Chapter One: Without a Spark

I believe in many things. In things like truth and faith and justice. I believe in God. And in his son. And that everything good in this life begins and ends with him.
I also believe in the devil. In selfishness and greed. In devious planning and malicious deeds. In getting whatever you want...by any means necessary.
I believe in many things...but I do not believe in love. Love is a lie. An illusion. A crutch for the weak and readers of poorly written romance novels. and the sooner the world realized this, the better.

***

Victor closed his eyes. 
Shut out the world and maybe something will come to you, he told himself. 
Breathe in. breathe out. Inhale. Exhale. Shake out your fingers, shake out the jitters and try again.
After cracking his knuckles, Victor opened his eyes. Nothing had changed. The three same paragraphs stared up at him from his spiral bound note book. Caroline could never understand why he never used his laptop when he wrote. She was endlessly pointing out to him how wasn't it double the work, that? Writing it by hand then transferring it to the laptop that she had bought for him exclusively for his writing. And it would have made at least some kind of sense if he at least sent off the hand written pages to be typed up by some pale faced, limp haired transcriber but no, Vic, as he was known as by his friends, insisted on typing them up himself. It helped him to edit, he claimed.
“But isn't that your editors job?” Caroline had asked him once.
“Sure it is.” had been Victor's answer, “but what's wrong with trying to make Tracey's job a little easier?”
Caroline had scoffed at that. She never did like Tracey. She was pretty, intelligent, successful and had a whole lot more in common with Victor than Caroline did. Spelled out, she was a little jealous. And despite Victor's constant reassurances, Caroline kept constant tabs on him whenever she knew he was with Tracey “working”.
Three damn paragraphs. That was all Victor had been able to write. And he wasn't even sure if they were even good paragraphs. Two years since his last book and he only had three paragraphs.
Victor let out a sigh. And the worst part was, as any writer knows, you cant force these things. When the spark isn't there, the spark just isn't there.
Then you better find that spark, Victor told himself.
Victor scoffed.
You say that like you don't think Ive been looking.
But two years Vic? Like seriously?
Get off it, he told himself. I'll find it, just give me a little time.
A little time man? Ive given you two friggin' years. And what have you done with it? Written three lousy paragraphs.
Victor let out another sigh. Ran a hand over his recently shaved head. The thin carpet of hair on his head a constant reminder of what he had lost. It had taken him the two years since his last book to grow out his hair. He had made a deal with himself that he would cut it off until he had completed his next one. But then Caroline had pointed out something.
“What if,” she had started as she had played with his hair, “It's your hair thats the problem? Stopping the words from coming. Don't get me wrong, I love your hair baby. I'm just saying, what if?” it sounded ludicrous, of course but at that point, Victor had been desperate. And so off had come the locks. That had been a month ago. And now...still nothing.
Victor was at the end of his tether and at the end of his tether he had done the one thing all writer's know not to do; he had tried to force it. The result? Three lousy paragraphs.
In a sudden fit of emotion Victor grabbed his pen and using it like a knife slashed at his spiral bound note book. Once the page was nothing more than a few shreds of paper he sent the note book spiraling across the room, where it hit the wall and landed in a heap on the floor.
“Honey?”
There is the rustling of sheets, a creak as Caroline sits up in bed.
“Is everything ok?”
“Fine.” Victor says rubbing his head, “Everything is fine.”
More creaks.
“What time is it?”
There is a sudden wash of light as Caroline leans over and turns on the lamp on her side of the bed.
“Late. Turn off the light and go back to sleep.”
After a moment.
“Are you sure you're ok?”
Victor lets out an exasperated sigh.
“Just go back to sleep ok?”
One moment. Two moments. Three moments, four. A sigh.
“Okay. Come back to bed soon. I miss you.”
Caroline stared at the back of Victor's head for a moment then laid back down.
Click. She turned off her lamp, enveloping her side of the room in darkness, leaving only the small radius around Victor's desk illuminated.
Victor waited about five minutes before getting up. Caroline was a fast sleeper. He knew that's all it would take. Making as little noise as possible he went over to where he had thrown the note book and bent over to pick it up. Note book in hand, Victor walked back to his desk. Sat down. Laid the book down in front of him, turning to a fresh page.
Picking up his pen, he breathed in, breathed out and started again.