Quantum Poppers by Matthew Reeve Read Free Book Online Page B

pad right when you’re unpausing he falls in the lava and the last
thirty-five minutes of my life will have been a waste.’
    ‘Just the last
thirty-five minutes?’
    ‘Very funny,’
Tony said and Emma put the controller down onto the coffee table.
    ‘Coffee?’ she
said as she got to her feet.
    ‘Thought you’d
never ask.’
    She headed out
of the lounge and into the adjacent kitchen. Tony couldn’t see her but could
hear the clattering of mugs and cupboards opening. He picked up the controller,
unpaused the game and cleared the chasm.
    ‘What you been
up to today?’ he said, his eyes not leaving the screen.
    ‘Exciting
stuff, the dentist being the highlight.’
    ‘All ok?’
    ‘Yeah. Milk?’
    ‘Not today
thanks. Black and strong.’
    ‘He kept asking
me whether I was a mout beater,’ Emma called from the kitchen. Tony could hear
the kettle rumbling over the bleeping soundtrack of the game.
    ‘Who did?’ he
replied.
    ‘The dentist.
He kept asking: are you a mout beater, are you a mout beater? I didn’t know
what he was talking about. Are you a mout beater, do you beat tru your mout?
Did I mention he was Dutch? What else am I going to beat tru?’
    ‘I see,’ Tony
said as Emma re-entered the room holding two mismatched mugs, one a simple
white, the other emblazoned with the badge of Selbyrne Town, a football team
going downhill as quickly as Tony’s current career prospects. She placed the
mug on the coffee table and sat with her own held in her hands.
    ‘Thanks,’ said
Tony and continued to play. ‘How’s Trev? All going well?’
    ‘Trev, I hate
that. Sounds like some kind of gardening implement. A Trev. He’s good. The lack
of things we have in common is gradually becoming an issue though. I’m going to
end up doing more things alone than I did before. I thought the point of being
a couple was that you got to share activities together.’
    With his vision
locked to the screen and his mind locked to thoughts of whether or not to
discuss with Emma his recent visions he barely registered most of what she was
saying. It seemed as though their relationship built on mud was beginning to
crumble but Tony got the distinct impression this wasn’t too much of an issue
with her. Apparently a failing relationship was preferable to none.
    ‘Enough of
that; didn’t you want to discuss something with me?’
    ‘Pardon,’ said
Tony. He continued to play.
    ‘Last night
before you left. It sounded as though you wanted to discuss something but…’
    She let the
statement hang as Tony paused the game, picked up his mug, and turned to her.
    ‘Something to
talk to you about? I’m not sure I really want to discuss it?’
    ‘You can talk
to me. Anything, I promise, I’m always available and will never judge. And it
must be important, you’ve paused your game.’
    ‘Could be,
could be. But this is something...undefinable,’ he finally said, landing on a
word he didn’t think fully described what was happening.
    ‘Undefinable? I
don’t know what you mean.’
    ‘I think it’s
best I don’t talk about it.’
    ‘Is it
something medical?’
    ‘Maybe.’
    ‘Go to the
doctors then, I’m sure whatever’s on your mind will be eased if a professional
tells you all is ok.’
    ‘I’m sure it
would, but this is something – more.’
    ‘Trust me, talk
to a doctor.’
    ‘I don’t think
paracetamols will help.’
    ‘The peace of
mind could be preferable to any drug.’
    Emma placed her
mug down on the table as Tony returned to his the game. ‘I take it that means
this conversation is over?’
    ‘I’m just
working out how to upgrade what I’m going through to definable.’
    ‘And?’
    At that moment
Mario ran head first into a bird-like creature and the two-dimensional sprite
collapsed, wilted to the floor.
    ‘That little
shit!’ Tony shouted.
    ‘Who?’
    ‘Super Mario.’
    ‘Super Mario is
a shit?’
    ‘Yes, Super
Mario is a shit. I only asked him to jump. Jump! It’s not as if you can do