Page 85 of Nearly Roadkill
To:T. Sparrow
From:Drew
Subject:Sticky
Hi Dad,
Didn’t you once tell me that “the Net” created revolutions for all different types of people? In those 1990s chat rooms folks felt safe enough to be themselves.
Deaf people could type, queer people could flirt, nerds could geek out… everyone had their own kind of safe space to find like-minded souls. And folks kind of watched out for harassment. If you did that, you were out! Am I being too idealistic about this?
Love,
Yer kid Drew
TOOBE ENTRY
To:Toobe
From:Jabbathehut
Subj:Time wasters
What have you been up to, mischievous one? Is this your doing? These are some messages I’ve scanned in chat rooms in the space of a single hour:
Warrior Net: Scratch Wincs, Winc Scratches, the coolest dudes in the universe. They Rule!
Cheating Husbands: Scratch is the most popular girl in our area, I cannot believe she is being pursued by cyberpolice. I wonder if we can help?
Black Men on Black Men: Of course Winc’s been gone for a while. Now I get it. Damn, what’s he gotten himself into? Must have put it to an Eye ::evil grin::
This idol-worship is disgusting, to say the least, Master Toobe. Do these “people” not have anything better to do than speculate on the whereabouts of persons of no import?
—J.
To:Jabbathehut
From:Toobe
Subj:My friends
Those two persons are important to me, Jabba, but I get what you’re saying. No, it wasn’t me. It’s a fucking epidemic. It’s all cuz of some newspaper announcement.
—T.
To:Toobe
From:Jabbathehut
Subj:Friends
Ah, I see. (Must your prose be so purple so often? There are other words—many, in fact—in our English language.) Thank you for the explanation. How predictable.
—J.
To:Jabbathehut
From:Toobe
