A Question of Spirals
An unfortunate amount of time was spent contemplating the meaning of the phrase 'spiraling out of control.' It makes a criminal of a lovely little shape. After all, wasn't the spiral merely a smooth circling pattern? Unassuming, curving and twisting in a way devoid of rough edges? The simple friend of the artistically-challenged doodler? Does that sound like something that should be coupled with the words 'out of control?'
Good things come in spirally disguises. There was the spiral perm, the spiral football pass, spiral pasta. As a child, Natalie treasured her plastic Spirograph art kit. None of these could be confused with a harbinger of calamity (except the one time her hair rebelled.)
Not that a great deal of previous study had been focused on this debate. She hadn't intended for form a thesis from which to comprise an opinion on the curly symbol. But the balance of the night was given to the task. The real question was: at what moment did an innocent 6-letter word fester into something sinister?
Actually, it was precisely 11:42 a.m. when Frank muttered his fateful thoughts…
"If we're not careful, he's gonna spiral out of control."
Exactly how would their being careful affect this prediction? As if two mere mortals held any sway on the man in question. Besides, if one were to spiral, is the act required by legal contract to lead to disaster? Surely there was an alpha and omega in the shape, right? So once it began, a spiral out of control had to end. Which shouldn't have to result in a destructive crash. Perhaps it could be likened to a spiral pool sliding board, where the end finds one descending into the soft cushion of a watery landing.
And then there was the huff that broke the ponderings. She realized with an embarrassed eye roll that these were the postulations produced by a tired mind. And one that sought a rose-colored alternative. In reality, Stephen was a force of nature. Unsteerable. Unchangeable. And truly, nature had its share of terrible spirals.
In reality, she could only hope Hurricane Connor did not destroy all in his path. Still, with her new fixation on spirals, she was resolved to move closer to the eye of the storm. Perhaps become the soft landing. Because even a frightening tornado could be addictively fascinating.
