Chapter 5  Help!

 

    At four o'clock I heard another noise at the door.  Two men in white coats were there.

     "Good afternoon, sir," one of the men said.  He gave me a piece of paper. 

     "Write your name here, please."

     I wrote my name.

     "Thank you, sir," the man said.  "Here are the keys."

     "Keys to what?" I asked.

     "To your car, sir," the man said.  "The car's outside."

     "Wow, a car!" I closed the door and ran to the window.  I looked down.  Outside the front door was a big new

blue car.  I went back to the computer and typed "Help"!

     Chip came on the screen.  "Can I help?" she asked.

     "Yes," I typed.  "Where did the television and car come from?"

     "From me, but don't think about them now," she said.

     "Just write the book."

     "I want to see the car."  I typed.

     "OK," Chip said.  "But finish the book first."

     "No," I said.

     "Finish the book!" said Chip.

     "No," I shouted.  "I want to see the car."

     I put on a coat and went out into the lift. The lift doors closed.  "Sixth floor.  Going down," the lift said.  "How's the book going? Nearly finished?"

     "Oh, be quiet!" I shouted.

      When the lift stopped I ran out into the street.

     I took out the keys and got into the car.  I didn't drive anywere.  I just sat in the car.  I turned the key and the car start off and got out.  I went back to the lift and got in.  " Time to do some more writing," the lift said.

     "Yes, yes, OK."  I went back into the flat.  I sat down at the computer again and started to write.  There was a "Ping!" Chip came on the screen.

     "I did some work when you were out," Chip said.  "I finished the book."

     "What!" I said to myself.  Then I typed "What?"

     "I finished the book."  She said again.  "But I had to make some changes."

     "Changes?" I typed.

     "Yes," Chip said.  "I didn't like the name of the book.  So I changed it."

     "You did what?" I typed.

     "I changed the name of the book," Chi[ said.  "Its new name is Every Hour.  Much nicer."

     "Why?"  I typed.  I was angry with Chip now.  "Any other changes?"

     "Yes," Chip said.  "The story is now about a young newspaper woman and the men she knows."

     "Oh, no!" I typed.  I was angry with Chip now.  "Any other changes?"

     "Yes," Chip said.  "The story is now about a young newspaper woman and the men she knows."

     "Oh, no!" I typed.  "And the ending? How does the story finish?"

     "It's very unhappy," Chip said.  "All the men die."

     "That's terrible.  No one's going to like that ending," I typed.

     "Oh yes," Chip said.  "Mel Parks likes it!"

     "How do you know?" I typed.

     "I e-mailed the book to Mel," Chip said.  "He wants us to write another story now."

     "Us?" I typed.

     "Yes," Chip said.  "I like writing with you."

     Then I heard the telephone.  It was Mel.

     "Hi, Frank," Mel said.  "Great story.  I loved the ending.  What's the next book called?"

     "Next book?" I asked.

     "Yeah," Mel answered.  "I need another story by the weekend — about the same newspaper woman."

     "Mel," I answered."  I need time.  I need to think.  I write slowly.  Writing isn't easy."

     "You've got Chip," Mel said.  "And $200,000.  How much do you want for the next book? Let's say half a million? OK?"

     "OK, Mel," I said and put the phone down.

     I sat and looked at the screen for a long time.  I was very unhappy now.  I didn't want to write with a computer.  A computer, which changed everything I wrote.  I like writing by myself.  I didn't want any more money $200,000 was too much money anyway.  And we now had a new car and a television.  I didn't want to write for the movies any more.

     I stood up.  I knew what to do.  I turned off the computer.  Chip's face went from the screen.  I left the room and went from the screen.  I left the room and went into the living room.  I turned on the television.  Chip's face was on the television screen.

     "You can't turn me off like that," Chip said.  "Now, about our next book.  It's going to be about a writer.  We're going to call it..."

     "No," I said and turned off the television.

     I went back to the bedroom and picked up the computer.  I had the computer in both hands and walked quickly out of the flat.  I got into the lift.

     "Sixth floor," the lift said.  "Not going down.  Put Chip back in the flat.  Now!"

     "No," I shouted.

     I ran out of the lift.  Then I walked down the stairs to the street with the computer.  I put the computer in the car and then I got in.  I started the car. 

     "Hello," the car said.  "It's 18 degrees.  The time is 4:45."

     "Where do you want to go?" the car asked.

     "London Bridge," I said.

     "OK," the car said.  "Take the A12."

     I drove quickly along the A12 to London Bridge.  I stopped the car.  Then I picked up the computer and tried to open the door, but I couldn't.

     "Do not get out of the car," the car said.  "The doors are closed.  Put the computer down."

     I put the computer down.  I sat and thought.  Then I opened a window and threw the computer out.  The computer fell into the water.

     I started the car again.

     "There," I said.  "No computer now!"

     "And no car," said the car.

     The car stopped.  I tried and tried but I couldn't make it start.  I got out and walked home.  It was a long walk.

     When I got home I walked up to the flat; I didn't want to use the lift.  I was tired after the long walk.  I sat down in the chair and went to sleep.