Stuck in a Memory

By William Propsner

It was ten at night, and he sat sleeping in his soft recliner. An old mystery magazine lay on his lap while the breeze was quietly turning its pages from the open window. Thomas Williams did not have to report to work today because his boss told him to take a vacation. He had noticed that Thomas had been working long hours and filling in for other workers without being on the clock. He knew that Thomas was one of his most loyal workers.

*

“Tom, you have got to stop working on your own time. You’ve done enough, and I’m proud of you. You have been with me for many years, and I don’t want to lose you to exhaustion. So I’m ordering you to take a few days off. Relax, go home and forget about work for a while. We have you covered here, my friend.” Mr Anson was a good boss. Thomas knew him before he began working for him. “Thanks, Mark, I guess I have been overdoing it, I’ll take a few days, thanks.” Thomas clocked out and went home.

*

Thomas lived in a small, modest cabin next to a large lake. He had built it a few years ago after selling nearly everything he owned. He wanted to get back to nature, take it slow. He kept his motorcycle as it was easier on gas. He was only a few miles from work, so it would be a short ride rain or shine.

*

Tonight, Thomas was dreaming of a visitor that appeared at his cabin last year. He was about to go to bed for the night when he heard scratching at his cabin door. He rarely had visitors, and he wasn’t expecting anyone. Upon opening the door, there stood a short being barely three feet tall. Before he could say anything, he passed out. The only thing he saw before he passed out was the being holding some sort of weapon, and when he stuck out his arm, he saw a bright flash then passed out.

*

When Thomas awakened the following morning, he was lying in his bed, and he had a spot of blood on his chest. He quickly got out of bed and ran to his front door and opened it. There was no sign of the being that was there the night before.  The only thing different was the spot of blood on his chest, which he could not explain. He looked in the mirror and saw no wound. There was no wound anywhere on his body for that matter. He was confused.

*

Thomas looked at the calendar and saw that it was Monday. He saw by the clock that he had only one hour to start his shift at his job. He shrugged off the night before as a bad dream and readied himself for work.

*

“Tom, you have got to stop working on your own time. You’ve done enough, and I’m proud of you. You have been with me for many years, and I don’t want to lose you to exhaustion. So I’m ordering you to take a few days off. Relax, go home and forget about work for a while. We have you covered here, my friend.”

Mr. Anson was a good boss. Thomas knew him before he began working for him. “Thanks, Mark, I guess I have been overdoing it, I’ll take a few days, thanks.” Thomas clocked out and went home.

*

Thomas instantly thought something was not right. He felt that he already had this conversation with his boss. He couldn’t be having it again. “Maybe it’s just deja-vu,” he thought. Thomas left his job and went home. He was still a little confused. Later that night, Thomas fell asleep on his recliner after a late dinner alone.

*

Thomas was dreaming of a visitor that appeared at his cabin last year. He was about to go to bed for the night when he heard scratching at his cabin door. He rarely had visitors, and he wasn’t expecting anyone. Upon opening the door, there stood a short being barely three feet tall. Before he could say anything, he passed out. The only thing he saw before he passed out was the being holding some sort of weapon, and when he stuck out his arm, he saw a bright flash then passed out.

*

Thomas woke with a start. “What the hell is going on! That wasn’t a dream!” Thomas decided to do some searching around his cabin instead of going to back to bed.

*

He opened his front door and looked out over the lake before stepping off the porch. That is when he saw it. There, sitting on the water, was a circular craft. And walking up from the shore was a short being with something in his hand.

*

The being spoke to Thomas: “Agent Thomas, we received your transmission, are you ready to go back home, your work on Earth is completed.”

*

Thomas smiled, “Yes, these humans are strange creatures. Worthy of more study.”

Thomas and the short being walked from the cabin to the craft on the lake. That would not be the last time Thomas would be on Earth.

- Total nr. of readings: 3,474 Copyright © The author [2020] All Rights Reserved. This story may not be reproduced without the express written permission of the author except for personal use.