Stilted

Sitting in the kitchen with Stevie, Adam felt himself at a loss.

Not knowing why his friend was acting so differently, he found he didn't know what to say when Stevie asked "so what's the story, Adam?"

Adam looked down at his untouched and unwanted tea, before mumbling something about not feeling well, waiting to get an appointment to see the doctor...as he was saying these things, he couldn't help thinking it all sounded disjointed, vague and confused.

Stevie, if he picked up on this, didn't show any sign of noticing. Instead, he said - in a strange, over sincere tone - that he hoped Adam would soon be feeling better again.

The two of them sat there in a silence that was beyond awkward. At any other time, Adam would have known his best mate was winding him up and called his bluff. But lately his life had taken so many unexpected turns he simply didn't know how to react.

And in a world where things seemed to be much odder than he'd ever suspected, it seemed anything was possible.

Part of him, therefore, wasn't surprised when Stevie said to him "do you ever feel there's something missing in your life, Adam?"

Trying to lighten the atmosphere, Adam replied "what, apart from loads of money and women, do you mean?"

Stevie laughed in a humourless way and shook his head.

He then reached into a drawer and pulled out a scrappy, photocopied-looking leaflet. Pushing it across the table to Adam, he said "no, this is what I'm talking about."

When Adam saw the Church of the New Word logo, he knew that his friend was not himself at all.



Part Two begins here.