Quarantine

I've taken the last few days off. Not really my call, but the chief's word is official law, no matter how much we don't like it. That, and I've switched Internet provider, so I did not have Internet for the last couple of days. I can't even begin to tell you how many hours I've wasted watching mindless television and playing old school Super Mario on my old school Nintendo system.

Yeah, I have an NES. So sue me. I haven't used it in years.

Lizzie comes by, but abides by my ruling not to bring work into my house, despite my saying she was allowed to break that rule just for this one time. I have no idea what's going on at the office. For all I know, Conaghan could be behind bars and Eric and the others could be rescued and resting at home for the first time in months.

Nah. I think she would tell me if something THAT big had happened. Then again...it IS Lizzie.

But over the course of the last couple of days, I have learned quite a few things about myself.

One: I lose my fucking mind when I don't have Internet, or work. Apparently work is my counter-balance to the scale of Zen.

Two: I really suck at Super Mario. Like, badly. Like, I can't even finish stage 2 without an extra lives cheat.

And Three: Television is a dying art. Or a dead art. Or a art that has been shot, burned, buried, dug back up, pissed on, shat on, and buried again.

Why is all television just mindless reality shows and cartoon spin-offs of shitty movies? Why did they remake Garfield? When did ER finally breathe its last breath? Why the fuck is Charlie Sheen still on the air? When did High School Musical get turned into a TV show, and why does it have three characters from Heroes on it? Why is Lost the only show that makes any bit of sense to me? When did Disney stop caring about lovable mice in pants that teach friendly kid values and start caring about pop stars that can't sing and sell sex to children subtly? When did Nickelodeon stop being funny? When did Syfy change its name? WHY did Syfy change its name? Why would I rather watch a cat ninja its way across a room in a Youtube video than see who becomes the next American Idol?

And how the HELL did that guy from Tosh.0 land that job? Seriously, who do I need to be talking to? In high school I would have KILLED to have a job like that.

Oh, I can't wait to be DONE with this quarantine bullshit. Nothing's happened to me. Nothing. Other than me losing my mind with boredom I'm a picture of health.

With the free time, though, I have had time to ask a few questions. The message, of course, taking predominant stance over everything.

Those letters were in Albright's journal, that SHE wrote. So how the hell could the message have been in there the whole time? There's no way they could have been gunning for me that early in the case. He must have just pulled them out at random later on down the road for convenience's sake. Slimy bastards.

Alright, assuming I am the target here...why take Eric? He was barely involved. I barely knew the guy. Why not take Lizzie if they wanted to intimidate me (and don't think me uncaring; if that ever happened I think I'd kill ten people just to slit the throat of the bastard who took her)? Or hell, why not just come for me? Hell, I'd love a fight, bring it on.

You scared, motherfuckers?

I'm not.

I'm waiting.

I go back to work tomorrow.

And when I do, you'd better start saying your prayers, because I'll be gunning for you.

Hard.

You scared yet?

You'd better be.

…

I'm going to go make lunch. Try to get back into a calmer state.

But I stand by my words.

Come out, come out, wherever you are.