- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
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This short-story I cooked up about crime-fighting was inspired by the films Manhunter and Batman Begins.
It's interesting to me how modern-age urbanization breeds all kind of 'suspect storytelling.'
Enjoy!
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Alastair was an ex-cop who became an American vigilante known as The Sentinel. Alastair helped Chicago police nab a ruthless druglord, a terrorist known as Red Mask, and a terrible and corrupt city official named Tim Timmy. He was considered a savior in underground circles and was considering retiring when he met a beautiful young woman named Shelbye Nash at a coffee-shop one Friday evening. Alastair and Shelbye were engaged to be married and were going to relocate to Martha's Vineyard. Everything was set.
Two months before Alastair was going to move to Martha's Vineyard with Shelbye, he got a call from Commissioner Godon of the Chicago Police Department: "We got a real tough case this time, Sentinel. This one has your name all over it --- if you're willing to take the case. It's a bad one too!" Alastair reluctantly accepted the mission, when he realized Godon was desperate. He got the files of the bizarre serial killer the Chicago police were hunting --- a horror-film copycat psycho calling himself 'Leatherface.'
Leatherface had killed 3 police officers, two post office workers, and 1 city official. He took his victims back to his apartment/residence, skinned them alive, and then burned them. He used their skin to make masks for himself (hence his alias, 'Leatherface'). He used a chainsaw to rip off the left arm of the police officers he killed, and he kept the arms as souvenirs! Alastair was in pure shock, not knowing fully what to do about this completely unreasonable 'American psycho.' He started reading about criminal insanity at the University of Chicago library.
Alastair tracked down Leatherface to an abandoned warehouse outside of Chicago and tied him up and delivered him to Commissioner Godon the next day. However, the night before, he held Leatherface at his own warehouse and interrogated him about the gross nature of his crimes and his unusual intentionality. Alastair (aka, 'The Sentinel') wanted to understand how a mind could resort to such anti-social malice and criminality before he prepared to retire in happiness with his girlfriend Shelbye to Martha's Vineyard. The interview would change the way Alastair thought about psychiatric naivete.
SENTINEL: Why did you use a chainsaw and copycat an American horror film ghoul?
LEATHERFACE: I wanted people to better appreciate the gravity of art and the social neglect of psychology!
SENTINEL: Are you mad? Why did you make masks out of human skin?
LEATHERFACE: Aren't you sick of this modern-day hypnosis with Facebook and fashion?
SENTINEL: Are you some kind of 'anti-social prophet'?
LEATHERFACE: I simply want people to respect the value of alternative social philosophies.
SENTINEL: Such as terror/terrorism?
LEATHERFACE: No. Absurdism (as a defiance of pedestrian apathy).
SENTINEL: Are you 'jaded' by our 'consumerism-focused' TrumpUSA?
LEATHERFACE: I don't think Americans respect capitalism enough to understand the scope of profiteerism.
SENTINEL: So, you think America is somehow corrupt or shallow?
LEATHERFACE: I think American companies such as Starbucks are emblematic of a 'caffeine-culture.'
SENTINEL: I think I understand, but what is the purpose of torture and disfiguring/hobbling human beings?
LEATHERFACE: People are deformed spiritually, so they should look the way they think!
SENTINEL: Are you above reproach?
LEATHERFACE: I'm simply a messenger...
SENTINEL: If you think you're trying to 'teach' America something, you should have considered legal routes.
LEATHERFACE: Some people are born to be scapegoats.
SENTINEL: Well, I'm sure you'll analyze yourself at Arkham Asylum or before God.
LEATHERFACE: I'd be surprised if anyone can understand my true angst.
SENTINEL: Your angst is your own, but your rage has become the bane of others...
LEATHERFACE: Another Leatherface-copycat will rise in ranks in the future (to prophesy against Facebook!).
SENTINEL: Well then, I'm sure there will be another Sentinel!
====
It's interesting to me how modern-age urbanization breeds all kind of 'suspect storytelling.'
Enjoy!
====
Alastair was an ex-cop who became an American vigilante known as The Sentinel. Alastair helped Chicago police nab a ruthless druglord, a terrorist known as Red Mask, and a terrible and corrupt city official named Tim Timmy. He was considered a savior in underground circles and was considering retiring when he met a beautiful young woman named Shelbye Nash at a coffee-shop one Friday evening. Alastair and Shelbye were engaged to be married and were going to relocate to Martha's Vineyard. Everything was set.
Two months before Alastair was going to move to Martha's Vineyard with Shelbye, he got a call from Commissioner Godon of the Chicago Police Department: "We got a real tough case this time, Sentinel. This one has your name all over it --- if you're willing to take the case. It's a bad one too!" Alastair reluctantly accepted the mission, when he realized Godon was desperate. He got the files of the bizarre serial killer the Chicago police were hunting --- a horror-film copycat psycho calling himself 'Leatherface.'
Leatherface had killed 3 police officers, two post office workers, and 1 city official. He took his victims back to his apartment/residence, skinned them alive, and then burned them. He used their skin to make masks for himself (hence his alias, 'Leatherface'). He used a chainsaw to rip off the left arm of the police officers he killed, and he kept the arms as souvenirs! Alastair was in pure shock, not knowing fully what to do about this completely unreasonable 'American psycho.' He started reading about criminal insanity at the University of Chicago library.
Alastair tracked down Leatherface to an abandoned warehouse outside of Chicago and tied him up and delivered him to Commissioner Godon the next day. However, the night before, he held Leatherface at his own warehouse and interrogated him about the gross nature of his crimes and his unusual intentionality. Alastair (aka, 'The Sentinel') wanted to understand how a mind could resort to such anti-social malice and criminality before he prepared to retire in happiness with his girlfriend Shelbye to Martha's Vineyard. The interview would change the way Alastair thought about psychiatric naivete.
SENTINEL: Why did you use a chainsaw and copycat an American horror film ghoul?
LEATHERFACE: I wanted people to better appreciate the gravity of art and the social neglect of psychology!
SENTINEL: Are you mad? Why did you make masks out of human skin?
LEATHERFACE: Aren't you sick of this modern-day hypnosis with Facebook and fashion?
SENTINEL: Are you some kind of 'anti-social prophet'?
LEATHERFACE: I simply want people to respect the value of alternative social philosophies.
SENTINEL: Such as terror/terrorism?
LEATHERFACE: No. Absurdism (as a defiance of pedestrian apathy).
SENTINEL: Are you 'jaded' by our 'consumerism-focused' TrumpUSA?
LEATHERFACE: I don't think Americans respect capitalism enough to understand the scope of profiteerism.
SENTINEL: So, you think America is somehow corrupt or shallow?
LEATHERFACE: I think American companies such as Starbucks are emblematic of a 'caffeine-culture.'
SENTINEL: I think I understand, but what is the purpose of torture and disfiguring/hobbling human beings?
LEATHERFACE: People are deformed spiritually, so they should look the way they think!
SENTINEL: Are you above reproach?
LEATHERFACE: I'm simply a messenger...
SENTINEL: If you think you're trying to 'teach' America something, you should have considered legal routes.
LEATHERFACE: Some people are born to be scapegoats.
SENTINEL: Well, I'm sure you'll analyze yourself at Arkham Asylum or before God.
LEATHERFACE: I'd be surprised if anyone can understand my true angst.
SENTINEL: Your angst is your own, but your rage has become the bane of others...
LEATHERFACE: Another Leatherface-copycat will rise in ranks in the future (to prophesy against Facebook!).
SENTINEL: Well then, I'm sure there will be another Sentinel!
====
