Carlos of the Night - A Short Story

Carlos of the Night - A Short Story

David S. Nicholson

April 25, 2017

When people came to visit, him he was a mild-mannered person who verged on the tragic. Sitting in his wheel chair he attracted pity from his friends and family. They never know what he was actually about, until that one night when he got busted.

In reality he had no need for this wheel chair and was able bodied. As well he spent most of his alone time watching others every move. That is to say, he followed them on social media and every photo, video and line of text the posted he gobbled up in his insane need to know if they were talking about him.

He was not alone in his task. He had help. There was a woman that followed him like he was a man that could not be resisted. She did his every beckon call. She also followed every move that was made by the ones he stocked. Never once did she question or realize that they had no desire or care for what he was up to. Nor did they speak of him. In fact, he was a distant part of their past.

Still he looked for any hint of them speaking of him. Maybe that comment was about him? Maybe that Meme was about him. Maybe that vlog was a hidden message speaking of him. He wondered what they knew. He shuttered to think they might know his secret. So he could not leave it be and move on with his life.

The madness will never end. Even when he closes all his accounts, he is still watching from his sock accounts. Even when he pretends to be someone else, it is obvious who he really is. After all it’s all about him, in his mind anyway. Why could they just be going on with life and leaving him in the past? No, to him they are the stockers and they keep hurting him somehow.

The obvious madness is seen but all. All but his lady friend that is. Her and her moral standards that allow her to look down on all who do not follow her beliefs to the letter. She looks for anything that could be offensive to report to Carlos. All of their time spent in the pursuit of this pointless task.

The only break came when he was locked away for a time. It was for his own good. The family was concerned after all. But now he will be more careful and not give it away. The duality of personality if perfected after all. Once face for them and his true face.

Even this simple blog will be inspected word for word over and over for some hidden message. After all he can not more past it for one moment. There can be no peace of mind. There can be nothing but the hunt for what is “really going on”. You can bet on your life that there will be mention of this little bit of fiction. Or is it fiction? Perhaps it’s more real that it seems. Perhaps it’s the entire truth of the man behind the puppet.