October Character Interview
Patricia Parrington ~ October 1, 2024
Hello my lovely readers and fellow book-lovers! For those of you who are new here, I, your inquisitive host, Patricia Parrington, have the pleasure of interviewing characters from books all over the world.
Today we have here with us Peter Harlow from the book Along About Midnight by Dorian J. Sinnott. Dorian is an author of dark fiction, ranging from drabbles to novels. He lives in New York with his girlfriend and their two cats.
Meet Peter
[Patricia settles onto an orange suede couch and smiles at her guest sitting across from her.]
Welcome to Fable Features! I’m glad you were able to join us today. So tell me—what’s your day-to-day life look like?
[Peter shrugs.]
It’s pretty boring, honestly. Mostly just going to school and hanging out with friends. There’s not much to do in my town. I guess it’s a nice area . . . environmentally speaking. But, it’s isolating and kind of lame otherwise.
That does sound a little boring, but sometimes boring is okay! Better than being in constant danger I suppose.
[Patricia taps her chin, thinking.]
What are your thoughts on lying?
It depends how deep the lie is. If it’s harmless to cover your ass, sure. If it’s something more extreme or meant to hurt someone, then that’s not cool. I try and be honest as best I can . . . though it’s hard to convince my dad of that. He always thinks I’m making stuff up.
[Patricia frowns questioningly.]
He thinks you’re making stuff up? Sounds like you two don’t see eye-to-eye. Let’s move onto a more light-hearted question!
What mythical creature would improve the world most if it existed?
[Peter snorts.]
That’s a better question for my friend, Sam. She believes in all that crazy stuff. But if I have to answer . . . I dunno.
[He shrugs.]
Would like a genie or something count? Something that could just like . . . fix things if I wished?
[He quiets, muttering to himself,]
Though . . . wishing got me where I am . . . so maybe not that . . .
I think a genie would be a great creature! Following the general stories, what would your three wishes be?
[His attention gets drawn back by the question.]
Huh? Oh . . . erm. Well, my first wish would be no strings attached. I don’t want any consequences for my wishes. I’ve had enough of that. My second would be maybe for my friends to stay local after graduation and not move away. I’m struggling with that a little bit. And my third wish would be to be happy . . .
Interesting that you’ve experienced wishes like this . . .
[Patricia looks at him curiously but doesn’t pry.]
Those are good wishes. I feel like a lot of people are searching for happiness.
Our next question is an intriguing one: What inanimate object do you wish you could eliminate from existence?
Does school count?
[Patricia laughs.]
Absolutely!
Who do you usually turn to for help?
My best friend, Sam. She’s super supportive and I can’t imagine life without her. She knows exactly what to say to make me feel better . . . even if it’s not a full cure, you know?
[Peter glances away.]
I’d be lost without her . . .
[Patricia’s eyes soften.]
She sounds like an amazing best friend. How’d you guys meet?
We met in 5th grade after she moved here from the East Coast. We hit it off immediately. We’ve been best friends ever since.
I love that! It’s great finding friends you can get along with easily right away.
If you had to name one thing about you that stands out from others, what would that be?
From my friend group, I’m less optimistic than they are. They all have plans for life and like, do really well in school . . . I don’t know what I’m doing. And my grades aren’t the best. I guess what stands out is, they have a future and I don’t.
Oh I’m sorry to hear that. It’s not fun not knowing what you want to do in life or what your future looks like.
Our next question is an interesting one: Have you ever had a close encounter with death?
[Peter lets out a nervous laugh.]
[Patricia arches an eyebrow.]
I take it you have. What happened? Was this recent?
[He picks at the rips in the knees of his jeans.]
Recent and, uh, ongoing . . . I fooled around with things I shouldn’t have.
[Patricia cocks her head.]
You are quite an intriguing individual. I certainly hope this ongoing encounter with death resolves itself—and quickly. That doesn’t sound good at all.
You mentioned wishing to be happy earlier. What does perfect happiness look like to you?
A world where no one leaves. Where family truly loves you and friends don’t forget about you and move on. A world where . . . I’m not alone. Lonely. I know that’s an impossible stretch for happiness . . . but that’s what would make me feel that way.
Sounds like you’ve had a hard life.
[Patricia glances down quietly, then lets out a breath and smiles at her guest.]
Well, we’re out of time. I’m so glad you came by today. I wish you all the best for the future and truly hope things begin looking up for you.
End of interview.
Want to Read More?
Peter’s author, Dorian J. Sinnott, can be found on Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, and at his website, www.doriansinnott.com. Along About Midnight can be bought here.
author Dorian J. Sinnott
artwork by @caitlinc37 (on Twitter/X)
See Ya Next Time
Aaand that's all the time we have today. Thank you, readers, for coming. And thank you, Peter, for letting us get to know you! See y'all next time.
If you would like to submit a character to be interviewed for a future issue of Fable Features, please send an email to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Fable Features.
Please note that erotica and content with excessive vulgar language will not be accepted.
If you have questions you'd like Patricia Parrington to ask in a future interview, please submit them to linnaekconkel@gmail.com with the subject line: Interview Questions.
Comentarios