Fiction - The Way We Live Now*
*This story was written in October 2019 (from Lying and Making a Living)
The whole country was planted in front of their televisions, as per usual. Reality TeeeVeee had taken over the news, gossip, religion, retail, and foreplay, to say nothing of politics.
The President of the United States was about to debate his opponent from the opposing party. His second term was at stake. This was to be the first of three debates and was set for 9 PM at American University on Massachusetts Avenue in Washington, DC. The President had been challenged in the primaries by a member of his own party, a Senator from Idaho whose harsh accusations against the sitting President for being out of touch with his constituents and reality had hit home. This Senator, who was in his early 50’s and otherwise healthy, had repeatedly suffered seizures while on the campaign trail. He withdrew from the race and later went into a coma from which he was yet to recover. Much was made of this by media and the President’s opponents. Foul play was suspected and a criminal investigation was underway.
The sitting President, while always a bit squirrelly, seemed to be succumbing to the pressure. He made contradictory statements, far more than usual, about domestic and foreign policy. He went on countless talk shows, including the Home Shopping Network and The Weather Channel, to make his case to the American people who could not look away from this grotesque caricature of a man in charge, a man in full, a man in free fall affected by neither gravity nor grace.
He arrived late to this first debate. His opponent was behind the designated podium smiling and exuding bonhomie to the packed house and panel of news people set to grill them both. The President walked in, took his place and began to speak even though it had been decided by an earlier coin toss that he would go second. Each candidate would deliver four-minutes of opening remarks and then answer questions put to them by the panel. They were never to address each other directly. These were the agreed-upon rules of engagement.
After eight minutes, the President was still talking and making little if any sense. He ignored the moderator who desperately tried to gain control of the debate. The President seemed to be talking into the middle distance, not to the camera, not to the panel, and certainly not to his opponent... until he was.
The sitting President of the United States of America turned to face his opponent who stood some four feet away and said, “Now, as to my distinguished opponent on the opposite side of the aisle and the issues, I’ve something for you. Something you want. Badly. I hope this will make you happy.”
The President reached inside his jacket and produced a Smith and Wesson SD9 semi-automatic nine-millimeter pistol (Made in America) and emptied the eight-round clip point blank into the torso of his honorable opponent. He then dropped the empty pistol.
Everyone in this packed auditorium had gone through a metal detector, everyone except the President.
Secret Service agents flooded the stage in a well-rehearsed but ineffective effort to gain control of the situation. They began taking down and handcuffing cameramen, the director, the panelists... One agent checked the pulse of the President’s opponent. There was none. Slow-motion replay would reveal the President stood in place, seemingly at peace with himself as he put something in his mouth and bit down. Almost immediately, the President collapsed. A Secret Service agent dropped to his knees beside him and delivered mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. He fell over, too. Both would be pronounced dead on the scene, as was the President’s opponent. Pandemonium ensued. TV ratings went through the roof.
The only thing obvious and of any consequence was the unfortunate fact that there would be no second debate.
William Dunlap
Smart. Chilling.
BRAVO! Aside from evoking several emotions, all satisfying, this reads like a political cartoon, dark and scathing. And did I say satisfying?