Walt Trizna's Blog, page 48

HE FLEW AWAY

This story was inspired by the stink but infestation about seven or eight years ago.

I was camping with my wife and friends and the population of stink bugs was enormous. In the restroom they attacked me. The side of a white RV was almost totally black with the beasts. Luckly, birds eventually developed a taste for them.

He Flew Away was published in 2016 by Cemetery Moon, a print publication.  

                                                   He Flew Away              

The stink bug invasion, a product of Asian commerce, spread across the east coast like a cancer.  Now, more than thirty-three states suffered their scourge.  At first, the insect was nothing more than a mild discomfort.  Then, ever so slowly, the discomfort grew into a major irritant, and finally as time passed, a constant source of woe.  It was in the winter that the insects would reach their maximum level as a life-changing hindrance.  During cold weather they ventured indoors, landing in food, beverages and disturbing sleep in infested bedrooms, waking those light sleepers with the sound of their flight, and the heavier sleepers when they landed.  Residents of the blighted areas thought this was as bad as it could get, but matters were about to take a change for the worse that no one had anticipated.  The nuisance of the original invasion waned as birds developed a taste for the pest.  But before that took place a new, more threatening aspect, replaced the mere nuisance.  

 One of the many sites of this transition from annoyance to terror took place at French Creek State Park.  Located in rural eastern Pennsylvania, a landscape of thick forest and rolling hills, it was an ideal setting for those wanting to leave the cares of life behind and seek nature’s solitude.  The location was also ideal for the mindless advances of the now predator insects to accomplish a horrible new phase of their existence.

   Walt, along with his dog, Millie, sought out the peace and tranquility of the park one early October weekend.  Walt said to Millie, as he filled his van with camping equipment, “I can’t wait to spend some time outdoors with my girl camping.”  Millie, a lab mix, bounded around the car anticipating an upcoming adventure.  She knew something was up, and as long as she was included, she was happy. 

Setting out on a Friday afternoon, a short drive brought them to French Creek State Park.

Walt began setting up his campsite looking forward to a restful evening spent around a blazing campfire with the smell of burning wood and the way the tranquility of a camping evening brought a sense of wellbeing.  However, the tranquil mood changed when Saturday morning dawned with the horrible realization that the invasion of stink bugs in the forest was intense.  Walt could not believe the magnitude of the stink bug population as he attempted to clear them from the picnic table so he could make his breakfast.

Millie sensed an ominous presence in the insect invasion, something her master could not.  She growled and snapped at the pests knowing they were more of a threat than her master realized.

That morning, as Walt entered the camp bathroom, he was shocked to see the walls black with stink bugs.  To eliminate the vermin, he slammed his towel against the walls.  But that accomplished nothing more than releasing a sickening stench.  “Bad idea,” he, mumbled.  “It can’t get much worse than this.  Back home they haven’t showed up yet.  Here, it’s a major invasion.  They’re everywhere.”  And Walt discovered a new aspect of the pests; they’re dive-bombing now, and biting.  A few of them landed on him and immediately bit down, causing intense pain.  A fellow camper entered the restroom and listened to Walt complain and agreed with a nod of his head to his observations.  Walt was afraid to open his mouth to respond, the insects were that dense.

That night the smoke of the campfire kept the little monsters at bay allowing Walt to enjoy the evening.  Millie lay down by the fire but again sensed a looming threat in the darkness.

Late Sunday night Walt’s friends, Sherrie and Jeff, arrived in their RV.  The next morning, as Sherrie and Jeff witnessed the stink bug infestation, they agreed that this year’s plague of insects was the worst they’d ever seen.  Walt tried to remain positive and commented, “It will be better when we go back home, away from the forest.  Let’s try to enjoy our camping and ignore the little bastards.”

 On their second full day of camping Walt’s friends decided to take Millie for a walk.  “We won’t get lost this time,” they promised.  The previous day, the trio hiked a totally unplanned six mile marathon.  Without map or compass, they set out for a short leisurely hike.  At one point, after the hikers realized how lost they were, and Millie enjoyed every turn in the trail, Sherrie asked an old-timer driving by for directions.  Big mistake.  They walked circles around the same landscape finally sure their local guide was suffering from dementia.  Nothing of the directions he gave fit the terrain, and during the hike they were constantly bombarded by stink bugs. “I hope Walt has a fire going when we get back with plenty of smoke,” Sherrie said to Jeff, “or else you and I are going straight into the RV.

While his friends decided on a hike, Walt hung back at the campsite to try and do some work.  He was a writer at the beginning of his career.  As he sat in this peaceful setting ideas fired through his mind.  The current infestation of stink bugs added to strong possibilities of a story.

Sitting at the picnic table, Walt started to form the idea for a work of horror, lurking on the backburner of his mind for some time now.  Working at the picnic table he was constantly brushing away stink bugs landing on him.  He muttered, “The little pests are everywhere.  We can’t leave this place soon enough to suit me,” a definite turn to his positive attitude.  But even with the constant irritation of the insects, with the warmth of the sun, and spending a restless camping night, he began nodding off and decided to rest his head on the table, for just a minute.

As Walt’s breathing grew more regular with sleep the insects returned, the first stink bug landed on his shoulder.  Soon insects occupied his shoulders and back, and before long were joined by a swarm hovering which quietly settling down to join their comrades.  Swarm after swam followed, creating a mass of hundreds of thousands of the bugs.

Walt stirred as the insects began penetrating his body with their mindless journey to transition, molding his structure to their own demands.  He was now beyond pain as his being entered a new life, a new entity.  All that was Walt was gone, replaced by a life form the world had never known.  This same horrible transformation was occurring throughout the infected areas as the stink bug population multiplied with unprecedented hspeed to create a new horror.  Gradually a new creature was created which would become swarms of monsters defying the laws of nature and challenging all life on the planet.

                                                                           * **

 Hours later Sherrie and Jeff came walking back with Millie in tow.  “Let’s see what Walt’s up to,” they told the tired dog.  As they approached the campsite, they could not believe their eyes.  There, sitting at the picnic table, was a pulsating amorphous shape.  As they moved closer they realized what they were seeing were thousands upon thousands of stink bugs.  Before their horrified eyes, a figure rose becoming more defined as the crawling mass of insects flew away leaving a solid form, one enormous shield- shaped evil-looking insect.  The monster’s alien eyes surveyed its surroundings, and then moved from the table to the ground.  It was fully six feet long and stood four feet high.  The stench it gave off was unbelievably repulsive.  Suddenly, its carapace opened and huge wings appeared increasing the putrid smell even more.  Giant wings began to flutter, sending up a cloud of fallen leaves, and the beast began to fly.  Soon it was only a dot in the sky, and then disappeared.

The End

SIDE EFFECTS

                                               This story was published by Dream Fantasy International in December 2005.

                                             SIDE AFFECTS

The female picked up her baby and held it close, suckling it for the last time.  She did not have a name; language was thousands of years in the future.   As she gazed at her infant, only days old, tears rolled down her cheeks.  She caressed the small hairy body and kissed the prominent brow, the two characteristics that spelled the infant’s doom.  She stood, and slowly walked into the forest.  Moments later the forest echoed with a child’s scream, cut suddenly short.  The female emerged from the forest alone.

She thought of another member of the loosely formed tribe with a similar baby, who did not have the strength to destroy it.  The female raised the child, its aggressiveness and appearance different from the other children living in the clearing in the African forest.  The child grew strong and hateful.  One day a member of the tribe found the mother dead, partially devoured.  The child was never seen again.  It entered the jungle, more animal than human, to live as its ancestors did thousands of years before.

                                                     ***

Modern science could have discovered the explanation for these mysterious births.  The cause was a unique receptor, a protein on the surface of the cell.  Many receptors discovered today are seven transmembrane receptors; they course the cell wall seven times weaving in and out like a tiny thread.  These aggressive individuals had receptors that were fourteen transmembrane receptors, monstrous in size and in action, bringing together hormones in rare mixes, resulting in a savage monster.  These receptors disappeared with the extinction of the savage individuals, but the genetic machinery that manufactured these monstrous receptors did not.

Thousands of years ago, as these monsters were born and eliminated, there was another type of individual created.  It was rare, rarer than its savage counterparts.  These individuals possessed the genetic machinery to produce the aberrant receptors, but this could only occur when there was a change in serotonin levels.  These changes don’t normally occur in nature now, and the birth of these individuals continued with their genetic potential unrealized.  Unrealized, that is, until the advent of the new antidepressants.

                                                     ***

Jeff Skovich was a quiet guy, the kind of guy you never noticed, primarily because he didn’t want to be noticed.  Only Jeff and his wife Linda knew the torment of his life.  Lately he was blowing up at the slightest provocation.  He was angry all the time and had more and more difficulty dealing with daily routines.  Then, one day, Jeff had a particularly violent argument with Linda.  After Jeff had nearly struck her she shouted, “You need help! I refuse to go on living like this,” and stormed out of the house.  Confused and hurt, she drove aimlessly for hours and when she returned, Jeff was gone.

Days later, a sullen Jeff returned home, and would not tell Linda where he had been.  They spent a week passing each other in the house, avoiding any contact, sleeping in different rooms.  The love Jeff felt for Linda ran so deep, he could not bear the thought of life without her but could not confront her.  Finally, Linda broke the ice. “I love you”, she told him, but insisted, “You need help for your mood swings, and we really can’t go on like this.”

At first Jeff said nothing, and then his feelings poured out, “I feel hopeless all the time.  I can hardly function because nothing seems to have any importance.  I use all the energy I have just to get through the day.  By the time I come home I’m spent, angry and confused.  I just can’t deal with things the way I once did.”  As Jeff talked, the tears started to flow from Linda’s eyes and from Jeff’s.  Linda knew the man Jeff once was and wanted him back.

Jeff finally agreed to see Dr. Roberts, their family doctor, and after a short discussion Roberts said, “I’m going to put you on one of the new serotonin reuptake inhibitors.  I think that this medication will help you.  We’ll give it a try and see if it makes a difference.”

Jeff filled the prescription and started the therapy he hoped would return his life to him.  After a week he noticed a difference in his approach to problems; instead of flying into a rage, he stopped and thought through the conflict he felt.  He was no longer angry all the time, had more patience and was more focused on his work.  Linda noticed the change too.  She no longer dreaded coming home from her job, trying to gauge Jeff’s mood for the evening.  Jeff and Linda began enjoying life and their marriage to the fullest.  Jeff’s job as an electrical engineer took off.  The work he accomplished won recognition and promotions.  Linda also grew comfortable in her life.  Her job teaching at the local middle school gave her great satisfaction.  Linda adored children but was not able to have her own, so this proximity to children fulfilled a need.

Jeff had now been on the antidepressant for years.  His life with Linda could not be better; he found himself feeling guilty at times for the happiness that was his.  He was now in charge of a major project for the company.  The outlook of every facet of his life was positive.

“You know Linda,” Jeff said one morning, “I think it’s a waste of money for me to continue to take the antidepressant.  I feel fine, we get along great, and things couldn’t be better at work.  I’m going to have a talk with Dr. Roberts and see what he says.”

Jeff made the appointment and Linda went with him to testify to the changes Jeff had undergone.  Dr. Roberts agreed and slowly began to wean Jeff off the medicine.  When Jeff began taking the drug, he started at a low dose and gradually increased the dosage until he underwent the full benefits of the drug.  Now he reversed the process and began taking less and less, paying attention to any changes in his mood or behavior, until he was taking the lowest dose used.  He still was doing fine so he stopped taking the drug altogether. 

Weeks, then months went by, and Jeff was even tempered and happy as he had been when he was on the medication, but deep within his genetic makeup subtle changes were taking place.  Removing the drug from his system set his cellular machinery into gear, in a manner that had not taken place in man for thousands of years.  Proteins were being manufactured that were awesome in length and complexity.  They weaved through the walls of his cells fourteen times, like vipers ready to do their damage.  The process was slow, gradually creating a monster.  The night he began the crossover, Jeff had a dream.

Jeff dreamt he walked an African savanna, hunting for what he knew he needed to continue his existence – food.  He stalked his prey, made a kill and feasted on his quarry’s raw flesh.  Jeff awoke bathed in sweat, unable to understand his apparition’s meaning.  The final image remained imprinted in his mind.  In his dream the quarry had been human.  This deeply disturbed him for days.  He tried to dismiss the dream but couldn’t, for it reoccurred.  And as the side effects began to alter his body, his dreams became more and more vivid as his mind was also altered.

Six months went by before Jeff noticed a change in his behavior.  He was out shopping one day and was about to pull into a parking space when another car beat him to the spot.  Normally, he would have uttered some epithet to himself and gone on his way, but this time was different.  He pulled his car behind the intruder to prevent him from leaving, then jumped out of his car and attacked.  Jeff hammered his fist on the closed window, confronting an elderly couple.  The face of the old man behind the wheel revealed shock and disbelief.  Both he and his wife cowered as Jeff continued to yell and pound the window.  In desperation, the old man began to blow his horn continuously, hoping to attract attention.  The noise and forming crowd brought Jeff to his senses.   He jumped into his car and left.

As he drove away, Jeff was shaking with fear and rage.  Years ago, when he was depressed, he felt rage, a rage born of desperation.  The rage he felt now was different; it was animal.  For a moment, he wanted to kill the old couple, not considering the consequences.

He did not mention this incident to his wife.  He was both scared and ashamed and wanted to forget all about what had happened.  Jeff wondered if maybe he should return to his antidepressant but couldn’t realize that there was no turning back.  His genetic machinery was in overdrive and could not be reversed.

Jeff had always had a heavy beard.  With his thick black hair, his five o’clock shadow would sometimes appear at three, but now by eleven o’clock he looked like he hadn’t shaved at all that morning, and his normally densely haired torso and arms seemed to be growing additional hair.  Another change took place that he did not understand, seeming impossible.  His face seemed to be altered ever so slightly.  His brow seemed to be thickened.  It was almost impossible to notice without close inspection.  The way Jeff first became aware of this change was that his glasses felt uncomfortable to wear.  But this was not a problem for his eyesight seemed to be improving to the extent that he didn’t need his glasses.

The change that distressed Jeff the most was the change in his temper.  These days he avoided Linda for fear of a blowup.  Small things that she had always done, her little habits, would now grate his nerves generating a mad rage that he fought to keep under control.  He had more fits of anger while in public.  One day, an elderly woman entered a checkout line at the same time as Jeff, and he pushed her, knocked her to the ground yelling obscenities.  A crowd gathered as he ran from the store.  In the distance he could hear the wail of a police siren.  He walked for hours until darkness fell, and then returned to the store’s parking lot to retrieve his car.

Day by day, his appearance was changing.  His brow was becoming more prominent and there was no controlling his beard growth, and his body was covered with what appeared to be fur.  Jeff was at a loss as to what to do, whom to turn to for he found it impossible to communicate his rage.

Then one day, Linda was gone from his life too.  She knew he was angry again, but not like before.  The rage was constant, and she couldn’t help but notice the change in his appearance.  She couldn’t take the anger any longer and asked, “What’s happening Jeff?”

Jeff’s reply was both verbal and physical, “Shut up bitch,” he shouted and slapped Linda as hard as he could.  He had never struck her before.  Linda fell to the floor and Jeff began to kick and stomp her until his energy was spent.  Linda’s face was no longer recognizable.  He left and entered a primal world from which he would never return.

                                           THE END

THE INHERITANCE

 This story was accepted for publication by Black Petals in July 2006. Don’t you just love happy endings?                                     

                                        THE INHERITANCE                                                   

May lay deathly still, listening, as her two daughters, Joan and Heidi, searched through her belongings looking for treasure.  Joan was the first to speak, “I hope the old bat dies before the end of the month.  That would save us a month’s rent.’

Heidi answered, “Quiet Joan, she’ll hear you.”

Joan replied, “Are you kidding?  She’s toast.  Even her doctor can’t explain what keeps her going.”

May Connors, age 62, lay dying in her bed in the small bedroom of her apartment in the assisted living wing of The Towers Nursing Home.  She appeared as a corpse ready for burial, her face ashen and her jaw slack.  Only the rare rise and fall of her chest brought home the fact that her withered body still harbored life.  Cancer had ravaged her physically just as cruel circumstances had ravaged her existence.  At one time her life was full of promise.  Now she had nothing, nothing but the cruel words of her daughters that seared into her brain.

                                                 * * *

May’s mind wandered back to when her daughters were young.  Five-year old Joan would day, “I love you mom, you’re the bestest mother in the whole world.”

Three-year-old Heidi would add, “I love mom.”

Those moments made the sacrifices she made for her daughters worthwhile.  Now her daughters’ cruel words blotted out the love she once held so close.

May clung to life with the hope that her two daughters, distant for so long, would show a measure of love for her before she died.  With her daughters’ words she knew that would not be.  The love she had sheltered in her heart became a cold hate.  A desire for revenge replaced her will to live.  Locked in the prison of her body, May’s mind and soul were tormented with the desire to somehow confront the shallowness, the evil her daughters exhibited.

As May’s determination for revenge grew, she heard Joan say, “I always liked this knife set from Switzerland.  It would look nice in my kitchen.”

Heidi snickered, “As if you’d ever use them to cook.”

Joan moaned, “I didn’t say I’d use them.  I said they would look nice.”

Heidi said, “You can have the knives if I can have the antique mirror.  I’ve always admired the frame and it would look good in my bedroom.”

Before she could help herself, Joan commented, “On the ceiling of course!”  Both women laughed hysterically while May’s brain did a slow burn.

Joan said, “Since that’s settled, let’s go through the rest of this junk and see what we want.  What’s left can go straight to the dumpster out back.”

Then Heidi said, “Especially the crap she’s made over the years.  What about her clothes?

Joan replied, “Try to find a dress without food stains that she can be buried in and bag the rest for Goodwill.”

As her daughters mocked all that she held dear, May remembered a life of disappointment and tragedy.

                                                * * *

May recalled five months ago when she visited Dr. Stevens.

“I came for a checkup doctor.  I’ve felt rundown lately and have been losing weight.”

Dr. Stevens said, “We’ll run some tests and give you a physical.  That should tell us what’s going on.”

Two weeks later May sat in Dr. Stevens’ office.  The look on his face told May that the news was not good. 

“May, we have discovered your problem.  You have pancreatic cancer.  It has spread to your liver and stomach.  I’m so sorry.”

May was in shock.  The rest of Dr. Stevens’ words tumbled into a blur.  He went on to talk about options and a realistic assessment of the time May had left, but the words seemed unreal.

The deadly cells had been spreading their evil throughout her body even as she planned her future.  May had thoughts of growing old and seeing her daughter’s lives blossom.  Now these alien cells did more than plan; they determined her future.

Life had dealt her many blows in the past, but May had always persevered.  It seemed distant now, but her life was once a dream, a dream that slowly crumbled.  May married late in life yet still managed to have two healthy daughters.  She quit her job as an interior decorator and devoted her life to raising her children.  Her husband Charlie’s salary as vice president at a local bank provided more than enough to enable the family to live comfortably.  Then the life she planned began to fall apart.

One day, as he did every day, Charlie kissed May and said, “I love you, see you tonight.”  She never took that kiss for granted because she knew how much he loved her.  But she never saw her Charlie again that night, or any other night.

Later that day, the phone rang, and May answered.  She recognized the hysterical voice on the line.  It was Charlie’s secretary.  “Charlie had a heart attack.  They’re taking him to Glen Grove Hospital.  I can’t believe it, oh May.”

May rushed to the hospital.  Dr. Perkins greeted her.  He slowly approached her, and then said, “I’m the doctor that first saw Mr. Connors.  I’m sorry Mrs. Connors. We did everything we could.  Your husband passed away.”  Her Charlie, at the age of fifty and fit, died of a massive heart attack.

When her daughters graduated from high school, they also exited May’s life.  Joan and Heidi, two years apart in age, went off to college and never returned.  They both chose careers in business, and both rose rapidly on their respective corporate ladders.  Joan became a manager at a major pharmaceutical company.  Heidi worked her way up to chief buyer for a major department store.  Neither woman had any thoughts of marriage and would not even think of sharing their lives with children.  They wanted their lives to be their own.  They lived well and traveled extensively.  There was no room in their existence for anyone else.  May’s hopes for grandchildren and family gatherings were dashed. 

May’s lifestyle went downhill rapidly.  In the ten years that followed, May found menial work and seldom saw her daughters.  When her children did visit, they would suggest she start selling some of the possessions she and Charlie had accumulated over the years.  They never offered to help their mom.

Shortly after a course of chemotherapy, May suffered a stroke leaving the left side of her body paralyzed and her unable to communicate.  Her daughters arranged for a placement in assisted living rather than oversee caregivers at home. May’s home and possessions were mostly sold.  The rest were kept to furnish her small room.

  Now May was dying while her daughters scurried through her tiny apartment like vultures waiting for the end so they could pick May’s life clean.  Their mistake was that their greed would not allow them to wait until their mother was gone.

Two days later May died.  Her daughters got their wish and split the money they would have paid on another month’s rent.  But May also left them much more than money, she left revenge.

                                              * * *

It had been months since May’s death.  Joan and her sister had picked over their mother’s possessions and wound up disposing of almost everything the old women owned.   Joan found counter space for her mother’s knife set in her immaculate kitchen, a kitchen seldom used.

One day Joan’s friend Phyllis dropped by with the makings of a salad and a bottle of wine.  Phyllis drew one of the fine Swiss knives from its wooden holder and noticed a flaw.  It was a large knife and there appeared to be a cloudy area on one side of the blade.  Phyllis asked her friend, “What is this mark?”  Joan took the knife to the sink and tried to clean it without success.

“I’ve never noticed that mark before,” Joan said.

Phyllis asked, “Have you ever used the knife before?”  She then replaced the knife in its holder, chose another and prepared the salad.

The next day Joan dragged herself into the kitchen to clean up Phyllis’ salad mess when she noticed the flawed knife on the counter.  “Now how did that get there?” she said to herself.  As Joan studied the flaw it changed, became more defined.  Minutes passed as Joan began to recognize something taking shape.  She suddenly screamed, as the imperfection on the knife blade slowly became the smiling face of her mother.  The image sharpened and the blade began to move.  Joan backed away.  The blade followed.  Finally, she was cornered in the kitchen.  She closed her eyes.  On the front of her slacks she could feel a pressure followed closely by a searing pain in her abdomen.  Something warm and wet fell onto her feet.  She looked down to see the purple-tinged ropes of her intestines on the floor.  She looked up to see the knife back away, then come rapidly toward the middle of her chest.

                                                  * * *

Heidi had hung her mother’s mirror in the bedroom where she often enjoyed admiring her trim figure in its reflection.  It hung on the wall near the bathroom, and she would smile as she glanced at her naked body fresh from the shower.

One day, while applying her makeup, Heidi noticed a cloudy area in the mirror.  She tried to clean it but it only became larger.  She hoped she wouldn’t need to have the glass replaced. 

Heidi awoke early a few days later to catch a flight to France.  She was now the chief buyer at the store and had been looking forward to this trip for some time.  After her shower, she entered the darkened bedroom.  As the mirror caught the image of her naked body, the cloudiness in the mirror began to glow.  She stepped closer to examine it.  An image began to take shape.  Looking at her was the smiling face of her mother.  Heidi screamed as the glass exploded.  Shards penetrated her eyes.  She could feel the vitreous humor and thicker blood flow down her face.  With gentle pressure the twin shards were pushed further into her brain.

                                                    * * *

Six feet beneath her blanket of earth, in the dank blackness of her coffin, a visage of peace crept across May Connor’s decaying face.  One might even say the ravaged face smiled.

                                                 THE END

REUNION

This is my first published story. Published by Enigma in 2003, a Philadelphia small publisher no longer is existence.                                                     

                                                REUNION

The June morning was brilliant and clear with just enough of a breeze to keep you cool despite the predicted eighty-degree day.  At the age of eighty-two, for Christopher Johnson, getting up in the morning was not an easy chore and had lately not seemed worth the effort.  He turned his head and looked at the pillow beside him.  “I miss you so much honey,” he said quietly.  His wife Peggy had died less than a year ago.  One night they went to bed as usual.  The last words he had said to her were the words he always said to her before falling asleep, “I love you.”  When Chris awoke, Peggy was dead of a heart attack.  A few days later he was looking into her grave knowing a large part of his life was now buried in the cold earth.  After almost sixty years of marriage, the pain of her loss was intense, almost as intense as the love they had shared all those years. 

With Peggy still on his mind, he sat up and began to stretch his arthritic limbs knowing the pain that would follow.  Next, he stood up and took a few steps; those first steps, they were the worst of the day.  He winced with every movement, but soon his joints and muscles settled down to the constant pain that accompanied him these days. 

He had gotten up earlier than usual, for today, unlike most of his days, he had an appointment, something to do.  He opened his closet door and, in the back, he found what he was looking for: his U.S. Army ranger dress uniform, the one he had worn on his return home after being wounded during World War II.  With persistent pain, he maneuvered his body into the uniform that, after sixty years still fit his slender frame.  He looked in the mirror, and the toll of those sixty years stared back at him.  The hair on his head and his mustache had gone gray years ago.  His eyes, once admired by his fellow soldiers for their ability to spot enemy aircraft or fortifications before anyone else, now watered behind heavy bifocals.  He inspected his image, looking over the uniform for signs of moth damage.  The area of his uniform he examined first was his chest; there hung the Purple Heart and the Congressional Medal of Honor.  He was proud to have served his country, proud of his awards but knew, that in combat, a split second could mean the difference between a dead soldier and a hero.  Satisfied that his uniform had survived another year, he returned it to the closet and dressed in his usual summer shirt and khakis.

While Chris hung up his uniform, his mind still held the Medal of Honor and the events that led to its award.

The day was D Day, early in the morning of June 6th.  Chris was among a group of Army Rangers that would be the first to hit the beach.  Their objective was to climb and secure the cliffs overlooking the landing sites.  These cliffs held guns that could hazard the ships and soldiers, and the hazard needed to be removed.  German soldiers were stationed on the cliffs, ready to rain death on unprotected soldiers landing on the beach below.  Chris and his three buddies Frank Grimes, Larry Schwartz and Duck Dupont were together in the landing craft, along with twenty other rangers heading toward the beach.

Chris had begun basic training knowing no one.  Soon he gravitated to three other guys who seemed to be as lost and alone as he was.   The four of them gradually became friends and survived the ordeal together.  Of the three, he was closest to Duck Dupont.  Duck’s real name was Willard; he gained his nickname Duck during a basic training class.  The class was walking past the artillery area when a practice round went off.  Most of the class flinched, but Duck was on the ground with his head covered by his hands.  From then on he was known as Duck.

His thoughts returned to June 6th.

It was still dark and they landed unopposed.  The men quickly and quietly disembarked and headed for the base of the two hundred foot cliff – it would be quite a climb.  When everyone was in position, they fired ropes up the side of the cliff.  This brought the response they expected, Germans began firing down the cliff and rangers began to collapse on the beach.  Chris and his friends were to stay together and climb along with most of the rangers while the rest provided cover fire.  Soon the German fire lessened then ceased as the rangers continued their climb.

The four friends were the first to reach the top of the cliff.  What they saw sent a shiver through them all.  Before them, set back about fifty yards from the edge of the cliff, stood a series of three bunkers. The first light of dawn streamed through the trees beyond the enemy, and all seemed quiet and peaceful except for the machine guns projecting from behind sandbags.  They knew they had to act fast, for if they didn’t, the rangers coming up the cliff would be cut down as soon as they reached the top.  They split up into two groups; Chris and Duck went to the left – Frank and Larry to the right.  The two flanking bunkers had to be eliminated before the middle position could be attacked.  Each group approached the nearest bunker and tossed a grenade inside.  The simultaneous explosions sent German soldiers into action.  The rangers had missed one.  Along with fire from the third remaining bunker, a fourth bunker opened up along with mortar fire from behind the bunker.  The fourth bunker surprised the rangers and had a clear shot at them.  Duck was literally cut in half by machine gun fire.  Larry was attacking the third of the bunkers they had seen, having just pulled the pin from a grenade when he was shot.  They never did find Frank.  Chris entered the first bunker they had taken out, pushed aside the mangled German bodies and manned the machine gun.  He quickly took out the bunker they had overlooked before, creeping up to the last remaining bunker; he destroyed it with grenades.  The actions of the four men had saved the lives of the rangers now reaching the summit of the cliff and helped secure the landing site for the invasion.

           In the early morning silence, after the heat of battle, Chris collapsed on the ground part from fatigue, part from pain, but mostly from grief – his friends were gone.  Chris had shrapnel wounds in his left arm and hip.  At some point his helmet had taken a hit and deflected the bullet but the impact gave him a nasty scalp wound.  Blood now streamed down the side of his face and soaked his collar.                                                                                                                                                             

These are the memories that flooded into Chris’s mind as he put away his uniform and prepared to spend a weekend at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum as a guest of honor, something he had done for the last five years.  This would be his first year going without Peggy at his side.  He knew it would not be the same without her, but he still looked forward to the event.  

          The museum had organized a weekend devoted to the history of World War II for the last ten years.  It was a living history lesson with vintage aircraft flown in from all over the country, and encampments set up with hundreds of reenactors dressed in the World War II uniforms of the United States, England, France and Germany.  The museum also invited veterans from the war who would give first hand accounts of combat.  But none of them told what the war was really like for their memories were selective, cleansed by time, and they all carried within them that area of memory they would never enter again. 

World War II weekend started Friday morning and, although he wasn’t scheduled to give his presentation until Saturday, Chris always went Friday to wander the hanger and apron crammed with vintage World War II fighters, bombers, trainers and transports.  He could remember when the skies were filled with their kind.  Now there remained only a few of each.  On those warm Friday afternoons, he enjoyed walking through the encampments.  At one point he saw three men in ranger combat uniforms.  He smiled to himself, glad to see his branch of the army represented.  Chris loved strolling through the tents.  In his mind, there was nothing like the smell of a real canvas tent; the open flaps were your windows and the grass was your floor.  He had seen the tents his grandchildren used when they camped, it was like camping in a nylon bag, no smell, no character. In one of those old canvass tents, he could stand, close his eyes, and the memories of his days in the army would flood into his brain.

  Another reason he enjoyed the Fridays was the veterans whose attendance was heavy.  The old men and women enjoyed the smaller crowds and slower pace that Fridays afforded.  He enjoyed conversations with his contemporaries, reliving the past and recalling the days they were once young and involved in the great adventure they shared. 

Saturday morning arrived, the sky again clear and blue.  He went through his morning routine, slowly struggled into his uniform and waited for his nine o’clock ride to the museum.  Chris looked forward to the day.  Although he had never made a big deal about his award, one day bathed in the admiration of people who appreciated the sacrifices made during World War II did not hurt him, not at all. 

With his first lecture scheduled for 10:30, he was anxious to get to the museum.  He found the tent for his lecture.  There were about fifty folding chairs set up.  He took a moment and stood there alone, letting his mind recall memories that he usually avoided, memories that he would touch slightly, just slightly today.

As he waited at the speaker’s platform, the tent began to fill up. At the back of the tent, he spied the three young men in ranger uniforms he had seen the day before, standing together apart from the crowd.  Maybe today they would learn something about the uniforms they wore.

The chairs were full and people were standing in the back as Chris went into his presentation.  He shared with them the events of that early morning on the French coast, sanitized, but with enough action to keep the crowds attention.  After thirty minutes he was done and ready for questions.  Half way through the questions one of the men dressed as a ranger raised his hand and said, “Sir, I just want you to know we appreciate what you did for your country.”

  That brought a smile to Chris’ face, “I appreciate that son,” he answered.

The presentation over, the tent was cleared, and it was time for a little lunch and a chance to watch the vintage aircraft flying.  This was the part he most enjoyed.  The drone of the B-17 accompanied the whine of the Merlin powered P-51s.  He knew the planes were the big draw, not old men wearing old uniforms, but he was happy to be part of the show.

First to fly were the trainers, SNJs and T-28s.  Then the observation aircraft would fly, the L-19s, followed by the transports, the C-47s and a C-54.  Before the fighters and bombers took off, the reenactors took the field in front of the crowd.  To the left were the men in German uniforms, to the right the U.S. Army.

The uniformed men fired blanks and mock mortars at each other.  There were also smoke grenades thrown by both sides.  All this action took place in a grassy area between the runway and aircraft taxiway.  As usual, the fire department stood ready for the grass fires the smoke grenades always started, and this year was no exception.  The grass fires were more of a nuisance than a danger, and they were always rapidly dealt with.  In fact, the dense plumes were greater than any of the regular attendees of the show could remember, and the fire company quickly prepared to hose down the grass.  Chris stood there with the rest of the crowd as the shroud of smoke drifted over them.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder.  It was one of the rangers, “Sir, we need your help.”

 “Sure son, what can I do for you?” came Chris’ reply.

  “Could you join us sir?” the ranger questioned.  The ranger started walking towards the smoke set off by the mock battle, flanked by the two other rangers Chris had noticed before, and bewildered, Chris followed.

Soon smoke enveloped the four men.  The crowd, watching the firemen putting out the grass fire saw the three reenactors on the field but could not imagine why an old man in uniform was traipsing in after them.  They saw the four enter the clouds of smoke and lost sight of them.

Chris walked, not knowing where the three young men were taking him.  His arthritis bothered him as he entered the smoke, but a few steps into the haze his pain was reduced, and then gone.  He noticed something else; he no longer wore his dress uniform but wore the ranger combat uniform, same as the reenactors.  All at once he was puzzled and amazed and had no idea what their destination could be.

The three reenators slowed down and Chris easily caught up with them.  “How in the hell are you, Chris?” asked Duck.  Frank and Larry were slapping his back and pounding his shoulders, his young shoulders. 

“We’re on a mission and need your help,” said Frank.  “We need the squad together,” he continued. 

“I’m your man,” said Chris taking off his helmet and running his hand through his thick dark hair.  His mind still could not wrap itself around what was happening.

Some of the crowd there to watch the flying saw four figures begin to emerge from the smoke, the figures of four young men.  The men entered another cloud of smoke before them and were gone.

Chris and his three buddies came out of the haze.  They were on a dirt road surrounded by a forest.  They were all holding rifles, but Chris could sense no danger.  They were on patrol and Chris felt better than he had ever felt in his life.  He was with his best friends, men he had missed all these years and men he loved.  The sky was so blue it almost hurt his eyes. The trees and grass were the greenest green he had ever seen.  He set out with his three friends, easily matching their stride.

Suddenly, Chris’ eyes filled with tears.  He did not know how, did not understand what was happening, but somehow, he knew his young and pretty Peggy was waiting.                                                                                      

ELMO’S INVENTION XI

THE FUTURE OF ELMO’S TIME MACHINE

Kingsley walked home with tomorrow’s paper.  He was deep in thought and anxious to organize them.  As soon as he got home he retrieved a pad and pencil, opened the paper, and while reading took copious notes.  His expression grew grave as he worked and highlighted the articles and sections he thought were important.  Once this was accomplished he prepared for bed knowing he would get little sleep.  The next morning he awoke from the restless night he anticipated.  After a meager breakfast he placed a call to Elmo.

Elmo answered to phone and Kingsley could hear the anticipation in his voice.  This did not do much for Kingsley’s spirits.  “Elmo, this is Kingsley.  I thought we might get together and have a discussion about your machine.  Would six tonight be okay?”

“Sure,” Elmo responded.  “I can’t wait to talk to you about it.  It’s all I can think about.”

Mildred was listening and instantly knew the subject of the conversation.  She tried to hide her growing apprehension thinking about the last time her husband’s invention was made public.

Kingsley arrived at precisely 6:00PM to Mildred waiting with a steaming mug of coffee.  She said, “Elmo is so excited to talk to you.”  She looked at Kingsley’s expression and could detect and uneasiness.  She said no more and Kingsley walked down the stairs to the cellar.

“Kingsley, my friend, I’m so glad you came.  I can’t wait to talk to you about the prospects of patenting my machine.”

Kingsley was known for his directness, and Elmo expected that now, but to say he was less than enthusiastic with what he heard would be a stretch.

Holding the paper obtained during his time travel, Kingsley referred to his pad of notes although he knew exactly what he needed to say.  “Elmo, I’ve highlighted some sections and articles in this paper.  Areas where your time machine would have an impact.”

Elmo and noticed that the entire sports section was marked.  He looked up at his friend.

“Your machine could spell the end of sports betting both legal and illegal.  The horse racing industry would collapse.  If just one person knew the future and outcome of any sporting event and sold that information, well you can see what would happen.”

As Elmo continued to study the paper Kingsley went on.  “Keep in mind that one person selling information scenario.  What would happen if the future of the stock market was known?  I have no idea how it would effect the economy, but I don’t think it would be for the best.

“Then there are political races.  Knowledge of the winner would be devastating.  It would result in a self fulfilling prophecy.  Why vote if the winner is known?

“These are just a few of the instances where your machine could determine the present by knowing the future.

“Then there is the bigger picture.  In science fiction, whenever someone travels into the past they make sure not to change a single thing.  Step on a beetle and you could come back to a different world.  But you see, even when you are traveling into the future you are trespassing on someone’s past.

“I’ve been thinking about H.G. Wells book The Time Machine.  Of course it was fiction, but the future looked dismal for mankind.  When the time traveler traveled into the distant future the planet was inhabited by giant crabs.  I know this is only fiction but do we really want to know what the future holds?

“Elmo, I’m just afraid from the public may not be as immediate as it was when your machine was a prison, but eventually the response could be more devastating and disruptive to you and Mildred.”

Kingsley’s opinions carried a great deal of work with Elmo.  He sat in silence and then said, “All that work for nothing.  I’m a failure.”

“No you’re not.  It’s just that your efforts produced knowledge that our society is unable to handle.  I know it isn’t much, but I’m proud of what you accomplished.  Perhaps there will come a time when your time machine will serve a useful purpose, but I’m afraid that time is not now.

“The final choice is yours, Elmo.  I can only give you my advice and opinion.”

Kingsley then stood up, put his had on Elmo’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze, and walked upstairs.  He saw Mildred in the kitchen.  “I think Elmo needs to be alone for a while, but he also needs you.”  Kingsley left and Mildred knew the discussion did not go well.

She waited and then walked down the cellar stairs.  Elmo was wheeling his time machine to the corner of the cellar where his transport chambers stood.  The machine that had cost Mildred her tea cups.  She walked up to her husband and gave him a hug and a lingering kiss. 

He said, “Well, Doll, we won’t make our fortune off my time machine.”

Mildred responded, “I don’t need a fortune.  All I need is you.  It’s getting late.  Let’s go to bed.”

They walked up the stairs and put out the cellar lights.  In the darkened corner stood the time machine which someday might serve a purpose, but not now.  Of one thing we can be certain, this will not be Elmo’s last invention.

This concludes my novella, Elmo’s Invention. I hope you enjoyed it.

Next will come my published short stories followed by my published novella, Elmo’s Sojourn, which is a sequel to Elmo’s invention.

ELMO’S INVENTION X

THE TINKERER GOES INTO THE FUTURE

Kingsley talked to Elmo on the phone and agreed to come over and view the time machine the next day.  The following night at 6:00PM sharp Kingsley showed up at the kitchen door, punctual as usual.  Mildred had a steaming mug of coffee ready for him.

“Hello, Kingsley.  Elmo is so excited to talk to you about his time machine.  I’ll be honest with you Kingsley; I think it really does work but what kind of disruption it will cause in our lives I can only imagine.  I just want a nice quiet life here in New Mexico.”

Kinsley said, “I’ll do my best to keep the existence of the machine quiet until Elmo and I have thought through the ramifications it might pose.”

Elmo appeared at the top of the cellar stairs and said, “Kingsley come quick.  I want to demonstrate my time machine.”

“All right, Elmo, I’m coming.”  Kingsley looked back at Mildred and she just stood there shaking her head.

Elmo led Kingsley down to the iron lung.  “Kingsley, I found a loose wire and after consulting my wiring diagrams, I reattached it.  And what do you know; it now works as a time machine.”

“How can you be sure, Elmo?”

“Why, I tested it and journeyed into the future.  Now I’d like you to see the future.”

This caught Kingsley by surprise.  “I don’t know, Elmo.  What happens if it’s only a one-way trip?”

“That won’t happen.  And even if it did, I’m only sending you to tomorrow morning.  Trust me, Kingsley.”

He respected Elmo’s enthusiasm and love for science.  After thinking to prospect of traveling into the future, Kingsley said, “Okay, Elmo, send me to tomorrow morning, but make sure you bring me back.”

Elmo smiled and said, “Don’t worry.  It’s foolproof.”

Kingsley stared at Elmo.

Elmo opened the lid to the iron lung and had Kingsley climb in.  Before he closed the lid he said, “First the chamber will fill with a dense mist.  That’s normal.  When the mist clears, I’d like you to go upstairs, open the kitchen door and pick up the paper.  Bring the paper along with you when you get back into the chamber.  You’ll be gone for a total of fifteen minutes.”  Elmo closed the chamber and initiated the process.  Soon Kingsley was lost in a cloud of mist.

Within the chamber Kingsley could see only the dense white fog which soon dissipated.  He climbed out of the chamber and found that Elmo was no longer there.  The light coming through the high cellar windows appeared to be different.  It was a morning light. He went up the stairs and entered the kitchen.  There stood Mildred in her bathrobe making breakfast.  She had her back to him and when she turned she dropped her spatula and gave a little shriek and said, “Kingsley where did you come from and what are you doing here?”

Elmo sat at the kitchen table waiting for breakfast with a wide grin on his face.

Kingsley sheepishly replied, “Getting the paper.”  This made no sense at all to Mildred.  He looked at Elmo who had gone from grinning madly to laughing hysterically.  Picking up the paper, he headed down stairs leaving a mystified Mildred and an hysterical Elmo.

The thing he wanted to check when he returned to the time machine was the paper’s date.  Sure enough it was tomorrow’s date.  This presented Kingsley with an eerie feeling of possessing knowledge he should not have.  Rather, it was today’s date and today was tomorrow.  Opening the lid of the chamber, he climbed in and settled down ready to go back to today or rather yesterday.

The chamber began to fill with a thick mist which soon cleared and there stood Elmo.  He helped Kinsley out of the machine and the paper opening it up with great anticipation.  There it was, tomorrow’s date.  He slapped Kingsley on the back and said, “It works.  It really works.”

Kingsley was lost in wonder at what Kingsley had accomplished. He built a machine that, until now, only existed in the realms of science fiction. He said, “Elmo, I’d like to keep this paper.  There’s some thinking I must do about your startling device.

“Sure, keep it.”

Kingsley suggested, “Let’s get together in a day or two and discuss the potential impact your machine may have on everyday life.  I’m sure you and Mildred do not want any more protests.”

“Sure Kingsley, sure.  I’ll see you in a couple days.”

The next morning Elmo absently minded went out the kitchen door to get the paper as Mildred said, “Elmo, you won’t believe it but Kingsley already picked up our paper and went into the cellar.”

“Oh, that’s okay,” said Elmo and smiled broadly.

ELMO’S INVENTION IX

ELMO’S TIME MACHINE

Not long after his last visit, he stopped by Brooker’s farm after work. 

“How you doing, Elmo?”  He shouted as he exited one of his coops. 

“Not bad,” Elmo responded.  “Not bad.”

Brooker said, “I guess you come for more chicks.  Got to tell you, son, this deal is saving me money on feed and such.  Hope we can keep it going for a long time.”

Elmo thought about all the effort he put into constructing his machine, and all the grief he endured to find its purpose, and it all came down to raising chickens.  He tried to mask his feelings and said, “It’s a pretty good deal, Brooker.  A pretty good deal.”

Elmo accepted six chicks and made his way home, his heart full of failure wondering what went wrong.  He arrived home, still in a funk, and Mildred met him at the door.  She was all smiles.  “Elmo, it looks like we’ll be getting a free chicken soon.”

Elmo gave his wife a wistful smile and went downstairs to his cellar lab.  He loaded the chicks into his machine, set the length of time of aging to one year and the duration for one minute, and then pushed the button that would start the process.  He stepped back, expecting the chamber to fill with mist and eventually see mature chickens, but nothing happened.

“Now what?” Elmo shouted in disbelief.

Not only had his time machine been reduced to raising chickens, now it wouldn’t work.  He removed the chicks and went to get his wiring diagrams.  Unscrewing a steel plate to gain access to the workings of the machine, he carefully began to probe searching for a fault.

After a short period of time he muttered, “Aha.”  He had found a disconnected wire and immediately knew that must be the problem.

Elmo referred to his wiring diagram, and then back to the wire.  He saw where the connection should be made, but to his surprise, that connection had never been completed.  The wire had been soldered to a place it should not have been.  His mind raced.  Could this be why the invention did not fulfill its purpose?  Elmo made the repair, reattached the panel and retrieved the chicks.

Elmo’s thoughts went wild as he placed the chicks in the chamber; reset the length of time to one year and the duration to one minute.

He pushed the start button.

The chamber filled with mist, and the quickly dissipated.  The chicks were gone.  A short time later they reappeared with no apparent change in age.

Elmo jumped for joy, shouting, “It works!  It works!”

He next shouted, “Mildred, come quick!” 

Mildred heard his initial exclamation.  After Elmo beckoned her, she started for the cellar with great apprehension.  Sometimes things went terribly wrong down there.  She flashed back to her mother’s tea cups, wondering where they were now and if they still existed.  She never knew what to expect at all when she was summoned down to Elmo’s lab.  But she love Elmo and wanted to give him all the support she could – within reason.

When entering the cellar, Mildred found Elmo peering into his iron lung device.  He turned and said to her, “Doll, it works, I think.  It finally, really works.”

It was the ‘I think, that bothered Mildred.

“Watch”, he said to Mildred and repeated the experiment.  Once again the chicks disappeared in a cloud and then reappeared in another white haze.

Milder muttered, “At least the chicks returned, unlike my tea cups.”

Elmo then related to his wife about the loose wire, his reference to the wiring diagram and his mistake in constructing his machine.

Mildred asked, “Is that the end of our free chickens”

The question caused Elmo to chuckle realizing his wife’s priorities, so much different from his own.

“I’m afraid so, my dear.  But this is more important than chickens.

“Your teacups were part of a different experiment.  The reason I called you down is to see if my experiment worked, to see if the chicks actually traveled in time.”

“Well, Elmo, how are you going to do that?”

After removing the chicks from the chamber, Elmo pushed a small stepstool in front of the iron lung.

Mildred said, “You’re not going to do what I think you’re going to do.”

“There is only one way, Doll, that I can think of to know if it really works.  A person must be transported into the future and return and report on the experience.’

“I need your help.  All the parameters are set.  All you need to do is push this button to initiate the process.’

Mildred knew there would be no living with Elmo if she didn’t help, and if she didn’t help he would just get someone else.  She mumbled, “All right, Elmo, but it’s the return part I’m worried about.”  She added, “Remember the tea cups.  What happens if you don’t come back?”

Before he closed the lid to the chamber, Elmo said, “That was a totally different type of experiment.  But remember that every experiment has an element of uncertainty.  That’s why they are called experiments.

“I have to know if my machine works, and I’m almost positive that it does.  I need to do this to confirm that it does.”

With that Elmo closed the lid and indicated to Mildred to push the button.  The chamber filled with a heavy white mist, and when it cleared Elmo was gone.  After five minutes it once again filled with the blanketing mist.  Once the chambered cleared, and much to Mildred’s delight, there laid Elmo with a huge grin on his face. He pushed open the lid and shouted, “It works!  It works!”  After all the hard work, disappointment and failure, his time machine finally worked.

“Mildred, I was talking to you fifteen minutes into the future down here in the cellar.”

“How can you know it was in the future, Elmo?”

“Well, for one thing, you don’t remember me talking to you since I entered the chamber.”

“You’re talking to me now, Elmo.”

“Well yes, but something happened while we were talking that will confirm my knowledge of the future.”  Elmo waited another few moments and said, “Your roast is burning.”

Seconds later the first odors of burning roast filtered down to the cellar.

“Elmo, why didn’t you tell me earlier?  I could have saved the roast.”

“And I would have changed the future.”

Mildred hurried up stairs in a huff.  Seconds later there came a crash from the kitchen.

He said quietly, “And you’re going to burn your fingers and drop the roast.  I forgot to mention that part.”

Elmo was anxious to share the fact that his time machine finally worked with someone in the scientific community.  He immediately thought of notifying the Tinkerers Club, but that idea did not last long.  The last time he consulted the club it ended in disaster when someone leaked the events of the meeting.  The only tinkerer he trusted was Kingsley Dasher, and that’s who he would contact. 

ELMO’S INVENTION VIII

ELMO FINDS A USE FOR HIS MACHINE

The day after Kingsley’s visit Mildred called.  Elmo answered the phone expecting more trouble, “Hello.”

“Hello.  It’s me.  I miss you so much but I just couldn’t take the conflict and uproar.  I’m coming home.  Is everything over?”

“It’s all over, Doll.  My invention is history.  I’m not even going to patent it, it’s done.”

Mildred could hear the disappointment, the depression in his voice.  She loved him so much and wanted to comfort him in his loss.  She said, “Elmo, I’ll be home as soon as I can.  I love you.”

He responded, “I love you too, Doll.  And I realize more than ever how much I need you.”

After hanging up the phone, Elmo immediately felt better, but at the same time, he felt disappointment that all his efforts had resulted in nothing, more than nothing.  Would the folks that protested ever forgive him?  Would they ever understand that he was trying to help them not harm them?  Would his community forgive him for the disruption he caused?  Would everything ever be back to normal?  All these thoughts were on his mind as he waited for his love to come home.

Mildred arrived the next day to the open arms of her husband.

The city cleared most of the trash, but there was no way that things would be back to normal for a long time.  Mounds of debris still littered the front yard and the curb.  Neighbors passed by and shook their heads. Cars passed by and slowed down to take in the event that marred their community.

Mildred said, “I can’t wait until this is over and begin our lives again.”

Elmo loved Mildred so much, yet at the same time, he wanted the efforts he put into his invention to have some success.  But he also realized that to pursue that purpose would mean more misery for him and his wife.  Society just wasn’t ready for the radical change his invention offered.  Elmo now knew that changes that affected the income of sections of the economy, no matter how much they may improve society, would take a long time to be accepted.  Money was more important than progress.

* * *

Elmo’s machine still worked fine, and he wanted to continue to use it in some capacity. 

One day he said to Mildred, “Maybe I’ll contact Nat Brooker.  I matured chickens for him in the past; maybe I can do that again and earn a little profit.”

The next day Elmo drove out to Brooker’s Farm.  Nate was repairing some fencing, saw Elmo, and waved a gloved hand.  The two men walked to meet.

Elmo said, “Nate, could I set up a deal with you to mature some of your chickens in my invention?  Ten for one.  I mature ten chickens and you give me one cleaned and ready to cook.”

Nate said, “I know all about the protests out at your place.  You sure did stir up a hornets nest.  You’re a good man, Elmo, and this sounds like a deal that could help us both.  I’d be glad to give you chicks or eggs, but how will I know the chickens will be normal?”

Elmo scratched his head, and then said, “Do you have to submit chickens for inspection?”

Nate responded, “Why yes I do, on occasion.”

“Then submit one of the chickens I age and see what the results are.  I can almost guarantee you that there will be no problems.”

“I trust you, Elmo.  And what could go wrong?  You’re just aging the damn things.”

Nate’s expression suddenly became pensive, and then he asked Elmo, “I’ve been thinking about aging.  Have you thought about what else you could age, say cheese or wine?”

Elmo’s eyes brightened as he considered the prospect of finally making some money from his machine.  But then he thought some more and the happiness was replaced by dread, how much conflict occurred when he thought he was doing society a favor.  Before his mind’s eye were protests from those whose livelihoods depending on aging cheese and wine.  There would be picket lines set up by construction workers who built the facilities for the aging.  Elmo realized that, with the exception of his chicken farmer friend, he could not use his machine in a way that would endanger someone else’s livelihood.  Anyway, he wanted to build a time machine, not an aging process.  He mused to himself and smiled, at least I’ll be able to provide the occasional chicken for the dinner table, but he wished for so much more for his efforts.

ELMO’S INVENTION

ELMO FINDS A USE FOR HIS MACHINE

The day after Kingsley’s visit Mildred called.  Elmo answered the phone expecting more trouble, “Hello.”

“Hello.  It’s me.  I miss you so much but I just couldn’t take the conflict and uproar.  I’m coming home.  Is everything over?”

“It’s all over, Doll.  My invention is history.  I’m not even going to patent it, it’s done.”

Mildred could hear the disappointment, the depression in his voice.  She loved him so much and wanted to comfort him in his loss.  She said, “Elmo, I’ll be home as soon as I can.  I love you.”

He responded, “I love you too, Doll.  And I realize more than ever how much I need you.”

After hanging up the phone, Elmo immediately felt better, but at the same time, he felt disappointment that all his efforts had resulted in nothing, more than nothing.  Would the folks that protested ever forgive him?  Would they ever understand that he was trying to help them not harm them?  Would his community forgive him for the disruption he caused?  Would everything ever be back to normal?  All these thoughts were on his mind as he waited for his love to come home.

Mildred arrived the next day to the open arms of her husband.

The city cleared most of the trash, but there was no way that things would be back to normal for a long time.  Mounds of debris still littered the front yard and the curb.  Neighbors passed by and shook their heads. Cars passed by and slowed down to take in the event that marred their community.

Mildred said, “I can’t wait until this is over and begin our lives again.”

Elmo loved Mildred so much, yet at the same time, he wanted the efforts he put into his invention to have some success.  But he also realized that to pursue that purpose would mean more misery for him and his wife.  Society just wasn’t ready for the radical change his invention offered.  Elmo now knew that changes that affected the income of sections of the economy, no matter how much they may improve society, would take a long time to be accepted.  Money was more important than progress.

* * *

Elmo’s machine still worked fine, and he wanted to continue to use it in some capacity. 

One day he said to Mildred, “Maybe I’ll contact Nat Brooker.  I matured chickens for him in the past; maybe I can do that again and earn a little profit.”

The next day Elmo drove out to Brooker’s Farm.  Nate was repairing some fencing, saw Elmo, and waved a gloved hand.  The two men walked to meet.

Elmo said, “Nate, could I set up a deal with you to mature some of your chickens in my invention?  Ten for one.  I mature ten chickens and you give me one cleaned and ready to cook.”

Nate said, “I know all about the protests out at your place.  You sure did stir up a hornets nest.  You’re a good man, Elmo, and this sounds like a deal that could help us both.  I’d be glad to give you chicks or eggs, but how will I know the chickens will be normal?”

Elmo scratched his head, and then said, “Do you have to submit chickens for inspection?”

Nate responded, “Why yes I do, on occasion.”

“Then submit one of the chickens I age and see what the results are.  I can almost guarantee you that there will be no problems.”

“I trust you, Elmo.  And what could go wrong?  You’re just aging the damn things.”

Nate’s expression suddenly became pensive, and then he asked Elmo, “I’ve been thinking about aging.  Have you thought about what else you could age, say cheese or wine?”

Elmo’s eyes brightened as he considered the prospect of finally making some money from his machine.  But then he thought some more and the happiness was replaced by dread, how much conflict occurred when he thought he was doing society a favor.  Before his mind’s eye were protests from those whose livelihoods depending on aging cheese and wine.  There would be picket lines set up by construction workers who built the facilities for the aging.  Elmo realized that, with the exception of his chicken farmer friend, he could not use his machine in a way that would endanger someone else’s livelihood.  Anyway, he wanted to build a time machine, not an aging process.  He mused to himself and smiled, at least I’ll be able to provide the occasional chicken for the dinner table, but he wished for so much more for his efforts.

Elmo’s Invention Chapter VII

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

It was the morning of the sixth day after The New York Times people left town.  The article about Elmo and his invention was published in The Los Alamos Herald and was the impetus for the visit from the Times. Much to Mildred’s joy and astonishment there were no immediate repercussions from the article in The New York Times.  The residents of Los Alamos had already had their feathers ruffled by the topic and there were no further reactions.  Elmo and Mildred began to relax, confident that all the problems involved with the invention were behind them.  That morning Mildred asked Elmo, “Could you run out and get the paper?  I’ll make you a nice breakfast before you go to work.”  Mildred had mellowed and Elmo’s life was back to normal, but that was about to change in seconds.

Elmo opened the front door, took a few steps and then slowly backed up and closed the door.    Their usually quiet street was overflowing with cars, buses and a great mass of people milling around appearing to anticipate something.  Elmo had no idea what was going on but had a very bad feeling.  Mildred was not going to like this.  He peered through the window and it was then he caught sight of a placard where his name appeared being carried towards his house.

Elmo had little choice.  He had to let Mildred know that something was going on.  If he didn’t, it would be like trying to hide a herd of elephants taking up residence on their front yard.  He gently called, “Oh Mil, there’s something I think you should see.  I’m sure it won’t amount to much.”

She entered the front room and asked, “What won’t amount to much?”

As she approached the front window Elmo pushed back the curtains.  Mildred stood as if paralyzed, and then shouted, “I knew it!  I told you talking to The Times was a big mistake.  But no, you were going to save the world.”  She stormed out of the room leaving Elmo alone with his thoughts of how this would all work out.

Soon more placards appeared identifying the various organizations present.  There was The Friends and Relatives of Prisoners.  They were joined by The Society of Prison Guards and another group representing ex-cons.  A large group of construction workers were present, their group wearing hard hats, were involved in the building of prisons.  Along with their signs, they paraded a scarecrow suspended from a pole with of picture of Elmo’s face attached to the head.  

Keeping to themselves, Elmo spied another small group which stood out like a sore thumb.  Outfitted in expensive suits and equally expensive shoes, they held professionally manufactured signs proclaiming them as The Society of Defense Lawyers.  Their main beef was the possible elimination of endless appeals which kept them supplied with their expensive attire.

Elmo found it strange, but not disappointing, that this great milling crowd of protesters was not protesting.  He also noticed that a buffer zone was carefully observed between the house and the crowd.  The answer to his observation of inactivity soon became clear when the news trucks began to arrive.  What was the purpose of a protest if there was no one there to record it?  Elmo thought it was something like that tree falling in the forest and no one heard it.  He noticed something else most disturbing.  There was a secondary crowd forming in the distance away from main body of protesters.  He could not recognize individual faces but he knew who they were.  They were the residents of Los Alamos come to witness the spectacle.  This would anger Mildred even more.  

Once the cameras were in place and the reporters had their makeup on and were holding microphones, the crowd began to come alive holding up signs and voicing their respective opinions.  

But all was not quite finished.  The icing on the protest cake was the arrival, with as many lights flashing as possible and sirens wailing, of the Los Alamos police.  Four police cars came to a skidding halt on Elmo’s front yard creating deep tire tracks.  The chief of the Los Alamos police, John McFurdy first went over to the press and diligently spelled his name for them.  Then he went to Elmo’s front door and knocked.  Elmo asked the chief in and offered him a cup of coffee.  Sitting at the kitchen table, McFurdy said, “All the groups out there obtained permits to protest.  There is nothing we can do but insure that no damage happens to your property.”

Elmo recalled the deep groves he had observed in his front yard.

Chief McFurdy continued, “State police have formed a perimeter around you house to ensure that no one without a permit enters the protest zone.”

Elmo knew that the perimeter was not that great.  His neighbors had already broken it. The term ‘protest zone’ made the hairs on the back of Elmo’s neck stand on end.

After McFurdy left, Elmo noticed that six officers had stationed themselves between Elmo’s house and the press.  There was a hushed silence.  The first camera lights came on and it was as if someone threw a switch: All hell broke loose.

The once silent crowd instantly created a roar.  Each group shouted their rehearsed chants.  Soon after the beginning of the protest, Elmo’s effigy burst into flames.  The various groups began to hurl eggs and tomatoes at Elmo’s house and the police. The lawyer’s contingent hurled non-libelous insults and carefully recorded what they said.  A few rocks were thrown, later determined to come from the area populated by the ex-cons, but no real damage was done to the house or bystanders including the police.

The protest went on for two days while the press conducted interviews.  One woman came forward and held up a copy of The New York Times pointing to the before and after pictures of Elmo’s demonstration shouting, “My son is in prison.  I don’t want him turned to ash.”  Behind her stood a grizzled ex-con, his shaved head glistening in the sun.  “Nobody is putting me in no fucking death chamber,” indicating his life of crime was not yet over.  

After the media had their film and interviews they began to pack-up and leave.  With the media gone the protesters lost their enthusiasm and quietly slipped away leaving a mess of litter and protest signs.  There were some portable toilets available, but not nearly enough to handle the large crowd, so the area around Elmo’s home was not only a mess but also a health hazard.

* * *

Once the protesters had left, Kingsley Dasher slowly made his way to Elmo’s residence not knowing what he would find.  He climbed the front steps and knocked on the door.  The Elmo that greeted him was one he didn’t know.  The man appeared beaten, the image of a lost soul.  Before he could stop himself, Kingsley asked, “How are you doing, Elmo?”

Elmo stood with slumped shoulders, and dark-rimmed eyes answered with a raspy voice, “I’ve been better.”

“May I come in?”

“Of course.  I wouldn’t mind a little company right now.”  Elmo led his friend into the living room and offered him a seat.

Kingsley said, “You had to endure quite a ruckus, Elmo.  I feel guilty that I was the one who pointed out the obvious use of your invention.  I suspected something might happen once the existence of your invention was made known, but I never imagined the level of hostility.  The reality is our society is a fickle society.  It professes one set of values, but it is mere lip service.  The values that are actually in practice are completely different from those voiced.  

“Money is the value our society holds dearest.

“Your invention would have saved millions of dollars, perhaps billions in doing away with the prison system and at the same time providing swift justice for the guilty.  But at the same time it would have deprived hundreds maybe thousands of people of their livelihood.  Construction workers and prison guards would suffer, and let us not forget the lawyers with their endless appeals.  Society has problems with such sudden changes no matter how beneficial they are.”

Kingsley then took a moment to look around and wondered where Mildred was.  “How is Mildred handling all this?”

“Not very well.  The day the protests began she left for her sister’s home in Santa Fe.  I call but she refuses to talk to me.”

“I’m sure she’ll come around once all this is over.  It will just take some time.  This whole experience was quite a blow for both of you.  To say it was a life-disrupting event would be putting it mildly.”

The two men sat in silence for a while and then the phone rang.  Elmo jumped up hoping it was Mildred but he was to be extremely disappointed and further upset.

“Hello,” he said.

Kingsley watched Elmo’s face and immediately knew the news was not good.  Elmo had little to say during the short call.  After hanging up, he told Kingsley, “That was a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union calling to notify me that they are issuing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of prisoners, families of prisoners and ex-convicts.  Apparently there are organizations of defense lawyers also preparing lawsuits.  This whole thing is just getting worse and worse.

I was hoping to patent the device and make some money.  Now it appears it may cost me everything I have.  This is definitely not going to bring Mildred home.”

Kingsley knew that Elmo needed to be alone.  He rose and said, “I would suggest you issue a statement saying that upon further consideration, you’ve decided to discontinue any further attempts in patenting or selling your machine.

“Your science was sound, Elmo.  Society just wasn’t prepared for such a sudden advance.”

Kingsley left Elmo sitting on the couch, a man in love with science and defied by society.

ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

It was the morning of the sixth day after The New York Times people left town.  The article about Elmo and his invention was published in The Los Alamos Herald and was the impetus for the visit from the Times. Much to Mildred’s joy and astonishment there were no immediate repercussions from the article in The New York Times.  The residents of Los Alamos had already had their feathers ruffled by the topic and there were no further reactions.  Elmo and Mildred began to relax, confident that all the problems involved with the invention were behind them.  That morning Mildred asked Elmo, “Could you run out and get the paper?  I’ll make you a nice breakfast before you go to work.”  Mildred had mellowed and Elmo’s life was back to normal, but that was about to change in seconds.

Elmo opened the front door, took a few steps and then slowly backed up and closed the door.    Their usually quiet street was overflowing with cars, buses and a great mass of people milling around appearing to anticipate something.  Elmo had no idea what was going on but had a very bad feeling.  Mildred was not going to like this.  He peered through the window and it was then he caught sight of a placard where his name appeared being carried towards his house.

Elmo had little choice.  He had to let Mildred know that something was going on.  If he didn’t, it would be like trying to hide a herd of elephants taking up residence on their front yard.  He gently called, “Oh Mil, there’s something I think you should see.  I’m sure it won’t amount to much.”

She entered the front room and asked, “What won’t amount to much?”

As she approached the front window Elmo pushed back the curtains.  Mildred stood as if paralyzed, and then shouted, “I knew it!  I told you talking to The Times was a big mistake.  But no, you were going to save the world.”  She stormed out of the room leaving Elmo alone with his thoughts of how this would all work out.

Soon more placards appeared identifying the various organizations present.  There was The Friends and Relatives of Prisoners.  They were joined by The Society of Prison Guards and another group representing ex-cons.  A large group of construction workers were present, their group wearing hard hats, were involved in the building of prisons.  Along with their signs, they paraded a scarecrow suspended from a pole with of picture of Elmo’s face attached to the head.  

Keeping to themselves, Elmo spied another small group which stood out like a sore thumb.  Outfitted in expensive suits and equally expensive shoes, they held professionally manufactured signs proclaiming them as The Society of Defense Lawyers.  Their main beef was the possible elimination of endless appeals which kept them supplied with their expensive attire.

Elmo found it strange, but not disappointing, that this great milling crowd of protesters was not protesting.  He also noticed that a buffer zone was carefully observed between the house and the crowd.  The answer to his observation of inactivity soon became clear when the news trucks began to arrive.  What was the purpose of a protest if there was no one there to record it?  Elmo thought it was something like that tree falling in the forest and no one heard it.  He noticed something else most disturbing.  There was a secondary crowd forming in the distance away from main body of protesters.  He could not recognize individual faces but he knew who they were.  They were the residents of Los Alamos come to witness the spectacle.  This would anger Mildred even more.  

Once the cameras were in place and the reporters had their makeup on and were holding microphones, the crowd began to come alive holding up signs and voicing their respective opinions.  

But all was not quite finished.  The icing on the protest cake was the arrival, with as many lights flashing as possible and sirens wailing, of the Los Alamos police.  Four police cars came to a skidding halt on Elmo’s front yard creating deep tire tracks.  The chief of the Los Alamos police, John McFurdy first went over to the press and diligently spelled his name for them.  Then he went to Elmo’s front door and knocked.  Elmo asked the chief in and offered him a cup of coffee.  Sitting at the kitchen table, McFurdy said, “All the groups out there obtained permits to protest.  There is nothing we can do but insure that no damage happens to your property.”

Elmo recalled the deep groves he had observed in his front yard.

Chief McFurdy continued, “State police have formed a perimeter around you house to ensure that no one without a permit enters the protest zone.”

Elmo knew that the perimeter was not that great.  His neighbors had already broken it. The term ‘protest zone’ made the hairs on the back of Elmo’s neck stand on end.

After McFurdy left, Elmo noticed that six officers had stationed themselves between Elmo’s house and the press.  There was a hushed silence.  The first camera lights came on and it was as if someone threw a switch: All hell broke loose.

The once silent crowd instantly created a roar.  Each group shouted their rehearsed chants.  Soon after the beginning of the protest, Elmo’s effigy burst into flames.  The various groups began to hurl eggs and tomatoes at Elmo’s house and the police. The lawyer’s contingent hurled non-libelous insults and carefully recorded what they said.  A few rocks were thrown, later determined to come from the area populated by the ex-cons, but no real damage was done to the house or bystanders including the police.

The protest went on for two days while the press conducted interviews.  One woman came forward and held up a copy of The New York Times pointing to the before and after pictures of Elmo’s demonstration shouting, “My son is in prison.  I don’t want him turned to ash.”  Behind her stood a grizzled ex-con, his shaved head glistening in the sun.  “Nobody is putting me in no fucking death chamber,” indicating his life of crime was not yet over.  

After the media had their film and interviews they began to pack-up and leave.  With the media gone the protesters lost their enthusiasm and quietly slipped away leaving a mess of litter and protest signs.  There were some portable toilets available, but not nearly enough to handle the large crowd, so the area around Elmo’s home was not only a mess but also a health hazard.

* * *

Once the protesters had left, Kingsley Dasher slowly made his way to Elmo’s residence not knowing what he would find.  He climbed the front steps and knocked on the door.  The Elmo that greeted him was one he didn’t know.  The man appeared beaten, the image of a lost soul.  Before he could stop himself, Kingsley asked, “How are you doing, Elmo?”

Elmo stood with slumped shoulders, and dark-rimmed eyes answered with a raspy voice, “I’ve been better.”

“May I come in?”

“Of course.  I wouldn’t mind a little company right now.”  Elmo led his friend into the living room and offered him a seat.

Kingsley said, “You had to endure quite a ruckus, Elmo.  I feel guilty that I was the one who pointed out the obvious use of your invention.  I suspected something might happen once the existence of your invention was made known, but I never imagined the level of hostility.  The reality is our society is a fickle society.  It professes one set of values, but it is mere lip service.  The values that are actually in practice are completely different from those voiced.  

“Money is the value our society holds dearest.

“Your invention would have saved millions of dollars, perhaps billions in doing away with the prison system and at the same time providing swift justice for the guilty.  But at the same time it would have deprived hundreds maybe thousands of people of their livelihood.  Construction workers and prison guards would suffer, and let us not forget the lawyers with their endless appeals.  Society has problems with such sudden changes no matter how beneficial they are.”

Kingsley then took a moment to look around and wondered where Mildred was.  “How is Mildred handling all this?”

“Not very well.  The day the protests began she left for her sister’s home in Santa Fe.  I call but she refuses to talk to me.”

“I’m sure she’ll come around once all this is over.  It will just take some time.  This whole experience was quite a blow for both of you.  To say it was a life-disrupting event would be putting it mildly.”

The two men sat in silence for a while and then the phone rang.  Elmo jumped up hoping it was Mildred but he was to be extremely disappointed and further upset.

“Hello,” he said.

Kingsley watched Elmo’s face and immediately knew the news was not good.  Elmo had little to say during the short call.  After hanging up, he told Kingsley, “That was a representative of the American Civil Liberties Union calling to notify me that they are issuing a class-action lawsuit on behalf of prisoners, families of prisoners and ex-convicts.  Apparently there are organizations of defense lawyers also preparing lawsuits.  This whole thing is just getting worse and worse.

I was hoping to patent the device and make some money.  Now it appears it may cost me everything I have.  This is definitely not going to bring Mildred home.”

Kingsley knew that Elmo needed to be alone.  He rose and said, “I would suggest you issue a statement saying that upon further consideration, you’ve decided to discontinue any further attempts in patenting or selling your machine.

“Your science was sound, Elmo.  Society just wasn’t prepared for such a sudden advance.”

Kingsley left Elmo sitting on the couch, a man in love with science and defied by society.