331 The Soundtrack of My Life

[♪WHIMSICAL MUSIC♪]

Today started like any other. My alarm clock radio started playing Ever Since You Told Me That You Love Me, I'm a Nut, by Tiny Tim, at 6:01 AM.

[♪BUSY, PERCUSSIVE UPBEAT MUSIC♪]

I wolfed a cup of java and cinched up the square knot on my tie. I looked into the mirror and suddenly had an epiphany!

[♪SOFT, AUGMENTING ROUSING MUSIC♪]

Vanessa said she loved me! She's finished with "Big Ed." Who cares about Big Ed? Don't I get a turn at life?

[♪INTENSE MUSICAL BUILDUP♪]

When I got to work—I work for a loan shark—I marched into Big Ed's office and said, "I quit! And I won't be paying you back the money I owe you. Wadday think of that?"

[♪TRIUMPHANT HORN FANFARE CRESCENDOS AND COMES TO AN EPIC, VICTORIOUS CRASHING CONCLUSION, FOLLOWED BY PENSIVE ORCHESTRATION♪]

Big Ed gave me a queer look, something between resentment and revenge. Like he expected this.

[♪BROODING MUSIC♪]

"Go," he said, waving me off.

"Just like that?"

"Who's keepin' ya? And take whoever."

"But, the money..."

"The money! Are you kiddin'? Just money, right, pal?"

[♪FORBODING MUSIC♪]

"I...guess..." I stammered.

It couldn't be this easy. I owed him a lot of money. That's how he got me so cheap. And then there's that thing with Vanessa. "Oh...and Big Ed?"

"Yes, my friend," he offered, somewhat slyly.

[♪SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC♪]

"Do you think you can give me last week's pay?"

"Sure," Big Ed said. "I'd love to give you more money."

[♪RISE-AND-FALL MUTED BRASS INSTRUMENT FLUCTUATION TO PRODUCE A "↑WAH-wah↓"♪]

He scribbled a note hurriedly and handed it to me. "Go to this address," he said. "I know a guy...wait!" He picked up the phone receiver and spoke into it. "Right. Yeah," and laughed, "right now." Then, to me, "Go! He's waitin' for ya."

"Sure," I said tentatively.

I left with the address, stepped outside, and hailed a cab. A black car rolled up to me. The tinted window rolled down. A burly man spoke.

"Big Ed sent me to get ya." I could see Vanessa in the back seat. She seemed very upset.

[♪OMINOUS MUSIC♪]

If you wanna know about my life, just turn on the subtitles.

_____________

AUTHOR'S NOTES:

About this story: I usually watch movies with subtitles on. I live in a large space and the acoustics sometimes muffle the dialogue. I became intrigued by the descriptors of music playing. I suppose there's someone who has to label it and put it in the subtitles. They must take their job very seriously, for how else would someone come up with [INTRIGUING MUSIC], [MOROSE BUILDUP], or [DISTURBING HARMONY]? So I decided to write a story where the subtitles of the music fill in for the way the plot is going. Say goodbye to this guy and Vanessa, by the way!

But the joke's on me! I keep imagining I hear musical accompaniment to everything I do now. Oh, well.

For Tuesday, November 26, Day 331 of the 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge.

366 WORDS (without A/N)

35 DAYS TO GO! THE STORIES KEEP PLAYING ON IN THIS VOCAL CHALLENGE, 366 SUBTITLES A DAY.

There are currently three Vocal hearing-challenged listeners in this 2024 Story-a-Day Challenge:

• L.C. (What'd he say?) Schäfer

• Rachel (Huh?) Deeming

• Gerard (Rewind that, will ya?) DiLeo