Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Waiting for Sarah to arrive

Paul believed the best stories involved someone getting shot at the end, or in the middle of the story. Sometimes, the best stories started off with someone being shot. I had asked him what was the best type of story.
I asked him if it had to be a shooting. "What about a heart attack, or lethal injection?"
"Shock and wrong kind of shot. The best stories, someone gets shot."
"Does it have to be the main character?"
He was quick to tell me it didn't have to be.
"Not necessarily." Sometimes the best stories, the main character's love interest gets shot. Or the doorman to the apartment building gets shot. It's best when the bad guy gets shot.
"Well, where do they get shot?"
"Whaddya mean? In front of everybody? Alone? Oh you mean where? Maybe the head. Sometimes the back."

"That's gruesome. So they always die? You're probably gonna die if you're shot in the head or the back." I slowed down asking him, hoping he'd slow down in his responses. I was a little disgusted with his fascination with being shot. I was short of asking him what the person would get shot with. I chose to end the conversation and questions.
"I hope you don't think I'm sick," Paul said sheepishly.
"Well, sort of. You like to hear of people getting shot. It's your favorite," I retorted.
"No. I didn't say it was my favorite, I said those were the best."
"There isn't a difference."
"Yeah, my favorite place to get shot wouldn't be the best place to shoot me," he said.

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