Tommy Wilcox and the Liar's Paradox

Chapter One

Baccarat: A card game played between two hands, the "player" and the "banker". Each round of play has three possible outcomes.

Intent on stealing a bite of his chocolate birthday cake, Tommy slithered through the living room jungle of gossiping grown-ups as he imitated a predatory python stalking its helpless prey. His mother often complained he lived in an imaginary world, never seeing the consequences of his actions. Even though he never caught a glimpse of the cunning creature called a consequence, Tommy desperately wanted to capture one. In fact, he often caught creepy crawlies and marauding mice using elaborate traps of his own creation, but never the mysterious consequence. How the creatures could hide better than a mouse confounded him. So, he vowed to capture one because Tommy prided himself on always winning any game, especially hide-and-seek.

Whenever Tommy openly boasted to his parents, he would someday catch a consequence his dad would often laugh or grin until his mom glared at his dad. Then his dad’s laughter abruptly ended. Tommy’s mom had the power to wipe his dad’s smile from his face with only a ‘look’. But when his dad defied his mom’s glare, she would arch an eyebrow. Tommy shivered at recalling the arched eyebrow. Without a doubt, he believed her raptor-like gaze had scared away all the consequences.

To reach his chocolaty prey, Tommy’s path lay between two imagined, swaying, wrinkled, decrepit, bulbous tree stumps with diseased looking gnarled roots stretched out on the ground before him.

“Ow,” a woman blurted out as Tommy slithered over her toes. Rather than attack, Tommy hissed at the talking tree stump. When Tommy had passed, the woman frowned and remarked to her friend.

“That child’s huckleberry blue eyes and curly blonde hair reminds me of a little angel. An angel that behaves like the devil. Remember what that little devil did to the Baxter’s pond last year? He built a dam redirecting their pond’s waterfall, causing their basement to flood. I bet he’s got A.D.D. Medicate the little rascal, that’s what I would do if I were his mom.”

The other woman huffed. “To start, they should dress him better. There are fewer holes in a slice of Swiss cheese than his dirty old t-shirt.”

While overhearing the talking tree stumps, Tommy snickered because his best result at school was in spelling, not adding. They also didn’t understand he wore his lucky t-shirt. Nothing bad ever happened to him while he wore his lucky t-shirt.

Tommy often overheard grown-ups gossip about him behind his back. Although he rarely understood them because they used big words, he recognized they didn’t say nice things. Never did he deliberately want to disappoint his parents, but somehow mischief always followed him. Today, their gossip didn’t matter because the joy of his birthday overshadowed their nasty words.

With his cake laying on the dining room table beckoning him, Tommy continued his stealthful approach. Puzzled whether the tiny fire engine red balloons on the cake were real or fake, Tommy resolved to taste one to discover the truth.

Sliding to a stop in front of the dining room table where his velvety chocolate prey lay vulnerable, Tommy surveyed his surroundings. Off to the side of the table, an assortment of brightly wrapped presents with bows and gift bags threatened to distract him, but the rumbling in his stomach reminded him of his reptilian need. Twisting his sinuous neck, he peered behind, making certain there were no witnesses to his frenzied feast. Flicking out his tongue, he detected a waft of icy air alerting him to danger. With snake-like speed, he spun around, finding an unfamiliar little girl, standing only a few inches shorter than him with sea-blue eyes, blonde hair and pigtails blocking his path.

“Sss. Who… sss are you… sss?” Tommy hissed as he slithered a step back from the intruder.

“Do not be alarmed, for I am here to help you, Tommy Wilcox. No one can see or hear me except you. You are in mortal danger. To save yourself and your family, you must listen. If you don’t believe me, the consequences will be bad.”

His mom had been right after all, consequences had invaded his home, and they were the bad ones. Tommy’s jungle adventure evaporated, replaced with a real adventure, pursuit of the elusive consequences for the blond-haired girl knew where they hid.

“Tell me what to do,” Tommy said, tilting his head towards her while rubbing his hands, still bruised and scratched from his most recent misadventure.

With a sly smile and a curt nod, the little girl pointed towards the living room. “Do you see the man wearing the blue striped shirt and tan slacks arguing with your father?”

Several times, as Tommy observed the man, the man’s eyes bulged, and he pointed a thick finger at his dad. Their arguing continued until the man’s finger poked his dad, forcing his dad to step backwards.

Reminded of the schoolyard bullies that picked on him, Tommy’s hands involuntarily clenched into fists. Often he cried as he trudged home after being bullied. Tommy glared at the man poking his dad. “He’s a bully. I hate bullies.”

“If you make him leave the party, you’ll be a hero and save everyone.”

Tommy’s eyes widened. “How?”

“That is your task to figure out. Tommy Wilcox. Your task. Remember, your family’s lives are in your hands,” she whispered into his ear from behind him. The coldness of her breath caused him to shiver.

“What about the bad consequences? Will they leave too? Is he their leader?”

Tommy turned towards her, but she had vanished, leaving him standing alone facing his cake.

As he smacked his lips and gazed at the deep brown chocolate cake, an idea formed in Tommy’s mind. A wide grin grew on Tommy’s face as he marched up to the cake and scooped out a handful of the chocolate brown icing.

Imitating a wild gazelle, Tommy bounded towards the man, smacking him on the backside, smearing the brown chocolate icing on his butt.

“You’re it,” Tommy shrieked, racing away from a group of gasping guests as he scurried up the stairs towards his room, confident he had vanquished the bad consequences.

#

Tommy’s heartbeat raced as he slammed the door of his room in eager anticipation of witnessing his first consequence. He planned to watch them leave the house from his window overlooking the front yard, but a major obstacle blocked his path for his imagination, transformed his toys and clothes strewn around the floor as explosive land mines. As he held his breath, Tommy tip-toed and leapt through the dangerous field without setting off a single explosion. Upon reaching the window, Tommy peered out the window. Within moments, the bully stormed out, but not a single creature followed him.

A knock at his door interrupted his disappointment.

“Come in,” Tommy shakily said.

His dad jerked open the door. At once, Tommy recognized the tight jaw and ugly twist to his mouth. He had seen that expression many times, and it meant trouble.

“Tommy, do you realize what you did? Mr. Reynolds left the party.”

Shaking his head, Tommy shouted, “I saw him poke you, dad. He’s a bully. I hate bullies.”

“Come here, Tommy.”

Tommy inched towards his father. His parents never disciplined him with the strap, but they threatened it several times.

With a loud sigh, his dad dropped to his knees and put his hand on Tommy’s shoulder. But instead of yelling, his voice softened.

“Oh, now I understand. You figured you’d protect me.” Tommy’s dad grunted. “I suppose you’re right about Mr. Reynolds being a bully, but don’t worry about me, Tommy. I can defend myself from bullies like him.”

“Why do you work with him, anyway?” Tommy asked.

“His company wants my department’s approval of an important defence contract with our government.”

The fence? Tommy didn’t understand why the government always fussed about the fences. He overheard his father say a few times the fences might fall.

“You’ve had enough adventures for today. Go downstairs and enjoy a slice of your birthday cake,” his dad said.

#

After the party ended and all the guests had departed, Tommy sat on the hallway stairs outside the kitchen eavesdropping on his parent’s conversation. To learn what they really thought, Tommy would often pretend to be a secret agent and spy on them.

“What punishment did you give to Tommy?” The clinking sound of dishes being placed in the dishwasher echoed in the hall.

“Oh. The usual. Did I tell you, the Baxter’s remodelled their kitchen,” his dad responded.

Tommy cringed. His mom almost never got sidetracked from changing the subject. He tried that trick many times. She was too clever for that.

“The usual?” The clinking of dishes stopped.

“George Nathaniel Wilcox.”

It was always a sign of trouble when his mom used anyone’s full name.

“He wasn’t being malicious, Mary. He tried to protect me from Mr. Reynolds.”

“Why did you invite Reynolds? I don’t like that man, George.”

“I didn’t. Likely, he overheard me talking about Tommy’s party at the office. I guess he crashed the party trying to influence my opinion on his company’s proposal.”

With a heavy sigh, Tommy sagged back on the step. His dad successfully used a double distraction.

His dad’s laugh reverberated in the hallway. “By playing out one of his imaginary adventures, Tommy took care of the party crasher.”

“That’s what worries me. Tommy has too many pretend adventures. I don’t consider it normal.”

“Really? He’s just a kid! All kids make up imaginary adventures. It’s part of being a kid.”

“Why do you believe it’s normal?” his mom asked.

“I was the same at his age. I turned out okay.”

Too long a silence followed his dad’s last comment. Tommy guessed his dad was probably getting a ‘look’. Likely a double raised eyebrow. Those were the worst. Double raised eyebrows had the power to force Tommy to confess to any lie.

“If that’s what you believe, then you wouldn’t mind taking Tommy to a psychologist to have him tested? All the mischief that boy gets into is not normal.”

Tommy’s heartbeat raced. His dad’s approach had backfired in the worst way. Somehow, his mom bewitched his dad into sending Tommy to a psycho. Tommy knew full well what a psycho was because, unknown to his parents, he watched the movie ‘Psycho’ at a sleepover at Jimmy’s house. As he remembered the scene where the knife kept cutting through the shower curtain, Tommy shivered uncontrollably.

Tommy’s shivers continued as he scurried upstairs to his room and after he slammed the door behind him. As fast as he could, he gathered the largest toys strewn about his room and piled them in front of the door to prevent anyone from entering.

“Are you barricading the door?”

With his nerves on edge, Tommy whirled around, expecting a knife-wielding psycho only to discover the little blonde-haired pigtailed girl sitting on his bed.

“It’s nothing,” Tommy replied, laughing shakily, but then his eyes widened, reminded of the exchange between his parents.

“Mom wants to send me to a psycho with a knife to cut the mischief out of me!”

The little girl’s eyebrows scrunched together, and she frowned. “Did your mom say psycho or psychologist?”

Tommy pondered her question.

“Yah, she said psychologist.”

The little girl giggled. Tommy licked his bottom lip. Somehow, her giggling made Tommy feel foolish.

“A psychologist is a special doctor and will only talk to you. That’s all silly.”

“I knew th… th… that.” Tommy glanced down.

“Why are you here? I made the man leave the party.”

“You are still in danger, Tommy. It’s not over.”

“What do you mean? I did what you wanted.”

“Mr. Reynolds was here to persuade your father to support his corporation’s anti-missile guidance system. But the system is flawed and can be hacked by your enemies. If your government adopts the system, your enemies will use your own system against you. He will try again to persuade your father. If your father and the rest of your government’s leaders support the system, your enemies will bomb twelve major cities, including yours, with your own missiles.”

Tommy shrugged. “So, I’ll just tell my dad.”

“That won’t be sufficient. He won’t believe you. We’ve run hundreds of computer simulations, and they come out the same. Only the random element allows for the best chance for success.”

Tommy didn’t understand the word simulation, but he learned some cool things about elements.

“Where do we find this random element? Are the elements radioactive?”

The little girl smirked. “It’s not an element on the periodic chart, silly. You are the random element, Tommy.”

Tommy didn’t like her calling him silly. “Why can’t a grown-up be the random element?”

“Tommy, we’ve conducted hundreds of computer simulations with adults as the random element. The odds of an adult believing our story and helping us to eliminate the threat successfully are less than ten percent. But you, Tommy, are unique. The likelihood of you succeeding is over ninety percent. You are imaginative and inventive, Tommy. You are the ideal random element. The way you got Mr. Reynolds to leave the party was exceptional. You’re a hero.”

Tommy still didn’t understand simulations. But he understood she said he was exceptional and a hero. The smart kids at school got labelled as exceptional, but not him. Reckless, spontaneous, and meandering, that’s how his teacher described him to his parents.

“Tommy, you are still in danger. We still need your help to stop Mr. Reynolds.”

Tommy scratched his neck, looking downward. “Me? No way. I don’t want anymore trouble.”

“Tommy, no one else can help. Will you do it? For me? Will you be my hero?”

Normally, Tommy didn’t trust little girls and viewed them as annoying. Often he and Jimmy teased them at school, but this girl made him feel different. Different in a pleasant way.

His stomach churned. “What do I gotta do?”

“In three days, a security conference will be held and it will be composed of your government and military leaders. At the meeting, Mr. Reynolds will present his corporation’s anti-missile guidance system for their approval. You need to stop your government from buying the guidance system.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“That, Tommy Wilcox, is your task. Remember, the lives of everyone in your country are up to you.”

Tommy wished he could run away, but a knock interrupted his growing unease.

“Come in,” Tommy said.

Tommy looked back to the bed, but the little blonde-haired girl had disappeared again.

“Tidy up this room, Tommy. You can barely tell there’s a floor underneath all your stuff,” his dad said as he tip-toed around his rumpled clothes and discarded toys towards the bed. When his dad finally sat on his bed, he let out a heavy sigh.

“So Tommy, your mom and I were thinking…” his dad paused. “Well, that’s peculiar. Why is your bed so cold?” His dad ran his hands around the bed. “Only this spot here,” he said, touching the exact spot where the little girl had sat.

“I dunno.” Tommy bit his lip.

With a shrug, his dad stopped patting the bed covers. “Your mom suggested we take you to a doctor.”

“I’m not sick,” Tommy replied.

“A psychologist is a special doctor, Tommy. This doctor will give you a test.”

An idea formed in Tommy’s mind, and Tommy grinned.

“What kind of doctor did you say, dad?”

“A psychologist.”

Tommy bolted up, with his eyes open wide, and forced his bottom lip to quiver and tears to stream down his face. “No way, dad. I’m not going to the psycho. At Jimmy’s house, I once watched a movie about a psycho who stabbed a woman in the shower.”

His dad smirked until Tommy whined. “Do you want someone to murder me?”

“No, Tommy. A psychologist is a brain doctor.”

Tommy opened his eyes wider, forcing his lower lip to tremble even more. “Will he cut out my brain?”

“No, no, no, Tommy. This doctor’s not a surgeon.”

“I don’t wanna go, dad,” even though Tommy could whine for an entire hour if need be, this time it only took five minutes before his dad gave up.

“Tommy, if you see the doctor, I’ll give you anything you want.”

Tommy’s sniffling subsided.

“Anything?”

“Anything,” his father nodded with a smile.

Tommy leaned towards his father. “Can I visit your office?”

His dad beamed. “Off course, Tommy, you may come to my office anytime.”

“Promise?” Tommy persisted.

“Yes, Tommy. Anytime. I promise.”

“Okay, dad. I’ll see the psycho as long as I can visit your office three days from now,” Tommy said, bouncing on his toes.

“Three days from now? That’s an odd thing to ask. Tuesday? Oh, wait. I’m attending a very important meeting on Tuesday.”

“You promised!” Tommy whined.

His dad ran his fingers through his hair.

“Okay, okay. Tommy, you can come to my office. But for most of the morning, I’m attending an important meeting, so you’ll stay with Stacey. Remember Stacey? I work with her. Is that okay? So you’ll see the psychologist?”

“Sure, dad.”

“Good.” His dad stood and left Tommy’s room.

Tommy rushed over to his closet, pulling out his backpack and peered into it, pondering what he might need at his dad’s office, just as the little girl’s voice made him jump again.

“Stop sneaking up on me,” Tommy barked.

“Well done Tommy, manipulating your father into taking you to his office is an important first step in preventing the government from buying the defective anti-missile guidance system and saving your country.”

Tommy held up his chin and thrust out his chest until a thought occurred to him. How is a little kid supposed to stop the government?