Something is missing

A Short Story by Rosemary

July 2020

The young man was twenty-eight years old. He was nothing special, just your normal, average, everyday, young man. He worked at an ordinary job, stocking shelves, selling things, and occasionally running the till. It wasn't a huge box store, but a small, Mom and Pop hardware store, in the middle of a small town right out of Leave It To Beaver. The only thing missing on the streets was Jerry Mathers.

Seeing the Sights

A short story by Rosemary

In the summer of 1905, in a rural area of western Pennsylvania, two boys were born into the Wenger Mennonite community on the same day. They were pretty typical kids, and they went to school together. Played together. Worked together, and determined that when they went on rumspringa, it would be together.

Leroy was born in the morning of July 2^nd, and Eduard, later that night, and they considered that it was God’s will that they be friends. They loved each other like brothers, and when they were eighteen years old, they left home, and went to Philadelphia on their Rumspringa.

Chapter 2

Amos glared at me. He tried to retake control of the situation, but I was very determined. Carla was helping as well, and between us, we were able to keep control.

"If you feel the way about me that you claim, why don't you look at my memories?"

He stared at me for a moment. "Do they have Carlson in them?" He asked.

"Of course," I answered.

"Then I'm not interested," He told me.

I don't know what I expected, but it was certainly not what I saw.

The upper ring was quite wide, and several people were lining each side. We started to push through the crowd, only to nearly be run over by a chariot!

Chapter 1.3

I looked at the chariot and gasped. It was black with gold trim and looked like something straight out of the ancient movie Ben Hur, except that it was not being pulled by four horses, but four ponygirls. They were obviously running as fast as they could, and another chariot was gaining on them. It was a race! And honest to God chariot race!

The man’s eyes grew wide. He seemed elated, but cautious. “How can I know you’re telling the truth?”

“I don’t know, but let me introduce myself. I’m John Carlson, and this is my wife, Rose. We’re from Neo22.”

The old man seemed to consider things, then he turned and motioned. About thirty other people appeared, all around the same apparent age.

Chapter 1.2

Back on Neo22, we were in the briefing room, just down the inner ring from the command center. Seated at the table were our normal command crew as well as Doctors Jack and Sylvia, Bob Grissom, and Georg Brown, the old man we had met in the ship.

She had my build, honey blonde hair, and my face, but John's eyes. Those beautiful brown eyes of his! If anyone were to compare their eyes, there would be no doubt they were related.

The swing slowly moved back and forth, and she softly cried. I wasn't sure if it was embarrassment or shame making her cry, but rather than hurt her trying to figure it out, I just held her.

We started home, and although I wasn't looking forward to our coming talk, I had really enjoyed myself. It was a memory I would treasure. Just enjoying being out and playing together. It's not something a girl close to a thousand years old gets to do with her husband often.

I grabbed his lapels and pulled him to me. I gave him a kiss and told him, "For several days."

I turned and went into the bathroom kicking off my shoes on the way. When I saw the interior, I called out sweetly, "I'm gonna need someone to wash my back".

He was beside me in a heartbeat.