Great Hites # 21

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This weeks prompt came from Mur Laferty's news From Poughkeepsie. Learn more at Murverse.com

Time Traveler
By Christopher Hite

Date: Tuesday March 19th 1945
Time 2:30 Pm
Place London, England

So many times he had walked this road and so many times he had come upon, battle tanks, damaged planes and dead bodies of men who had fought for freedom from the Nazis. But the war was over, and there was nothing or anyone to worry about. Nothing but the black smog of the burnt gun powder, that came of the guns.
It was as if he James Henry Jr. was the last person thing alive. james walked the road for many miles until he stumbled on a device that looked oddly like a rock, but he could not be sure. he pushed a button and ZAP!

Date: Tuesday March 19th 2010
Time 2:40 PM
Place London, England

James found himself in the same place that he started from, only it looked newer. There were skyscrapers as tall a hundred suburban houses put together. Oh well it must me my imagination. He moved on. The place that he called home was up ahead. It was a really a building that had been destroyed by bombs during the war. He soon came to a building that looked like his, but it was some how different, in a way that he could not put his finger on. It had been repaired of course and painted white, had doors of glass, but there was more to it than that. He looked down at his shoes. His clothes were different.
A man rushed out of the building, and said quickly, "The meeting was suposed to be started already. But because you were late, we were late to start."
"But, but," James said.
"No buts," said the man who had come out of the building. "Lets go," he said pulling his arm.
"Ouch!" James said. "My name is James Henry."
"No matter," said the man.
"let go," said James "I came from the year 1945. What year is this?"
"This is 2010," said the man urgently pulling on his arm. "I come from the year 1920, but still they don't believe me."
"But I..." he was hauled on to an elevator. he thought, I wonder if I will ever get home.
They entered the meeting room, and greeting them was a jumble of noise. "Welcome to the meeting," the man at the head of the table said. "My name is Phil Smith. Sit down and enjoy one of our doughnuts, and some coffee."
James found a seat and happily enjoyed a Boston cream, one of his favorites, it hit the spot because he was starving. When the meeting ended he left the building and he immediately found the time remote, and pushed the button on it. ZAP!


Date: Tuesday March 19th. 1945
Time 2:50 PM
Place London, England

He returned to the destroyed building, knowing that one day it would be inhabited by people again.



NOTHING IS NEW AGAIN
Robert Jahns

The Beamer office building rose majestically over San Francisco’s skyline. The owners insisted that recycled steel beams be used in construction. Bright steel and blackened glass captured the bright September day’s light. It was 9:00 a.m. A thousand workers were there this Tuesday.

FLOOR 74. Hal sat at his desk, searching for a clue to solve that elusive program problem. His mind drifted toward his stray thoughts. His eyes slowly, quietly closed.

FLOOR 35. Alice was a good manager, perhaps with too much dedication to her people. Promoted to the job she always wanted, her task was now to cut the staff by ten per cent. Tears fell as she reviewed the hefty list before her. She lowered her head to the desk, cried,then dozed off.

LOBBY LEVEL. Sammy O’Neal was not an educated man. He knew how to work hard and his bosses were pleased. After an hour’s fight with an ancient floor buffer, Sammy stopped for a short rest. He sat heavily into a wooden chair, slowly pouring his coffee. He slept peacefully.

First was heard a low and constant rumble.

Was this an earthquake? Was the city falling into the ocean?

No one knew for sure until the planes hit the tower.

Then, they too slept.

Mine!
By Jeffrey Hite

"Geeez Susan, I'm sorry I was late," Neil said walking to her office. She signaled for him to close the door. "The directions that they gave out on Friday were horrible and I got lost. But I was only fifteen minutes late, I didn't think that warranted a closed door meeting."
"Come on Neil, you know that is not what this is about. I wanted to show off my new office." She stood and spread her arms "Look I can't touch both walls at the same time."
"It is pretty big."
"And look at this view," She said turning around to face the window. "How is your office?"
"Not as nice as this one, but much better than that rat hole they had me in in our old place." They watched the ducks in the pond out the windows for a few minutes.
"Neil, since you have a guilty conscience I do have a problem for you to work on."
"Susan, you know my work load."
"It is not a big deal, just something I want you to look into when you have a few spare moments."
"Alright, so what is this little project you want me to do?"
"Simple, my desk lamp is missing."
"Oh come on Susan..."
"Now wait a minute," She interrupted his protest. "It is not the only thing. The C.E.O's favorite coffee cup, and a few other people have reported things missing."
"You know those things could have just been lost in the move."
"Well that is where this starts to get weird, they were all here yesterday when the management team and I moved in. I talked to the Custodian this morning, and he said that the things might be in the mine. I don't have the slightest clue what he is talking about, and well, I know you are into the weird stuff."
"You know just because I have a suit of armor and go to the renaissance festivals, does not really make me into the weird stuff, but fine. What is it you want me to do?"
"Simple, talk to the custodian, find out what he is talking about and get our stuff back."
"Fine. Sounds like fun." The phone rang and he showed himself out of the office.
He made his way back to his office mumbling the whole way. "How do I get myself into these things. I don't even know how the heck to find the custodian." But he knew that if he didn't do what Susan had asked there would be hell to pay. He turned his computer on and watched the emails spawn in his inbox.
Hours later as he made his way out of the building he remembered Susan's tasking. He spun around and tried the door, but it had already locked.
"You forget your key?" The muffled voice of the older man in coveralls came to him from behind the glass doors.
He had forgotten about the passkey to get into the door. So he nodded. The old man opened the door and let him in.
"Are you the building custodian by chance?"
"That would be me, name's Bob," he said holding out his hand. Neil took it. It was rough and showed the signs of a life of manual labor.
"Neil."
"What can I do you for Neil?"
"My boss, Susan said that some things were missing from our new office, I think she talked to you this morning about it."
"Ah yes, that is one pretty lady," the older man said wistfully.
"Well she wanted me to get the things that were missing back from you."
"Oh, I ain't got them. They're down in the mine."
"Well, can you take me down there so that I can get them?"
"I tried to explain to your boss this morning, that ain't gonna work. You can take them back, but once the are down in the mine they will stay there."
"What are you talking about?"
"It happens some times with these new buildings especially when they get to be a couple of years old. See, they are like little kids. They take things that catch thier attention."
"A building can't do anything like that. A building is made of steel and concrete. It can't take things."
"Suit yourself. You believe what you want to believe. What do I know, I am just the custodian,' he said mumbling and shaking his head.
"Look, just take me to this mine and let me get our stuff back."
"It won't do you no good."
"It's our stuff."
"Fine. Follow me." He lead the way down several sets of stairs to the sub basement.
Finally they stood, in a dark corner of. Before them was a small collection of things, arranged neatly on the floor. Above the items was the word 'mine' scrawled on the wall.
"There, that is my boss's lamp and the C.E.O.'s coffee cup."
"Look, I'm telling you that is a bad idea. You can take those thing, but she might get upset. It would be better to just go get yourself a couple of replacements. I ain't never seen one that was this possessive. She's got herself a temper."
Neil ignored him and walked back up to their offices. He put the desk lamp on Susan's desk and the coffee cup in the kitchen, it looked like it needed to be washed any way.

*****

"Neil I need you to come into my office." Susan's voice came from his phone, but instead of her normal calm, it had a definite edge to it.
"Be right there."
"Come quick!" He set the phone down and walked over to her office in time to hear Susan's scream.
The scene in the office was utter chaos. Paper and furniture were everywhere. The cord of the desk lamp was tangled around Susan's neck and her face was beginning to turn red.
"Help me!' she choked.
"Mine."
"What?"
"Help me! Help me get this thing off me." She scratched at the cord.
"Mine!"
"Who said that?" He looked around for who or what was pulling on the other end of the lamp and strangling his boss.
"Mine! Mine!" He managed the get his pocket knife out and cut the cord.
"What the heck is going on here?"
"The lamp, it started to fall off my desk," she said through shallow gasps. "I tried to grab it, but then the cord got wrapped around my neck."
"Did you hear that?"
"What?"
"The voice, it kept saying, mine."
"What are you talking about?"
"Never mind I better go check on Bill." He rushed out of her office and down the hall to the executive suite.
Bill's receptions smiled a greeting until he rushed past her.
"Wait you can't go in..." That was all she got out before he opened the door.
Bill was laying face up on the floor with a mark the shape of a coffee cup on his forehead. The cup lay broken on the floor next to him.
"Mine," the voice sobbed. "Mine, mine, mine."

*****
Neil walked out next to the stretcher with Susan on it. As the walked across the lobby, Bob came up to them.
"I told you to leave it alone. She has got one heck of a temper. And being two she thinks everything belongs to her."
"Mine," Neil whispered.