the empty road - 10. the dime

by bofa xesjum

part ten of forty

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despair. total despair. where am i? how did this happen? how i wanted it all. i wanted mom to be proud. and i wanted to conquer the world. > where did it all go wrong - so wrong. hey john citizen, do you know where you are? i know very well where i am, my friend - hell! kind of dramatic aren’t we - i only wanted a dime. i mean if you can spare it - i would not ask otherwise. i am sincerely sorry for the outburst - i have had a hard life. i have had a hard life too - and believe me, i feel your pain. it seems like it was only yesterday that i had the world at my feet. a word to the wise, friend, be a bit more specific when you tell your tale. thank you, i will try to remember that advice, which sounds very sound indeed, i must say. begin at the beginning, and do not omit any details, especially the most painful, and the most humiliating. remember, it is good to make them laugh, but you will get nowhere unless you also make them cry. and with those parting words, the shadowy stranger left john prester alone in the wind and the rain, as before. next