Chapter excerpts – William Chasterson

The Schoolhouse

Chapter 2

All of the teachers were chosen because of their unique abilities and high level of appreciation for the principle. But this in no way meant they were all the same. Each of the twelve have their own personality. For instance Ed Pendergast the math teacher had a very dry sense of humor. He was tall thin and wore sweaters year round. Even in the dead of summer he would loosely tie the sleeves around his collar and allow it to hang on his back like a cape. Rebecca Wines was a youthful teacher fresh out of college and bubbling with enthusiasm. The science teacher Linda Zimmerman acquired to be a scientist out of college. She was a promising student and all of her professors expected she would go on to do great things. To everyone’s surprise she decided to take a semester off to find herself. When she returned Linda changed her major and decided to become a teacher. The social studies teacher Karl Kramer was always interested in people. He preferred frequenting the bars over the libraries. Though he would moderately drink he wasn’t overly fond of alcohol. What drew him to the bars is the people. He enjoyed observing and conversing with people in this environment. He found them to be more relaxed. Their social barriers opened. The English teacher Charles Henderson never used foul language. It wasn’t only when around students he watched his speech but even in the teacher’s lounge. Even in the privacy of his own home. For example once while repairing a door in his house that didn’t close properly he painfully injured his hand with a large splinter. For a full fifteen minutes any one passing by could hear colorful language being shouted from the house. Words perhaps they didn’t even know existed but not a single expletive. With so many words in the English language to choose from Charles didn’t see the need to swear. Susan Ramoux had married a Frenchman and moved to France out of college. After years of living abroad and soaking up culture her husband’s job brought them back to the states. She wanted to share all of her rich experiences with others so she became a French teacher. The philosophy teacher Kevin Young always had a love of knowledge. It only seemed natural to him that he should become a teacher. Not because he felt overly compelled to contribute something to society but rather because it was a profession that would allow him to indulge in his pleasure while at the same time making a living. Steve Hernandez had a Spanish background though he lived in the states all his life. He learned Spanish from his grandparents who were Argentinian. Steve looked and spoke like a white American. His ancestors lived in Germany before they migrated to Argentina after World War II. When Steve spoke Spanish his accent was perfect. Steve Hernandez became the Spanish teacher. For Patrick Johnson the ethics teacher there were no gray areas. He saw things in black and white. When asked his opinion on something he never beat around the bush. What drew him to the principle was its simplicity. It fit in with the way he already viewed the world. Catherine Peters became the chemistry teacher though she wasn’t particularly passionate about chemistry. The art teacher Barbara Childs always pushed for freedom of expression. Her life goal was to find a new form of expression that would have a favorable impact on the world. The home economics teacher Jessica Lewallen was a practical person. On the surface she appeared to be as delicate as a vase. But in actuality she was as tough as nails. William Parkson the principal was a very humble man. He liked for the teachers to call him Bill instead of Mr. Parkson. He would even hide the name plate on his desk because he felt it intimidated visitors. He had an open door policy partly because he wanted the faculty to see him as a friend rather than as a boss. The other reason was because there was a conspicuous name plate with his title chiseled in brass displayed on his door. When the door was open the brass plate was hidden. He tried to keep the door open whenever possible.

The school system was set up in such a way that each teacher would teach only one subject to the children from kindergarten to graduation day. The teachers were to adjust the difficulty level of the class as the children progressed into the higher grades. The school didn’t accept transfer students. Which meant all the eventual graduates would have had the same teachers for 13 years straight. This being the first year all the teachers prepared only the kindergarten lesson plans. To the novice it may appear that the teachers have an easy year ahead of them with only one class per day and that with kindergarten children. On the contrary this was to be the most difficult year because the teachers needed to lay the groundwork for the years ahead. They couldn’t just go through the motions of teaching then pass the child over to the next grade where he or she would be someone else’s problem. Each teacher knew that they would be held responsible for the intelligence level of the eventual graduate. The graduate was their work from the foundation up. This put a great deal of pressure on the teachers to be diligent in each classroom because a mistake by one teacher could easily infect other classrooms. Some of the teachers worried that they would not be up to the challenges imposed upon them. However they were reassured that as long as they stick closely to the core principle they would have no problem. Each teacher had their own leather bound copy of the principle. They were to use it as a guide in making their lesson plans in the coming years. On the first day of school everyone was anxious. However as soon as the children shuffled on to the school grounds and began playing the teacher’s were put at ease. Some of the children were so small it was hard to believe they were old enough to begin school. But they had in fact all been examined through the school’s orientation program. The schoolmaster had personally introduced himself to each child. Using the principle he clearly explained what was required of them. For example that they were not allowed to touch the fire alarm. It was not their place. Only an adult could pull the red emergency lever sounding the alarm if he or she deemed it necessary.The children understood. They were ready. As the clock struck 8:00 am the schoolhouse bell began to ring. The children were organized into two single file lines along side the schoolhouse by alphabetical order according to their last names. The next bell meant the children were to enter the building. The first day went perfectly. The teacher’s followed their lesson plans which were in perfect agreement with the principle. As a general rule children normally have a short attention span but for some reason the children hung on every word and soaked in the information like sponges. This was a pleasant surprise to all of the teachers but no one was as affected by this detail as much as Mr. Young. As the children’s tiny eyes focused on his every movement and clung to his every word Kevin Young began to feel something he had never experienced before. He had always taken in knowledge for his own pleasure. For the first time in his life he found pleasure in seeing others take in knowledge. He had witnessed others taking in knowledge before but it had no effect on him. “Perhaps it’s because they are children,” he pondered. “They are so impressionable. They’re like a blank slate. Whatever I tell them becomes their reality.” After the children had filed out of his classroom, Mr. Young collapsed into his chair and grinned. He had never experienced such joy. After many minutes of basking in his new found joy his grin suddenly faded and his brow wrinkled. He quickly shook his head dismissing the thought that had invaded his mind. However for the rest of the day the idea kept returning and when it did he would slightly lift one of his eyebrows. Finally near the end of the day he lifted one of his eyebrows than frantically shuffled through his desk until he found his leather bound copy of the principle. He opened it and began reading. After a moment he closed the book and sat silently lost in thought. Instead of returning the book to its place in his desk he placed it into his briefcase. From that day forward Kevin Young took the book home with him every night, brought it back and placed it into his desk every morning.

The schoolhouse promoted a comfortable yet efficient routine for every student and faculty member. One day about halfway through the school year Mr. Pendergast, Ms. Wines, Ms. Zimmerman, and Mr. Kramer were relaxing in the teacher’s lounge when Mr. Young walked in. He was carrying a leather bound book. It was identical to the book containing the principle but instead of black the book Mr. Young carried was bound in red leather. “What’s that Kevin?” asked Mr. Pendergast staring at the book. Mr. Young glanced absentmindedly at the book he was carrying. “What’s that Ed? Oh yes. The principle. I’ll get to that in a minute but first I want to pick your brain about something.” His interest aroused Mr. Pendergast straightened the sleeve of his sweater and raised his eyebrows attentively to Kevin Young. Mr. Young sat down. “Ed, how would you feel if one day you found out that everything you knew about the world in which you live was a lie?” Mr Pendergast wrinkled his brow. “For example,” continued Mr. Young. “Take those sweaters you’re so fond of. I imagine when you put on that sweater this morning you did so because you knew you would be chilly without it. But who says you have to wear a sweater to stay warm? Why can’t you decide to not wear a sweater and yet still stay warm? Or maybe you wear sweaters because you like the way you look in them. Nothing wrong with that. But on the sweltering hot days who says you can’t wear a sweater and yet still feel comfortable?” Mr. Pendergast peered at Mr. Young in a manner that indicated he harbored doubts about Mr. Young’s sanity. “I don’t quite follow you Kevin. Are you feeling alright? What have you been reading lately?” Mr. Pendergast inadvertently glanced at the red book. As if noticing the book for the first time Kevin Young opens the book and begins reading a random passage. “Maybe I’m going about this the wrong way,” said Mr. Young. It was obvious he was talking to himself but the comment was made aloud. “You teach Math right? I’ll try and put this in terms you’re familiar with.” By now the conversation had drawn the attention of the other teachers and they drew closer to listen in.”The schoolmaster’s principle is straight forward and concrete. It’s as concrete as twice two equals four. But people are not as simple or concrete as twice two equals four. To accurately describe humankind I would say twice two equals x. X is an unknown variable.” Mr. Pendergast eyes widened. “But x is four.” “It doesn’t have to be,” responded Mr. Young. “It also doesn’t have to be so simple. Y plus two equals equals X is just as good as twice two makes four. But in the variable x isn’t necessarily four. X could be four but that depends on y being 2. Who says y has to be two. In a variable y is a mystery waiting to be discovered. Y could be anything you or I decide that it is temporarily until the problem is worked out.” “So you’re saying Y could be three?” asked Ms. Wines. “In which case x wouldn’t equal four. It would equal five.” “Exactly,” replied Kevin Young. “Or you could start with x. You could decide that x is 5 or six or 56. Whatever you want.” Mr. Kramer stood up. “How is that possible? Y plus 2 equals a static number. The fact that Y is a mystery doesn’t change that.” “No,” interrupted Ms. Zimmerman. “But until the problem is worked out no one can successfully challenge your claim that x equals five or six or 56.” “That’s the beauty of variables,” added Mr. Young. “They take time to figure out. And until the problem is completely worked out no one can challenge your claim.” Mr. Young slowly looked around at each of his colleagues. “No one. Not even the schoolmaster.” Just as Mr. Young’s insinuation began to make an impression on the faces of his listeners, Patrick Johnson the Ethics teacher walks in. An awkward silence fills the room. “My ears are ringing. Were you talking about me?” joked Mr. Johnson. “No,” laughed Mr. Young. “Ed was helping me work out a math problem.” Kevin Young slips the red bound book into Mr. Pendergast’s brief case. “Well I’ve got to get back to work. I’ve yet to prepare tomorrow’s lesson plan.” The teachers eventually dispersed and for the rest of the day no one brought up the idea of an alternate principle.

A few weeks later Mrs. Lewallen notices Mr. Young out by the creek during recess. He is kneeling down and talking to Andy one of the children in her home economics class. Something about the sight strikes her as unusual. There was no rule against teachers conversing with students during recess but it just wasn’t done. Recess was seen as their time.

Are you a fan of Don Quijote? You may enjoy this new book. When Metaphysical Man, Atro City’s resident superhero and trendsetter is inadvertently sucked into an alternate world by a mysterious super villain he’s forced to overcome his only weakness; reality. Read more at http://smashwords.com/books/view/540303#amreading #amwriting

The Schoolhouse

Written by

WILLIAM CHASTERSON

Chapter 1

In the beginning the schoolmaster formulated a principle. For years he tested the principle until he was satisfied of its soundness. After the testing period the schoolmaster wrote down the principle in a book and read it aloud. The principle was perfect. The schoolmaster was filled with joy every time he read and meditated on the beauty and perfection of the principle. He was happy. He lacked nothing but he wanted others to feel the way he felt. He wanted others to benefit from the principle and appreciate it as much as he did. “How can I introduce my principle into the world?” thought the schoolmaster. “I know. I will shape young minds. I will make sure they understand the sacred secret from a young age.” The schoolmaster decided this was the best method to ensure they lived happy lives.

The first step would be to find the right location. He scouted out various tracts of land but when he tested their quality using his principle none were good enough. Finally the schoolmaster came upon a tract of land in an isolated area. He had a good feeling about this area. He tested the land using his principle and discovered his initial belief was correct. The land passed all of the necessary conditions the principle imposed upon it. “I have found it,” reflected the schoolmaster. “This is the location where the schoolhouse will be constructed.” The schoolmaster buys the land and marks off the limits of his property.

Standing in the middle of his newly acquired property the schoolmaster opens the book and begins to read the principle. He closes the book and begins stroking his white beard while reflecting. The average person perhaps would jump right in and begin construction. However the schoolmaster is not the average person. He decides to first choose his faculty. This decision was in perfect harmony with the principle. The schoolmaster set up a table and two chairs in the middle of the tract of land. When the applicants arrived the schoolmaster could always tell right away if they we’re right for the schoolhouse. Some were distracted by the unusual location selected to conduct the interview. They were dismissed immediately. “If they can not appreciate the perfection of this location,” reasoned the schoolmaster. “They will not appreciate the beauty of the principle.” During the interview process he noted the applicant’s initial reaction to the principle. The schoolmaster would then spend the majority of the interview process explaining the intricacies of the principle and answering questions. At the end of each interview he shook hands with the applicant and told them he would contact them after the entire interview process was completed. The schoolmaster already knew however whether or not he had found his faculty member. The decision was absolute. It was determined by the principle. After the necessary period of time the schoolmaster contacted all of the candidates and hired twelve teachers, the school principal, and the supporting staff. Afterward he looked over his faculty and sensed his emotions being stirred. The schoolmaster couldn’t stop himself from smiling joyously.

Now that his faculty was chosen the schoolmaster decided the next step was to hire an architect. From this point on his faculty would be present to witness every step of the building process. They were there when he interviewed hundreds of architects and finally made his choice. The architects that were rejected didn’t understand the importance of the principle. They always asked for more details on what exactly the schoolmaster wanted. But after having the principle explained to him once the architect that was chosen had no follow up questions. He knew exactly what was required by the principle. The faculty observed this and agreed that he was the perfect architect for this particular project. He swiftly but thoroughly drew up the blue print. The speed in which the plans were designed was not out of haste but rather out of a sense of certainty in what was required. The plans were approved and construction began on schedule. The schoolmaster, architect and faculty were present every day of construction. Everyone observed how in sync the blueprint was with the principle. Some days the architect would leave the blueprint at home and work directly from the book that he had borrowed from the schoolmaster. Finally the work was completed and a single story wooden schoolhouse painted white with green trim stood erect in the middle of the isolated tract of land. The faculty along with the architect and his workers slowly walked around and throughout the structure. Finally they all congregated around the schoolmaster. A spontaneous burst of applause and joyful shouting rang out across the land, the like of which had never been heard before.

The Spider

Metaphysical Man looks down at the object and does a double take. “What is that?” It is a little smaller than his own hand and curled up into a fist. The superhero isn’t exactly sure what it is he is looking at. He senses that it is some sort of plant or perhaps a stationary animal like a sponge or barnacle. “What’s it doing out here on dry land?” wonders MM. He bends down to get a closer look. All at once the object gives a short sudden jerk and the fingers of the balled up fist begin moving wildly. The fingers are then slowly forced back into a fist and a yellowish liquid is secreted from the center or palm of the object. A shudder surges through Metaphysical Man’s body as he realizes he is staring at the largest spider he has ever seen in his life. He suddenly remembers the incident with the child. He was told the child needed to be rushed to the hospital because of a spider bite. He remembered dismissing the situation as trivial and viewing the response of Chaz as an overreaction at the time. “That’s no spider. It’s a tarantula,” thinks Double M. Metaphysical Man shakes his head in disbelief while observing that the arachnid’s hairy legs are thicker than the child’s fingers.

Traffic Accident

“You have got to be kidding me,” thinks Metaphysical Man as the Camry crosses the intersection. Just then a sudden impact causes the superhero to lose consciousness for an instant. When he opens his eyes it’s to find that the car has been thrown up onto the curb.

“Ya meeno emvwah? Is everyone alright?” Asks Chaz frantically unbuckling his seat belt.

He exits the car to survey the damage. When he does so Metaphysical Man notices a soldier angrily exiting the navy blue armored vehicle that ran the stop sign and struck them.

“Wah! Zah va! Endag abeen!!” Orders the soldier angrily while walking towards Chaz.

“Me wah geet!!” he threatens. “Do you know whose car this is?” asks the soldier pointing angrily at the armored truck. “This belongs to the son of ‘He who Commands’. I’m not paying you nothing!”

Metaphysical Man could smell the strong breath of the soldier from his seat in the car. It was as if he were soaked in spirits.

“Are we going to have a problem?” asks the soldier while placing his hands on his hips and revealing his side arm.

“No,” responds Chaz meekly looking down at the ground. “I just want to get my car home.”

Chaz motions toward the damaged Camry. The soldier squints his inebriated eyes and takes a closer look at Chaz.

“I know you from somewhere.”

He shakes his finger accusingly at Chaz.

“Wah oney ehyora yay?”

“Me ney ehyora ney Chaz,” responds Chaz.

The soldier laughs.

“I know your sister. Go home Chaz. We’ll pretend this never happened. Okay?”

Before waiting for an answer though the officer turns and walks toward his vehicle. He noisily peels off showering the damaged Camry with dust and rocks.

The ride home is quiet. Metaphysical Man’s irritation about the internet is temporarily forgotten. He is surprised however by his reaction to the preceding events. He would have expected his mind to be filled with questions and protests over the actions just witnessed. Instead he feels a sense of order mixed with relief for having been shown mercy.

“Have I been here so long that such shocking behavior seems normal to me? I need to watch myself,” thinks MM.

Power Line Spaghetti

Along the way to the gas station MM notices a metal post carrying electrical lines bent forward. It appears to have been struck by a car as indicated by the shape of the bent metal at the point of impact. Metaphysical Man fixes his eyes on the live power lines, which slope down towards the ground. To avoid electrocution pedestrians now need to duck down when passing. “That post could fall at any minute. Someone had better do something.” Double M’s hero instincts began to flare up. While still connected at the base the only thing that appeared to be keeping the post from collapsing were the attached wires. Metaphysical Man glances in alarm at the spool of wires attached at the hub. “Power line spaghetti.” Though Metaphysical Man is anxious to act he does nothing. A garbage man lifts the lines using a wooden beam so his partner can pass under them with the truck. Chaz takes advantage of the opportunity and the Camry speeds by the fallen post. Metaphysical Man catches a close up glimpse of the power lines. The line has been patched together in many places making it impossible to tell the original date of installation. In many places the workers didn’t even bother covering the patch with electrical tape. Double M has never seen this much exposed wire before.

When Metaphysical Man, Atro City’s resident superhero and trendsetter is inadvertently sucked into an alternate world by a mysterious super villain he’s forced to overcome his only weakness; reality. Read more at http://smashwords.com/books/view/540303#amreading #amwriting

Chapter 10

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. – Leo Tolstoy”

“We were now three months into the project. The badgers were of tremendous help in the construction of the wall. Their experience in building strong dams was much appreciated. At first the idea of surrounding Utopia with a wall of stone was met with resistance. However after I explained to everyone that it was absolutely necessary for our protection, the mood changed. Many had even become anxious to complete the wall as soon as possible. It was around this time that an unfortunate event took place that would altar Utopia’s future forever. Now this next part of the story is a little blurry to me. I’ll do my best to relate it to you exactly as I remember it. I hope you’ll forgive me if it comes off as a bit surreal.”

Excerpt From: Chasterson, William. “Breed The Secret Design To Maintain Racial Inequality Among The Despised Classes.”

SNEAK PEAK AT WILLIAM CHASTERSON’S METAPHYSICAL MAN !!!

Chapter 1 – With great power comes great responsibility.

– Spiderman

Every day the world is increasingly becoming a more terrifying place to live in. Most city streets are flooded with crime. Injustice is the rule of the day. Millions are afraid to go out of their homes after dark as a result of the violent crime wave sweeping from one city to another. The horizon seems full of possibilities for evildoers. They can be seen everywhere walking with their heads held high confident about the future. Everywhere that is except for in Atro City. In Atro City the scumbags have been put on notice. There, criminals know that crime doesn’t pay. They realize that if they break the law they will have Metaphysical Man to answer to. Now as far as superheroes go Metaphysical Man is no less capable than any other. It’s been said that he can move at lightning speed and that he can lift three thousand times his own weight. He’s been rumored to level mountains by emitting laser beams from his eyes. Metaphysical Man has been around fighting crime for as long as anyone in Atro City can remember. No one knows where he came from or how old he is because he never seems to age. Though historians have traced back his history some six thousand years, Metaphysical Man’s origins remain a mystery. In any case the citizens of Atro City don’t seem to be too worried about these details. They’re just happy he’s there.
As our story begins we encounter our hero flying high above Atro City as the sun begins to set. His red cape gently flutters as the wind glides between it and the tightly stretched yellow micro fiber suit revealing a muscular chiseled frame. Encountering an obstacle course of alternating clouds MM suddenly springs into tactical maneuvers. Reminiscent of an Olympic gymnast he gracefully twists his frame from left to right dodging between the mazes of nebulous. At this height MM must be aware that he is beyond the view of onlookers yet after every thrust he contracts one side of his body flexing all of the muscles and showing off his washboard abdominals. Our hero is in rare form as he develops this rhythm of movement. All at once the pattern of clouds becomes irregular and MM is engulfed by a large cloud. He desperately lurches his body around, arms and legs flailing. “What the…” groans Metaphysical Man as he is struck in the face by a solid object. The thought, “Am I under attack?” quickly flashes across his perfect mind. Now certain it was a fist that struck him MM bursts out of his foggy prison wildly throwing punches. He jerks his head down fiercely and catches sight of a lifeless goose plummeting towards the earth. Frowning MM bristles his large dark eyebrows. Gradually his face blushes crimson. Again, Metaphysical Man must realize that there were no witnesses to this mistake. Nevertheless he suspiciously looks from side to side to confirm it. At lightning speed he flees the scene with an array of thoughts and emotions clouding his mind. Among these emotions is an unmistakable desire to revenge himself on somebody.
Metaphysical Man continues meticulously searching his route until finally he spots what he’s been looking for. Three low-lives have a 10-year-old girl cornered against a brick wall in a dead end alley. With his perfect eyes the defender of justice quickly surveys the situation. The girl has bruises all over her arms and legs and her dress is torn. MM smiles. “You scumbags picked the wrong night to disturb my city’s peace.” With one fist extended he plummets toward the crime scene. The little girl is so terrified she can’t even scream. A pale round face with wide eyes just looks up at her attackers as if hoping for a miracle. She reminds Metaphysical Man of a little defenseless lamb cornered by a pack of wolves. As he stealthily lands, his red leather boots make no sound. His mind is now free from confusion. He’s already forgotten about the incident with the goose. “Since no one witnessed it, did it really even happen?” reasoned Metaphysical Man. He finally concludes that the event never actually happened the only remnant of the incident being the desire for vengeance, which is now stronger than ever. The scumbags begin closing in upon their prey. “Hey little girl,” taunts one of the men. “We wont hurt you. We just want to play.” The other two begin to laugh. Suddenly something catches the little girls attention. Her attackers expect their victim to be intently focused on what’s about to happen to her. However her wide eyes dart just over the shoulders of these dregs of society and rest upon a large insignia with large red capital letters that read MM. This insignia is stretched across a yellow background in the shape of massive pectoral muscles. Although they hear nothing the strange actions of the girl cause all three of her attackers to turn simultaneously. Rapid movements of shadows dance across the girl’s pale face. She occasionally flinches as she gazes upon the action unfolding before her very eyes. As swiftly as it started the action is over and the bruised battered bodies of the three attackers lay in a heap off to the side. But the little girls attention is not focused on this heap of bodies. Her wide eyes are locked on the six-foot tall figure standing in front of her with outstretched hand and beaming eyes.
What is it about super heroes that grip our imagination? No matter who we are, if we’re being honest with ourselves we have to admit that we’re captivated by super powers. From the time we were children we would pretend that we could fly like Superman, shoot lasers out of the palms of our hands like Iron Man, or become unbelievably strong like the Incredible Hulk. Even when the power doesn’t seem to be the greatest, as long as it makes the bearer stand out from the huddling masses of ordinary human beings we are drawn to him. Take for example Batman. He has no super powers. He does however have a power that enables him to stand out from the other citizens of Gotham. His power consists of a combination of dark personality traits, exceptional martial arts ability, and an ever-increasing number of gadgets that no one else has. What do you think would happen if another of Gotham’s citizens suddenly discovered that they had the ability to fly or effortlessly pulverize boulders with their bare hands? Suddenly Batman doesn’t seem so special. He fades into the background of every day human beings that we ignore. It’s for that reason that there must exist a balance of power with regard to heroes and villains. A super villain must not have abilities so superior that the super hero cannot handle him. At the same time although we expect the hero to win, he must not be so powerful that no villains present a challenge for him. The possibility must always exist that the bad guy could actually win. For that reason if the super hero has an overabundance of power – which sometimes happens – he must also have an accompanying weakness to check his power. That being said, it must be noted that Metaphysical Man has no known weaknesses.
He can judge a situation simply by looking at the outside appearance of someone. He looks down at the girl and begins a process that has been carried out by him millions of times before. The little girl tugs at his cape and suddenly becomes animated as she excitedly explains her situation and how she arrived in this predicament. MM is forced to use one of his super powers in order not to be distracted while he renders judgment. His mind produces a force field to block out everything the girl is saying. A few words penetrate his defenses here and there. He hears the word ‘abuse’ and ‘captivity’. However he quickly pushes these ideas out of his consciousness. You see Metaphysical Man recognizes that all human beings are liars. Truth doesn’t exist in their world. If he’s to render a proper decision he cannot be influenced by earthly ideas. As he watches the little girl’s mouth moving he hears no sound. He lifts one of his eyebrows and ponders. “This little girl should not be alone in an alley at this time of night. What could have driven her from the security of home to aimlessly wandering the streets? Look at those bruises. This little girl has been through an ordeal.” Metaphysical Man nods to himself as he arrives at his conclusion. Without saying a word he sweeps up the child into his arms and ascends into the sky. The girl buries her face into her protector’s arms. Her sobs gradually lessen as it sinks in that her ordeal is over. Where else could her liberator be taking her but to a place of safety? Distress suddenly appears to register on the little girl’s face as she begins to look around. She seems to recognize her surroundings. She begins to struggle against Metaphysical Man’s powerful muscles. He appears to not even notice the resistance as they descend upon a brick house with the windows boarded up. There are a couple of cars parked in the yard with tall weeds growing around the flat tires. The yard is strewn with empty beer bottles. As his red leather boots touch down on the porch of the house the girl immediately runs behind MM occasionally peeking around his cape to gaze at the weathered front door of the old house. Metaphysical Man knocks loudly on the door. After an interval of a few minutes the sound of squeaking floor boards gradually gets louder as someone approaches the door. All at once the door bursts open and loudly bangs against the front of the house almost coming off the hinges. A balding man with large hairy forearms and tattoos fills the doorway. With large bloodshot eyes he sizes up Metaphysical Man as if to demand to know, “Who are you and why are you banging on my door like that?” If looks could kill everyone on the porch would be dead. “Citizen!” declared Metaphysical Man appearing to not notice the man’s irritation. “Don’t be alarmed. It is I, Metaphysical Man!” MM paused to let this information sink in. The superhero didn’t receive the response he was expecting however. The man lifted his eyebrows sarcastically and slightly jerked his head as if to say, “And?…” MM pondered for a moment. “He must not have heard me,” he thought. “Or maybe he just woke up and hasn’t put on his glasses yet. That must be why he doesn’t recognize me.” Metaphysical Man loudly cleared his throat. “I said have no fear citizen for…” “I heard you the first time!” interrupted the man. “What I need to know is… What the…” Suddenly he stopped in mid- sentence, as something seemed to catch his attention. MM’s cape seemed to have moved by itself. The man frowned and looked suspiciously at the base of the cape where he thought he saw the movement. His suspicions were confirmed when the section of cape suddenly began to tremble uncontrollably. A barely perceptible wicked smile seemed to flash up then quickly disappear on the man’s face. Instantaneously his demeanor changed. “Oh… Metaphysical Man!” Looking back over his shoulder he shouted, “Look dear! Metaphysical Man is at our door!” Extending both of his rough hands he grips double M by the hand. “To what do we owe this great honor sir?” Metaphysical Man smiles widely displaying all of his perfectly shaped pearly whites. “This is more like it,” he thought. In one fluid movement Metaphysical Man reaches behind him and produces the little girl. “You must be this little girl’s father?” “Yes,” replied the man without taking his eyes off the child. “What has she done now? This one is nothing but trouble. And how she lies…” Double M gave a start. “No sir you have it all wrong. This child is a victim. I rescued her from the grasps of some pretty unsavory characters. She must have wandered off while playing and unexpectedly found herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Don’t worry she’s safe now.” Double M handed the child over to the man and all at once he stooped down and began to hug the child. “You had your mom and me worried sick! Don’t ever put us through that again. You hear?” The man embraced the girl with one hand while pointing accusingly at the girl with his other hand. The child’s reaction to her father seemed a little out of place to Metaphysical Man. Instead of embracing him and expressing relief for being home safe, she had a blank look in her eyes and stood completely frozen. “She must still be in shock,” thought MM. “Inside,” commanded the man in a stern voice. Obediently the little girl walked into the house and disappeared into the darkness. “Thank you so much Metaphysical Man. How can we ever repay you for bringing our little girl back to us?” Double M anxiously awaiting such a response waived his red-gloved hand and replied, “The best way you can repay me is to make sure your little girl stays safe. There are a lot of sick people out there.” Slightly turning MM extends his hand behind him drawing the man’s attention to the city. The man responded by flashing a wide wicked smile at the super hero. He then turned and slammed the door violently, once again shaking loose the hinges. Double M stood there for a moment staring at the closed door. On a sudden whim he lifts his gloved fist to knock on the door but then he has second thoughts and lowers his arm. He turns around and again begins to look from side to side as if someone was watching him. All of a sudden he goes down on one knee then with lightning quickness propels himself into the air like a rocket.
As Metaphysical Man glides effortlessly across the sky he allows his perfect mind to relax and reflect on his recent actions. He asked himself why he had raised his fist to knock on the door in the first place. Hadn’t this encounter gone like countless others before? He saved the damsel in distress. His beneficiaries had acknowledged his heroism and stroked his ego yet something seemed to be missing. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it but lately he had been feeling a lack of certainty. Double M shook his head vigorously as if waking from a dream. “What are you doing Metaphysical Man?” he thought. You see, doubting one’s self, in Atro City was frowned upon. Doubting Metaphysical Man was straight blasphemy. “Your being silly,” he continued. “That citizen acted appropriately didn’t he? It’s our citizens that make Atro City the greatest city on earth. Sure there are other cities out there but none as perfect as ours. There are other superheroes defending these cities but they will never achieve what we have because they don’t understand the key.” Double M nodded confidently. Suddenly he caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye causing him to pause in midair. From this height Metaphysical Man could see the entire city. Using his Meta vision he quickly identified what threatened to disturb the harmony of Atro City. Double M grinned slightly then defiantly glared into the distance at a two-story house that was engulfed in flames. “Not on my watch!” declares the superhero as he points his red leather covered index finger at the blazing edifice. With the same hand he forms a fist then descends toward the fire in the same fist-first manner he approached the previous crime scene. As he lands among the rescue workers the gathering crowd begins to applause. Noticing that the police barrier had been violated, Atro City’s finest began closing in on Metaphysical Man. Suddenly a young man with horn-rimmed glasses and short black hair darts across the path of the officials and stands between Double M and the police. The young man was carrying bundles of files in paper sleeves all wrapped together in a worn brown leather carrying case. “Hey! This is a restricted area,” shouted a police captain. “You need clearance to be in here!” “Doug,” replied Metaphysical Man calmly. “Show the captain my clearance.” He then walked through the officials as if they weren’t even there. “Sure thing Double M,” panted Doug exhausted from running. Doug bent down on one knee and began rifling through the files. Badges and certificates of every sort all bearing the name Metaphysical Man were sifted through until finally the proper documents were found. As his credentials were being verified in the background Double M inquired, “Is there anyone still inside?” A smoke blackened firefighter spoke up. “We got most of the family out but the father rushed back in to save one of his children.” The fireman wearily removed his helmet and rubbed a sweat-covered forehead. “Son or daughter?” asked Metaphysical man. The fireman looked over at the visibly shaken family wrapped in blankets. “Daughter,” replied the fireman with a puzzled expression on his face. Suddenly an explosion burst forth through the second story windows causing everyone to scatter. Everyone that is except Metaphysical Man. He just lifted his red cape and covered his face from any projectiles. There was something unnatural about the flames. They seemed to be reacting to the arrival of Metaphysical Man. The flames seemed to burst forth angrily as if they were revolting against some invisible oppression. Double M bounded into action penetrating the flames that barred entry to the front door. Placing hand to ear he used his Meta-hearing to identify movement in the house. MM ran to the staircase then flew to the top skipping every step. Squinting he noticed movement at the other end of the hallway. As he approached he saw the father with hands wrapped in his jacket struggling to open the door. Metaphysical Man reached toward the man and gripped him by the shoulder. Just as the man was pulled from in front of the entrance the door exploded off its hinges and smashed against the opposing wall. The father glanced at his near death experience then quickly brushed it aside as he turned to enter the doorway. However Metaphysical Man was still gripping his shoulder. The man nearly pulled it out of its socket determinedly wrenching his body towards the entrance. “Annie!” screeched the man hysterically. Seconds later Metaphysical Man burst through the front door gripping the man by the waist. The crowd erupted in applause but it was mixed with faint sounds of sobbing and cursing. All at once it was noticed that the man wasn’t at all grateful for having been rescued. He pounded on Metaphysical Man’s chest and shouted, “Let me go! I need to save my little girl!” As if unaware of the man’s punches Metaphysical Man responded, “Sorry but no one is allowed back inside. The percentage of risk compared to the probability of a successful rescue divided by the remaining quality of life makes this a closed issue.” As Double M’s cold calculations begin to resonate the man’s mouth drops open in disbelief. Metaphysical Man has reached behind his cape and produced a calculator. “Your homeowner’s insurance is up do date?” Metaphysical Man typed rapidly on the calculator. “And you had a life insurance policy covering the girl?” Abruptly the man swung his arm and slapped the calculator from the super hero’s hands. It burst violently on the street. “Her name is Annie! Don’t you dare talk about her. You have no right! I’ll sue you and the city for wrongful death!” shouted the man angrily. Silence fell over the crowd. They looked at Metaphysical Man in disbelief then at the man. Before MM had a chance to react the crowd began to turn on the man. “You can’t talk like that to Metaphysical Man!” shouted someone. “It’s your fault anyways!” Someone else added “Disasters like this don’t occur in Atro City for no reason!” A third voiced accused, “I’ve seen this before. This man…” He pointed at the man. “This man’s sin is a lack of faith in man!” Coming to his senses and being provoked by the crowd, the man begins to defend himself. “Its not true! I always lease with 15% low APR financing. My expressed views are never a reflection of Atro City or its affiliates. All of my ideas are free of cholesterol and unsaturated fats.”
As Metaphysical Man lifts himself into the sky the still burning building begins to noisily collapse in on itself. However the noise steadily drifts away until it becomes barely audible to the super hero. Besides his thoughts are now elsewhere. “Why was that citizen so angry? He was informed he would be monetarily reimbursed for the loss of his belongings. He and his wife are young. They can have another child. With luck maybe this time it will be a boy. The latest statistics show males give a greater contribution to society than do females. I wonder what my Klout score is? I could go for a latte just about now. Was the crowd’s swift response appropriate? They were so angry at the thought that someone was questioning the system. Of course I believe in the system with all of its checks and balances, but is it really a sin to have doubts?” These thoughts flashed through Metaphysical Man’s perfect mind at lightning speed. Lost in thought MM reached his headquarters before he realized it. A large statue of a partially eaten apple was standing alone in the middle of a city block. This statue marked the location of Atro City’s only Apple store. In front of the statue was a large towering glass staircase that led customers underground to the large Apple store showroom and a seemingly endless supply of hip geniuses wearing apple t-shirts. This part of the store was open to the public and every citizen of Atro City had access. However hidden behind the Apple statue was an entrance that was restricted to the public. This was Metaphysical Man’s secret entrance to his underground layer, which resided even deeper underground beneath the Apple store showroom. A glass elevator plummets the superhero into the depths of the earth. Each layer of rock is clearly visible through the transparent walls of the elevator. The change in color of the walls mark the changing formations of earth and signal to Metaphysical Man how far he has to go to reach his destination. Double M feels a slight perspiration about to break out on his forehead but it is quickly extinguished as the flow of air-conditioning rushes into the opening elevator doors. Double M walks down the corridor and enters a large room that has the appearance of a first class airport lounge. There are newspaper and magazine racks of every sort, fine leather sofas, bar stools and Mac book stations. As soon as Metaphysical Man entered the room a young man with sideburns and thin circular framed glasses approaches him. “Its Metaphysical Man everyone,” the young man shouts. “Let me take that for you your excellency.” The man removed Double M’s cape and folded it over his arm. He then bent down to remove the superheroes red leather boots. “Thanks Bart,” responds Double M wearily. Metaphysical Man noticed Bart’s bald spot at the top of his dark blonde hair. Because of the sideburns and the fact that Bart kept his hair cut so low it was not usually noticeable that he was balding. From this angle however it was conspicuous. Bart looked up at Double M and smiled. Metaphysical Man quickly looked away. A young woman wearing a Rasta cap with short straight red locks jutting out of the sides seemed to appear from nowhere. She began powdering Metaphysical Mans face with perfumed talc and spritzing him with body spray. “Oh, hi Maggie. I didn’t see you there.” Bart and Maggie followed Metaphysical Man to the bar and sat with him until his normal booth was ready. Behind the bar stood Fred a slightly overweight bartender with salon styled brown hair low cut on the sides and slightly graying. Despite being slightly overweight he was wearing slim cut casual dress clothes. He had European cut jeans, a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows and penny loafers with no socks. Fred adjusted his spectacles and asked, “What’ll it be Double M?” Metaphysical Man distractedly looked up from his I pad mini. “Oh, sorry Fred. I’ll have my usual.” “Cinnamon infused latte coming up,” replied Fred then turned to prepare the order. Double M went back to simultaneously checking his social media stats while chatting up his friends. “Face book notifications: seven hundred and thirty three pokes, three hundred and seventy four friend requests, six hundred and nine new likes for my pages and one thousand three hundred and two comments on a photo that I was tagged in. Twitter notifications: eight hundred and thirty one new followers, twelve tweets, nine thousand six hundred and eighty seven retweets, nine thousand six hundred and eighty seven tweets favorited.” Metaphysical Man looked up. “What’s that Maggie? Yes I tried to calm the crowd down. They said he lacked faith in man. I didn’t even notice the television cameras. They exiled him from the city? No I didn’t hear.” Metaphysical Man shifted his eyes to his tablet screen. Klout Score: one hundred percent, Instagram news: seven hundred and nine new followers, thirteen hundred likes along with thirteen hundred comments. Vine: sixteen hundred vines liked and revined. Word press blog: nine hundred and seven new followers, eight hundred and three likes and comments on my post.” Metaphysical Man nodded. “Yes that’s right Bart. It’s called ‘Songs of Innocence’. I haven’t decided yet.” Double M checked to see how many Swarm friends were following his tips on Foursquare. He checked his You tube channel stats, his Linked In connections, his Tumblr, Google plus and Pinterest stats. When he was finally satisfied he began to sip his latte which was still hot though it had been served a while ago. Metaphysical Man looks over to see his booth is now ready. His friends Shaun Dan and Holly are already seated and waving him over. “Later guys,” says Double M excusing himself. “Cheers dude,” responds Bart.
Shaun a tall blipster with a full beard and Malcolm X glasses was munching on a vegan Panini on one side of the booth while Dan and Holly played footsy at the other side. Dan who sported a chin beard always wore a cap. He was considered the music historian of the group because although he kept up with all of the emerging indie bands he was a classic rock junkie. He owned such a large catalogue of music it was said that he could start his own radio station and never repeat a song. Holly had long dirty blonde hair and her arms and legs were covered in colorful tattoos. Metaphysical Man sits down next to Shaun. “Did you guys read that article in ‘the Weekly Muse’ about modern man?” asked Shaun. “The article compared man throughout history and concluded that the idea of modern man is a myth.” Metaphysical Man looked up from his latte. “What do you mean a myth? Modern man is to medieval man what medieval man was to the ape. Our ancestors thought the earth was flat. How could the author of the article conclude that we are the same as those primitives?” “Well,” replied Shaun excitedly, “That statement you just made about us coming from apes is one of the examples the author used to prove his point. He contended that Darwin’s theory, which is still taught in modern classrooms, is an old throwback theory, which would have been challenged and replaced with something new by now if modern man actually existed. Modern man is a label he places on himself to define his present flawed understanding of things.” Dan angrily slams his fist on the table. “You sound like you agree with the author! He’s a lunatic. He doesn’t believe in man!” “Relax,” urged Shaun noticing Dan was about to create a scene. “I didn’t say I agreed with the article. I just think it’s an interesting hypothesis. You know… worthy of discussion.” Dan looked over to Metaphysical Man. “Tell him Double M. You’ve been around longer than any of us. If anyone can shed some light on the subject it’s you. Weren’t you formed by the big bang?” This is one of the subjects Metaphysical Man usually avoided. He didn’t see the need to reflect on his origins. “Why are they so obsessed with the past?” thought Metaphysical Man. “We are living in the most important time in history.” A sudden chill swept through Metaphysical Man’s body as he realized that this was a belief he had been harboring over the centuries. For the first time in his life he noticed the inherent contradiction of his ideology. All at once he had a vague premonition that something or someone was controlling things. “Well Double M? Tell him.” Metaphysical Man opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted by Doug who had just come running into the room.
“Did Double M fill you guys in on what happened back at the fire? That jerk actually had the nerve to lay his hands on Metaphysical Man. You showed a lot of restraint by the way.” Doug looked with eyes of admiration at Metaphysical Man. “Very classy boss. Lucky for him too, you could have ripped him in half had you wanted to. The crowd wasn’t as understanding as you were. I stuck around myself to tear him a new one but the crowd wouldn’t let me near him. That’s why I’m just now getting in.” “Good!” replied Dan without looking up. “So what ended up happening to the man?” asked Holly. “They finally expelled him from the city,” replied Doug. “Can you imagine? Its like he expected society to come to a halt for the sake of one person. For us to throw away all the progress we’ve made.” Doug drew his attention back to Metaphysical Man. “You guys should have seen him. Double M is always awesome but tonight he was in rare form. First he…” As Doug went on to relate all the details of Metaphysical Man’s exploits Double M allowed his mind to wander. “Listen to this guy. I mean I’m sure I was impressive but he’s going too far.” He shook his head. “What am I thinking? Doug is a good guy. He means well, even if at times he is a little over the top.” Metaphysical Man enjoyed hearing himself praised. But there was something about the way that Doug did it that at times turned his stomach. This was one of those times. “What’s the matter? You’re leaving already?” asked Shaun. Metaphysical Man was already halfway to the door of his inner chambers when he turned back around. “Sorry fellas. I’m not feeling myself tonight.” “You should listen to Dark side of the Moon by Pink Floyd,” suggested Dan. “When I’m not feeling well that album puts my mind at ease.” Holly added, “You should try those new super omega soft gel capsules with flax seed and fish oil. Also have some green tea with extra antioxidants.” Shaun contributed, “It sounds like you need inversion therapy. We spend ninety five percent of our lives right side up. Gravity exerting a pull on our organs in only one direction is very hard on the nervous system. You need to hang upside down for a few hours. That will make you feel better.” Metaphysical Man thanked his friends for the suggestions then retired into his inner chambers. He walked past a wall covered in framed newspaper articles featuring himself in various fighting poses. Depending on the year of the article his outfit was slightly altered to reflect the style of the time. The style of his current yellow suit with red leather flourishes was called postmodern metro retro. Double M paused by his floor to ceiling aquarium that served as one of the dividing walls in his inner chamber. As he tapped on the glass exotic fish of every sort crowded towards the sound. He continued walking deeper into his chambers passing his personal library, which contained fine leather-bound books and novels dating back to the sixth century. It’s been said that Metaphysical Man need only to read something once and he remembers it forever. He pulls one of the books off the shelf at random and begins reading aloud the title. “Civilization and Its Discontents. By Sigmund Freud” Double M flips through a few pages of the book and begins reading. “Normally there is nothing of which we are more certain than the feeling of our self, our or ego. This ego appears to us as something autonomous and unitary, marked off distinctly from everything else. But such an appearance is deceptive and on the contrary the ego is continued inwards without any sharp delimitation into a sharp unconscious mental imagery which we designate as the id and for which it serves as a kind of façade.” Metaphysical Man stops reading and reflects on what he thinks he already knows. He flips ahead a couple of pages and continues reading. “A further incentive to the disengagement of the ego from the general mass of sensations that is to a recognition of an outside, an external world is provided by the frequent manifold and unavoidable sensations of pain and unpleasure. The removal and avoidance of which is enjoined by the pleasure principle in the exercise of its unrestricted domination. The tendency arises to separate from the ego anything that can become a source of unpleasure, to throw it outside and to create a pure pleasure ego which is confronted by a strange and threatening outside. The boundaries of this primitive pleasure ego cannot escape rectification through experience. Some of the things one is unwilling to give up because they cause pleasure are nevertheless not ego but object. And some sufferings that one seeks out to expel turns out to be inseparable from the ego in virtue of their internal origin. One comes to learn a procedure by which through a deliberate direction of ones sensory activities and through suitable muscular action one can differentiate between what is internal, what belongs to the ego and what is external what emanates from the outside world. In this way one makes the first step toward the introduction of the reality principle, which is to dominate future development. This differentiation of course serves the practical purpose of enabling one to defend oneself against sensations of unpleasure which one actually feels or with which one is threatened. To fend off certain unpleasurable excitations arising from within, the ego can use no other method than that which it uses to fend off certain unpleasure coming from without. And this is the starting point of important pathological disturbances. In this way then the ego detaches itself from the external world, or to put it more correctly originally the ego includes everything later it separates off an external world from itself.”
Metaphysical Man places the book back on the shelf, sits back in his black leather sofa, grabs the remote and begins flipping through an extensive list of channels on his large screen tv.
Landing on Fuse he lifts one of his large bushy eyebrows in interest. Kanye West is prancing across the screen with his chest puffed out.

Suddenly Metaphysical Man becomes aware of a flashing siren on the wall in the shape of an M. Realizing that he is being summoned by the commissioner of Atro City, Double M suits up. Seconds later the superhero is seen determinedly jutting across the sky toward the downtown area in his signature fist first manner.

“Helpless Struggle”

MM approaches an art piece and looks at the description plate. “Helpless Struggle – Oil on canvas.” In what appears to be the middle of the ocean there is an enormous wave about to engulf the silhouette of a man standing alone on a rock. In the foreground another silhouette of a rock with waves crashing against it displays the silhouettes of two men. They are engaged in a dynamic struggle. For some reason Metaphysical Man can’t take his eyes off the painting. Suddenly he notices the sound of an animated discussion gradually getting louder as they approach him. He recognizes one of the voices as that of his friend Dan. “I’m telling you it represents man’s struggle against his environment. It is inevitable of course that he win this struggle. It reminds me of the dramatic conclusion to the Who’s rock opera Quadrophenia. In the song entitled ‘the Rock’ the protagonist dissatisfied with his society boards a small boat and flees to a rock in the middle of the sea.” The other voice, which Double M does not recognize responds, “I don’t agree with you. I think the piece is blasphemous. The artist is obviously insinuating that man is without hope and destined to be swept away by his environment. It’s sacrilege!” Metaphysical Man feels a hand on his shoulder. “Metaphysical Man is an expert art critic. Let’s let him settle this for us.” At that moment the deafening sound of breaking glass draws the attention of everyone in the building. This is followed by the sound of hundreds of motorcycle engines revving up. Metaphysical Man begins running towards the open window. At the same time he rips open his tuxedo shirt revealing the MM logo on his chest.

Friedrich Nietzsche

“I assess the power of a will by how much resistance, pain, torture it endures and knows how to turn it to it’s advantage.”

– Friedrich Nietzsche

“When we arrived at the couple’s apartment we began to explore right away. Josie and I were very anxious to examine every square inch of the place but Vincent was very cautious. “Guys I have a terrible feeling about these people and this place. We should escape or at least hide until we’re sure it’s safe” he would say. Josie on the other hand had no reservations whatsoever. “I think they’re nice. They pet me and let me smell them and they smell like really nice people.” Vincent darted his eyes toward his sister. “You think everyone is nice.” he said scornfully. “Everyone is nice!” she cheerfully responded. We explored every square inch of our new space avoiding when possible the humans.”…..

Voltaire

“Anyone who has the power to make you believe absurdities has the power to make you commit injustices”

– Voltaire

“So, you must be Christopher. I have been looking forward to meeting you. My name is Niccolo,” said the large tomcat whose presence commanded the room. “Forgive the manners of my comrades. They are very cautious because one can never be too careful these days especially with strangers, if you know what I mean?” I did not know what he meant but I nodded in approval just the same. Rizzo said, “Christopher has come to speak to Socrates.” Without even looking at Rizzo Niccolo responded, “One doesn’t come to see Socrates. One is summoned by Socrates.”…

Excerpt From: “Breed The Secret Design To Maintain Racial Inequality Among The Despised Classes” by William Chasterson.

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