Action Figure Man

Disposable plastic man. Sitting on a shelf. Waiting to become a hero.

Action Figure Man

With all of my strength, I was still unable to save the world. I had been given this task on multiple occasions, and every time, some strange force seems to direct me towards failure. There are times where I feel as if I've lost all control. My limbs seem to be pulled in different directions all at once. My head spins, I cannot form a coherent thought. My world changes constantly. It shrinks and grows in an unending, torturous cycle. There is never a period of rest, no chance for rejuvenation. Everyone is here, and in the next moment, they have all died. Why can't I help them? Why can't I win?

I must save the queen. I must vanquish the demon. I will journey to the edge of the known universe, and I will discover the truths of life itself. I will become the hero. I will die a glorious death and rise again as an infinite symbol of power. I will cure the sick, and I will abolish, forever, all those terrible ailments. I will lead the battle against the cruel, unloving gods.

No. I won't do anything at all. I will sit, unmoving and unthinking, and I will wait. Wait, as I am forever compelled to do, for the call of my master. Tomorrow... Maybe tomorrow I will finally become a hero.

Reviews

[Christopher Kelly]

Love this piece; please continue.