Tagged, Bagged, Tied, Dyed, Swept to the Side

Danny Wagner at The Hungry Detective tagged me with a meme. I thought penicillin had killed these things off in the 1950s, but I suppose not. Anyway...

This is called Page 123. And here are the rules.

1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

Okay... nearest book is The Richard Matheson Companion, edited by Stanley Wiater, Matthew R. Bradley, & Paul Stuve (Gauntlet Publications, 2008). I've been dying to read this book for almost a year now, ever since I read about it in an issue of IDW's short-lived black and white horror comic Doomed. So, I've been savoring this slowwwwwwly, keeping it close at hand, and dipping in whenever I need a hit of Matheson.

Page 123, sentences six through nine:

He gave me books to read, concepts to ponder, and ideas to contemplate. More than anything, he inspired and encouraged me to be myself. To pursue my dreams no matter what anyone said.

Pretty goddamned inspiring isn't it?

That said, I'm going to break the fifth rule of this meme, and not tag anybody else. Like Holmes wrestling with Moriarty, I'm grabbing this motherfucker and taking it over the falls with me. Run! Run while you can! Save yourselllllvvvvvvvvvveeeeeesssssssss....