Pizza and Power Plays – Ch3

Mitchell and Sam prepare dinner while debating the value of consulting Dr Snow about their fertility. Their domestic tension exposes deeper cracks in their marriage. Later, Mitchell confides in Tony, revealing disturbing stories of sexual manipulation, necro-erotic encounters, and resentment toward Sam. The chapter intertwines banality with escalating psychological darkness.

The chapter begins in the kitchen, an intimate yet volatile setting. On the surface, Mitchell and Sam are making a pizza, but beneath their exchanges lies a struggle for control. Their disagreement over something as trivial as using oven mitts versus a tea towel symbolises Mitchell’s growing resistance to Sam’s authority. The domesticity masks a deeper fracture: the ongoing conflict over fertility. Sam, supported by Anneke, pushes for medical intervention. Mitchell resents the insinuation that his masculinity is in question, though he reluctantly entertains the idea. The kitchen scene encapsulates their relationship—mundane tasks undercut by mistrust and veiled hostility.

The narrative then shifts dramatically with Mitchell walking alongside Tony, his counsellor friend. Here, Mitchell reveals his private world—one steeped in manipulation, taboo, and cruelty. He recounts encounters with women whom he lured into graveyards for sex, framing these as opportunities to recreate “virginity” and exert absolute control. The grotesque imagery—sex atop headstones, desecrating graves, and psychological games—juxtaposes chillingly against the earlier domestic banter.

Tony, a Christian counsellor hiding his own dark proclivities, serves as Mitchell’s uneasy mirror. Their dialogue is a disturbing confession, probing morality, sanity, and the rationalisations used to excuse predatory behaviour. Mitchell’s hatred of Sam’s celibacy and avoidance of intimacy fuels his dangerous desires, revealing that his voyages on The Surly Mermaid are more than escapism—they are outlets for his inner “Beast.”

This chapter deepens the novel’s thematic contrasts: civility versus depravity, marital duty versus personal obsession, and surface normalcy versus hidden corruption. It illustrates how Mitchell compartmentalises his life—appearing as a husband preparing pizza, yet also a predator recounting desecration and control. The duality heightens the psychological tension, leaving readers unsettled by the thin veil separating ordinary life from monstrous impulses.

–Michael (Dark fiction. Author of SEETHINGS (the first book), free for a limited time)

Ch3