The American Dream There once lived a man who lived most of his life in a secured fashion.

He had a well paying job, a nice house, a beautiful wife who was pregnant with his child. He had almost everything that he needed but he still yearned for something greater. One day, he sat pondering about his life and wondered what the meaning of his existence was. His entire life was based on following law and order, rules and regulation. Being an obedient and patriotic citizen, he never faltered in his actions to serve his nation and paid his bills on time. He became frustrated with the perfections of his life as he came to realise his cloc wor personality. He was just li e everyone but now he wanted to be different. !s he heaved a sigh, he turned to see his beautiful wife sleeping beside him. He smiled and decided to attempt something dangerous for the first time in his life. He reached out his bedside table and pic ed his alarm cloc . "or seventeen years, he has never changed the time of the alarm and for the first time in seventeen years, he turned it off. The next day, he wo e up to the bright sunrays which crept through his window. !s the sunlight shone on him, his face which was wrin led lit up a smile. #ever had he seen the sun while in bed for as long as he could remember and he sat there in enjoying that serene moment. He then remembered that he was to be at wor and shot a glance at the cloc . $t was close to lunchtime. He jer ed up and ran to the bathroom. $t will be first time in his life being late for wor but not today. Today was an important day. The day where his presence was most needed and all that he wor ed for was for today. $f he lost this golden chance, it would mean postponement of his retirement to at least another five years. He performed his ablutions double %uic er than he usually does and strode across his house to his car waiting outside. He flung the door open and to his dismay, when he tried to turn on the ignition, the car battery was flat. &ursing under his breath, he ran to the streets hailing for any vehicle to stop. "inally a taxi came which seemed li e hours later. He snapped at the driver to fly and the cabby drawled a retort. Beads of perspiration were forming on the man's temple despite the cool air conditioning. The pressure intensified when every traffic light was not in his favour. (hen he finally reached his office building, he reached out his poc et and realised that he had forgotten his wallet. There was no time to waste and he simply handed over his mobile phone which costs at least twenty times more of the metered charge. The driver started to voice out his displeasure for the generous gift but his cries were deaf to the man who was already running up the steps of the building. He plunged into his office to face a deathly silence. There was a meeting going on and the &"O of the company was bar ing at the staff. (hen the door opened, everyone turned to see who was the fresh meat going to settle on the plate of the bar ing boss and lo it turned out to be the man himself. The chief gritted his teeth as everyone braced themselves in their seats in preparation for the launch. The man parted his lips to vocalise an apology but the words were hardly formed before the chief began to scream. The windows rattled and some vowed that they began to experience bleeding in their ears as the decibels from the boss overpowered the man engulfing him in a wind from his mouth. )inutes later, the man was fired. He never registered what was

said to him as he unconsciously snubbed out the blood from his ears ma ing his way to the exit. He was done for. His entire career which he had so carefully built bric by bric was now destroyed li e the wolf that huffed and puffed away at the straw and stic houses. He dragged his feet nonchalantly out of the office building. His hazy mind was losing control of his limbs and soon he found himself in a pub. He needed to drown his sorrows away. )ug after mug, jug after jug. He dran and drun but was not satisfied yet. He was a social drin er who would toy with the thought of a second drin but not today. There was someone eeping an eye on him and when the right moment came, the stranger plon ed himself beside the man and offered something greater than the drin itself. The man was desperate. He was li e sheep loo ing for shepherd and anyone with a staff resembled his benefactor. He gulped down the synthetics offered and soon his mind was swirling. He never left the tavern for days until he was ic ed out for his stench. (ondering down alleys, he shoo his head trying to pic up a direction. But his feeble mind could not aid him any longer. He would have slumped to the ground but was caught in the nic of time by the stranger at the alehouse. The stranger new him well. He new that the man was bro e and sad. He new that his happiness was no longer in this world where being upright and righteous was to be a cloc wor mouse. He preferred the illusion but he had no more money for tic ets. The stranger proffered him a deal. $t was not employment but business and the man was his own boss. The stranger slipped him a slab of pills and popped one into the man's mouth himself. The lights went out for a moment and when it returned, the man found himself in cuffs. *niformed men who were employed as policemen stood examining him. He loo ed around and suddenly he felt shy and giggled for there was a pretty lady who loo ed foxy in her uniform but his chee y gesture earned him a rap which noc ed him out cold for the second time. He wo e up again to see his feet being dragged on the ground with his arms loc ed as two burly officers were transporting him. He felt no pain in his legs which was intriguing. He spent that short distance to his cell gazing at his legs trying to figure out what was this biological phenomenon happening to him. The slamming of the gates did not affect him. +ays passed by and he still sat there. "ood and drin no longer interested him. He wanted to now why his legs were not moving. (hen he thought he almost had the answer, his jail eeper arrived with an announcement that the man was to be brought to court. The man leapt up in fury as he banged the gates with his fists. The jailor had disturbed his special moment of enlightenment but the warden was not concerned about it. He unlatched the hatch and the two burly officers who had dragged him entered and electrified him. He was subdued in clanging chains and was dragged out of his prison. The sunlight burned his eyes as he exited out the building. !s he s%uinted, the dust of the road blinded him further. #obody paid attention as he cho ed momentarily but they pushed him into the vehicle and off they went. The court was already present and as the man was nudged to his stand, he heard someone cry out a name so familiar. He turned around to see a woman who was clumsily waving one hand and gripping her huge belly with another. Her tear stained eyes bore no sign of recognition to the man.

*nable to pay any pity to the woman, he turned around waiting for the judge. ,eality began to sin in as fresh air circulated into the man's head. He was already able to grasp some words such as, -drugs. -public nuisance. -guilty. and finally -death.. He realised that he was condemned but it was too late. The sentence was delivered and the doors of the courtroom swung opened revealing a stage with the noose. ! bare bodied man stood by bec oning him to come closer. !s the man was led towards the stage, he heard screams behind him. *nable to comprehend which to pay attention to, his limbs too control. He wal ed towards the man who flashed him a grinned. ! blac bag was thrown over his head and he was shuffled for a few metres until the rope tapped his head and found its place around his nec . The ground was unsteady as he realised he was standing on a hatch. He desperately tried to recollect what happened and as events bac logged themselves, he remembered his desire to find the meaning of his existence. /erhaps he will only understand when he passes from this world to the next but there is no road for return to repent. !s the hatch below crea ed, he heard muffled commands. ! prayer was read and the sound of rusty gears screeching was heard before the doors below his feet bro e open. !s he gushed through, the rope followed. He ept falling and falling. The fall was never ending. ! blac hole where there was no bottom. )aybe this was death. To eep falling. But until when0 )aybe until he wo e up. The man fluttered his eyelids to find himself in a pool of perspiration and his palms clutching onto his alarm cloc . $t was still dar outside.