RIP Pam

Months had pasted since Pam B Tyler’s last encounter with Birda but even now he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Yes he could have just turned up at school but what was the point? She would only dismiss him as she had done many times in the past and break his heart all over again. But still, that was the sensible side of him thinking. He had to admit to himself, he loved her. She was the only creature, besides his beloved mother who could stand up to him. Not only that but give as good as she got. No better.

Since their last meeting, the night of the Annual Village Halloween Party, Pam had completely thrown himself into his work  and was  stacking up quite a collection of hope and dreams of others like there was no tomorrow. He even surprised himself and all to stop thinking about her. Birda. Oh how he admired her. Her beauty. Her intelligence. Her confidence. She was the full package

She hated him. The snivelling little creep. Mainly because of his job. She had seen him steal the hopes and dreams of some of her closest friends leaving behind empty shells of their former selves. Nothing to look forward to. No expectations. Nothing to look forward to. No goals in life. He was not part of her future.

He did consider a career change in order to win her heart but there was nothing else he could do. Dream Snatching was all he was trained to do.

As he walked down one side of the road, looking at the pedestrians along the other, trying to pick out his next victim, not looking where he was going, bumped into Birda while she was waiting for her friend Bear. Pam had stolen Bears hopes and dreams, which is one reason why Birda loathed him so much. “Look where you’re going, idiot!” Pam just looked at his feet.

“So sorry Birda, I really didn’t mean to…….”

“Crap!” Birda exclaimed.

“I think I love you.” Pam had surprised himself with his sudden outburst.

Unmoved, Birda turned to look straight at him, just to make sure there was no misunderstanding and with a blank expression replied “I despise you.”

As she turned and walked away, Pam added “I don’t care. I will always love you, even if I have to follow you ‘til the end of time, I will always love you.”

Birda just carried on walking.

Pam sloped home, a heady mix of emotions tormenting him. He was delighted to have seen the love of his life. Hurt and disappointed by its outcome. So long had he dreamt of her running into his arms, pleased to see him but, whilst looking through the bottom of a vodka bottle, Pam realised Birda would never be his willingly. He couldn’t kidnap her; she would twist the situation and torture him again. He felt sore just thinking about it. He couldn’t take much more of this. Not even the work he’d enjoyed for so many years could distract him anymore, he just thought about Birda constantly.

As he drifted off into a drunken slumber, Birda appeared in his mind’s eye. “Oh so this is what it’s like in your tiny little mind. No imagination. What’s in these boxes? This one has a name on it. Ooops butter fingers!” As she dropped the box, the lid flew off. Inside were some poor creatures’ hopes and dreams, free and now dancing round Pam’s head. “Whoops! There goes another one and another….”

“STOP!” Pam tried to scream,

“Say my name” replied Birda, as she continued to empty the boxes. He screamed her name; she ignored him intent on emptying every single box

“Birda. Stop. Please, you’re hurting me. My head feels like its going to explode.”

“This one say Bear, this HUGE box says BEAR” as the anger welled up inside her, she didn’t just drop the box. Instead she threw it.

When they found Pam’s body, three days later, the paramedics first thought he had died in his sleep. Although the expression on his face was one of torment. The coroner at his inquest was going to record his death as suicide however she had a statement from a neighbours saying she had heard Pam screaming something about having a headache – like it was going to explode. The autopsy report showed large amounts of alcohol and paracetamol in Pam’s system. She therefore had no choice but to put accidental death by misadventure on his death certificate.

Either way his soul would remain in limbo until his time had come to pass to the other side of the curtain

He tried to visit Birda in his unholy state but her Guardian put himself between her and Pam. A tall and suave, Victorian gentleman with a tall hat and impressive looking moustache. He said nothing. He didn’t have to. The message was clear. Even in death Pam could not be near his love. He had all the time in the world to wait and he would. Wait for the day they could be together.