What if I told you I could change reality right in front of you?
By Jack Bragen on Frederick Walford has been in treatment for "delusional thoughts" for years now. But what if I told you he has been misdiagnosed?
Fiction
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Natascha the sentient house cat
By Jack Bragen on Justin had what he wanted. Natascha was a one-year-old, female, Russian Blue cat, in near-perfect health. He had bought a pet hospital months before to avoid answering the questions of an adoption agency or county shelter.
Watching James Michaelson
By Jack Bragen on Creating multiple inconveniences was one of many strategies for interfering with James Michaelson’s inconvenient, daily activities. He was opening a can of tomatoes, and my prompt instructed me to speak into the microphone.
Society in 2120 (part III)
By Jack Bragen on Recap of part II: “As if to punctuate what it had said, the car abruptly accelerated and passed a cluster
Society in 2120 (part II)
By Jack Bragen on Recap of part I: The force put out by the book, the evil force, was stronger. It was involuntary: I
Society in 2120 (part I)
By Jack Bragen on In a car, on my way to work, I saw the ever-present, giant, illuminated billboards along my flight path, displaying
Fear and Loathing at the Mental Health Clinic
I’d had an “inappropriate outburst.” I’d been restrained, and then the device was used on me. It was designed to shut down the errant part of my brain by using a magnetic pulse. I was uncertain of whether the memory was real, or if it could have been a nightmare.
Future Blues: Brain Death for Stress Relief
A holographic video urges me inside, saying, “This procedure will relieve you of unnecessary suffering due to your mind.” As I walk inside, a man runs out with his head opened up, screaming at the top of his lungs. Robots catch up with the man and inject him in the shoulder.
Chemical Mind Control in the Society of the Future
“This is supposed to be a hospital, not Gitmo,” said the nurse. “You’re using extreme methods, and it’s clear you’re trying to destroy him. You’re a thug. Let him go home or I’ll report you.” The psychiatrist said, “I’ll let what’s left of him go home. And, by the way, you’re fired.”
Surprised by Love on the Streets of Purgatory
He didn’t have a lot of sympathy to go around, but the dog’s pathetic state moved him, and he shared his half-eaten sandwich. When the dog had finished eating, she sat next to him and shyly licked his hand. At the crossroads of despair, a homeless man unexpectedly found love.
The Dark Alley
The police were talking to the woman who’d helped me. In the ambulance, an E.M.T began wiping dried blood off my face. I overheard the police say, “I’m arresting you for vagrancy.” I looked out the back of the ambulance and saw that my benefactor was being handcuffed.
Defying the Men in White
When I was 12, my father, bless him, had said, “The men in white are feared. If you say something you’re not supposed to say, the men in white will come and take you away. You will never be heard from again. God knows what happens to you after they take you away.”