The Descent of Victor Duxbury

Police are investigating the scene but the most likely cause of death was suicide."

Andrew pressed the power button on the cheap AM/FM radio his parents had given him many years ago, but he was sure that turning the power off wouldn’t be enough. He was sure once he hit power the newscaster would still go on talking and Andrew would then pull the plug but the voice would just not stop! But it did. The newscasters voice was cut off in mid sentence and…. And… had he said Victor Duxbury? No that was impossible. It was just a coincidence. It had to be. There must be a million Victors in the world. Yes, Andrew was sure there were a million Victors. But how many Victor Duxbury’s could there be? And how many of them had committed suicide last night.

"Are you calling me a cheater?" a burly man with a big brown beard was playing cards with a few other men. Andrew looked over and saw the small man the guy with the beard was playing cards with. "Bad move, Charlie" Andrew thought but didn’t say. He was at McNill’s, the bar he went to every day after work.

"Hey Andrew did you hear about that Victor Duxbury guy? They say he committed suicide but I think it was his wife. They can’t find her." John said. John had become Andrews’s best friend since he started coming to McNill’s. "Andrew? Hey bud, earth to Drew."

"It wasn’t his wife." Andrew said so quietly that john wasn’t sure he heard him right.

"Huh?"

"It wasn’t his wife," Andrew repeated louder this time. Outside the wind howled. It had been snowing for the last few hours like it had the night before and Andrew was certain that tomorrow more schools and places of business would be closed. The thought made him shiver.

"How do you know? Did you know the guy?" John wondered how Andrew could be so sure that Victor’s wife hadn’t killed him.

"This dream I had last night. It felt so real." Andrew told John. What was he talking about? John thought, and not for the first time, that Andrew had been working to hard. But before john could speak his mind Andrew had started talking again "Last night. This dream. I was.."

lying in bed, he could hear the radio alarm click and the local news came on. He didn’t want to hear it though. He leaned over and pressed the snooze button, burying his head in the pillows as he did so. Andrew wasn’t feeling well and thought he would call in sick to work today. He… wait a second. His alarm clock didn’t have a snooze button. That’s right. Ha Ha. No wonder, he could still hear the news blaring from the radio. "Kids, its your lucky day. St Amelia’s elementary school will be closed today due to the snow. Along with Jilster Street High School and St. Straub High School"

That was weird. There hadn’t been that much snow the night before. Oh well. All the more reason for him not to go to work today. "The 497 Highway will be closed today. There’s just too much snow out there, folks. Fairmount mall will also be closed today. Along with Sharevision plaza."

"Damnit!" Andrew said to the walls. Allison had asked him to go over to Sharevision to pick up a new pot and pan set that she had ordered through a catalogue. Aw well. Andrew figured it would just have to wait until tomorrow when Sharevision opened up again. Andrew sat up when he heard a knock at the bedroom door.