This choice: what if I were young again • Go Back...Chapter #4A Typical Wish by: Kilbil   Marcus stared at the draft he had written on his laptop. A stray hand passed over his salt-and-pepper hair, which was combed back in a lazy side part. Heavy-set burgundy eyes stared intensely at the screen, framed on top of a broad, well-built nose and a short, bushy mustache. This was one of the few opportunities he had to express himself. He needed to make sure he got his words out just right before he posted this on Reddit.
He settled into his reclining armchair and felt his neck scream in protest. For him, wishing to be young wasn't necessarily out of regret or a desire to be in a younger body. His childhood had been relatively unremarkable, with little in the way of highs and lows to speak of. All of the big events and achievements of his life happened when he'd gotten in the grove as a responsible, mature adult. In terms of long-term bets, making his living as an AI Engineer for various automobile companies around the world had turned out to be one of the smartest investments he'd made.
Compared to many other people, he had very little in life to really look back on and think, "I wish I could have done this differently" or "I wish I was too small to reach the kitchen counter again." He'd lived a good life, gotten married to a beautiful wife, worked his way to affording picturesque white house situated right by the lakeside for them to paddle boat in, all with no debts to speak of. Their two boys were off to college, and their futures were more or less secured thanks to the scholarships and future employment opportunities they'd managed to get. Everything was as it should, with no reason to feel regret or sorrow.
Still, Marcus felt he earned the right to indulge in the universal desire all men harbored at one point or another - to fight against the ravages of time, and to not have to bear the burden of possessing a mind that would only get slower with time. A brain like his was one that was set in its ways, only going along the tired tracks that had been laid before it. Sure, he'd done quite a bit to make sure his mind stayed active, but nothing beat being able respond to stimuli in an active, dynamic manner the way a young'in could.
Besides... maybe it was worth going back, if only for the chance to see his brother again...
"You're thinking about George again, are you?"
Marcus' wife came from behind, caressing his tired, worn shoulders. Her fingers were as firm and gentle as always, even as there were signs of wear showing at the sides of her red gloss fingernails. Susan always had a bad habit of divining exactly what he was thinking at any given moment. Looks like today was going to be no exception.
"You got me." the old man admitted with a chuckle. "I don't have any regrets, per se, but I still keep thinking about him struggling in the river. Like, I should've warned him about the soft ground on the path. Or heck, maybe if I'd been a bit nimbler or stronger, I could've, I dunno, pulled him out in time. I guess what I'm saying is, I wouldn't mind turning back the clock a bit, one way or the other, if only for his sake."
"Oh, Marcus." Susan coiled a finger around one of her husband's hairs. "I know you miss him, but sometimes, we have to accept the past as it is."
"I know that. Just can't help but wonder, is all."
Just then, the doorbell rang. The tinny sound of three church bells chiming reverberated through the grand hall of the living room, jolting the couple out of their musings. Susan sighed and went towards the door, opening with the expectation that she would have to fight off the usual door-to-door insurance solicitors that had become more common. To her surprise, she instead found herself picking up a medium-sized brown package that had been left on the front porch. There was no return address that she could find anywhere on all six sides; the only feature to speak of on the box was the shipping label.
"Honey, did you happen to order anything online?" Susan called out.
"No." Marcus replied, turning off his laptop and walking up to his wife. "Why do you ask?"
"This package is registered to our address." She turned around the package a few more times before deciding, "I'll go throw it away."
"Hold on." Her husband gently gripped her arm. "Hear me out. We might as well see what's inside first before doing anything else."
"Marcus, we don't even know where this came from. What if it's dangerous?"
"I doubt anyone's looking to poison us with Anthrax." Marcus paused for a moment before quickly adding. "Not that you don't have a point. I just want to make sure that we're not throwing away contraband for the police to find. Then we can think about what to do with the package."
Susan frowned a bit. She didn't know what he was thinking, deciding that they needed to open some strange package just to see what was inside, like he was opening up a Kinder Egg he found on the sidewalk. It was reckless, and not at all like the cautious, indecisive man she married. Still, she knew her husband well enough to trust his judgment for now. "Alright." she sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing."
"Don't worry, sweetie." Marcus replied as his wife handed over the package. "I promise that nothing bad will happen."
With that, he went to the garage and scourged around for a box cutter, then slowly sliced away the tape holding the package together. Unwrapping the multiple layers of bubble wrap, he saw that a strange looking green jewel was resting at the bottom. It had the shape of an oval with the extended ends sharpened into fine points, polished to such a fine sheen that he could see his reflection on the surface. The gemstone rested on top of a golden tinsel frame, with tiny diamonds embossed all along the sides.
"Huh." Marcus stared down at the jewel with a perplexed look on his face.
"It looks... fine." Susan tentatively added, wearily observing the green mineral. "I'd say this was a gift for someone else, but the package specifically mentioned our address..."
Unconsciously, Marcus reached down to lift the gemstone up for closer inspection. However, the second he made contact with the jewel, a brilliant shine engulfed the man, and before he knew it, everything went white.   indicates the next chapter needs to be written. |
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