. After 35 minutes of this, the couple sat up and left, which, ironically, was the same time Steve received his meal. Annoyed, Steve ate his meal quickly, left a 5% tip out of spite, paid for his meal, and headed back out on the road.
....Although his mind had a headache, his body was energized like never before. He was making all the right turns, minimizing his time lost, and seemed to be ahead of schedule. Around the half-way mark, Steve noticed a group of people standing outside. This concerned him, because it looked like it was going to rain soon (he had left the region of snow, but the clouds seemed to follow), so he pulled over.
...."What are you all doing out here?" he asked an individual.
...."We're forming a Ron Paul support group out here!"
....This was odd to Steve, because he did not recall any events planned for today.
...."Why?"
...."Rudy Giuliani's rally is today, and we want to let him know that he is no match for Ron Paul. Do you want to join?"
...."It's too bad," said Steve with a low, dull tone.
...."What is?"
...."I'd prefer it to be Hillary Clinton's, but I guess this will have to do," responded Steve, changing to a high, mischievous tone.
....Steve went into his trunk and pulled out the buttons he did not give away the day before. There were still over a hundred, mainly because there were other people giving out buttons the previous day. Luckily, there were no buttons left when he returned the box to his trunk this time.
....Lights shined, music played, and dancers danced as it began to rain, which was also the time Rudy walked out on stage. He got no introduction, because the man canceled at the last second due to bad weather. After playing off the minor inconvenience, Rudy presented his speech and then asked for questions.
...."Hi, yes, my name is John from Massachusetts, and I was wondering what your plan was for cutting the national deficit and restoring the economy.
...."Hi, John. I thank you for coming out today with this less-than-perfect weather we are having," replied Rudy, with thunder crackling on-cue. "When I was Mayor of New York, I lowered crime by 55% and lowered taxes by more than 20%. (Readers Note: I just made those figures up. I'm not sure how accurate they are.) I would cut the national deficit and restore the economy through a simple process that would take little time at all. First and foremost, though, we need to focus on winning the war on terror in Iraq. If we don't win there, we will never be able to win here."
....A roar of applause came from the audience. Steve was baffled as he looked into the crowd. Rudy picked on another person.
...."Hi, Rudy. My name is from, I mean, my name is Francine, and I'm from, I'm from--"
...."No need to be shy, dear."
...."I'm sorry. I'm Francine, and I'm from New Hampshire. I've been a long0time supporter of you, and I was wondering, will you, as President, ever take us to war with Iran?"
...."Thank you Francine for that wonderful question, and I am grateful to have you as my supporter. When 9/11 happened, we had no choice but to go into Afghanistan to chase after the terrorists that planned the attacks of that horrific day. Iran is a serious threat, not just to us, but to the people of Israel. The man has already insinuated a second holocaust, so we need to take that into consideration before we act. If, however, Iran does not respond well and continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons, we will have no choice but to protect our civil liberties here by fighting over there."
....Another round of applause could be heard. The rye toast began to churn in Steve's stomach, but from the look of it, the stomach of Earl, the man he had spoken with earlier, looked like it had been churning for hours and could churn no longer.
...."Who the hell do you think we are?!"
...."Calm down, Earl," said a friend of his.
...."Why should I stay calm? This is an outrage! This man is feeding all of you mindless sheep lies, and y'all's ('you are all'; common slang word) eatin' it up!"
....Earl had to be restrained by three men, all Ron Paul supporters.
....After the rally was over, Steve got back in his car. Before he could even begin to assess the distortment of Rudy's speech, he heard a "ka-boom!" out of his right ear. He turned his head to see an airplane on fire that had crashed on the ground. He decided to move closer to see if anybody was hurt. After talking to some people, Steve learned that the accident was due to technical issues and was not terrorist related (the latter part being repeated several times). From the corner of his eye, he saw Earl on the ground in front of the plane, crying more than was humanly possible.
...."My son...I can't...believe...I WON'T believe..." cried Earl in a broken voice, his eyes losing their vision.
....Many people surrounded Earl to provide comfort, but he refused. Rudy also came over, but Earl, in a rage, punched Rudy in his face. He then stormed off to his truck, never taking a step back.
....The crash was on CNN non-stop for the hours preceding the event--the same was true of MSNBC, ABC, and other news channels, but FOX News chose to ignore it for the first two hours due to a special they were running about Britney Spears. Rudy offered his opinion on the tragedy, comparing it to 9/11, and Hillary Clinton spoke afterwards, with President Bush coming it at a close third.
....Feeling the need to get home now more than ever, Steve headed back out onto the road. When he got home, he found his wife in front of the television, crying more than was humanly possible.
...."Tiffany, I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could have done to prevent this."
...."His wife looked at him in astonishment.
...."You know?" she asked.
...."Of course, i was there."
...."What do you mean? I thought you were heading back from--"
...."I was. I even heard the plane crash."
...."Plane? What plane?"
....At this time, the rain that had not stopped turned into a hard substance known as hail, which was not far off from the pronunciation of the word Steve had been feeling at the time.
...."You know, the plane! The one that crashed about six hours ago! It's been all over the news."
....His wife held up a piece of paper which was drenched in tears. It looked to be a copy of something, but the liquid had smeared the lettering.
...."What is that?" asked Steve with concern.
...."It's a copy of the police's report faxed to me about five minutes ago. It says, err, said, that my sister, Sue, and our daughter, Emily, had been in an automobile accident."
...."Are they okay?"
...."Yes. They said Sue had suffered a minor fracture in her right leg and Emily broke two of her toes, but everything else was fine."
...."Then, why are you crying?"
...."I'm just so happy that they are okay."
...."Me too, honey, me too," said Steve with relief.
....His wife went to go throw the paper in the garbage when the news came on the television.
...."Why did you need a police report if they are fine and in the hospital?" asked Steve as he was looking at a well-animated and detailed map on the screen, provided by his local news station.
...."Well, due to the specific way Sue's leg had fractured, they decided to transfer them both over to Greensburg."
...."I see," said Steve, his tone lowering.
...."Wow, so that's the crash you were talking about? It looks like a doozy!"
...."It has just been revealed that there were no survivors in today's terrifying plane accident," reported an on-the-scene newscaster, holding an umbrella that was gathering a lot of snow. "From what we have learned, today's crash was caused by a major malfunction in the cockpit, causing the plane to go out-of-control and nose-dive into the ground. This, from what we can tell, was not terrorist related. I repeat, this was NOT terrorist related. Also, Presidential Candidates Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, John Edwards, and Ron Paul were all on airplanes today, but fortunately, none of them were traveling on this specific airplane. Now, here's Mark with the current forecast. Mark!"
...."Hey there, Aaron! Brr, it's certainly a cold one tonight!"
....Just then, the hail froze over.
...."Hey Steve, did you leave any tissues left in that box you took? I was thinking I may need them when we see our Emily at the hospital tomorrow," called Tiffany from the bedroom.
...."Sorry, honey," said Steve, his eyes losing their vision. "I don't have any tissues left."
....Steve pulled out the bag of M&Ms he bought yesterday and continued to watch the news. After a while, the screen became blurred, and Steve fell asleep.
</end>
All comments, flames, etc., are welcome.
I'll probably bump the topic a couple of times since I did put a decent effort into this, so yeah. I tried to figure out how the heck to format it on these forums, but I can't seem to get it into paragraphs, so if you want to have something "easier" to read, download the .txt file here: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=J85JUE30
I couldn't think of a good title, so if anybody of you think you have a good name for it, that'd be great.
ⓅⒶⓇⓉ ➀
....The morning was crisp as the sun rose above the horizon. Steve, who had only slept for five hours (the usual), was wide awake, ready to start the day he had been planning for ever a month. He knew it was still fifteen hours away, but that did not matter. Steve was ready to go now, and no amount of blurred vision could stop him.
....After having a quick bite and saying goodbye to his wife, Tiffany, Steven headed out to the dry cleaners to pick up his white suit. His face smiled when he received his five hundred dollar suit back in better condition than when he first bought it.
...."So, you headin' out to the rally tonight?" asked the restorer.
...."Yeah, I guess you can say that," responded Steve with a smile.
...."You be makin' sure you get there an hour early. I heard the turn-out is going to be well over nine thousand!"
...."I know, I know."
....Heading to his next destination, Steve remembered that he was running low on gasoline. As he drove up to the light, he was plagued with a decision. On th eleft, gasoline had the price of only $2.70, but there was a FOX News van parked in the place where you pump your tires with air. On the right, gasoline was $2.94, but there were no cars in sight. Steve looked in his wallet, and he grudgingly went left.
....In front of him, two cars had pulled into two of the spots, and since the other spots were full, Steve had no choice but to pull into the spot next to the FOX News van. Although he was at least twenty feet away, he could still hear the people who were filling up the van's tires with air talking. One man was tall and slim, another was short and chubby, and the third, being the only female, was in-between the two's height and weight--what she lacked in I.Q., she made up in looks. Right as Steve began to take out his credit card to pay for gas at the machine, the tall and slim man came over.
...."Hello there law-abiding citizen!" exclaimed the man with high enthusiasm.
...."Um, hello," replied Steve uninterestingly.
...."My name's Terry, and I work for the FOX Cable News Network. These two are my fellow colleagues, Brian and Alice."
...."Hey there," said Brian.
...."Much obliged," said Alice.
...."My my, aren't we incredibly formal?" replied Brian in a playful tone.
...."Oh-oh, how very observant!"
...."Please, you two," said Terry to both, annoyed. "Sorry about that, those two are new to the business and do not understand how they are supposed to act in the presence of people they have never met before."
...."Oh-ho, how very observant!" mocked Brian.
...."Gee Brian, maybe you should go to CNN if you keep presenting such an unorthodox attitude!"
...."Meh, same hell, different colored flame."
...."Hey, I have a very important ob for the both of you!" commanded Terry.
...."Yes?" they asked in unison.
...."How about Brian fills up the tires, you, Alice, replace the burnt out bulb in the van, and I ask Mr.... I'm sorry, what was your name again?"
...."Steve. Steve Olivera."
...."Yes, I ask Mr. Olivera a couple of questions."
...."But we don't have any spare bulbs in the van," said Alice.
...."Oh-ho, how very observant!" replied Brian accordingly.
....Having no patience left, Terry grabbed them both by the ears and dragged them behind the van, as a parent would when scolding children. Steve proceeded to fill up his tank, hoping to finish before Terry, but such luck was not on his side.
...."Well Mr. Olivera, shall we begin?"
...."Begin what?" thought Steve, starting to feel tense.
...."I noticed that you have a Ron Paul bumper sticker on your car. Can you tell me why you support this candidate?"
...."Personally, Ron Paul's message speaks volumes," replied Steve, preparing for battle. "His message of liberty and freedom is something that speaks to a lot of individuals."
...."I see. Of course, we both know that he will not get the nomination, so when he runs as a third-party candidate, will you still support him?"
...."I don't know where everybody keeps getting that idea, but he is in the race to win. Dr. Paul is the only anti-war, pro-Constitution candidate on that stage and, quite frankly, the only guy out of the bunch to make any sense."
...."But Dr. Paul keeps talking about frivolous things like pulling the troops out of Iraq in less than a year, abolishing the department of education, doing away with the IRS, stopping plans for a nonexistent North American Union, and cutting off millions of families who rely on the government for money. He has even proposed legalizing many drugs that are currently illegals and returning this nation to the gold standard, setting us back hundreds of years!"
....With the end of that sentence, the pump clicked.
...."I'm sorry, but I'm on a tight schedule, and I must go now," replied Steve with a sour look on his face.
...."But sir-"
....A flash came from inside the van.
...."Terry!" screamed Alice.
...."What have you done?" asked Terry, seeming to already know the answer.
...."Well, I bought a light bulb from the store like you told me, and I screwed it in, but I noticed it would not go in all the way at first, so I screw it in harder. After I flipped the power on, the bulb exploded!"
...."I guess you must have bought the wrong bulb!" exclaimed Terry in a rage.
...."Oh-ho, how very observant!" responded Brian.
....The slap from Alice echoed throughout the gas station as Steve pulled out onto the road.
....Stressed as he could be, Steve turned on the radio. They were playing back a speech given by President Bush. Although Steve did not like the President that much, he fully enjoyed the President's speeches. Steven always like to tally how many times the word "terrorism" (and its variants) was said, as well as recording sound bites of the President messing up or stuttering. He put it all in a video series on YouTube called "Blueberry Bush"; his latest video had gotten the honor of being the #2 most viewed video of the day (being behind the daily fake sex video, naturally). Nevertheless, Steve sometimes cried when he heard the President speak, because he knew that every word was a punch in the face to the founding fathers. He could usually hold off crying until the third time.
...."After all", though Steve, "third time's the charm!"
....As soon as he arrived to his third and final destination of the morning, Steve parked his car and headed on in, hoping to see some signs outside. Sure enough, there were five signs in support for Ron Paul, two for Barrack Obama, and one for Hillary Clinton. A police officer (or maybe it was just a guard; they all seem to look the same) was standing in front of the door, keeping order. Steve greeted him, the police officer greeted back, and Steve got a shopping cart.
....While inside, Steve noticed that M&Ms were on sale, which he found to be convenient considering that M&Ms was the only candy that his daughter, Emily, would eat. After he finished shopping, Steve paid for his food and headed back outside. To his surprise, all five signs supporting Ron Paul were gone, three were added for Mike Huckabee, four more appeared for Hillary, two more for Barrack, and the police officer was nowhere in sight.
...."Just a typical day," sighed Steve, adapting to the situation and keeping his cool.
...."Steve arrived home, put up the groceries, and checked his watch. In order to make it, he would have to leave by 9 a.m. He wanted to say goodbye and receive good luck, but his wife had left for work and his daughter was visiting her Aunt Sue in Michigan, which was only a state away.
...."In just 7½ more months," said Steve to himself, "little Emily will finally start Kindergarten. I hope another seven months from there is when your education can begin."
....With that afterthought, Steve headed out on his ten-hour journey. He brought along all the essential supplies: water, crackers, tissues, and Ron Paul buttons. The latter, oddly enough, filled his trunk completely, so he had to put the other supplies in the back seat. Driving his car with all the extra weight seemed natural to him considering he almost always drove with his wife and daughter. He had everything he had ever dreamed of, and yet, Steve was very tired. One would assume it was from the lack of sleep, but no matter how much sleep he got, he just could not shake off the fatigue. Steve only thought the question of "Why?" briefly as another Presidential speech came on the radio, and the though, reaching temporary resolve, quickly vanished.
....After the drive (which he managed in only nine hours and thirty five minutes due to a "speed rush" he luckily obtained during 3 o'clock due to the little traffic), Steve's eyes were scanning for any possible trace of a restroom. Almost running, Steve briskly moved toward heaven. Along the way, he bumped into the man he had came to see.
...."I'm so sorry," said Steve.
...."It's quite alright. I'm used to getting knocked down nowadays. Nevertheless, I will always get back up and take another step."
....Before Steve could reply to that adamant response, many people came to the man's aid.
...."What were you doing?" asked one of the aiders.
...."I'm sorry, I jut, I really need to 'let out the demons'."
....Steve glared into the direction of the restroom akin to Superman using his heat vision.
...."Okay, well, then go!"
....Steve did not have to be told twice. He made it there faster than the sentence above the latest quote would take to say. Literally.
....After he took care of business, Steve began to hand out Ron Paul buttons, waiting for the speech to being. Usual men would be panicking, but not Steve; he had memorized his lines ten times over.
...."Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!"
....The speech had started sooner than he had thought it would. Steve moved through the crowd like a hot knife through butter.
...."Tonight, we have all gathered here in support of one man! This man plans on defending our civil liberties, restoring our Constitution, and bringing freedom back into our grand nation. Now, I'd like to introduce the man who will be introducing Ron Paul. Give it up for long-time supporter and friend, Steve Olivera!"
....Steve had made it through all of the audience and proceeded to the stage. As he was heading up, he had noticed a grass stain on Ron Paul's slacks. Ron did not seem bothered, though; Ron gave Steve a smile as he walked up the steps and onto the platform.
...."Hello there everybody. First and foremost, I'd like to apologize to Dr. Paul for the incident earlier today. I was in a rush, and, as you can see, we both had an accident. Unfortunately for Dr. Paul, you can see his."
....Ron laughed, knowing that most of the audience would not understand (and it was better that way).
...."Dr. Paul has been a friend of mine for well over twenty years now. He was also the man who had delivered my four-year-old daughter, Emily."
...."Wait, I thought Dr. Paul was no longer and active doctor," said somebody in the crowd.
...."Well, when you're stuck in an airport heading home from a new Year's Party with no hospital in sight, there aren't too many options," replied Steve.
....Everybody just laughed, with Ron Paul laughing the loudest.
...."Anyway, enough of the chit-chat," said Steve, decided to cut his little speech even shorter than it was already. "You all came here to see one man, so it is my honor and a great privilege to introduce to you my long-time friend and soon-to-be President of the United States, Ron Paul!"
....A roaring applause that can only be equated to an 8.5 earthquake shook the stage. This roar was soon followed by a Ron Paul chant that lasted for 40 seconds, followed by another short but loud standing ovation.
...."Guys, I haven't even said anything yet!" Ron said jokingly.
....Ron Paul's speech lasted for about two hours (at least a third of this consisted of cheers). After the speech was over, Ron called Steve over and chatted quickly before he had to head on an airplane to Tennessee for a rally three days from that time.
...."I really appreciate you driving all this way," said Ron.
...."Well, I may have had to let Emily have the airplane ride to see her Aunt, but it was worth it."
...."Seeing families like your's really helps me continue to move every day. Without all of these supporters, I would never have the will to challenge the special interest and the government in the manner that I am currently doing."
...."Like I said earlier today to an annoying FOX News reporter, your message speaks volumes to those who are thirsty for freedom."
...."Yeah, well, I hope their thirsts aren't quenched by poison."
...."Ron, we need to go," said an advisor."
...."Okay. You take care, Steve!"
...."You too, Dr. Paul!"
....As Steve was heading home, he turned on the radio to hear yet another Presidential speech. he munched on some crackers, drank some water, and pulled out some tissues as he began to listen.
ⓅⒶⓇⓉ ➁
....Steve had awoken the next day an hour later than usual due to the rally held earlier. Of course, he knew that he could not drive all the way back home that day, because it would throw off his sleep schedule, so he stayed in a motel. The bed he had slept in, an odd yellow color, felt more stiff than his bed at home, but it had three additional pillows which he put to good use. He had left the television on all night to cover up the noise the heater was making.
....As he rose from his med, Steve noticed that the mood outside had changed drastically. Instead of it being sunny and crisp, it was cloudy and dank. He looked on the ground, and it had turned white. Apparently, a ten-hour drive is enough to put you in a completely different region, because Steve had not seen snow in over three years. Knowing that he needed to get a quick bit before he left, eh reached in the refrigerator only to pull out an empty tissue box he had misplaced the prior day.
...."Wow, that Bush can make anybody cry, can't he?" said a voice across the room. "I just came here to remind you that you only have an hour left before your time here expires."
...."Thanks," said Steve, trying to shake the cobwebs.
...."Since there was nothing to eat in the motel (nothing good, anyway), Steve decided that he would go to a local pancake shop. The first place that caught his eye was called "Roxanne's Home Cooked Delights." He parked his car, went inside, and was seated. After some time, he was ready to order.
...."Hello sir, what will you be having today?" asked the waitress mechanically, albeit politely.
...."I'll have the Supreme Deluxe Breakfast."
...."Scrambled eggs or fried?"
...."Scrambled."
...."What kind of toast?"
...."Wheat--no, do you have rye?"
...."Yes, we do."
...."Okay, I'll take that."
....Steve had eaten wheat toast eight days in a row and wanted something different.
...."Alright sir, your order will be ready shortly."
....Little did Steve know (due to lack of experience) that the word "shortly", at breakfast shops, meant "before the next hour or within thirty minutes, whichever is longer."
....It was 6:17 a.m.
....To pass the time, Steve brought out his laptop and began editing his latest "Blueberry Bush" video. He used advanced video software so that it did not have that Windows Movie Maker-feeling to it. As he began to edit, a couple sitting across the table began to talk to him.
...."Wow, that's a nice laptop you got yourself there," said a man with a heavy Texan accent, although this was not Texas. "How much did it cost ya?"
...."About $800."
...."You got it that cheap?!" exclaimed the Texan's wife, speaking in a heavy Brookland accent. "I bet you got it off that Ebay, didn't ya?"
....They continued to chat for the remainder of the hour about random things. Steve wanted to get in something about Ron Paul, but the couple continued bringing up subject after subject. It was almost as if their minds were digitally linked to a library consisting of only mainstream materials. After 35 minutes of this, the couple sat up and left, which, ironically, was the same time Steve received his meal. Annoyed, Steve ate his meal quickly, left a 5% tip out of spite, paid for his meal, and headed back out on the road.
....Although his mind had a headache, his body was energized like never before. He was making all the right turns, minimizing his time lost, and seemed to be ahead of schedule. Around the half-way mark, Steve noticed a group of people standing outside. This concerned him, because it looked like it was going to rain soon (he had left the region of snow, but the clouds seemed to follow), so he pulled over.
...."What are you all doing out here?" he asked an individual.
...."We're forming a Ron Paul support group out here!"
....This was odd to Steve, because he did not recall any events planned for today.
...."Why?"
...."Rudy Giuliani's rally is today, and we want to let him know that he is no match for Ron Paul. Do you want to join?"
...."It's too bad," said Steve with a low, dull tone.
...."What is?"
...."I'd prefer it to be Hillary Clinton's, but I guess this will have to do," responded Steve, changing to a high, mischievous tone.
....Steve went into his trunk and pulled out the buttons he did not give away the day before. There were still over a hundred, mainly because there were other people giving out buttons the previous day. Luckily, there were no buttons left when he returned the box to his trunk this time.
....Lights shined, music played, and dancers danced as it began to rain, which was also the time Rudy walked out on stage. He got no introduction, because the man canceled at the last second due to bad weather. After playing off the minor inconvenience, Rudy presented his speech and then asked for questions.
...."Hi, yes, my name is John from Massachusetts, and I was wondering what your plan was for cutting the national deficit and restoring the economy.
...."Hi, John. I thank you for coming out today with this less-than-perfect weather we are having," replied Rudy, with thunder crackling on-cue. "When I was Mayor of New York, I lowered crime by 55% and lowered taxes by more than 20%. (Readers Note: I just made those figures up. I'm not sure how accurate they are.) I would cut the national deficit and restore the economy through a simple process that would take little time at all. First and foremost, though, we need to focus on winning the war on terror in Iraq. If we don't win there, we will never be able to win here."
....A roar of applause came from the audience. Steve was baffled as he looked into the crowd. Rudy picked on another person.
...."Hi, Rudy. My name is from, I mean, my name is Francine, and I'm from, I'm from--"
...."No need to be shy, dear."
...."I'm sorry. I'm Francine, and I'm from New Hampshire. I've been a long0time supporter of you, and I was wondering, will you, as President, ever take us to war with Iran?"
...."Thank you Francine for that wonderful question, and I am grateful to have you as my supporter. When 9/11 happened, we had no choice but to go into Afghanistan to chase after the terrorists that planned the attacks of that horrific day. Iran is a serious threat, not just to us, but to the people of Israel. The man has already insinuated a second holocaust, so we need to take that into consideration before we act. If, however, Iran does not respond well and continues its pursuit of nuclear weapons, we will have no choice but to protect our civil liberties here by fighting over there."
....Another round of applause could be heard. The rye toast began to churn in Steve's stomach, but from the look of it, the stomach of Earl, the man he had spoken with earlier, looked like it had been churning for hours and could churn no longer.
...."Who the hell do you think we are?!"
...."Calm down, Earl," said a friend of his.
...."Why should I stay calm? This is an outrage! This man is feeding all of you mindless sheep lies, and y'all's ('you are all'; common slang word) eatin' it up!"
....Earl had to be restrained by three men, all Ron Paul supporters.
....After the rally was over, Steve got back in his car. Before he could even begin to assess the distortment of Rudy's speech, he heard a "ka-boom!" out of his right ear. He turned his head to see an airplane on fire that had crashed on the ground. He decided to move closer to see if anybody was hurt. After talking to some people, Steve learned that the accident was due to technical issues and was not terrorist related (the latter part being repeated several times). From the corner of his eye, he saw Earl on the ground in front of the plane, crying more than was humanly possible.
...."My son...I can't...believe...I WON'T believe..." cried Earl in a broken voice, his eyes losing their vision.
....Many people surrounded Earl to provide comfort, but he refused. Rudy also came over, but Earl, in a rage, punched Rudy in his face. He then stormed off to his truck, never taking a step back.
....The crash was on CNN non-stop for the hours preceding the event--the same was true of MSNBC, ABC, and other news channels, but FOX News chose to ignore it for the first two hours due to a special they were running about Britney Spears. Rudy offered his opinion on the tragedy, comparing it to 9/11, and Hillary Clinton spoke afterwards, with President Bush coming it at a close third.
....Feeling the need to get home now more than ever, Steve headed back out onto the road. When he got home, he found his wife in front of the television, crying more than was humanly possible.
...."Tiffany, I'm sorry. I wish there was something I could have done to prevent this."
...."His wife looked at him in astonishment.
...."You know?" she asked.
...."Of course, i was there."
...."What do you mean? I thought you were heading back from--"
...."I was. I even heard the plane crash."
...."Plane? What plane?"
....At this time, the rain that had not stopped turned into a hard substance known as hail, which was not far off from the pronunciation of the word Steve had been feeling at the time.
...."You know, the plane! The one that crashed about six hours ago! It's been all over the news."
....His wife held up a piece of paper which was drenched in tears. It looked to be a copy of something, but the liquid had smeared the lettering.
...."What is that?" asked Steve with concern.
...."It's a copy of the police's report faxed to me about five minutes ago. It says, err, said, that my sister, Sue, and our daughter, Emily, had been in an automobile accident."
...."Are they okay?"
...."Yes. They said Sue had suffered a minor fracture in her right leg and Emily broke two of her toes, but everything else was fine."
...."Then, why are you crying?"
...."I'm just so happy that they are okay."
...."Me too, honey, me too," said Steve with relief.
....His wife went to go throw the paper in the garbage when the news came on the television.
...."Why did you need a police report if they are fine and in the hospital?" asked Steve as he was looking at a well-animated and detailed map on the screen, provided by his local news station.
...."Well, due to the specific way Sue's leg had fractured, they decided to transfer them both over to Greensburg."
...."I see," said Steve, his tone lowering.
...."Wow, so that's the crash you were talking about? It looks like a doozy!"
...."It has just been revealed that there were no survivors in today's terrifying plane accident," reported an on-the-scene newscaster, holding an umbrella that was gathering a lot of snow. "From what we have learned, today's crash was caused by a major malfunction in the cockpit, causing the plane to go out-of-control and nose-dive into the ground. This, from what we can tell, was not terrorist related. I repeat, this was NOT terrorist related. Also, Presidential Candidates Mike Huckabee, Fred Thompson, John Edwards, and Ron Paul were all on airplanes today, but fortunately, none of them were traveling on this specific airplane. Now, here's Mark with the current forecast. Mark!"
...."Hey there, Aaron! Brr, it's certainly a cold one tonight!"
....Just then, the hail froze over.
...."Hey Steve, did you leave any tissues left in that box you took? I was thinking I may need them when we see our Emily at the hospital tomorrow," called Tiffany from the bedroom.
...."Sorry, honey," said Steve, his eyes losing their vision. "I don't have any tissues left."
....Steve pulled out the bag of M&Ms he bought yesterday and continued to watch the news. After a while, the screen became blurred, and Steve fell asleep.
</end>
All comments, flames, etc., are welcome.