The Executive

His coat was going to be grey, like the pigeons. Robert knew this, Robert had seen him in a dream. Robert knew of his comming. He could feel it through the chill of the evening wind. His eyes were going to be blue, of course they would be. Those cold eyes would see him running and they would watch as his mind ran around the world. They would watch as his body tried to follow, they would watch until Robert submitted. They would watch as it ended. Yet, knowing this, he ran.

His hair would be balding, decaying, it would be symbolic. It would be a metaphore, a doomed, pointless warning of what was to come.

His arm would have a scar, Robert had given him that scar a long time ago in a world so different to this.

Robert watched the others, they played merrily as if it didn't matter. They were children, it didn't matter.

A little girl with blonde hair and a cheeky smile ran over to him. Her name was Katie, she told him.

Robert watched her though, he let her soft hair brush against him. He loved Katie, he had always loved her. Now he could stay in peace with her. She didn't know anything of this, he had made sure of that.

Robert joined the other kids, being four years old was fun. The local school allowed them to play in its yard afterwards, he enjoyed that, it was freedom to play and to live and to laugh at lousy jokes.

Robert closed his eyes and his mind. He knew that the executive was on his way, but it would take him years, perhaps decades. What more should he hope for, but years of love and of life.

*

Robert knew that he would be here soon. He thought about it seldom, but it's eery message got him sometimes. He looked in the mirror and combed his thick, bushy hair. It wouldn't sit still. His mother smiled at him, her eyes were alive almost. How he longed for time to swallow him up, he longed to live in this for eternity. She congradulated him on his results, he had finished his exams. It was time to go forth into the world. She appreciated this day as if it were heaven. It facinated him, this woman facinated him, his mother.

He hugged her and she was surprised to find that affection in him. He was usually so cold, so contemplative. He appreciated that moment. Then his thoughts left it, it did not matter, not really, time was forgiving. He knew it was important to get his hair just right. He liked Katie so much. His mother knew this too, she sensed it somehow, even though no words had been spoken between them about the girl. Tonight he would dance with her all night long and tell her jokes to leave her falling in laughter. Tonight he would amaze her with his intelligence and stun her with his comic moments.

*

Robert laughed as Katie kissed him. She became alarmed at that, the way women do, she thought it was a power trip to him, she saw it as his glory. She didn't want to be used or laughed at. He kissed her then to say that it was alright, to say that she had all his love and devotion, to say that he was helpless. That was what she wanted to hear, that was what everyone wanted. Robert smiled sweetly and brushed her hair away from her face.