A New World: The Curious Case Of Mr. Randall

Google Images: Szymon Ziarek

Mr. Randall was a very important person in The City. He was a businessman and owned a lot of property. Mr. Randall was a generous man who supported many civic organizations and local charities- everybody liked Mr. Randall... except Mr. Randall.

So Mr. Randall went to visit The Doctor, who told him he was depressed, but he could fix that, he said: "Don't worry, Mr. Randall, we've got just the thing." And he gave Mr. Randall The Magic Pills. But, the Magic Pills didn't make Mr. Randall feel better, so he went back to see The Doctor. Again The Doctor told him: 'Not to worry, Mr. Randall. You just need to take some more of these Magic Pills with the others." Every time Mr. Randall went to visit The Doctor, he got some new Magic Pills to add to the others. On one such occasion The Doctor asked how he was feeling. Mr. Randall replied that sometimes he felt Ok, but sometimes he didn't.

"Aha," The Doctor exclaimed. "You have Bipolar Disorder- you need more of these Magic Pills. We'll have you feeling better in no time."

Mr. Randall had so many Magic Pills he didn't know what to do. He felt like he was beginning to disappear. Strange things began to happen... Mr. Randall had entered The New World- a place that was new and frightening, yet somehow intriguing. Every time he saw the sky, the trees, the grass, or the flowers, it was like seeing them for the first time- not metaphorically, but because Mr. Randall couldn't remember these things at all... Mr. Randall could barely remember anything. Sometimes there were bits and pieces, but every day was a new day... it was almost as though he was starting life anew... almost.

One memory plagued Mr. Randall... His father had died of Alzheimer's Disease and Mr. Randall feared this more than anything. At the end, his father couldn't even remember his own son. He was afraid. He wanted the old Mr. Randall back, but couldn't remember who he was. It was confusing- confusing and terrifying... and there were other things as well... He fell down all the time. He couldn't eat. He rarely slept. It was although he was trapped inside a terrifying nightmare.

When he tried to drive, he hit things. It as if his car had a mind of its own... and it didn't like him. He began to notice other issues as well- he could no longer control his bladder. Mr. Randall had to wear a diaper like a baby. When he told The Doctor, The Doctor said he needed more Magic Pills and if Mr. Randall stopped taking all his Magic Pills bad things would happen... The Doctor was making lots of money from selling Magic Pills tpMr. Randall and he didn't want that to stop.

Mr. Randall was trapped, lost, stuck in The New World- a place he didn't like and didn't want to be... he needed help. Mr. Randall had lost almost all of his friends... they didn't want to live in his New World- they all liked the old one... all of his friends but one. This friend came to stay and look after Mr. Randall. When he fell, The Friend came to pick him up and put him back in bed. He cleaned the house, cooked the food, drove the car and did the things Mr. Randall could no longer do for himself. But there was one thing The Friend couldn't do for Mr. Randall... he couldn't help Mr. Randall find his way back home.

Mr. Randall was trapped- trapped in an artificial world... the world of smoke and distorted images- the world of broken mirrors that won't let you know who you are. The New World created by The Doctor and the people that make Magic Pills that take you away from yourself. Will Mr. Randall find his way out of the Trap???