Paul Jenkins

“Wil tried a vacant stare, just to see if he could beat the old lady at her own game.”

“He was also willing to bet that not a single part of his next three or four minutes was going to make any sense, yet somehow it would all fit quite neatly into Mrs. Chappell’s version of reality.”

“The cat leaned into Wil’s leg and rubbed a little bit, just to let Wil know that he had officially been given permission to exist.”

“It was apparent that he was out of his league, and that the only way to compete would be to play along until everyone reverted to ignoring him. At that point, he’d be able to slip out the back door and return to his previously scheduled life.”

“Ignoring the old man, Wil reasoned, was the first step to figuring him out.”

“Your eyes only see what your mind lets you believe!”

“Life is not about how you use your eyes; it’s about having vision.”

“He stopped in his tracks to consider what might be Actually Occurring, as opposed to Apparently Occurring.”

“He began to think of better days, all of which lay in the opposite direction from the one he was facing.”

“Outside, the city streets were gray and sodden. Indeed, Wil often fancied this was the city where they had invented the color gray.”

“Wil Morgan awoke from his regular anxiety dream, in which he had just finished second in a World’s Biggest Failure competition.”