Crazy People

My local is housed in an old Victorian building with dark lighting and intimate tables tucked into the numerous corners. In the back of the pub on the left is the place I normally sit, and i'm relieved to see it empty this afternoon. After getting served, I head over to my table and sit back to read the news. Murder, Robbery, Fraud, Bombs…….

Shortly after I have settled down, a man comes in and sits down opposite me. On my table! I look up over my paper and he is looking straight at me, a man of about thirty five, wearing a weathered and stained blue woolen beanie hat. He looks like he hasn't shaved for a week and he has a strange look in his eyes, as if he is waiting for me to talk. I look around the pub and back to my newspaper. My palms are starting to sweat. Why has he sat next to me? There are lots of tables free!

I look up slowly from my newspaper again but not so much as to bring attention to myself. He is just lighting a cigarette and pulling a local paper out from a carrier bag he has brought in with him. I feel as if I can't take my eyes off him but I am desperate not to have to speak. My mouth is getting dry from nerves but I don't want to put the newspaper down for fear of giving an opportunity to converse.

It is now the situation gets worse. I hear knocking noises against the table. Although I know it's the wrong thing to do I am drawn to looking up again to find out what he is doing. With a small pen, the type you get in betting shops he is stabbing the paper and scribbling madly over people faces. Now I am getting really worried. Is he an escaped lunatic out to conduct revenge on society for his incarceration? There is an asylum close by! My mind is running wild with the possibilities and my heart is racing. Is this it? To die right here, right now.

Just as I feel I can't take much more he gets up and walks out. The paper he had is left on the table. I nervously pull the paper closer to me at the same time noticing that my hand is shaking. Amongst all the scribbling I notice he has highlighted some words by putting boxes around them. They are not together though so it is not immediately obvious what it means. I then piece it together and realise what it says.

"NOW IT BEGINS"

This is when my mind starts swimming. Is this a message for me?