Matthew Ross is 33 and from England. He is living and working as an ESL teacher in Seoul. His work has been published in Osprey Journal, Haggard and Hallo, Edison Literary Review, Two Hawks Quarterly, and Munyan. When Matthew is not teaching or writing he enjoys reading the work of Philip Larkin and Hugo Williams among others.
The Plot
By Matthew Roberts
By Matthew Roberts
The mastermind of this venture
is me. The plan developed
not 30 minutes ago as I
looked through a box of old belongings.
You join me just as I’m
picking up the invisible phone
to the police chief and army generals.
“I have kidnapped the Queen
and killed the Prime Minister, I will
issue my demands forthwith.”
All the plastic men look up at me with
their empty eyes. Still and silent.
My mind predicting their next move.
This tower, my chair gives me a
perfect vantage point for picking off
some of the closer ones with my
newly discovered gun that makes
realistic sounds–after we’re finished here,
I may well mount it on my wall.
My victims add up, almost to king proportions.
Looking out the real window, the warehouse
flat and promised work that is still
unfinished becomes real again as her
car pulls up. I find myself again
in Leeds, not silver screen Los
Angeles. Hear the jingle jangle of
my girlfriend’s door keys. I quickly
put away my childish things. Kiss
goodbye to the Queen and the million pounds.
Adulthood has reared its ugly head again.
What fun, until you’re brought back to reality!