Push Play – Take 18 | Tracking Shot

Take 18 | Tracking Shot

Tracking Shot

A tracking shot is any shot where the camera follows backward, forward or moves alongside the subject being recorded. In cinematography, the term refers to a shot in which the camera is mounted on a camera dolly that is then placed on rails – like a railroad track. A handheld steadycam or gimbal may also be used for smaller scale productions. The camera is then pushed along the track while the scene is being filmed or moved manually when using a handheld rig.

The technique is often used to follow a subject that would otherwise leave the frame (ergo, it is often called a following shot), such as an actor or vehicle in motion.[1] In this spirit, any conveyance, such as a motorized vehicle like a car, may also be used to create a tracking shot. A handheld or Steadicam mounted camera following a similar trajectory is called a tracking shot as well. While the core idea is that the camera moves parallel to its subject, a tracking shot may move in a semi-circular fashion, rotating around its subject while remaining equidistant.

A variant of the tracking shot is the onride video, also known as a phantom ride, where the camera films during a ride on a train, an amusement ride (especially a roller coaster) or another vehicle. Such videos may be used to document the route, and the camera can be fixed to the vehicle or held by a person in the vehicle.

Michael raced to the car so fast that he forgot all about any possible repercussions to his back. He also almost did not notice that it was pouring down like crazy, and that the temperature had decreased significantly. It was probably the very first actual autumn day of the year: the sky had turned steel grey and the light was dimmed, as if the atmosphere was immersed in some liquid smoke. It was such a weird climate in so many different ways.

His heart hammering in his chest like crazy, he patted the driver’s seat and asked to be taken back to the ranch as quickly as possible. He needed an internet connection and to see what the fuck was going on with his own very eyes, before flipping out entirely.

However, since his cell phone now seemed to be functioning again, he was unable to wait any longer and tried to call Lisa right away, straight from the car and, quite atypically given his constant need for privacy, despite not being alone.

He hoped Lisa would pick up immediately, but the line went dead after a couple of rings. Maybe it was because of the storm? Michael frowned and shook his head, trying to call her again.

This time it went even worse: nothing. Total silence, as if Lisa’s phone was turned off or there was no signal. Of course, it could be. Perhaps her battery had died, or she had left the phone in her purse. Or something…

And yet… It just wasn’t like her to ghost him. Well – not right now, at least. In the past, they both had done that to one another. But this was not the past, and they were back at being very much in tune. Or were they?

Sighing, Michael couldn’t do anything but opt for a text.

Hey L.
Tried to call you.
Please call back ASAP
Need to speak to you

OK. Sounded fine. He had been calm and clear, and hadn’t looked too freaked out. He hoped the message conveyed his urgency in hearing from her but also that it would not scare her further away.

Meanwhile, on his way back to Neverland, he tried very hard to focus and think about what might have happened. Lisa had been clear: that guy she had been dating for a little bit, the unknown guitarist who had thought had found his sugar momma wrapped in a delicious, sexy package, had made a copy of one single tape – the one that he had so slyly delivered to Michael, together with that stupid note. Nothing else. Michael had no reason to doubt Lisa’s words, especially knowing that Priscilla as well had been involved in tracking down the culprit. He didn’t like his former mother-in-law one bit, but one thing he had to admit: Cilla was extraordinarily effective and lethal when threatened. Of course, the sex tape didn’t involve her, but her daughter. Which was fine anyway: Priscilla was not going to let anything slip and Michael was confident she had made sure the guy didn’t have anything else in his possession to threaten anyone with.

The little fucker was done and over with.

Which brought Michael back to the starting point: what the hell was going on now? What other sex tape was Brad referring to? There was no other private footage! Well – yeah, there were many amazing, intimate videos of him and Lisa making love, but they had worked so hard in the past weeks to make sure they were all safe in their possession. Which meant that they could not have leaked. Or could they?

Insecurity was a feeling that Michael didn’t appreciate one bit.

Checking his cell phone one more time, he noticed that Lisa still hadn’t replied to his text, and all of a sudden her silence started to worry him for real. This was so not like her! Why wasn’t she getting in touch with him at all?

L. You OK?
Whre are U????
Call me back
Driving over to the ranch now
Somthing happened w/ tape

Jesus! This was so frustrating! Having such shitty news delivered by one of his collaborators, being caught completely off guard like a frigging noob. Throughout his life, Michael had always been prepared for whatever he was going to face. Media included. He didn’t like to navigate in the dark, and right now he needed to know what they were up against. His OCD kicked in fully and he started to feel antsy.

“Hurry up, Malcolm,” he said to the driver, his voice only apparently very collected, “Take the driveway. Let’s move.”

Once at the ranch, the first thing he did was check on the kids. They were in the living room, safe and sound, playing with the babysitter. At least something in his life went the way it was supposed to. For about twenty minutes, and with uncharacteristic difficulty, Michael allowed himself to put everything in the background of his mind and sat down on the floor with Prince and Paris, playing and chatting with Amelie – who had been a great addition to the staff. She was calm, honest, trustworthy. And yet the seed of doubt crept in. Eying her as they spoke, Michael wondered if he would have to start suspecting of his entourage and keep tabs on pretty much all of them. Because if indeed there was another private tape of himself and Lisa out there, someone must have known where to find it. And God knew, it wouldn’t be the first time his staff stole something from him.

But again, in this case it made zero sense and it wasn’t really about trust or honesty. There was just nothing of that sort left at the ranch – all the disks and the original tapes were at the Hideout, locked in the safe. No way in hell someone could have put their hands on those.

Maybe it’s a hoax, brother. But you ain’t gonna know until you check. You know that, right.

Swallowing, Michael stood up and told Amelie that he had some urgent work to do. He kissed Paris’ and Prince’s heads and promised them he would be back soon. Come hell or high water, a sex tape or a thousand, he was going to have lunch with his kids. And he was going to talk to Lisa before then.

He locked himself in his private quarters and sat down at his desk, turning on his laptop and taking a deep breath. Another glance at the cell phone assured him that no, Lisa still was in her invisible mode.

Shit! Michael’s stomach sank and once again that sudden sense of dread assaulted him. What if, after getting their dirty talk on over the phone, the other night, she had changed her mind about him? Or… What if she already knew about whatever it was that was going on in the press and was pulling back because of that? What if she was done with him and didn’t want to hear from him anymore?

No, that couldn’t be. Not for something this trivial. Lisa didn’t care much about media scandals. She had stood by him in the darkest time of his life, giving zero fucks about her own reputation. She was fearless and didn’t give a shit about what others thought of her. Then what was going on? Was she OK?

As the thoughts still swirled in his mind like pesky flies, Michael opened the browser and checked the news. And froze.

At it again: serial cheaters Jacko and Lisa Presley caught in another sex tape!
The couple might appear just friendly in public, but things get torrid in private… as new footage emerges.

Several weeks after a surprising sex tape starring Michael Jackson and ex-wife Lisa Marie Presley was mysteriously leaked on the internet, a sequel was undoubtedly the last thing anyone was expecting. And yet, it happened!

Last night, new digital footage was delivered to our editorial staff and the content is explosive! Viewer discretion is advised, even though we have decided to blur or cut the most explicit segments of the tape to make it suitable at least for the NC-17 category.

The first tape, which Presley’s and Jacko’s legal teams were quick to ban from most online platforms, portrayed the couple in what appeared to be a scorching hot moment during their marriage. According to our technical experts, the footage was taken at the very least five years ago, while the two were still officially husband and wife. The video created a frenzy online, but nothing compared to what we received a few hours ago. Holy cow!

As you will see in the video below, the newly emerged footage is indeed very recent, as per the date at the bottom right of the screen: the content was recorded only a few weeks ago, right after Jacko and Presley were spotted having dinner at the Pacific Dining Car in downtown Los Angeles, each with their respective new partner. But will supermodel Zoe Gunia and wealthy industrialist Roman Burchard still be by their side after this last scandal and blatant cheating?

As reporters, we are now forced to evaluate the past events, as the double-date at one of the most famous restaurants in LA seems more and more like a publicity stunt than a real “friendly meeting” between former partners. After all, Jackson is rumored to be working on a new album, while Elvis’ wild child might want to up the ante in view of a possible music career. The upside of this scandal could be huge publicity and massive revenues for both.

However, if the dinner were real, the only injured parties would be Gunia and Burchard, possibly caught in the middle of much bigger power games involving music royalties such as Jackson and Presley. No matter the outcome, what seems clear is that the past rumors about Lisa Marie and Jacko’s “fake” relationship are now utterly shattered: in both videos, the couple does a fantastic job at convincing even those still on the fence.

Our reporter tried to get in touch with Roman Burchard, but the industrialist was nowhere to be found. On the other hand, last night we had the chance to talk over the phone with Miss Gunia, who will walk the Tokyo catwalks in a couple of weeks and who was just about to leave Los Angeles to fly over to Japan.

In her brief conversation with our reporter David Jacobs, the supermodel sounded understandably upset, but also unexpectedly talkative.

“Yes, I have seen the clip and of course I could not be with Michael any longer. That is why I decided to break up with him.”

Gunia’s position is more than clear: she doesn’t want anything to do with Jackson any longer. The supermodel also confessed that she had been ready to have a baby with the King of Pop, and that she and Michael had been actively working on it for months. However, the model quickly pulled back once she realized that their relationship was failing her expectations.

“I could tell something was wrong with him and that we weren’t going anywhere. I had my suspicions about what was going on behind the scenes and I thought there might be another woman, but I would have never suspected it could be Miss Presley. However, when I confronted Michael he admitted that he had been having an affair with his ex-wife for quite some time. Which is something I believe happened even during his second marriage to Miss Rowe. I would not be surprised if someone from his entourage decided to release the tape just to humiliate me: certainly Michael doesn’t like to be dumped, and might be more prone to retaliation than many people would believe.”

Our reporter asked Miss Gunia if she was sure nobody from her own camp had leaked the footage, but she was quick at shutting down any possible rumor.

“What for? This is not my scandal. It’s theirs. Michael’s and Lisa’s. I am the victim here. And Mr. Burchard, too. At the very least Michael owes me an apology, since up until the very end of our relationship, which he strongly pursued right from the start, he vehemently denied having an affair with anyone, and stated to be in love with me. He even proposed to me. I am glad I said no. I kinda sensed it would not have been the right move.”

The (former) couple was just photographed a couple of nights ago after having dinner with Gunia’s parents. Once again, the beautiful, dark-haired top model denied any involvement with the impromptu photo shoot that followed hers and Jackson’s date at her family home.

“I have nothing to do with that either. The paparazzi were there once we left the house, and I would never put my parents in such an uncomfortable position anyway. Besides, I already have my share of visibility on a daily basis, I don’t need more. At this point, I am wondering if someone from my ex-boyfriend’s camp is involved in that stunt as well. After all, if Michael had no qualms recording himself having sex with his ex-wife, why would he have problems making the press aware of his whereabouts?”

The last thing she added before taking her flight directed to Japan was: “I am just glad it’s over.”

Miss Gunia is now ready to go on with her life. Although understandably distressed by the latest news, she told us that she is looking forward to whatever the future has in store for her, both professionally and personally. And considering the visibility the whole Jackson debacle brought her, we are sure she will be fine.

Seriously? Gosh, Zoe was so full of shit.

Michael swallowed and shook his head, letting the words he had just read sink in. He didn’t have time to dwell into her declarations and blatant lies right now, because he still did not know what the tape was about. Scrolling down, he took a deep breath and clicked “Play” on the video player on the screen.

Static.

The frames were pretty grainy, but clear enough to make the people involved very recognizable. They told Michael that the video was not in high definition, and had been recorded with a stealthy IP camera. A device able to send and receive real-time information across computer networks. He knew. He had several of those hyper-technological thingies at the ranch, but they were there for security reasons, video surveillance… nothing like this. The fog in his mind started to thin out as awareness emerged. Slowly but surely, he was beginning to put all the pieces together.

The shot also told Michael that the camera had been placed in front of the bed, possibly over the TV, hidden in the huge pile of books he kept there and never had time to look at. The location was immediately recognizable: it was the Hideout. The time, to him, was also very familiar and told him why the footage would be a massive scandal, after all. The reporters were right about one thing: it was recent. Very, very recent. And it immortalized him and Lisa for the cheaters that they were. Or for the couple that they always had been, in their hearts.

The footage had been recorded the second time he and Lisa had made love at his condo, a few weeks earlier. Which was also the last time they had made love… before deciding they would be better off as “friends.” Whatever that meant. As Michael watched, his stomach started to flip like crazy, his heartbeat began to race. The feeling was an add conglomerate of passion, concern, embarrassment and barely contained fury.

Yes, some details had been blurred, but Michael knew what he was watching. He recognized every detail. The footage started while he and Lisa were already making love. After all, their lovemaking had begun in the hall, where he had taken her against the door the moment it had closed. Then, as they were still catching their breath, still half-clothed, Lisa had taken his hand and had guided him to his bedroom.

Well, at least the footage didn’t include the striptease she had made for him as he sat at the foot of the bed and watched her, gripping his dick. Not that what he was watching now left anything to the imagination.

God… they were becoming virtual porn stars for real.

On screen, Lisa was sitting astride him and was riding him straight into heaven. She was also holding his hands pinned over his head. The shot allowed him to see part of himself, his naked legs and torso, and her sinuous back, her perfect ass, her long hair. Which was wild, at that very moment, because he had already worked her over good at that point of the night.

Michael watched her change the rhythm and slow down her movements. Then she leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, kissing him deeply. One of her hand coming down and entangling in his hair.

Given the silence he remembered being in the room, he was not surprised that the audio recording, too, was quite clear.

“Like this, daddy?”

“Yeah… Keep going… You’re driving me nuts… Oh, girl…”

The fuckers had taken the time to insert subtitles, just in case someone couldn’t make out the words.

In the footage, his voice didn’t sound like his public self at all. Hell, he didn’t look like his usual, well-crafted persona in the slightest! Suddenly embarrassed, Michael was tempted to push stop and yet his finger could not move over the mouse. And so he kept watching, and listening.

“You’re almost there, baby… Almost… There…”

The sound of their kisses, the rustling of the sheets started to produce a physical reaction inside of him. Or a nuclear reaction. He blushed even more.

As he watched Lisa and himself share a powerful, earth-shattering moment of passion, Michael relived their lovemaking session in its entirety. He remembered every detail, every single moment of that night, very vividly and the remembrance caused some serious stirring in his lower region. Gosh, he really needed to go to rehab. He was addicted to that girl, and some parts of his body never knew how to behave whenever she was involved. They even misbehaved when she was just on the screen of a computer! The fact that he was not supposed to be sprung like all get out and should be anything but, did not seem of any importance.

Well, as a matter of fact, he was also livid. But not because of Lisa, no. He was furious with Zoe.

Because now Michael knew that she had been the one leaking the new footage to the press. He did not know if the reporter was aware of that or not, and it didn’t matter. There was absolutely no doubt in his mind that she was the one behind all this. Her blatant lies in the interview told him so, just as much as the fact that he suddenly remembered she did have a set of spare keys to enter the Hideout. Up until this very moment, Michael had completely forgotten about that, and that was why he had always felt safe at his condo. All of a sudden, something in his mind clicked and he recalled having given Zoe the key, way before the whole sex tape mess occurred. Months ago, after she had left her purse in his apartment and he had been too busy working in the studio to pay her too much attention.

And then he had been distracted enough to forget all about the keys, which she was supposed to give back to him. It had not happened, and she had been slick. She had never talked about it anymore. Scheming behind his back. Spying on him. Having access to his most private spaces. Going to his apartment, which was pretty much unguarded most of the time because it still managed to fly under the radar, putting a darn camera in there, and then catching him and Lisa red-handed. How long had she been keeping that shit up? Who had helped her? And most of all, how many important things had he managed to forget, during the past months? How many times he had been too distracted, too tired or too medicated not to notice what he usually would not have missed?

Michael clenched his teeth. The fury he felt extended from Zoe to himself and he exhaled a deep, cleansing breath. It didn’t really manage to make him feel better. He had wasted months of his life with a woman who had been plotting behind his back. Like too many other people had done before her.

Well… That was probably his paranoia whispering into his ear. It was indeed very possible that Zoe had not paid attention to that set of keys for quite some time, until it had become useful again. Likely, when she had started to suspect that Michael might not have been as faithful as he proclaimed. Yeah, that part of Zoe’s interview sounded very much honest – and that convinced him that the cards were now all on the table. Reading between the lines, he realized that she indeed had not trusted him one bit for the past months which, in a way, was only fair: in retrospect, he had not been trustworthy at all. But still, he did not like to be fucked over.

How dared she? She knew how distressed he had been after the first tape came out. She had hit him right below the belt, to humiliate him just the same way. And to embarrass Lisa too, in the process.

Seeing red, Michael grabbed his phone and tried to call his ex-girlfriend. Considering that, according to the article, she had left LA the previous night, at this point her flight had probably already landed in Tokyo. His hand gripped the phone tighter. Putting his general distaste for direct confrontation aside for once, Michael regretted not having the chance to talk to Zoe face to face.

Her phone rang, but she did not answer. What was with everyone’s phones, today?

“Goddamn it! Pick up the fucking thing!”

He gritted his teeth and waited until the voicemail kicked in.

“It’s me.” All of a sudden, he was not sure what he needed to say. He swallowed hard. “…I just want you to know that I read your interview, and I saw the video… Nicely played, I didn’t see it coming at all. Don’t worry – I will not sue you, for now, even though you deserve it. Because I know I fucked up, somehow… About the keys, I will change my lock. But if you try to pull any more shit, you can be sure I will unleash my legal team on your pretty ass. Don’t even think about crossing me again, Zoe.” Closing his eyes, he tried to relax a bit. His message had been delivered with a deadly calm voice, but he was pretty sure she would be able to read his mood correctly. And he didn’t want her to know she had gotten to him too much. “I am sorry about what happened, I really am. I meant what I said. But that doesn’t change what you did. There were other ways, and you know that.”

Feeling more nervous than he would have liked, Michael rose from the chair and started to pace the room.

“What Lisa and I have… It’s complicated. It also goes back in time. It didn’t need to become public… not like this, anyway. I’m not sorry for what I did, but I’m sorry it hurt you… That you got caught in the middle of it all. If I could go back, I would break up with you right away. However, I hope you got your retribution… and that I won’t have to hear from you anymore from now on. I have no desire to. So… Enjoy the publicity you surely will get from this.”

Michael hung up and fought the urge to throw his cell phone across the room. He also fought the urge to take something chemical to help him with the anxiety he felt. It was harder than he thought and he desperately clung to the scarce mental solace he had left. Right now, the only thing he needed was Lisa, and her absence, not knowing where she was, how she was, why she was not getting in touch with him at all, letting him know what was going on, made everything worse.

He needed to find her, and soon. Before what was left of his self-control snapped.

But first, he had to make sure of something. So, instead of destroying his phone, he neatly placed it back on his desk. Then he summoned Wayne and asked him to please go to the Hideout and check for security cameras in every room, everywhere, and, in case he found them, to remove them and bring them to him. It was nothing but an obsessive-compulsive reaction, Michael knew that… Because at this point he was almost one-hundred percent sure Zoe had had all the time in the world to get rid of every trace, after getting what she wanted. The proof that he certainly was not her knight in shining armor. And possibly anyone’s, really.

He was such a mess…

When Wayne left and Michael went back to his study, his heart jumped in his chest the moment he noticed the blinking light signaling a new text.

Finally! Lisa had been driving him crazy and he wanted, no needed to talk to her, see her, make her understand what was becoming more apparent by the second in his mind. He also likely would have to engage in some form of damage control, but he was not concerned about that. He and Lisa had gone through this media scandal once, and this time he already knew who was behind it. They would be fine.

However, Michael’s anticipation suddenly plummeted the moment he realized that the text didn’t come from Lisa at all, but from Zoe.

Oh, so she had heard his message. Half-heartedly, his thumb moved on the small keyboard.

The text wasn’t long.

Since the media loved it the first time around
I guess they’ll now enjoy another taste.
FU Michael

“Yeah, Zoe… They probably will. And fuck you too.”

Michael flipped his phone closed and sat down at his desk again, staring at the screen of his laptop. He had paused the video the moment he had called Zoe, but now noticed he still had a few minutes left to watch.

Alright… He would give Lisa half an hour to call him back. Then he would track her down, wherever she was, and talk to her. If she still wanted to be with Roman and give it a try – fine – Michael would do his best to swallow the bitter pill. But he had to make sure she at least knew he had made his choice, and his choice was her. It had always been her, it didn’t matter how many times they had tried to sabotage their own relationship. As far as he was concerned, Michael was sick and tired of their silly fuck-ups.

A little hesitantly, he clicked on the “Play” icon one more time, and within seconds he forgot about everything else but what was on that screen. Like a detective suddenly catching a glimpse of something that, up until an instant earlier, wasn’t there, he watched – and saw.

There was something, in the way he and Lisa made love, that Michael had never had the chance to notice before. Of course, it was different when he was caught in the act. When Lisa’s body was wrapped all around him, kidnapping him to another universe. When he was buried deep inside of her, where he belonged and always had wanted to be.

It was the way they looked at each other. Still, even after all this time. The way he would look at her as she stared back at him. Yes, the footage was grainy and not perfectly clear, but where technology lacked, his memory helped. The way his body was now perfectly aligned with Lisa’s, his hand in her hair, her hands framing his face, their foreheads touching.

“Kiss me…”

Michael could almost see her lips move as she whispered the words. He remembered what he had asked her. He had wanted to know if Roman made her feel like that in bed, and, in broader terms, if he was able to love her like Michael did.

And Lisa’s answer came, like clockwork.

“No… He doesn’t make me feel like this. Nobody else can… Only you. Always you.”

Hypnotized, Michael observed himself and the woman he was in love with, and did it with a sense of novelty that tasted so much like the very beginning of their relationship. When everything was an adventure, something never felt or seen before, something unique and magnificent. The replica of himself on the screen started to move again inside of her as they kissed with abandon and he could tell: they indeed had been naked inside and out at that very moment. It didn’t matter how many times and in how many different ways they had been hiding from one another in the past. While they were making love, that night, it hadn’t happened. There was no defeat in what he saw – only victory.

His movements were slow and driven, as if he wanted to savor every single thrust, and at one point he broke the kiss as she buried her hands in his hair.

“I love you… God, Lise… I love you so damn much… So fucking much…”

And just like that, it was too much. The cocoon-like environment he had relegated himself into for the past year or so shattered like a glass cage, and he bled.

Michael closed his eyes shut as blood hammered in his ears and closed the laptop. When the tears came, at first he almost didn’t notice them. The violence of the assault to his senses was almost intolerable and he started to sob. It didn’t last long, but it was beyond intense, his chest heaving, his heart on fire.

His life and Lisa’s… so different and yet moving on parallel rails, at times. Too many times. Just like now. She had been betrayed by that stupid guitarist she had tried to date to get over Michael, while Michael had been fucked over by a woman who had told him she was in love with him and had kept him shackled with the idea of a baby. A woman with whom he had stayed, trying to forget who he really wanted to be with.

It had to mean something. Everything they did or didn’t do, every person they met, it all always managed to bring them back to each other.

It had to mean something.

Watching Lisa and himself on that screen was a blessing and a curse, for Michael. And a wake-up call, because for the very first time in years, possibly since they had gotten married in a hurry after running away from the States looking for some privacy and peace, he saw what had become invisible to both for far too long.

There was something they shared that was stronger than their fears and their failures. It was huge and it was powerful. It was everything that mattered. And Michael would not just tell Lisa that he had made his choice and would accept hers. He would make her see that they deserved another chance. Because they did.

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost didn’t hear the phone ring again. Startled, he grabbed it from the desk and flipped it open for the umpteenth time that morning.

“Yes?”

“Boss? It’s Wayne.”

“Hey.” Michael glanced at the clock and scrunched his eyebrows. “You’re on your way to the condo?”

“Yes boss, I was just heading out. But there’s a lady here at the gates, asking for you.”

Well, it couldn’t be Lisa – as Wayne knew her, just as he knew that she could come and go as she pleased. And it couldn’t be Zoe for sure. Michael stood up and walked over to the window. He couldn’t see the gates from his private quarters, obviously, and yet he stared at the road anyway.

“Who is it?”

He heard Wayne pull the receiver away from his mouth.

“Miss? I’m sorry… What’s your name again?”

Some more rustling noises.

“Boss? Her name is Alecia. What do you want me to do?” Wayne’s voice lowered in a whisper. “She looks familiar, boss, but I can’t place her.”

Of course she looked familiar. Wayne had probably seen her on TV countless times. Only, her name was different when she performed.

“Let her in, send her over to my quarters before you leave.”

Well… In the end, it looked like Michael was finally going to meet Lisa’s best friend in person. He just wished the circumstances were different. Alecia’s presence at the ranch and Lisa’s simultaneous silence over the phone concerned him beyond belief.

As it usually happened, the perfect realization of how their lives could indeed get better was matched, in equal intensity, by the sheer fear of having his most precious hopes snatched away from him. Talk about a shitty deja-vu.