Hi Litsters,
I guess most of you in this category will be first time readers of my work. I hope to get some fans with this series. It's a satire on the post-modern family.
Even though it is under Humour and Satire, through the course of the entire story, there will be brief instances of masturbation, S&M, bisexuality, group sex, exhibitionism, voyeur and more.
Thanks to my editors KatieTay and NaokoSmith and my friends for inspiring some of the characters.
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Hello there, my name is Damien Chandler. This story is about my family, my friends, me and ... everyone I know. Actually, it's more about them than me because my life reads like an extraordinarily boring and short journal. My family and friends on the other hand... well that's why we're all here, right?
The glare of the sunlight was oppressive. All I wanted was to sleep a bit more, but the morning sun seemed determined to get me out of my comfortable bed. I swear, I can literally feel myself sinking inside the mattress at times. I resisted the sun for a few more minutes, until it was joined in its conspiracy by my rogue alarm clock. The insufferable combination finally got my body to rise out of my bed's comforting embrace.
My head hurt. It just physically hurt. Why the hell did that bloody alarm have to ring on a Sunday? What's more, I have an electronic alarm mat. It only shuts off if I stand on it. So my choices were between getting out of bed and standing on that infernal contraption or enduring a sound akin to a jackal being tortured on an infinitely repeating loop.
The sound stopped. I took a second to enjoy the solitude of my surroundings. This room is my haven, my personal sanctuary. I closed my eyes and pictured the whitewashed walls, replete with tributes to my geekdom. Lightsabers, posters from games and fantasy novels; not to mention the ludicrous number of gadgets.
Finally my recalcitrant eyelids opened, letting in blinding light. I blinked and my pupils adjusted to the harsh reality of being awake. They scanned across the room and a deep sense of shame washed over me; it was the knowledge that I was still Damien Chandler.
"Mister Chandler, would you like to see the news?"
Right on cue, Ramona the housekeeper, was by my side. She stood, Nexus in hand, to usher me into the new day. My left hand woke up and reached out to take the tablet from her. I sat on the edge of the bed and casually perused the latest happenings in the world around me. I heaved a condescending sigh seeing Lady Gaga's new tattoo trending more than an important bill due in the Senate.
"Troglodytes," I muttered. "All of humanity."
I shook my head one last time, dismissing the final remnants of sleep and trudged to the bathroom to begin my day in earnest.
Twenty minutes later, I sat down at the expansive dining table for breakfast. A platter was laid out with a delectable array of dishes. I didn't serve myself, but waited instead for the rest of my family. Sunday breakfast is a ritual, a family affair if you will. I chuckled inwardly, thinking of the sheer irony of my family having any family values.
"You're up early, sport."
The cheery booming voice reverberated off the stone walls making the crystal goblets vibrate. My eyes lifted off my plate and fixed on my father. Standing at just under six feet and built like a line-backer, he carries a certain machismo in his stride. Also in his voice.
"Yeah," I replied disinterestedly. "We have to return that alarm mat."
"Nonsense," he said in his gruff voice. "Family should eat together."
"They should also abstain from fucking whomever they want," I said, slightly louder than intended. He sat down at the head of the table and looked straight into my eyes.
"Young man," he began deeply. "Don't judge our lifestyle without understanding it. I love your mother very much and would not do anything if it were truly against her wishes. Open marriage is something we agreed upon before you were even born."
"It scares me just a little about my paternity."
"I admit, I was unsure as well," he said, lifting some bacon onto his plate. "We had a paternity test carried out and it turned out, you are indeed my pride and joy."
"Woohoo! Lucky me."
The next few minutes passed in silence. My father, Chandler family patriarch, Alan Chandler, helped himself to toast. He placed a slice of ham and bacon between the layers of bread and waited patiently for the rest of his family to show up. My eyes drifted to the ornate chandelier hanging above.
"What do you know about MySQL clusters?"
"Excuse me?" I said, gaping over at him.
"MySQL clusters," Alan repeated. "Something my Head of Engineering mentioned the other day. You know about them?"
"Yes," I said. "It makes databases much faster and query processing easier."
"Is it something I should invest in?"
"It would make the site faster, I guess," I shrugged, twirling my fork aimlessly. This sham of a family ritual was getting more torturous by the second. "And you could store more profiles than on the cloud."
"You know all that makes no sense to me, right?" he replied with a wink. "I'll consider it tomorrow with the board."
"How many profiles are there on DSNet?"
"Fast closing in on a hundred million," Alan beamed. "Isn't that great?"
"A hundred million perverted deviants."
Alan took a deep breath. "Damien, I put up with a lot, but that doesn't give you the right to speak that way. I've created a social network for people to come and talk about their deepest, most private fantasies. They are not sick deviants or pedophiles like you imply. They are everyday people all around you -- lawyers, doctors, business professionals, even teachers."
"If you say so," I shrugged it off brusquely.
"Damien, I..." he began.
"What is going on here?" said a melodic voice from the door. I turned my head to see a mass of blonde curls cascading down past the shoulders of my mother.
"Breakfast," Alan said. She came over and pecked him lightly on the lips.
"Sorry I'm late," she said, tying her hair behind her head. "Andre wouldn't let me leave without my sucking on his dick one last time. He likes having one for the road."
"MOM! Really? Over breakfast?"
"I'm sorry," she giggled. "Didn't see you there. Let me kiss you."
My mother swooped over and embraced her darling. Her lips came close to my cheek, before I turned to look at her.
"You're not kissing me with those lips," I said, taking an omelette onto my plate.
She pouted and took her seat, adjacent to Alan.
My mother Marilyn Chandler is a remarkably beautiful woman, a perfect example of graceful ageing. Notwithstanding the occasional infusion of botox. She is voluptuous and curvy, much to my father's delight.
"What were you two arguing about?" she asked, pouring herself some tea.