This is a short story set in a future world where a man finds himself in a peculiar predicament where his greatest fears are coming true. As the story progresses and reaches it's surprising end, the man realizes he has just undertaken a life changing experience.
Whether on paper or in film, breaking the fourth wall is always a risk. In this case, the strategy works sometimes but not others. And yes the readers do find the parentheses a bit annoying after a while. Oddly, the story works just fine without that sidetrack. By the end, you're so involved with the storyline , that you actually forget those silly parentheses.