Thing 42: Something you've always regretted saying.

Hello everyone,

It's been a long, long time since my last post. I could make the excuse that I've been busy with school and my fraternity, but where there's a will, there's a way, and frankly I've been willing other things. Regardless, I'm taking the time tonight to add another passage to my collection. Let's see what the book has in store...

Thing 42: Something you've always regretted saying.

"Take a seat, John."

John Sanderson, a mousey man in a worn down suit, took his place across from his smartly-dressed colleague. He seemed utterly out of place in the leather chair he had been offered, its opulence standing in sharp contrast to his modest demeanor. Despite this, a smile sat comfortably on his face. Material things rarely found the opportunity to dismantle his genuine nature.

Tobias Schmidt -- prim, proper, prudent -- sat opposite. The warm light of his office shone in sinister relief within the gel of his hair. His coif, his dress, and his demeanor were immaculate; calculating. Here was a man who left nothing to chance, and who desired all things. He deserved them, after all. His ego would allow for no other reality.

"Lovely office you have here, Tobias. It's very regal."

The slightest hint of a smirk crept onto Tobias' face. It was a small gesture whch cast a large shadow, veiling the peasant before it in disdain. "Why thank you. I like to think of it as a reflection of myself."

John smiled and leaned back in his seat. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Tobias removed his hands from the arms of his chair and folded them deliberately in his lap. "Yes, let's cut straight to it, shall we? How are things with Evelyn?"

"Oh, things are wonderful!" His eyes looked distant as he thought about the girl he loved. "I think I'm really smitten. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"And you're close?"

"Certainly. I'm meeting her tonight, in fact." John's expression turned quizzical after a brief flash of thought. "Why do you ask?"

Tobias' eyes narrowed ever so slightly as he allowed the tension in the room to build. Silence was his weapon, and he wielded it with deadly intent. When he thought John could take it no more, he provided sweet release from the vice of anxiety.

"Don't you think you're being a bit selfish?"

Taken aback, John's eyes widened. "Whatever do you--"

"Think, John. Look around you." A single, slender hand motioned to the plush decor with a dismissive wave. "You say that she's the best thing that's ever happened to you. Do you think there might be a reason for this? You," another dismissive wave, "are a nice man, but a woman like Evelyn needs more than nice. She needs stability, drive, eloquence; all traits you lack. She is a delicate flower, ready to bloom but for your lack of poise.

"Think carefully about what you are. Could you ever provide her the future she deserves? You can barely take care of yourself. How do you expect to take care of her?"

Again, the silence. It thickened, festered with disdain and uncertainty. The mousey man sat before a dragon, and felt the full weight of his own inadequacy.

"Should you enact your intentions, she will likely follow. Too pure is she to reach for that which she desires, and so she would live in squalor to suit your needs. She deserves better than what you could provide. If you feel the way you claim, then provide her the opportunity to spread her wings. If you love her, set her free."

The dragon clenched its jaw, and the mousey man's heart, trapped within, burst into a thousand screaming pieces.

"I... I don't..."

"And you never will."

The finality of it hit John like he imagined a train might. His shortcomings weighed upon his soul, dragging it to the murky depths of anguish.

In John's mind, a single image shone bright and clear: Evelyn's smile. The innocence and purity of it made his heart soar, struggling against the anchor of his own emotions. A single tear formed on his cheek at the thought of it.

Eyelids closed, shutting out the fanciful room and leaving only Evelyn's shining profile, but the more desperately he grasped for it, the farther away it became. The chains tightened and tugged and ripped and tore.

"You are not worthy, Jonathan. Set her free."

John's mind raced with and endless torrent of dreams he could not fulfill, luxuries he could not provide. One by one they assaulted him and tore him down. He was putty before the dragon.

He was bested.

With a sniff and a brave clearing of his throat, mouse met the dragon's eyes. "You're right, of course. I supposed I dared to dream." Another tear appeared as he rose from the leather chair and straightened his jacket. "I shan't dare to do so again."

Tobias said nothing. Having accomplished his goal, he was more than content to allow his prey to leave. Weak men would forever remain weak, and to him they were nthing more than an obstacle to be discarded.

Outside the office, John slowly pulled his phone from a pocket in his frayed coat. A moment of contemplation forced resolve to overtake despair.

If you love her, set her free.

Before he knew what was happening, a familiar tone rang through the receiver, as if the phone had dialed itself. Unblinking, he raised it to his ear, awaiting the fateful moment to come.

"Hello, Eve. I was hoping we could talk."