James Pyles's Blog, page 218
February 5, 2017
On Sunday the Time Traveler Stayed Home
Martin Fields, time traveler in training, was finally given his first solo assignment. Normally on Sundays, he stayed in his apartment, forgot about showering, dressed in his most grubby clothes, and tried out a new recipe for dinner. Martin loved to cook and he loved to try out new foods. He was in his “Middle-Eastern food” stage […]
February 4, 2017
The Apparition
Nine-year-old Erik Lund quietly crept out of Hammerfest’s historic Hauen Chapel. He never knew his great-grandfather and didn’t understand why people were upset at his death. Bored with the service, he went outside to play in the snow-covered cemetary. That’s when the man in the old-fashioned uniform appeared. “You must not be here. Go back inside.” […]
On Saturday the Time Traveler Went Hungry
Stalin is an asshole. I couldn’t believe it when Isis told me about this. It never came up in my High School World History class. It’s March 1933 on a farm, or what’s left of one, in the Ukraine. Her parents, her baby brother are dead. They starved. That sadistic bastard Josef Stalin wanted to […]
February 3, 2017
On Friday the Time Traveler Slept Late
Martin’s eyes snapped open the second his alarm clock announced itself with nerve-jarring buzzing. “Yah! What time is it? Oh shit, I’m late for…” Then he remembered that he didn’t have to be at the office by 8 a.m. today or ever again. He didn’t work in publishing anymore. He was a time traveler in […]
February 2, 2017
On Thursday the Time Traveler Walked Out
“I quit. I don’t care about the money. I don’t care about anything. You’re going to get me killed.” Martin Fields removed the Temporal Jump Suit and threw each piece on the floor of his bedroom rather than packing it in its customized carrying case. “That idiot in Las Vegas almost shot me.” Isis stood […]
February 1, 2017
On Wednesday the Time Traveler Got Wet
“Damn!” It was the only word Martin Fields could get out before falling into the Pacific Ocean near the equator, north of what would one day be called Papua New Guinea, and thousands of years before he was born. As his head resurfaced above the equatorial waters, he heard her say, “Try again, Martin.” Before […]
Exclusion
“George Phillip Meadows, you have been found guilty of Betrayal of Trust, Neglect, and Excessive Absenteeism. Your sentence is set at ninety days of exclusion. Do you have anything to say before sentence is carried out?” “No, Your Honor. I accept the sentence.” Without another word, George picked up his suitcase and walked out […]
Chasing the Zodiac
Martin Fields looked out window of his rented condo at a street recently swept of snow. “So primitive, Isis, but we won’t be here long.” “It’s your fault we’re here at all.” Fields turned to face her. She was beautiful by design, reminding him that she wasn’t human. “How could I know he’d find my […]
January 31, 2017
You Never Have To Wait For A Time Traveler
Pamela had an unusual job; she was a time traveler. She worked on contract for the Department of Temporal Affairs. She was one of a dozen or so time workers who traveled up and down eternity detecting and correcting potential rifts in the time stream, events that, if left unchecked, would threaten the static history her […]
Left Alone
Joey was softly crying. His Mommy forgot him, forgot to pick him up at the Boys and Girls Club where he went everyday after school. Now everyone was gone and he was alone. It was cold and wet out and he was scared. Where was his Mommy and why didn’t she come to get him? […]
