Free The Code of Happiness by David J. Margolis Page B

hailstorm of tinkle on the floor.
Jamie's screwed. He whips out two glowing swords, his most trusted
weapons from the game. The ogre swipes and Jamie leaps high. As he
descends he plows each sword into the ogre's neck. Letting go,
Jamie slips and slides down the ogre's body until the sticky hair
catches his ankles and swings him upside down, his limbs stretched
out of their sockets, the pain beyond this level of existence.
Jamie meets darkness once again.
     
    His eyes flutter open; the ogre's removing the swords
from his sticky hair. They didn't enter his neck. This confuses
Jamie. There must be a defect in the simulation. Jamie hasn't
realized yet, he's using old tools for old problems. New ideas are
needed. But Jamie's stuck in the past hanging upside down thinking
Ray wants to kill him. It's the only explanation he's prepared to
entertain for the ogre's survival so far.
     
    The ogre, having removed the swords, turns his
attention to Jamie. He scrapes him off his body and slings the
human dressed in a white jump suit against the wall. The helmet
flies off and Jamie feels warm blood drizzle from his nose to his
lips. The ogre picks him up and flips him like a quarter, spinning
him close to unconsciousness again. Taking advantage of the
defenseless, he presses Jamie against the wall. They look deep into
each other’s eyeballs. Jamie's been there before, inside the gray
matter. He remembers the chickpea size view, the helplessness, the
near out of body experience. His fear subsides in recognition,
energy evaporating, his torso limp and calm. His body has realized
before his mind. He speaks to the ogre.
    “You won't kill me.”
    While the ogre can't speak, he seems to understand
with a questioning grunt.
    “You won't kill me because you are me.”
    The ogre scratches his head.
    “You need me.”
    The ogre unleashes a high pitch screech!
    “Kill me and you kill yourself.”
    The ogre storms away annoyed, no more than a boy does
who understands the rules but finds them unjust. He looks at Jamie
from afar, his attitude changing to one of beloved pet. He returns
with a snort and licks Jamie's face, savoring the flavor of sweat
and fear. It forces him to consider Jamie one last time. Is he
friend or is he foe? Jamie offers his hand. A moment of truth. A
gentle touch. The ogre retreats to his corner debating with
himself. Jamie slumps opposite and watches the ogre who is now
without purpose or rage, and whose breaths are heavy with
acceptance. There's nothing to fight against. In mere seconds the
ogre shrinks to a miniature.
     
    Jamie's struck by sadness. Of loss. He'd finally got
through to him; they almost understood each other, kindred spirits
on the verge of friendship. Now he's gone, reduced to a toy. He
understands the ogre is part of him and crawls toward the
miniature. The little ogre is small enough to hop onto his pinkie.
Jamie watches him walk up and down his bony finger. The heat from
Jamie's skin disturbs the ogre; it has an unexpected quality. The
ogre melts, his body sliding to his feet until there's only his
head looking at Jamie asking to be saved. Jamie's helpless as he
watches the final disintegration, only capable of staring at what
remains; a thin film of liquid. What's left enters Jamie through
the pores of his skin. He curls into a ball and cries.
     
    *****
     
    The metal tube flings Jamie toward his floor at XXLI.
Today it's different. The sensation of a bullet racing without a
target. He imagines heading toward the nebulous, the orange orb on
an unpronounceable billboard, our future, in your
hands . Monday has come to soon. He doesn't care about codes and
happiness, or the conundrum of who is spying on whom. There's an
overriding sense of the pointless. He faced his monster and won.
Victorious, yet defeated, he is a man in a loop again. The elevator
doors open, two security guards are there to meet him. They fire
tasers, ripping ten thousand volts into him.
     
    When he awakes his eyes are met with a