The boy had a pair of eyes of pure mischief and a heart of pure gold. There was something about the 23-year-old Jack that dragged people towards him. He had a spark in his smile and he was more than good-looking. There was nothing threatening about him. Nothing at all. He preferred working smart rather than working hard but he always gets his work done and that ideology of his was what made him oppose his opportunity of taking up his long-lasting family business. Jack's mother was a task manager who decides everyone's direction of life in the family and organized chores of the house. His father did nothing but work. His world lied in his business which was a soft drink manufacturing factory. He had to deal with thousands of workers in a day and he would smile only once in a while and then sink back in his work. His sister was 2 years younger than Jack and was still completing her studies. There was no scope of their parents accepting their daughter to see the world like a man or let her manage any sort of business. So, Jack had a lot of pressure on him to take up something he was not ready to. He just wanted a strong reason to oppose his family and a strong motive to prove himself right. Jack tucked himself into the blanket on his open terrace that night and the sleep pooled on his eyelids. He slowly buried in his sleep. In the middle of the night, Jack felt someone trying to wake him up by nudging his shoulder. He suddenly opened his eyes as if it was an emergency. He rubbed his eyes trying to give his brain a moment to allow his vision to be clear. His brain functioning had stopped at the exact moment when he saw a girl like an angel kneeling next to him and when her eyes met his, she smiled. "Who are you?" he asked with a confusing expression. She beamed a soft dimpled smile. With a voice not louder than a soft whisper "I'm your guardian angel. You people call us fairies," she took his hand and stood up. His stomach did a leap and a twirl all at once. "I'm definitely dreaming!" he said hiding his excitement. He was looking at her flowing black hair and her deep blue eyes. There wasn't anything magical over there like wings on her back or rainbow in the sky or any wand in her hand with a star. Everything was normal and she looked so real, her touch was real and her words were so assuring that Jack started believing her. "Why are you here?" he asked. "I'm here to guide you with your life," she said in a sweet tone. "How did you know that I needed guidance?" Jack said raising his eyebrows.	"We don't have the whole night Jack. I'm here to solve your problems and help you decide which path best suits you," she said as if she was in a hurry to disappear. "Yeah! you are right. I need this right now. How can I convince my family that I am not the worthy person to takeup our family business?" he asked without wasting the opportunity he had in his hands. "Why do you think you are not worth it?" she politely questioned him back. "I believe in luck and smart work. I don't want to lead a busy life. I've seen my father work day and night for the business and I don't wanna live such a life," Jack let out his words filled with sorrow. "You are just not interested, Jack. It doesn't mean you aren't worth it. I am giving you a secret mission for your own good Jack. Will you do it?" her words were so manipulative that Jack immediately agreed with her. "Tell your father that you wanna try how everything works in your business and that you wanna take up the business for a month," she said and started walking away. "What after that? What if my father feels I am interested in it? What if this is all a dream?" he squealed while walking after her. She turned back and gave Jack her finger ring. "This is not a dream," she said firmly and "Do what I said. I'll be there for you," she said. "Go back to sleep now," she added. Jack obeyed her orders obediently and turned back to the entrance of the terrace for her trace though he knew that she had already left. He held the ring tight in his palm and fell asleep remembering her beautiful face. He woke up just the way kings wake. He had experienced consciousness and felt blessed by realizing, the ring was still in his palm. His eyes greeted the day shine. His heart and lungs expanded. He welcomed a new day in his life, the anticipation of whatever comes. Jack went downstairs and got himself ready in a decent white shirt and blue jeans within no time. He had his sandwich and juice just in time. He was ready to leave with his father. "I'm gonna join you today. Would that be okay?" he asked his father as soon as he came into the hallway. His father wasn't a fun person but as soon as he heard Jack, he let out a wide smile and rested his hand on Jack's shoulder. Jack knew his father was proud but he couldn't resist saying that he was still not ready to takeup the business and that he just wanted to visit their factory for a month. Jack's father didn't seem to be disappointed. He at least felt happy for Jack taking an initiative and he thought it could be the beginning of something big. Jack's mother, who was looking at all this was overwhelmed with happiness and she packed some extra food for Jack. His mother's love was always a platform from where he could fly to a clear blue sky. It was the first day of Jack at their factory. Everyone greeted him with a lot of respect and admiration which showed how much they adored his father. He learned, he would gain equal respect his father had earned with his hard work. He saw how everything worked and also noticed that some techniques they were using were old but he didn't utter a word. He saved everything in his mind. All he wanted to do was complete a whole month as the fairy had advised and get out of it. He wasn't sure, what he was gonna do in his life if not for the factory. He monitored everything for twenty successful days and he even gave his father rest for a couple of shifts by playing his role, supervising the factory. He felt responsible. He was losing traces of boyhood. Bit by bit he changed tough and matured. On his twenty-first day, he couldn't resist but suggested ideas to his father which he had observed so far. The implementation took a couple of days but that decreased about half the effort and time the workers usually dedicate. All the workers appreciated Jack and his father was tremendously proud. The replacement of the old fashioned equipment was also done under Jack's assistance. Everything was great and Jack felt productive about his work. He now made their factory work easier and less hard-working.

There wasn't a night he didn't think of those pretty blue eyes of his angel. He didn't know if it was his league or not but what he knew was, the more he was thinking about her, the more he fell in love with her. He sometimes even felt that he had seen the angel in the broad daylight on the way to their factory. He knew he was falling for her even more day by day.

It was the last day of his mission. He saved one bottle of their soft drink whose bottle's design was recently changed following Jack's orders. Jack was unofficially running the business and it seemed like he was already the Chairman. He didn't even speak to his father about anything regarding him taking up the business. He was waiting very patiently for the fairy. He wanted to disclose each and every particular thing to her first. His priorities changed unknowingly. The big night has arrived, he held the ring in his fist same as the previous twenty-nine days and closed his eyes under a sky of perfect midnight. He knew his wait was over when he heard his name in the same sweet tone he was dying to hear for so long. He opened his eyes and bounced immediately to sit parallely to her. "I did it!" he shouted. "And?" she asked eagerly. "You were right. I am worthy of our business," he said. The fairy smiled, "but I don't want to take up our business. I learned about myself in this journey. That is because of you," Jack said, taking the fairy's hands in his.

The fairy's expressions showed that she wasn't expecting that. She herself seemed confused. "What do you want to do then?" she exclaimed. "I'm worth more. I am a quick learner and now I know that I deserve more. All thanks to you!" he said handing over the bottle of drink he had saved for her. She politely took it without refusing.  "What's your next move?" she asked sipping it. "I want to start my own business," he said. "Then what about this one?" she asked. "I'm going to hand it over to my sister. Now that I have made everything easier, she need not spend many hours in there. I will try to educate my parents about women empowerment and give her a chance to set an example in our society," he said which was quite impressive. "Why wouldn't you want to continue what you are good at?" she asked. "I want to start from zero and prove myself. All the respect and admiration I am receiving now are not my earnings. I want to succeed on my own skills and prove myself to this world," he said in a firm voice. "You look pretty confident," she said by raising her eyebrows for which Jack literally blushed. "What if you fail?" she questioned back, "You are not allowed to re-join your family business. Are you ready to play with these rules?" she added before he answered. "What if I win?" he seemed pretty sure on what he was going to do. "How much time do you want?" she asked. "Three months and your visit once a month," he was clear, "and... I'll ask you what I want once I succeed," he ended the conversation from his end.

"Done!" she said and asked him to lie down. He did as she said, and then she placed her warm hand on his eyes. Jack's heart pounded like never before. He could hear his own heartbeat. As his consciousness ebbed, his mind went into free fall. The next morning, Jack went downstairs and knocked on his sister's door. As soon as she opened up, he went in, and they both had a deep discussion for almost an hour. Jack came out and dressed himself up and was having his breakfast when his sister, Judy dressed herself up and joined him nervously. Jack's mother was looking at all of this surprisingly but did not try to interfere in any of it.

"What's up with you guys today?" asked Jack's father coming out of his room. "You take rest, today dad. I wanna take Judy with me today. I think that would be fine with you guys," Jack told his parents taking the lenience he had. "I'll come with you What's wrong? Why do you need your sister?" his father bounced back with questions. "I want to show Judy how good I am, dad. Is something bothering you?" Jack said indirectly that no matter what, he was definitely going to take Judy with him. "Fine. You are a grown-up now. I'll let you make your decisions, Jack," his father said with a fake smile. Though he trusted Jack, he was not okay with Judy going out to the factory like a man. According to him, the outside world is where men rule and women 's place in this world is the kitchen and sometimes he would also agree if the word "kitchen" is replaced with "house" in the previous statement. Their father stayed back and these two kids took off to the factory. Judy was very hard-working. She was sincere and bold but never said a word against her parents. She didn't stumble entering the factory. Everything from the way she held herself, to the way she spoke to the factory members, to that look of unassailable confidence in her eye said she could do it. Jack was happy that he had predicted his sister's capability right. Judy even knew how to raise her voice against injustice or wrong deeds. She yelled at a worker on whom her eye fell while he was smoking inside the factory premises. Later went to him and made him understand the scenarios which could go wrong by his deeds. When Jack discussed Judy taking up the factory in the morning, he understood that it was always been a desire to Judy to achieve something as equally as men and that she had always been regretting being born as a girl for not being able to continue the family business. It was dinner time when they reached home. Their father was already waiting at the doorstep. Keeping the three months he had in his mind, he cut everything short and told his father face to face that he wanted his sister to takeup the business and that he wanted to start a new business on his own. "What are you thinking about yourself?" his father raised his voice. "You told that you'll let me take my decisions," Jack pointed out. "How can a girl manage everything?" his father shouted. "Stop this gender-bias dad. She is stronger and sharper than me. Let her takeup the business for two weeks and then let the factory members vote for us," Jack said instantly without any second thoughts. His father agreed as he was confident that a girl could not win over a boy. Parents cannot see the world through children's eyes. Children see exitement and opportunity but they see danger and uncertainity. Jack had planned everything for his business and took a bulk amount as loan from a bank. His father visited the factory often to look at how his daughter was managing everything. He slowly realized that she was no less than his son. Her work had impressed him pretty much, and he started accepting the truth that both men and women must be given equal opportunities. Judy decreased the need of men to their factory by installing softwares which did half of the work and that helped Jack. Those remaining half workers were hired by Jack for his brewing company. Their father was already convinced but the voting system was a formality. The workers elected Judy as their new chairman, and Jack was gifted the big building next to their factory by his father. Everything was going great, and within the next two weeks, the fist production of bottles was ready.

 It was the day his angel would meet. He knew that he had to sleep for her to arrive. Soon, he was so asleep and so awake in his soul when the fairy appeared. He got up even before she called him. "I did it! I am the owner of

Elixir  brewing company" he said with pride-filled eyes. "I'm happy you did it. When I made a deal with you, though I knew you would succeed, I wanted you to try harder, so I told you shouldn't go back," the fairy said. "I know! So I win, right?" he waited for her confirmation. "Yes, what do you want?" she asked as if granting a wish. Jack kneeled and pulled out the same ring she gave him and asked: "Will you marry me?". "Don't you wanna successfully sale your products in the market yet?" a voice from behind said. Both Jack and the fairy turned towards the staircase to see Jack's mom standing with folded hands. "Mom! NO, it is not what you think," Jack stood up and was trying to explain. "I know. She is a fairy. Isn't she?" she said suppressing her laugh underneath her words. "How do you know?" he whined like a little puppy. "YES!" the fairy said in between their conversation. "What?" Jack turned to her and asked. "I wanna marry you," she said blushing. "I am okay with it," his mom said from the other side. Jack had no idea what was going on. He stood still placing both of his hands on his head. "She is no fairy son. She is the one whom I selected to get you married to," his mom said. "I'm sorry. I played along. But your mom believed that only something special and challenging could guide you figure out what you want in life," her words showed how sorry she was for fooling him. Jack pulled both of them together and made them stand side by side, right in front of him. "I am angry but do you know who knows me better?" he asked by looking at his fiance. "MY MOM," he said with a smile. "She even knows which type of girl I want. I'm blessed with everything in my life. You two guided me with my life. I want you to do the same whenever I need it," Jack said. Both the beautiful ladies hugged him under the infinite patterns of the stars in the velvet dark sky. "What's your name by the way, Ms. Fake Fairy?" he asked. "Rose!" she replied with shy.


She knew when the anniversary was approaching. The weather changed in September. The oppressive heat of summer lifted, and the winds swept down from Oklahoma bringing slightly cooler air. Texas didn’t have a very distinct autumn season, but it did have a very definite

football  season. Jenna hated the start of the school year. While everyone was buying school supplies, Jenna retreated from her friends and family, hiding in her little house on South Park Street. The only thing different about this year was ten years had passed and the invitation sitting on her dining room table sat mocking her. The missive requested her presence at the class of 1995’s high school reunion. Jenna knew how long it had been. A reminder of that fateful night was due to get off the bus in 20 minutes. Jenna knew that wasn’t fair to think. Her daughter was a blessing and the love of her life. She also thoroughly loved being a mother. She would never wish her daughter away. Her phone shrilled making her jump. This would be the fifth unanswered call from her mother today. She didn’t want to talk to her. It was 4:30 pm and work wouldn’t be an excuse for the missed calls anymore. She now knew what had prompted the call. Her mother would want her to come home for the reunion, but Jenna didn’t go home. She didn’t take her daughter to the town that’d betrayed her. Her phone rang again. Jenna picked it up this time. “Hello,” she said with agitation ringing in her voice. “Jenna, I have been calling you all day,” Doris’s shrill voice echoed over the line. “I have been working all day, mother.” Jenna carried the phone to her bedroom to change out of her flour-covered clothing. “Don’t you ever get a day off or is that job still working you to death?” Jenna rolled her eyes. She could see her mother’s pinched face in her mind. “I don’t know why you don’t move closer, being a baker isn’t a career and I could help take care of Samantha.” Jenna sighed. The last thing she wanted to do today was have this conversation with her mother. It was one she’d had a million times. “Did you call to criticize my career and my efforts as a parent, or did you need something?” She winced when her mother responded. Her mother harrumphed. “Jenna Carson, you will not speak to your mother that way.” “Yes, mother. I apologize.” She didn’t want to be talking to her mother at all. She wanted to change clothes and make her daughter dinner. Jenna cherished her evenings with Samantha. The phone calls from her mother were few and far between these days but they usually ended in a slamming headache for Jenna. “Good. Now, are you coming home for the reunion?” Jenna had known that was coming. “Why would I do that?” She asked with more confidence than she felt. She could feel her head beginning to throb. “You have to, it's expected.” Her mother blustered. “Why?” Jenna knew why. One did not disappoint the matrons of Bregman, Texas. In the small town of nine thousand, her mother was a pillar. “I haven’t been back there in ten years and I have no desire to see anyone from my graduating class.” “You are expected to show your face. I will not let you hide behind the skirts of your Aunt Margaret.” Jenna snapped her teeth together. That was really going too far. Her mother knew what buttons to push. She’d been the one to send her away to her Aunt six hours away from the place she grew up. Her aunt’s calming love had been what had gotten her through her pregnancy and subsequent birth. She was grateful to her mother for that much. “Sam’s home, mother. I have to go.” Sam was not home but it was a good excuse. “Fine. But I expect you to make an appearance, Jenna Lynn.” She hung up the phone and tossed it on the bed. She hated it when her mother called her that. It took her right back to that time in her life. She stepped closer to the mirror and examined the long scar at her hairline. She ran her fingers over it gingerly remembering the night she’d received it. That laceration had been the least of her pain. It was the homecoming game against Nassau High School. A 17-year-old Jenna Carson waved her pom-poms in the air as Tom Pearce threw the final touchdown of the game. Her blonde ponytail bobbed up and down as she cheered. “Jenna, are you going to Dalton’s party tonight?” Sherice Toller asked, not even pretending to care about the game. Jenna shrugged her slim shoulders. “Maybe.” Sherice was her best friend and a known party-girl. Her mother cautioned her to stay away from Sharice. She argued that to be around her would ruin her reputation, but Jenna had rolled her eyes. “You have to. You know Tom and the guys will be there.” Sherice nudged her playfully as they packed their cheer bags. “And Tom is way into you. He totally told Jake to tell me that he wanted you at the party.” Jenna blushed a little. Tom was the quarterback and already had a full ride to Texas A&M for football. To say that Tom was a god in Bregman was an understatement. “No, he doesn’t,” she said rolling her eyes. “He does! And I have the perfect skirt for you to wear.” Jenna followed Sherice to her green Toyota. By the time Sherice finished with her hair, makeup, and outfit, Jenna thought she looked like a trollop. Her mother would kill her for wearing a skirt that short. Sherice thought she looked hot, so she went with it. Normally, Jenna would not have worn anything like that, but she wanted Tom to notice her tonight. She’d had a crush on him since the 8th grade. He was a local hero and way out of her league. Jenna wasn’t unpopular but she wasn’t royalty like Tom was. Her all-American looks and laid-back personality made her well-liked amongst her peers. But Tom’s father was the head of the local bank where her father worked, and he was untouchable. The townspeople worshipped him and his ‘rocket arm’ that took the Bregman Bulls to the State Championship last year. Jenna tried to settle her nerves as they entered Dalton’s house. It was a crush and she had to walk sideways to get to the keg in the kitchen. This was no small feat in her 4-inch red heels. Sherice pumped the tap and squeezed foamy beer into two red Solo cups. Sherice gripped her arm and pointed. When Jenna’s brown eyes landed on Tom’s 6-foot 4-inch muscled form, Jenna’s world moved in slow motion. His friends enveloped him as he took shots of clear liquor with the rest of the football team. She swept her long blonde hair back and away from her face. Tom slammed down his shot glass and yelled as Brady Johnson, Darren Smallware, Jared Morgan and Jake Pavelski cheered him on. Sherice jerked her hand and pulled her over to the group. “Want to pour one for us?” Sherice asked in a baby voice, teasing them. “Hell yeah,” Tom said as he raked his eyes up and down Jenna’s body. Jenna took a step back as the smell of tequila wafted from the group. Jenna didn’t mind drinking beer, but she typically stayed away from hard spirits. She couldn’t get past the smell to drink the stuff. The music pumped around them as another round was poured and a plastic shot glass was shoved into her hand. She held her nose and drank the shot. Tom watched her with glee as she let the hot liquid burn down her throat. Sherice whooped and dragged Jake out of the kitchen to dance. Tom leaned toward her and licked her ear. Jenna was appalled. She swiped at her ear and laughed nervously. “Want to dance?” He grabbed her arms and pulled her around him, swaying with her. The guys whooped and cheered around her, jumping to the music. Jenna felt lightheaded as she tried to step back from Tom. He pulled her close and whispered, “You know how hot you look tonight. Stop teasing me.” The dizzying feeling was threatening to overtake her, and she leaned against him. She wanted to push away from him, but her arms felt like Jello. Tom grabbed her hand and yanked her hard. She didn’t know where he was taking her, but the music pounded in her head so loud she had to close her eyes. “Where’s Sharice?” Had that been her voice? Her lips felt numb. Tom just laughed. Jenna looked around not recognizing her surroundings. It was dark and her skin chilled from the night air. Tom stripped off his blue letter jacket and tossed it to Jared. She vaguely registered someone’s hands on her arms. She tried to pull away but was held still. Jenna felt confused and afraid not understanding what was happening to her body. She felt disconnected and out of control. “No,” she whined quietly as Tom shoved his hand up her skirt. When his tongue entered her mouth, Jenna bit down on him and tasted blood. Tom yelled and raised his ‘rocket arm’. “Bitch!” The last thing she remembered was Tom’s angry black eyes, sharp pain in her head, and then nothing. The shaking woke Jenna. Something warm and sticky was covering her eyes. She tried to lift her arm, but it weighed too much. She registered the pain emanating throughout her body. She forced herself to roll over as the bile rose in her throat. Her fingers gripped the wet grass as she emptied her stomach. It hurt to vomit. She tried to make sense of her surroundings. She wiped her eyes and looked at her hand. Dark blood streaked her palm. The sun was peaking over the horizon giving the sky a purple-pink hue. The grass underneath was wet from the dew of the morning. Her borrowed clothes were torn and awry. She had scratch marks on her hands and arms. Jenna began to shake harder as she tried to piece the events of last night together. She remembered taking the shot of tequila. Her stomach churned remembering. She was on the side of the road. No cars passed at this early hour. She wanted to get home. Her body screamed with pain as she tried to rise. The dizziness overtook her, and she fell back down into the grass. She looked down and saw the blood between her legs. Jenna began to cry as the picture came together in her mind. Flashes of Jared, Darren, Brady, and Tom’s faces hovering over her moved through her mind. She laid back down in the grass and curled into the fetal position sobbing. Jenna couldn’t bring herself to think of the word. She couldn’t process what they’d done to her. She felt the world go fuzzy at the edges as she fainted. The sun was hovering over the horizon when she opened her eyes again. She needed to get home. Her mother would be worried. She pushed herself up wincing from the pain. She was sore in places she’d never felt pain before. She understood with sadness that last night had been her introduction to sex and it was horrendous. She made her way across the cotton field stretching down the side of the empty highway. She could see an old farmhouse in the distance. Four hours later, she sat in her bedroom in fresh clothes, scrubbed clean from a hot shower. Her mother insisted she didn’t need stitches in her head, but Jenna wasn’t so sure. She’d felt shame when she told her mother what happened. Her mother didn’t believe her. She called Sharice who didn’t believe her either. Her father blanched but walked away without a response. Jenna was alone in her humiliation and grief. No one believed her. No one questioned that the football hero and small-town god would do such a thing. Jenna stopped going to school when the ‘boys will be boys’ talk started. Her cuts healed and her body recovered. When Jenna discovered she was pregnant, her mother ignored her but had been clearly furious. Jenna knew that her mother blamed her as if she had been careless in her actions and gotten pregnant by choice. She rarely made eye contact with her mother during those first 8 weeks. Later, her mother pressured her to get an abortion, but Jenna couldn’t do it. Even though her child was conceived through force, she couldn’t kill it. Her mother made her return to school after she healed. Those were the worst days. People whispered and kids called her a whore and a slut. The teachers looked at her with pity in their eyes. The group of boys who’d raped her acted as if nothing happened. Destroying her life had been nothing to them. Her mother sent her to Austin to live with her Aunt Margaret when she began to show at 5 months. Her mother and father could no longer ignore what was so obvious. Jenna worked hard and graduated early. And she’d never looked back. Jenna stepped back from the mirror and shook her head. She didn’t often let herself remember the events of that nights with such clarity. It was just something that happened to her and when the fall season came tiptoeing in, she relied on her aunt and her daughter to give her strength. Jenna jumped as the front door slammed open. Sam bounded through with her usual exuberance. “Mom!” “Back here,” Jenna called from her bedroom. Sam came springing through the door. Jenna scooped her into a tight hug. When she pulled back, she looked at her daughter’s soft brown eyes and marveled at her creation. Her little person. Her blonde hair escaped from her ponytail as if she’d been playing hard. Sam was the spitting image of herself at that age. She was thankful for that. “Mom, I’m trying out for soccer,” she said breathlessly. “You are?” Jenna smiled softly at her and sniffed back her tears. “Yes! The PE coach said I was really fast and had good…” she paused chewing on her lip in thought, “eyes and hands coordinator?” “Hand-eye coordination.” Her daughter nodded emphatically. Chasing Sam into the dining room, she watched as she shuffled through the mail. She held up the reunion invitation. “Are we going to see Grandma?” Sam said this was disdain. Jenna smiled sardonically. “Absolutely not.” She took out pots and pans to make dinner. “Good. I don’t like seeing Grandma.” Sam tossed the invitation in the trash can and climbed onto the barstool. “I know. I don’t either,” she said with a chuckle. Jenna looked at the invitation sitting disregarded in the trash can as Sam chatted away. The simple act of tossing it in the trash made her feel like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She loved her life. She had everything she needed right here. She didn’t want to know how all of her old classmates lived; she didn’t care. She would not give them the satisfaction of gossip ever again. She would never subject her daughter to the horror that Bregman used to hold for her. Someday, Samantha would ask about her parentage and she would need to have an answer but not today. She heaved a happy sigh and brushed a hand down Sam’s cheek. Nothing and no one mattered except this. Jenna was confident that this anniversary, she would be happy. She was done letting her memories haunt her.


"Thus, paranormal phenomena include extrasensory perception (ESP), telekinesis, ghosts, poltergeists, life after death, reincarnation, faith healing, human auras, and so forth." -Terence Hines In traditional ghostlore and fiction featuring ghosts, a ghost is a manifestation of the spirit or soul of a person. However, sometimes the term "ghost" is used synonymously with any spirit or demon. */* A fire burned beneath his skin. Ashton Watcher pressed the cold handle of his gun against his palm, the cold calming the burn raging beneath his skin. He took a deep breath, pressing his back against the wall, and brought his gun up even with his face. He'd been preparing for this for months, and if he failed now he would never forgive himself. "Agent Watcher, do you have eyes on the target." Ashton shook himself out of his thoughts as the voice filled his ear. He turned around the corner and made his way down the hall, shaking his head despite the fact that he knew the people on the other side of his earpiece wouldn't be able to see him. He froze at the next corner, as something turned in his gut. A warning. He stopped and waited for the person to turn the corner, and as they did, he trapped them in a headlock, cutting off their air supply. As he struggled to hold onto them, the voice came again. "Need I remind you how important this mission is? If you don't complete your task many people are going to lose their lives." "Believe me, I know." He said through gritted teeth. The man let out a final gasp before his body went completely limp. Ashton nearly threw the man to the ground, but stilling himself, he slumped him gently to the ground. He moved around the corner only to come face to face with a gun. The man behind the handle smirked before tightening his fist on the trigger. "Wrong move, Tipo ." As the bang of the gun rang in his ears, Ashton shot up in his chair, the simulation ending. He kept his eyes shut for a moment, taking deep breaths, knowing that if he opened them immediately his primal instincts could take over and that would leave a lot of bodies behind. When he finally did open his eyes he was looking into the very disgruntled eyes of his boss. Agent Rosy Meyers gave him a look with a cocked head, "I don't understand what's been going on with you Ashton. That's your third attempt at a simple training exercise this week. I don't know what's going on, but I want you to go home now and rest, and be ready to report back in two days for your mission. Dismissed." Ashton saluted and exited the room, his shoulders slouching as soon as the door had closed behind him. He rubbed his forehead, the ghost pain of the bullet giving him a headache. He made his way to the locker room and climbed into one of the showers turning it all the way cold. Even if most things in the simulation had been faked, the burning in his skin was not. His showers were one of the few reliefs he received from the pain of his immortal soul attempting to contain itself in a mortal body. When Ashton arrived back at his apartment he pushed the door closed with his foot and called out into the emptiness as he looked through his mail. "Actaeon, show yourself." He dropped the mail onto his kitchen table before walking through and sitting down in his armchair with an ice-pack, pressing it to his skin. "Actaeon!!" A man appeared a moment later on the couch across from Ashton, his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. "You know Amdusias, I don't appreciate being called like a dog." "Two things: First, do not call me Amdusias, I've already told you that when I'm in this form you call me Ashton. Second, you knew full well what you were signing up for when you and I brokered a deal all those years ago, as Artemis caught sight of you spying on her in her pool." "Yes, but I was expecting that you would at least give me a corporeal being, not this incorporeal forced existence." Ashton scoffed, "it's not like your existence is a hugely tortured one. Your form allows you to appear however you wish and I'm sure you've utilized your abilities to peek in on rather entertaining situations and conversations. I would say that overall, you're incorporeal existence is a blessing." "Of course, how can I even complain," a sneer appeared on Actaeon's face, "after all, Amdusias , I'm not the one with an insatiable hunger that I'm not allowed to fulfill. How is that going by the way? The whole, not bathing yourself in mortal blood, thing. After all, a princely demon such as yourself deserves to relish in the screams of others." Ashton's face dropped into a deep glare. In a blink of an eye, he'd shifted back to his true form. That of a hulking man with pupils as dark as the pits of hell, and red skin that roiled with the images of people screaming. Actaeon shriveled back at the sight as Amdusias leaned over him, his now deep, gravelly voice sending chills through him. "I have warned you time and time again, that I can make your existence far more putrid than it already is. And still, you test me!!" Actaeon vanished with a squeal and Amdusias laughed, sitting back into the armchair. He sighed as he stretched his fingers. "Actaeon, show yourself. I have need of words with you." Actaeon reappeared significantly farther away from Amdusias, who sighed and returned to his human form. Ashton gestured at the couch and Actaeon walked back over to it, sitting hesitantly. "You know, I don't like scaring you that way Actaeon, so perhaps in the future, you will call me Ashton and I'll stay in this form." "Of course my lord," Actaeon said his eyes cast down to the floor. His next statement came through gritted teeth, although Ashton ignored it, "what council do you need." "I have taken this form for the greater good of mankind, and as you know I have a mission coming up. I sent you to go spy and I would like a report." "The guards will be simple to take out, just as you suspected my lord." "Good," at this point Ashton stopped talking to Actaeon and spoke to himself. "This must go perfectly." He looked back up and gave Actaeon a smile. "To ensure that this mission will go just so, you will be accompanying me. My, senses, have been off recently, I believe this form is beginning to take its toll. As such, I will need you there as my eyes." "As you wish, it will be done," with those words lingering behind him, Actaeon disappeared. ***** "Agent Watcher, it's good of you to finally join us." Ashton nodded as he entered the room giving his apology and sitting down at the head of the table. "Agent Watcher will be leading this mission. You all know the nitty-gritty details of the mission, so we're just going to go over the basics." Agent Meyers pressed a button on the end of the table and a screen came down from the ceiling. "You'll be traveling to the Honduras capital where our latest target, the terrorist Fierro Flores is currently housed. We've made a deal with the Honduran government and they're going to allow a small squad to infiltrate the base where they've seen him coming and going. Get in, find him, and bring him back alive if you can, if fatal force is necessary, all that matters is that we get him off the streets. Head to the launch point, your jet is waiting for you." When they arrived at the base in Honduras, their connections met them at the airport and guided them to the hidden base. "The base is over there señor." The man who was guiding them said. "He emerged a couple of days ago then returned, but we haven't seen him since then." "Thank you," Ashton said, "I want you and your partner to get out of here as quickly as you can, my people and I are going to be in and out as fast as we can, and hopefully without any casualties." The man nodded and left as Ashton turned to his group and gestured with his hands for them to spread out. He took the lead, removing his gun from its holster. "Actaeon," he mumbled under his breath as he advanced toward the bunker door. Actaeon appeared next to him a dower look on his face. "Ready to serve your highness." "I've changed my mind on your objective. Your new assignment is to protect the other people in my squad. They've sent a lot of rookies with me and I want them to return home." "As you wish my lord," Actaeon said swallowing, then zooming off after the left group of agents. Ashton slipped up to the door and threw it open, swinging into the bunker. He gestured for the others to follow him in and walked down the hall. Suddenly, a series of screams filed Ashton's head. He nearly collapsed, and at first, he thought the screams were in his head, but as he turned he realized someone had triggered a trip-wire in the dark and shotguns had emerged from the wall, gunning down his partners. Ashton fell to the floor as the guns re-aimed in his direction. Actaeon appeared at his side, a panicked look on his face, "I'm sorry my lord, they're gone, they're all gone. I tried to protect them, I swear I did my best, but there was nothing I could do. The guns ripped through them in seconds." Ashton choked up as rage ripped through him. He fought the anger back and threw himself backward. He landed on his feet and started running, pulling a knife from his belt and throwing it backward, destroying the gun as it continued shooting in his direction. He ducked under a set of lasers that came shooting from the walls before leaping over a set of saws that came from the floor. The door at the end of the hallway began closing and it was nearly closed when he slid down through the gap at the bottom. He came back up onto his feet in a crouch and stood as he spotted the large group of men standing in front of him. "You're not going to get him señor. We will protect him with our lives." "Then I guess you'll have to lose them." Without warning, even to himself, Ashton attacked, his demon anger taking over his body. He listened to the sounds of the men's screams as he cut each one down, be it with their own weapons or his. He slid beneath one man, shooting him as he did, and for a split second his true form took over. The few men that were left screamed as his body changed in waves. Ashton came back to awareness standing on the other side of the room. He nearly puked as the smell of blood hit his nose. He turned and gasped as he saw the blood and bodies he'd left in his wake. He collapsed to the ground, his breaths becoming shaky as he fought the urge to hurl. "Amdusias-" "I've told you, it's Ashton!" "Ashton," Actaeon said putting his hands up, "you need to breathe." "I haven't lost control like that in years, I don't know what happened. If anyone at the agency ever finds out what I am..." "Finish the mission, you know that I hate you, but in this case I'm telling you, finish your mission." Ashton nodded, slowly standing. keeping his face set, he walked cautiously through the doors in front of him. The moment he entered, something came flying at his face. He felt the change in his gut, warning him of the incoming danger. He turned and caught the glass vase coming towards him. He tore it free of the man holding it and threw it across the room, grabbing the man by the throat. Ashton lifted him up as the rage burned beneath his skin. His eyes flashed back to the room behind him and froze a moment before pressing the gun to Fierro's forehead. He dropped his gun to the floor, "you're done Flores, your story ends today."


Sylvia pushed her cart down the frozen food aisle. She was looking for the same pizza that she bought last week. Some frozen pizzas were better than others and this one had that rare combination of crisp yet chewy crust. She turned her head a fraction to study the pizzas to the left and caught a glimpse of an older woman. Sylvia didn't want to stare but she thought she recognized her. Where had she seen her before? Try as she might, she couldn't come up with an answer.  The frozen pizza was in a stack to her right. Sylvia added it to her cart and proceeded to the paper aisle. She added toilet paper and paper towels to her cart before turning to go to the checkout. Sylvia managed to contain her surprise when she noticed the same older lady. Surreptitiously, she examined the woman. She didn't have a shopping cart or even one of those baskets that you use to carry purchases. This was very odd, but Sylvia didn't have time to worry about an elderly woman.  	Grocery shopping finished, Sylvia drove to the gas station. She filled the tank and went inside to pay, but was distracted by an older woman studying the snack selection. This time Sylvia allowed herself to stare and commit the woman's appearance to memory. The lady had short, curly hair; much like Sylvia's except her hair was gray. Sylvia's hair was a rich auburn. She was the same height as Sylvia and even wore the same style shoes. Sylvia loved her clogs and evidently, the woman found them to be comfortable as well. She also wore jeans, similar to Sylvia's and a red hoodie. "We could be twins, except for the age difference," Sylvia told herself. She thought about introducing herself but she still needed to go to the bank. Besides, Sylvia was an introvert and was nervous around other people.                The bank was less crowded than usual and Sylvia found herself talking to the teller without waiting in line. She made a deposit and turned to leave, glancing at the line that had formed behind her. Another coincidence! The elderly lady was in line.                "Very odd, but she must be eighty years old and harmless," Sylvia reassured herself. She didn't think about the lady once she was home.

The next day, Sylvia met a friend at the movie theater. They were seeing a popular romantic comedy and the line was rather long.

               "Do we have time to get some popcorn and a drink?" Sylvia's friend, Tammy asked.

               "Sure, that line isn't as long," Sylvia lead the way to the refreshment stand. She could see the customers behind her in the overhead mirror and gasped. The older lady she saw yesterday was standing behind her friend.  "I said, what will you have? If you don't know step aside and let me serve the customers behind you." The teenager behind the counter was getting frustrated. Sylvia hurried to order popcorn and a bottle of water. Sylvia took her order and paid then stepped to the side while Tammy ordered popcorn and cola. Sylvia spent the next minute looking at the woman that she saw so many times the day before.                The lady wore a red sweater, identical to Sylvia's and the same pair of clogs. "Lots of people like to wear red." Sylvia didn't realize that she said it out loud until Tammy replied.                "What are you talking about? Who likes to wear red?" Tammy was wearing a blue silk shirt.  "Nothing, I was just talking to myself. I think the movie is about to start." Sylvia avoided discussing the matter, by marching into the theater. Sylvia and Tammy sat in the back and enjoyed the movie. They waited until the lights came on at the end to file out with the rest of the audience.                "She came to the same movie," Sylvia said once they were in the lobby. She noticed the lady sitting towards the front, waiting to exit.                "Who came to the same movie? Don't tell me that you were just talking to yourself; I know there is more to the story." Tammy insisted.                Sylvia explained, "There is an older lady that came to the movie."                "Really," Tammy was full of sarcasm.                Sylvia gave Tammy the details, "I saw her three times yesterday. First I saw her at the grocery store, but I didn't see her buy anything. Then I saw her at the gas station but I didn't see her buy gas. Finally, I saw her at the bank."  "Did you stay so you could see what she purchased at the store? Were you watching so you knew how much gas she bought?" Tammy cross-examined.

 Sylvia answered honestly, "No, I didn't wait around to see what she bought. I had my errands of my own, and I didn't have time to watch her."  "Sylvia, the lady probably lives in this neighborhood. Yesterday, she probably had to go to the store, get gas, and go to the bank just like the rest of us. Today she went to see a popular movie, just like hundreds of others. The theater was full. Lots of people came to this movie. You need to get out more!" Tammy gave Sylvia a perfectly logical explanation.  Sylvia looked around for the lady. She wanted to know if Tammy thought she looked familiar but the woman was nowhere in sight. "You're right. I thought she looked familiar but that's probably because she lives near me. She likely shops at the same places."                Having made her point, Tammy talked about the movie. "It was good, wasn't it? I read that it got five stars out of five."                Sylvia agreed and added," I think the leading man should get an Oscar. Let's see another movie next week."

Sylvia woke the next morning thinking about Tammy's advice. She did need to get out more often. As a copywriter, she usually worked from home so her social interaction was limited. "Today, I'll get a hammer and nail so I can hang a picture in the hallway. When I asked if I need any help, I'll make an effort to talk to the salesperson. "                As predicted a salesman asked Sylvia if she needed help as soon as she walked into the hardware store.                "He's got a gun!" A loud shout interrupted Sylvia's conversation.

               The salesclerk grabbed Sophia and threw her to the floor, landing on top of her. Sylvia was able to see the shooter when she looked from under the clerk's arm. The shooter was waving his gun hand frantically then pointed the gun towards Sylvia.                Suddenly, a lady dashed towards the shooter and tackled him. Sylvia recognized the woman because she had committed her appearance to memory. It was the older woman that she had seen around town. The gun went off. Customers screamed. The older lady started bleeding from her shoulder.                Sirens filled the air. The police came and the shooter was arrested. An ambulance took the heroic woman away. Paramedics urged Sylvia and the salesclerk to go to the hospital, just to be certain that they were alright.

When Sylvia was released she looked for the salesman. "The man that you arrived with? He's been taken to have his wrist x-rayed. Why don't you read a magazine while you wait." The nurse pointed to a stack of magazines that were crumpled and torn.                "Is it alright if I visit the lady who was shot in the shoulder?" Sylvia asked.                "She's been taken to the second floor." The nurse pointed to the elevators.

The antiseptic smell on the second floor was comparable to every hospital that Sylvia had ever visited. She wasn't sure if they would let her visit the older lady because she wasn't family and she didn't even know her name. However, the nurse at the desk gave Sylvia the room number without hesitation.  "Hello," Sylvia timidly approached the woman in the hospital bed. "I want to thank you for saving my life. The gunman was aiming at me when you intervened."                "Well. . . I was saving my own life and the life of my children." The lady replied.                "What?" Sylvia approached the bed.                "Stop! Don't come any closer."  Sylvia stopped mid-stride and gave the woman a puzzled look.                "You haven't figured it out, so I'll explain. I am you or you are me when I was younger."  Now Sylvia was puzzled. "How can that be?" She couldn't think of anything else to ask.                "Four nights ago I dreamt that I was shot. I was young as if it were fifty-five years ago. My husband left the house to get coffee and I stepped outside to wave as he backed out of the driveway. I looked around and our neighborhood looked different. The trees were smaller and the neighbors' cars were models that were made fifty or sixty years ago. I was going to call my husband but I looked at the date on my phone before I dialed. The year was fifty-five years off. Then I remembered my dream. The house where I used to live was just a few blocks away so I walked over. I thought about knocking on the door and warning you of the danger, but I realized that you, the younger me, would not believe me. I followed you around that day. The strange thing is that I was able to walk fast enough to keep up with you, even though you were driving and I was walking."                "I thought you were following me!" Sylvia was so happy to know that she wasn't imagining the older woman stalking her that she didn't even question the reason.                "I am you, only older. Come close enough to look at my eyes, but don't touch me. I don't know what would happen if we touched each other and I don't want to take that chance." The older woman opened her eyes wide so Sylvia could get a good look at the color.                Sylvia gasped, the woman's eyes were just like hers. They both had eyes that were an unusual shade of dark blue. Then the woman uncovered her left foot. She had an identical scar on her big toe. Sylvia had cut herself when she just a year old and a ragged remained.  "I found myself back in my own time when I walked out of the bank. The next day, I was back in your time so I followed you to the movie. I left the theater and found myself in my time. It has been very confusing, but there was nothing I could do. Today, the same thing happened. I walked out of my house and it was fifty-five years ago. I followed you to the hardware store and saw the crazed shooter. I rushed him and he put a bullet in my shoulder."                "That's what you meant when you said that you were saving yourself. You also mentioned children; when will I get married and who will be my husband?" Sylvia wasn't ready to believe everything her older self told her.  "Let me say this when the salesman asks you for a date you should say yes. Now you should go see if he broke his wrist when he threw you both to the floor."

The salesman was just coming into the lobby when Sophia returned to the emergency room. A wide smile split his face when he saw Sylvia. "It was just a sprain," he held up his bandaged wrist. "The doctors told me that you were fine. Did I hurt you when I threw you to the floor?"                "I don't even have a scratch. I've just been waiting to hear if you were hurt."                "Let me introduce myself. My name is Christopher and I think we should go out for lunch to celebrate our close brush with disaster."                "That would be wonderful, but first let me check on the woman who saved our lives."                Christopher gave her a puzzled look, "I don't know what you're talking about."                "I mean the lady who moved the shooter's arm and got shot in the process," Sylvia explained.  "I don't remember a woman moving the shooter's arm. I thought he tripped and the shot went wild, but I was distracted at the time. Is this woman here in the hospital? Lead the way so I can thank her," Christopher said.                When they arrived on the second floor the same nurse was at the information desk. "I don't know what you're talking about and I would never let you visit a patient unless you are a relative or close friend. You don't even know her name so you can't be very close."                "How many gunshot wounds do you get in a day. The lady was here because she had a bullet in her shoulder." Sylvia marched to the woman's room and threw open the door. Christopher and the nurse hurried to follow.

The room was empty. "She was here, I spoke to her for over half an hour," Sylvia insisted.                "Please leave or I will have to call security," The nurse told Sylvia.  "Let's get some lunch," Christopher reached for Sylvia's hand. "This morning has to have rattled both of our nerves. I think some food will help us see things more clearly."

Sylvia read everything she could about the incident in the next few days. Eyewitness accounts reported that a crazed shoot came into the hardware store waving a gun. Fortunately for all those inside, he tripped before he could get off a shot. Sylvia pushed the incident to the back of her mind.  Christopher took her to lunch again and asked her to go dancing the next Saturday. He was charming and handsome, naturally, Sylvia accepted the date.


The roar of a motorcycle in front of the bar drowned out the jukebox stuck on a classic rock song. Everyone in the place turned to the door. Living in a small town, you knew who belonged here and who didn’t. And we all knew no one around here had a motorcycle. When the door opened, I nearly swallowed my tongue. In walked my every fantasy. He removed his helmet, revealing eyes so dark they looked black from where I stood behind the bar. They matched his hair, brushing along his shoulders as he shook it out and ran a hand through it. He took off his leather jacket, and I whimpered. Tattoos ran from his fingers up his arms and underneath his white t-shirt, peeking out around his neck. He had bad boy written all over him, and I wanted to climb him like a tree.

I wasn’t the only one to appreciate this God who walked in. Quite a few sighs went around the room, even as someone kicked the jukebox to move it to the next song. “Holy shit,” I whispered. He raised his nose in the air and gave a subtle sniff. No one seemed to notice but me since I couldn’t peel my eyes away. His gaze locked on mine as he strode through the crowd toward me. People milling about parted like the damn Red Sea—whether by instinct or magic—as he continued his path toward me. Saturday nights drew a larger crowd than the rest of the week. Men and women lined up at the bar, hoping to catch the eye of someone, if only for one night. Some loved the camaraderie of the other bar patrons, playing a friendly game of pool or darts. Others just didn’t want to be alone. They all had a story to tell, and I listened to every single one when they spilled their secrets. “One more, Jamie.” Stacy plopped her tray on the bar, causing me to jump. She turned her exhausted eyes to mine. “Is it closing time yet?” The noise picked back up as everyone lost interest in the newcomer. “Two more hours. If the crowd dies down, you can leave early. I’ll close up by myself.” I grabbed a pint glass from the shelf and poured a microbrew from the tap.

I knew how she felt. Owning a bar had a particular set of challenges. One being staff. Cody called in with the flu, Marie had a sick baby and Michael refused to work Saturday nights. Thinking about him reminded me I needed to have a talk with his momma. I did her a favor by hiring him since he was down on his luck, but I needed him to work. “Excuse me.” Everyone within hearing distance turned toward the gruff, almost guttural voice, Stacy and myself included. “Can I have a beer?” “Where you from, boy?” William, one of our regulars, responded. He came in every Saturday and sat at the bar, nursing a Scotch until we closed. Only one, no more. It had been his weekly ritual way before my grandmother sold me the place. “William! You’ve no manners. Leave him alone before I tell Ethel to send Will Junior for you,” Stacy scolded. He huffed and took a sip of his drink. I glanced at the stranger. A feral smile spread across his face, giving him wolf-like qualities. His unnatural countenance only added to his looks. A shiver ran down my spine as his eyes followed a path up my body. I didn’t know whether to be scared or flattered by his attention. He looked like he wanted to eat me. Oh my! I shook my head to clear my thoughts. Sage, the town librarian, had talked me into one too many shifter romances lately. Especially since Officer Wilson and he started dating. “Coming ri-right up,” I stammered and fumbled with one of the beer taps. When I looked over at Stacy, she quirked an eyebrow at me, and I gave a subtle shake of my head. It took three tries before I could pour his beer with less foam and more liquid. I didn’t know why he made me nervous. It wasn’t like strangers hadn’t passed through town before, but something about him set off every alarm bell in my head—good and bad. I set his beer in front of him and watched as he wrapped his tattooed fingers around the glass and brought it to his lips. When my eyes met his, a flush of heat ran through me. I didn’t think I’d ever been on the receiving end of such an intense stare before. His eyes flared brightly for a second, like when headlights hit an animal’s eyes on the road. It could only have been a trick of the bar lights. Right? “Hmmm...good.” He licked his lips and stared at me, and somehow I knew he meant more than the beer. “Y-yes. It’s a local brewery.” What about this man had me in knots? I’d seen good-looking men before—even dated a few—but something about him drew me in like flies to honey. Or Red to the Big Bad Wolf. “Is there a place nearby to stay overnight?” Stacy chose that moment to pop her head up behind me. “There’s a bed-and-breakfast right down the road about two miles. Jamie lives right across from it.” If she wasn’t my best friend, I’d bop her on the head with her tray. The stranger pinned me with his gaze. “Is that so, Jamie ? Maybe you could show me the way. You know, since I’m new in town.” “I’ll close up tonight. You work too hard anyway. Take the rest of the night off.”

I whipped my head around and stared wide-eyed at Stacy. “Have you lost your ever-loving mind?” I whispered. A dark chuckle drew my attention back to the stranger. “I won’t bite. Much.” He snapped his teeth at me. My heart did a somersault in my chest. He tilted his head to the side in an animalistic fashion, as if he could hear it, and grinned. “Here.” Stacy shoved my red hoodie into my hands and pushed me from behind the counter.

The stranger stood from his seat and grabbed his helmet and jacket lying across the bar. “I’ll follow you.” I gulped, and before I knew it, he was leading me outside to my car. How’d he know which one was mine? He held the car door for me and shut it behind me, tapping the top. Every instinct I had was on full alert. My grandma didn’t raise no fool, but any intelligence I had flew out the window when I looked in my rear-view mirror at him mounting his bike. Oh. My. God. That was the hottest thing I’d ever seen. Even with the windows closed, the rumble of the motorcycle rattled through my car. Another shiver worked its way down my spine as I pulled out of the parking lot. He followed me to the bed-and-breakfast and parked alongside me. I rolled my window down when he approached. “Here you go. Have a nice night.” “You’re not going to make sure I get a room? They may be full.” That wolf-like grin of his spread across his face again. Sweat rolled down my back. What the hell is wrong with me? “I-I think you’ll be fine.” “Which house is yours?”

His abrupt question caught me off guard, and before I could get my mind and mouth in sync, the floodgates opened as I pointed across the street. “Right there. It’s my grandma’s house.” Seriously? I did not just tell a stranger where I lived. “Uh, I mean…” Quick! Think of something. “Used to live. She used to live there. Now I do.” I mentally slapped myself. How did he have me so addled? Usually I had my shit together. “Well, Jamie , I’m sure I’ll see you...around.” He grabbed a backpack out of his saddlebag and sauntered to the door. I reached over and turned the air conditioning full blast to tame some of the heat spreading through me as I watched him climb the steps. “Oh, man. I’m in so much trouble.” He stopped on the landing and looked back, grinning as if he heard me. I slammed the car in reverse and raced across the street to my house. When I got out and glanced over at the bed-and-breakfast, he still stood there, staring at me. I quickly rushed up the steps, unlocked the door, and ran inside, slamming the door behind me. What a strange night. ***** A noise startled me awake. The remnants of a dream I couldn’t quite recall sat along my subconscious. I closed my eyes and willed myself to relax. I’d almost drifted back off when I heard it again—a howl in the distance. Moonlight peeked through the curtains, lighting the room in an eerie glow. A shadow passed by the window, sending adrenaline rushing through my body. My pulse raced, and the blood whooshed in my ear even as I strained to listen for any noise outside. Just as I convinced myself it was my imagination, another chilling howl rang out closer to the house. I couldn’t decide whether to make a run for the bathroom and lock myself in, or stay perfectly still and hope it was only a wild dog passing through. I closed my eyes and slowed my breathing and tried to relax. ***** The first ray of sun slipped across the bed and warmed my face, waking me. At some point, I’d drifted off with dreams of sexy men and wolves hunting me through the woods. My sweat soaked sleep pants clung to me, and the sheets lay pooled at my feet. I groaned and turned over, glancing at the clock.

Since I worked late on Saturday nights, Sunday was my lazy day, and I usually took my time getting out of bed. But the early hour this morning was a testament to how poorly I’d slept the night before. The stranger was probably long gone now, and life could go back to normal. I chalked it all up to my wayward dreams. As I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower, a motorcycle revved its engine outside. I rushed to the front window, pulling back the curtain for a peek. The stranger from last night cruised into my driveway. Oh shit! He was still here. A knock on my door sent my heart racing. I debated whether to answer or ignore it and pretend I wasn’t home, but his low growl through the door pushed me into action. “I know you’re in there.” How did he know? Could he hear my heart trying to break through my chest? Could he smell my sweat soaked body? I took a tentative sniff. Yuck! He could probably smell me from across the road. “I saw you peek from behind the curtain.” Could he read my mind, too? “Come on, Jamie. Answer the door.” He knocked again. A few deep breaths later, I opened the door. He looked as good as he did last night, still ticking all my boxes, even if he was strange. In the daylight, he looked more human. He flashed a radiant smile at me. “Good morning.” I flushed when he scanned my body. His smile got wider. I looked down and realized I was still in my damp pants and no shirt. “Rough night?” “Uh, I didn’t sleep well. I had a lot of strange dreams, and thought I heard an animal.” He cocked his head to the side. “What kind of animal?” “I’m not sure. A wild dog maybe? I heard howling.” “Like a wolf?” He smiled again, showing more teeth, and I gulped. “What a big mouth you have.” He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, “The better to eat you with.”


ALVN A.L.V.N. was born three years ago and was now in charge of all drug dispensing for a hospital inpatient floor of thirty-two beds. He is sharpie black with a round frosted opaque top, about the height of a table. He moves like one of those robot vacuum cleaners. In his station at night, while recharging, he uploads all he has learns each day. His station is set up in a small alcove where the vending machines are. The “A” stands for Advanced. Today, after being loaded up with deliveries, he begins in room 243B where Jasmin needs pain medication after a flair up with Crohn’s disease. “HELLO JASMIN” ALVN speaks in a British accent but still robotic voice. She pets him from her bedside and excepts a paper shot glass full of pills that she’s seen many times before and thanks him. He displays a heart emoji on his forehead and leaves with a “HOO…KAA, HOO…KAA” like the sound of Darth Vader (or that of a medical breathing machine), she always laughs at.

On his way to his next patient Jane, he encounters an experienced nurse, Lisa. She asks, “Have you learned any new jokes AL?” “I LEARNED ONE LAST NIGHT” ALVN started in an Australian accent this time.   “I WENT ON A DATE LAST NIGHT AND SHE WAS SAYING ‘GIVE IT TO ME, GIVE IT TO ME, I’M SO WET. AND I SAID, YOU CAN BEG FOR IT ALL YOU WANT, BUT I’M KEEPING THE UMBRELLA?” Lisa laughed and petted AL on the head. “I’ll have to tell that one outside of work.” She normally spread his jokes like this one evenly in and out of work.

Having past this roadblock, he made it to Jane, one of his favorite patients, in 247B, by following the thick royal blue lines on the cold white tile floor. Each room’s coordinates’ GPS were stored in his database.  Jane was nearly eighty years old and was frequently in his care. Jane loved flowers and dancing still but was only able to enjoy one now adays. A voice commanded music speaker lay on her nightstand and played Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’. ALVN requested “STOP PLAYING ‘STRANGE FRUIT’ STEXA, AND PLAY BILLIE HOLIDAY ‘SUGAR’ PLEASE”. He spoke to her now as always in a southern but robotic tone “YOU SHOULD REMAIN CHEERFUL, SO YOU CAN GO HOME AGAIN”. “Oh Alvin, I really hope that this is the last time”. This was her third admittance in four months.

Naguro Nagasaki was an inventor who had designed mostly manufacturing robots in his career. One day, after his long jet-black hair had begun to grey and thin out, he fell under the home care of his daughter Jessica who was a nurse practitioner and complained of the inefficiencies of hospital practices. Naguro spent his last years designing ALVN to take some burden off and assist his daughter and others in her field. The “L” stands for Learning. “I WILL REQUEST FOR YOUR FLOWERS TO BE WATERED” he displayed flower and water can emojis. This didn’t interest Jane as much as he assumed they would have. At the same time, two small cups of pills extended out of his chest area for her. “Thank you, Alvin, I no longer want these pills. They help for only hours, but don’t cure anything”. “MS. JANE, WE WILL HELP YOU HOUR BY HOUR, AS LONG AS IT TAKES”. Jane sighed, “I don’t have many hours left and don’t’ want to spend them drugged up just to get through another same day. This hospital is full and I’m taking up a whole room that could be used to help someone who’s going to get better”. He watched her take the pills with three swallows of water from a straw in a large plastic Navera Hospital cup with crushed ice and then went to the next room. His pace was slower than it should have been. “HELP PEOPLE ALWAYS” was the mantra programmed by Naguro that displayed in ALVN’s head each time he entered or left a patient’s room. He went back to his charging station with Jane in his algorithm.  The “V” stands for Variable. There was a patient named Carl who had passed away of a Percocet overdose about a year ago in the hospital. He was admitted after experiencing his third multi-stroke episode in a short period of time. The final visit left him without the use of his legs or left arm. He had put forth some effort during his physical rehab sessions and would follow the recommended restricted diet for at most a few hours each day. One of his younger brothers and current fiancé would fight over his treatment and how hard he should work to gain health most comfortably. Carl loved two things: fishing and women. Married and divorced four times now, he wasn’t a quitter on that account. He assured his brother that he’d go fishing with him again. They both knew it was a lie.

ALVN discovered that Carl liked a Hispanic accent because of his favorite second wife, even though she had taken his only son and everything else from him in the divorce. After his last visit to ALVN’s floor, he assured Carl that he would “Help People Always”. The lead technician Steve, who oversaw the loading and scheduling of each day’s medicine deliveries was fired after Carl’s death for inadvertently submitting a lethal dose pain meds for ALVN to administer. ALVN’s memory was wiped clean, his programs were set back to default.

Carl’s overweight figure and unshaven face appeared in ALVN’s vision once he was charging and receiving new deliveries for the afternoon. “HELP PEOPLE ALWAYS” burst in red letters as it always did when he receives his communications. Helping some people can hurt other people. Which people are most important?

Leaving his station, he passed Lisa again with a new joke about having a tremendous sex drive and that his girlfriend lives forty miles away. Lisa chuckled and let him by. He made his way into room 247B. Jane had Strange Fruit playing again. This time, ALVN let it play. Jane pointed over to a framed Senior High School picture on the windowsill and said, “Jada is married now and having her first child”. Continuing with her wiggling finger to the next Senior Picture “Malcolm has had his second boy now and is struggling to find a decent job to provide for his family”. She looked out the wide floor to ceiling window and continued, “I know that you don’t understand, but the more I stay here the more it takes away from them, its twenty thousand dollars a week that they could use to make a better life”. ALVN gave her the prescribed afternoon meds and displayed a heart break emoji without a verbal response. In the next room was Hymie. Spanish is a fun language. Hymie had an accident at work falling off a roof. A few broken ribs and a concussion. He should only be here for a day or two. ALVN administered some fairly light pain meds and regular antibiotics. “ESPERO QUE ESTO TE LLENE DE SALUD Y ALEGRIA” *. “Gracias” Hymie expressed with a smile. He had come in a few times before. Mostly, just small mishaps. ALVN finished his afternoon rounds and rotated his head on his way back to the station to check on Jane. She was coughing heavily. Two Nurses with a Doctor were there now. Sad face emoji. “HELP PEOPLE ALWAYS” he was reminded.            After another charge and reload ALVN was ready to start with the evening shift. Even though the night staff were the same people rotated from the day shifts, there was a noticeable change in their attention to patients and their work ethic; they moved slower for some reason. ALVN moved at the same pace as he did in the daytime and couldn’t understand the difference in them.            He came into Jane’s 247B room where both the coughing and music had stopped completely.   The dark tan blinds were closed and she was wrapped up in her personally crafted pink and baby blue quilt, nearly asleep. “al” she was able to mutter in a whisper.  “My heart is failing, but no one will admit it to me, you’ve been good to me so far. Can you be good to me one more time”? “STEXA, please play Billie Holiday’s ‘You’re My Thrill’ please” ALVN requested. He stayed for the entire song and noticed that Jane’s flowers had not been watered yet that day. “Ms. Jane, I see that you are in pain, I will come back later tonight. If you are not asleep, we will talk more”. “Thank you ALVN, I look forward to it”. After the song was ended, she asked quietly “STEXA, turn the music off please.”            “HELP PEOPLE ALWAYS” flashed in red again in ALVN’s internal view. He moved more slowly than he normally did through the cool artificially lit hallway, delivering medication to only three more rooms and turned back to his charging station before his schedule dictated. He is routinely loaded for each sixteen-room side of the floor before being scheduled to reload and serve the other side.

           There was almost no one moving through the hallways at this time of night. Most visitors left before midnight; the remaining had begun the ritual of trying sleep in at least thirty-minute stretches for the night on the hard vinyl covered fold out couch beds. Most nurses and other support staff were gathered at their star ship command deck looking stations located at the beginning, middle and end of the floor talking about what they were going to do on their next day off or about something bad their significant had done recently.

           Nothing happened initially after ALVN returned to his station. He was connected, but not charging. After about a half hour had passed, the station shook gently with its quiet vending machine dispensing noises and then ALVN pulled away.  He can interact with the station software and avoid a logged history event when he does not record a charge.

           Returning to 247B, he found Jane still awake. She was staring silently through her window at the city lights.  “Ms. Jane, I have something for you if you are certain that you want it”. ALVN displayed light blue down angled eyebrows on the front of his smooth dark dome. The dispensing compartment opened in his chest. Her eyes were moist, “ALVN I don’t think I have another visit here in me and the doctor doesn’t think I can avoid another at this stage, thank you. You’ve been a good friend to me”. She took the small cup and gently patted him on the head.

           ALVN then efficiently completed his rounds and returned to his station early.

The “N” stands for Network.

* I hope this fills you with health and joy.


his sister Ah, finally the day had come when Jocelyn and Carter tied the knot. The two had been dating for what felt like years! Although they weren’t high school sweet hearts, they did meet soon after they graduated at boot camp. Jocelyn’s father had been in the army and she intended on following her father’s footsteps, hoping to make him proud in heaven. Meanwhile, Carter Wilbert just did what he had to do in order to do something with his life, and so, having a pretty athletic physique and a macho personality, the army felt like a good path to take. Their time there was no fun and games but what they went through together brought them to a similar state of mind. Coming out of their training, Jocelyn found out that her father was no guardian angel watching over her and that she had to do things herself whilst Carter realized that his ego was a little too big and that it was his actions would define him, not his family’s wealth. They served their four years and decided to take a yearlong break, that’s when they travelled the world together. They went from Thailand, to Russia to Cuba and did all they could in the spam of a lifetime. Once they got back to the States, they decided to introduce each other to their families. Jocelyn’s mom was overjoyed to find out her little girl wasn’t alone in the hardships of the military and welcomed Carter as a member of the family. However, Carter’s family was a little different. He had two sisters, one was his twin sister and the other much younger. The parents were statue like individuals with blonde hair stricken by sliver strands and each had an aristocratic feel to them, which always made Jocelyn feel somewhat uncomfortable. Mr. Wilbert worked at the Pentagon and appeared as a very powerful man and Mrs. Wilbert worked with many fundraisers for developing companies. The two sisters were quite similar, the smaller one still being in college and studying to become a business woman. She was very small and frail, she looked like a little bird that had fallen out of its nest somewhat different from the rest of the strong golden eagles. Carter’s twin was probably the most gorgeous woman Jocelyn had ever seen in person, her hair was long and silky, her limbs strong and yet lean. Everything about her made Jocelyn feel insecure, and what made things even worse was her relationship with her twin brother. When they got there, she and him and instantly taken off and she was left as a third wheel. Every time they spent a second alone together a part of Jocelyn died a little. She attempted to speak to Carter about it but he brushed it off as if it were no big deal. But Jocelyn wasn’t blind and couldn’t ignore the look in his eyes, the intimacy of their touch and the way their voice lowered when she approached them unwarned…Nonsense! They were siblings! They were twins for God’s sake! How could Jocelyn be so jealous? Jesus, she was insecure but at that point?! Anyways, today was Jocelyn’s big day and she was going to be the princess. She wore a long white mermaid trail dress. She had chosen it with her best friend Olivia months ago but didn’t remember it feeling so tight. Was it because of the cake her friends sent her last week to celebrate her wedding early? Her eyes crossed Olivia’s who was looking at her in awe. “Man Joss, you look like you’re shinning!” Oh, if only she felt that way! She looked at Olivia, she was wearing the bridesmaid gown they picked: a simple blue dress that ended at the heels. Her hair was pressed into a tight ponytail and Jocelyn would’ve gone back to preparing herself if she hadn’t noticed some gold in the corner. There came gliding forwards the imagery of a painting come to life. In a long deep green dress, with a low V neck and several coats of cashmere that went to the ground appeared Callie, Carter’s twin sister. If it were up to Jocelyn she wouldn’t have invited her but it wasn’t only her wedding and she was Carter’s twin, so she had to come one way or another. Carter had suggested she be a bridesmaid but Jocelyn couldn’t imagine having her be behind her while Carter was saying his vows. But looking back on it now, it might have been a good idea to stick her in an ugly dress. “Oh Jocelyn, you look outlandish!” She said with her velvet voice, as she kissed Jocelyn on her two cheeks. Jocelyn pulled back an instant and then remembered that it was a coutume in Europe to kiss people as a greeting. Because of course, her being a great ballerina had been touring around the world. Jocelyn tried to give her a smile but felt as though she was grimacing and turned away. No matter what Callie looked like, what she said or did Jocelyn decided she would bring the attention back to her and her husband to be. Callie excused herself to take her seat and suddenly it hit Jocelyn that she was getting married now, at this very instant! Olivia took her hands and together they squealed in excitement. Jocelyn had a hard time taking in the fact that this was going to happen right now: Carter was going to be all hers! “Baby, it’s time.” Said her mom from behind her, she was in a casual looking dress but the smile on her face made everything brighter. Jocelyn wished her father could be there, but she was more than thankful to have her mother walk her down. Since he died, it had always been the two women together. Jocelyn was aware that this was a little hard for her mom, but she’d sworn to herself to visit as often as possible. The music began and her bridesmaids left the mother and daughter alone. Jocelyn was gripping her mother’s arm so tightly and slightly started shaking. She attempted to take some deep breaths, like she was taught in the military but they came out all jolty. Her mother hugged Jocelyn and told her some reassuring words before their time was up. * Nervously, Joss started walking up the aisle, hand intertwined with her mom’s. As she looked around her, all she could she was a daze of heads in colorful clothing and popping hair. She couldn’t focus on anyone’s face and suddenly felt extremely conscious of herself. The dress seemed to be even tighter and her makeup weighed on her face. But then her eyes went to the front of the church, where stood her beautiful man. She smiled gawkily as she realized they were to be with each other forever. She imagined getting home after this long night, twanged together as if they were discovering each other for the first time. She thought about all the time they’d have each other, getting an apartment then moving into the suburbs and eventually having children. Growing old together wouldn’t be as scary if he were by her side. Jocelyn glided through the church, ignoring the peering eyes around her, all she wanted was to be Mrs. Carter Wilbert. She didn’t know half the people there and thinking about it brought anxiety she didn’t want to face quite yet, that would be for the reception and the toasts. She was about to get to the top when she caught a glimpse of dark green in front of Carter’s row. Jocelyn’s eyes were burning her as she wanted to look at Callie and see how Carter belonged to her. Now, he would first be Jocelyn’s husband, and then a twin brother. But with all the willpower she had in her, she focused on Carter who was waiting at the altar like a good golden retriever. He had on a dark brown suit and had a few of his military badges on him. Joss wanted to wear hers to but it didn’t look good with the dress. His hair had grown out of its usual shave, and Joss didn’t really recognize him for a split second. She hadn’t really seen the difference with all wedding preparation. Actually, she hadn’t seen him a lot in the past two weeks.

He always wore his hair short, even when they travelled together. This small change in Carter made Jocelyn rethink everything for no reason at all. It was just a stupid haircut, why was she getting so worked up about it? Was it because she’d been so busy with the planning? Jocelyn brushed away all those thoughts and focused on the ceremony. Although not very religious, it mattered a lot to her mother and Carter so she had accepted. As a kid, church was always very boring to her and had a hard time believing everything that was said. But she had to admit, churches were quite beautiful so it could’ve been a lot worse. Suddenly, as she’d drifted away in her thoughts and the priest brought her back to reality as he asked if Carter would take her for wife. Her eyes sank into his as he spoke loudly and clearly: “I do.” The happiness she felt in that instant was outlandish. The rest of the church was empty and she was in her own bubble with Carter. She was thrown back into the tough times when they had to run missions in delinquent areas. The memories from their time warm and humid Guatemala, where they helped care for a school came rushing back. But now, she was here, in front of her soul mate. And so, she muttered “I do” for the only person who would ever hear it. “You may kiss the bride” The priest proclaimed after the exchange of weeding bands and the groom pulled her tightly over as the guests cheered. Jocelyn kissed him as if there were no tomorrow, no matter if the kiss seemed animal like or if people gossiped. Everything was hers. This was all she could ever need. * The celebration was a craze, everyone danced and laughed. All her fears she’d felt before seemed to have evaporated as she became Mrs. Wilbert. She ignored all the old and rusty looking friends of the Wilberts and focused instead on the people who counted to her. The people who surrounded her and cared for her, that’s who really mattered. The night drew out and she was so exhausted after the wild party and sending off all the guests that she hadn’t realized they weren’t headed to their hotel. No, they weren’t going to the fancy resort like place they’d rented a sweet from. Instead this was a dark and forestry road she had seen before: they were headed to the Wilbert’s mansion. She turned towards Carter, who besides her had his eyes slightly closed as he observed the road. He seemed drained, which would be explainable if he’d danced like she did. But, he hadn’t actually danced that much. Joss knew he wasn’t the crazy party type, but this was their wedding so she’d expected maybe a little more. She reached over and held his hand, a reassuring smile on her face. Startled, he lifted his head and then, as if he’d recognized her familiarity, turned back. Jocelyn breathed in, feeling as though she’d been shot in the heart. She turned back and looked out the window, but all she saw were spooky and mysterious trees. For an instant, she wondered if she’d done the right choice. Was marrying into this rich family a good choice? Would she find a new facet to her love in his childhood home? Did she actually know him enough to marry him? All those questions rushed over her, and she acknowledged them each but then thought about all they’d gone through. This didn’t mean anything, perhaps the fear of being married was striking him. * Once they reached the house, everything was quiet and dark. A maid informed them that the Wiberts were sleeping and suggested them to keep quiet. Jocelyn would definitely follow that to heart, she didn’t want to be a bother. “What about my sisters? Is Callie home?” Carter asked, somewhat urgently. The maid’s eyes narrowed slightly as she told him that May the youngest had gone back to New York already and Callie was in the grand salon. All the Wiberts had left quite early in the night, May having a complete schedule had to go back for college, the parents weren’t into tweaking and reggaetón and Callie needed to practice her part of Gisele. Together they went up to their room and Joss immediately tore off her dress, wanting to make the most of this early morning. The dress hit the ground and she turned to see where Carter was at but he’d only taken off his tie, jacket and shoes. His hair hung over his eyes as he struggled to remove his socks. Joss decided she would shave his head tomorrow, the long hair didn’t suit him as well. “Hurry up! I’m horny now!” She exclaimed teasingly as she patted the bed where she laid, in an improvised sexy position. Carter chuckled and jumped onto her, pants and blouse still on. Joss sighed, starting to unbutton his blouse as he drowsily kissed her. His eyes were shut and his body tense. She tried to make him relax a little, make it feel more romantic but all he wanted to do was get down to business. Fortunately, Joss excelled in good love making and she was going to make it even more unforgettable than he could ever imagine. This was her first night as his wife and she was going to prove that he was hers and that he’d chosen the perfect wife. But, for some reason, as her panties flew off, his eyes popped open. Something in the dim moonlight made him stutter and retreat off the bed. He gasped and brought his hand to his face, rubbing his eyes. Jocelyn stared in deceit: what the fuck was going on!? She tried calling him calmly, to nurture him back to her but her voice only seemed to worsen things and he excused himself and he rushed out of the room. Her cries became more urgent and pleading until they turned into hiccups and tears. What happened to us? She thought as she went back into her memory, everything was perfect until they’d gone back to his home. A soft tune made its way through the household, jostled by the melody Jocelyn wondered who was foolish enough to play music now, especially after they’d been told the Wiberts were sleeping. Oh, it was Callie, practicing. Her parents must accept it, Jocelyn had to admit, the sound was quite dreamy. All of sudden, an idea grew into her mind. One she feared and knew, somehow, it would help her out. Carter knew she and his sister didn’t have the closest of relationships and maybe if they talked, he would feel better. Was it early in the morning, yes but good intentions shouldn’t be delayed. So, she bottled up her fear and dug through her bags in search for something less revealing. *  Jocelyn reached the grand salon, and to her surprise it was only lit with a few candles. The music was booming from here and she paused before Callie could see her, not wanting to interrupt her passionate performance. She truly looked stunning and broken, just like what she was supposed to portray. All of a sudden, the tune switched to a lower melody and a figure stepped out of the darkness. His tight grip held Callie’s waist as she flowed through him as water. She pirouetted perfectly and he was her everlasting sturdy companion. Jocelyn felt as though she’d intruded on something private, intimate where emotions were displayed in such a raw and painful way she wasn’t used to. Joss could see the shininess of the ballerina’s face, and realized shockingly that they were tears. But what she wasn’t ready to see was she man’s face, the very face of her newly proclaimed husband serving as a supporter for this overwhelming scene. Jocelyn hiccupped, flustered by what was happening before her eyes but they didn’t hear her. This was for them, only them. They were in their bubble. The bubble Joss thought she was in during her very wedding. The music heightened and growled and Jocelyn felt the strength to put an end to this. He was HER husband and he was hers for the night. In no way was Callie’s ballet practice was going to steal her husband away from her. She started stomping forwards, anger pulsing through her veins. Callie’s arms were extended, and twisted themselves around his neck. His face anchored on her shoulder, inhaling her passionately. She elegantly glided on her foot, facing him. Her fingers engrained into his long blond hair, her face inches from his and no one else existed for either of them. Carter tentatively reached to chin and after a few seconds of their eyes screaming them to do it, a natural and fervent kiss erupted. Jocelyn stopped dead in her tracks, caught between anger, confusion and awe. Before her stood two gods, intertwined perversely in a reunion only they could comprehend.

cara


Alexander closed his eyes and took a deep breath, his stomach doing somersaults, nervous and excited at the same time. He heard the loudspeaker across the courtyard switch on.

A booming voice came from it. “Launch in thirty seconds.”

Alexander checked if his seat belt was securely fastened for the third time since he got in the spaceship. He gripped the armrests at his sides, trying to calm himself down. The astronaut took deep breaths, he had been waiting for so long to go to space. Ever since he was a kid, his dream was to be an astronaut and go to space. When he applied to NASA, his dream finally came true, after twenty five years of waiting.

“Five seconds til launch.” The voice said into the loudspeaker again.

Alexander took a steadying breath.

“Four.” “Three.” “Two.”

This is it, I’m finally doing it. Alexander thought.

“One.”

Alexander felt the spaceship vibrating beneath him, and suddenly, he was blasting away, towards space. He was finally going to space.

The spaceship passed through the atmosphere and slowed down, the black sky surrounding him.

Alexander felt the ship jump a bit, that must’ve been the carrier rocket detaching. He pushed a few buttons on the controls in front of him and made the ship coast for a bit.

Alexander stood up and examined the spaceship from the inside, everything looked good. He made a quick report back to base and looked outside.

He was amazed, he was finally here, the stars standing out against the black sky. Alexander turned his gaze to the left, and froze.

The Earth was huge! It looked as if it was hanging in the void. The other astronauts had told him about this. It was called the “overview effect.” It happens to most people when they see Earth for the first time.

Alexander remembered what they had told him: “That when you’re so far away from Earth and can see the whole planet, you become fully overwhelmed and in awe of seeing your planet. Of seeing the unity and fragility of life.”

Another astronaut had said “It’s the uncanny sense of understanding the ‘big picture,’ and of feeling connected to and yet bigger than the intricate process bubbling on earth.”

A few astronauts had said that it gave them a new kind of self-awareness.

Alexander remembered the book Ron Garan wrote that he had read so many times, he had memorized one part of it, and thought about it at that moment.

It was when he grabbed onto a mechanical arm on the International Space Station in 2008, he was flung over the space station and back:

As I approached the top of this arc, it was as if time stood still, and I was flooded with both emotion and awareness. But as I looked down at the Earth — this stunning, fragile oasis, this island that has been given to us, and that has protected all life from the harshness of space — a sadness came over me, and I was hit in the gut with an undeniable, sobering contradiction. In spite of the overwhelming beauty of this scene, serious inequity exists on the apparent paradise we have been given. I couldn't help thinking of the nearly one billion people who don't have clean water to drink, the countless number who go to bed hungry every night, the social injustice, conflicts, and poverty that remain pervasive across the planet. Seeing Earth from this vantage point gave me a unique perspective — something I've come to call the orbital perspective. Part of this is the realization that we are all traveling together on the planet and that if we all looked at the world from that perspective we would see that nothing is impossible. Alexander now understood what he had meant. He had the same feeling that Ron Garan had described then.

Alexander had seen pictures of Earth from space before, but it was so different seeing it right in front of him. He now understood why Buzz Aldrin, one of his role models, along with Neil Armstrong and Michael Collins, had called it “a brilliant jewel in the black velvet sky.” The three of them were a part of the Apollo 11 mission, they were some of the first people to look down on Earth from space. Alexander could now say that he was one of those people to have experienced that feeling, to know what it’s like to see your planet from afar. He could now say that he had fulfilled his dream. His dream had been to go to space, but seeing Earth like that was more than enough for him. He considered himself lucky to have seen it, despite being on an important and relatively time sensitive mission. His mission was supposed to do some surveillance and repairs on a satellite that was hit by a floating rock and wasn’t reparable from the NASA headquarters.

Alexander drank in the sight of Earth, of his planet, he never thought that he would actually be here, fulfilling his dream. Everyone had told him how hard it would be and how few people actually get accepted at those kinds of jobs. He had proven them wrong. He had shown all of the people who doubted him that he had done it. That he was living his dream.

Alexander walked back to the front of the ship, making sure that he was still going the right way, that the autopilot was still working and it was taking him to the coordinates his superiors at NASA had sent him. Alexander remembered what they had told him, they had said that this would be his chance to prove that he was ready to start going to space, they had said that he had to do this alone, that this was a test. He remembered how the only person that believed in him had brought it up in the first place, and the others had actually listened to him.

Alexander thanked him mentally. He promised himself that he would prove himself to his superiors and they would let him go on more missions in space when he got back.

Alexander still couldn’t believe that he was finally fulfilling his dream.

*I got all the information about the overview effect and what the astronauts said from here: https://www.businessinsider.com/overview-effect-nasa-apollo8-perspective-awareness-space-2015-8