Chris awoke early in the morning just before the sun rose. He always awoke before the alarm would go off, but left it on just to be on the safe side. This would start his normal routine, whether it is Sunday, Monday or Friday. It is always the same. After awaking in his penthouse on the 43rd floor, he would enter his personal gym. Always doing the same amount of push ups, pull ups, crunches and curls would be the routine, followed by a seven mile run. This morning was no different. As everyone else was asleep, Chris walked on his marble floor under his eighteen foot ceilings, all white and barren.
After the work out, Chris took a shower, dried off with his Egyptian cotton towel, and put on his grey Armani suit, just delivered before he woke this morning. Chris stared blankly into a mirror as he styled his perfect haircut. When finished getting ready, he took the elevator to the ground floor, greeted by his driver. The driver nodded, not saying a word. Chris looked at the driver with contempt, and just a hint of disgust. Chris knew he was better than him in every way. Better looking, better dressed, much wealthier were a few of the values that Chris judged his driver by. But Chris wasn’t going to drive himself, so he sat in the back and tried to think of anything other than wanting to kill his driver, that ugly man.
But Chris wasn’t going to kill his driver today, it would soil his Armani suit that he had just had cleaned. The traffic was like any other day, slow and congested. Chris wasn’t bothered by the traffic; he reclined in his Maybach with a bored look on his face and flipped through his gold credit cards. When they arrived at the office, Chris’ driver opened the door and let him out. The sky was sunny but the air was cool. Another VP pulled up in his Maserati, only to have a valet park it for him. Chris was a VP as well; in fact there were five VPs, and one president who was supposed to announce his succession any day now. Chris didn’t expect this other VP to be back so soon from
As Chris tried to enter his office, he was stopped by his secretary, a tall thin blonde that he hand picked, and could have at any time if he wanted, but didn’t. He had to be in the meeting room at ten am. Today must be the day of the succession, and today Chris was wearing a second rate Armani suit. The Armani store was at least 30 minutes away in this traffic; he couldn’t get to the store and back unless he ran. Chris stripped in his office and found the only thing that he could run in, a tiny pair of swimming trunks and his undershirt. None of his shoes could do either; all were leather and about four thousand a pair. He would have to bare foot it. He had done worse things to get where he was, much worse.
In swim trunks, a wife beater and bare feet, Chris left his office to pass by another VP in an Armani suit from last year and a forty dollar haircut, no competition there. The VP laughed at him as Chris walked by, and Chris couldn’t think of a better thing to do but to put a knife in his back, and he was the perfect clothing to do it. He just didn’t have a knife, so he proceeded to the elevator hoping to avoid the president.
He saw the president coming out of the elevator so Chris darted into the stairwell. It was nine fifteen, Chris had lingered too long. He ran down one level, got into an elevator and headed to the ground floor. On the ground floor another one of the VP’s was chatting with a young brunette clerk. His Armani suit was at least a couple years old, and his hair was greased back, not to mention twenty minutes late to work. Chris ran out of the building and turned the corner running full speed. It was great that Chris was in such good shape, or he wouldn’t have made it to the store on time. The manager at the Armani store already had his measurements, and had a new blue suit imported form
As Chris showered in the gym downstairs he saw another one of the VP’s come in after a quick work out. This VP was sculpted like a Greek hero. Chris looked at his legs, which were very lean and not nearly as muscular as this VP. Chris ran out of the shower and put on his new suit and headed toward the office, he still had five minutes to spare when he reached his office floor. Chris walked into the office, the first one in there and sat to the right of where the president sits and waited patiently. This was the biggest moment of his life, well that would be CEO, but he was one step closer. Fifteen minutes passed and the rest of VP’s filed in, followed by the president. They all came in at the same time. They must have been talking to the president for those ten minutes. Chris’ mouth went dry and his eyes went into the back of his head. He didn’t even hear that he would be the next president until he was congratulated by another one of the VP’s after the meeting.
It didn’t sink in for Chris right away. He was at another level. His new suit wouldn’t do. His drivers wouldn’t do. His VP’s wouldn’t do. Nothing would do. Chris looked around his office with contempt. How could Chris work with these people? They were wearing the same clothes that he had worn three years ago, and styling their hair like he had a year ago. The sheep, these vermin disgusted Chris.
Chris had his secretary call his driver as thought of how he would arrange his new corner office. He would have to get all new furniture. The current president’s office looked like a library. That simply wouldn’t do. Chris took the elevator to the base floor and got into his car, and told the driver to go to a place he had been many a time.
Chris entered the old building outside of town and headed up a narrow staircase, careful to not get dust on his new suit. He knocked on a beaten up old mahogany door, and the mail slot opened up. Chris put in a thousand dollars and got a small plastic bag of cocaine back. Chris wasn’t particularly fond of cocaine, but it was necessary for the parties he attended. He put the cocaine in his pocket and left the building.
Tonight would be a big retiring party for the leaving president. All of the same sorry sycophants would be there. The cocaine was necessary, and a lot of Cristal. Tonight was the night to end all nights, to show that Chris was more than everyone else. He would wear his best suit, his best watch; he would get a new two hundred and fifty dollar hair cut, he would get a new car, a sports car and drive it himself. He would get a gun and a permit for a concealed weapon. He would get it all.
Questions Answered
I chose this character because I wanted to have a character that had ‘everything’ still feel insecure with all that he has. I found it really challenging to not develop a story or dialog to compliment the character. I tried to make the character familiar with a lot of flaws, so that we really didn’t know too much about the past of the character. I tried to do give things away about the character without saying too much. I wanted to try and keep things subtle, and put a little humor in the piece to show how much and what he would do to get that position, when the decision was probably already made.
2 comments:
Tony,
First of all, I really liked this story, especially the way the ending effects you as you read it. You are both horrified and intrigued about what getting it all would entail for this type of guy.
I think this piece is really great. The only thing I can really say about it is that it would have bben nice to get more inside info about this guy, hear his thoughts more, maybe with the use of a flashback or memory.
-Ryan
You do a great job of giving subtle details that really allow the reader to understand the personality of your character. A perfect example is in the first paragraph when you are describing his daily workout routine. We can see that he is motivated, organized, and a little obsessive compulsive. We can see that he is well-off from his penthouse, Egyptian cotton towels, and Armani suits. Every little detail builds this intricate character before the reader. You build Chris’ character well, and I was also impressed with the amount of plot that you were able to incorporate into your story. It’s an exciting story, but builds the character all the same. I also liked how you left certain aspects vague, which created intrigue in your story. Well done.
Your choice of words made my reading a little tedious, and was apparent in your reading during class. It is a good idea to read through your papers aloud so as to find and fix all the little spots that mess up the flow of your story. An example is when you say, “Better looking, better dressed, much wealthier were a few of the values…” It is just a bit awkward to read. There are a few typos, and an instance where you type out ‘ten am’, and then in the next sentence you write 30 minutes. You should stick with numbers or typing, but not both. Otherwise a great story! Good job.
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