Fatal Crash

• Steven Xu, Grade 10
• Short Story
• 2010

Driving down the highway was chief journalist Geoffrey King. He was unable to decide which way his career should go.
Geoffrey had always wanted to be a journalist. As a child, he was amazed by the way newspapers kept everyone informed and feeling safe. It intrigued him. How could a page full of tiny black blots of ink achieve such a thing?
It was his role now. After becoming a journalist, he had joined the society of the newspapers, learning the ways to keep the public knowledgeable and secure.
The Daily Herald had noticed Geoffrey King. They scooped him up from the bowl of journalists and gave him to road to success. Everything was going well. He was well paid, admired, trusted and satisfied with life.
This was all going to change now. He’d met a guy named Johan Roft. Johan had given Geoffrey a newspaper that was completely unconventional. There were no stories of dead dogs, the success of local stores or the faulty car. There were only issues like the corruption of the politicians, the world’s swine flu endemic and the uncovered intensions of various ‘trustworthy’ companies.
Geoffrey had been suddenly assaulted by lies. Why hadn’t he realised that these issues were never printed?
Now Geoffrey was aware of the veils of falsehood that surrounded him. What really was the real world? How could the public know when even he, a distributor of intelligence, was not so sure?
Johan had offered him a job, a lifeline amidst the wreckage of the sinking boat of society and a path into the haven of truth. Why had it come now, when Geoffrey was in line to be a member of the board of directors for The Daily Herald?
Today would be his decision, between the truth and the lies. If he stayed, he would become rich, have a lovely family and live happily. If he decided to uphold truth, he would live outcast from society, like a lone paladin of light.
The river of cars flowing towards him on his right was so close. Just a tiny nudge of the steering wheel would rid Geoffrey King the need to choose. It would be so easy.
“Why?” thought Geoffrey.
He could face a difficult future or simply end it here. Why couldn’t he do it? There are plenty of other journalists fit to take his place. Why can’t he just shift the pressure to someone else?
Geoffrey had crashed.
He’d collided with humanity, not the stream of cars. They had passed him, oblivious of his internal conflict. Geoffrey had made his decision.
What was he scared of? It was a simple choice between true and false, the most fundamental of all binary oppositions.
He would follow Johan.
It might have been his morals that urged him on, or simply god’s will. He’d given up a life filled with luxury for the truth, the real truth.
“Such a harsh world...” thought Geoffrey, contemplating all that he’d lost.