Almost 500 Words....
Some flash-fiction I wrote in the cube...
Three roommates had just pooled their funds to buy a brand new Magnavox 500 AM/FM hi-fi receiver for their small lower east side apartment. The place was a four story walk up in a decent neighborhood that had a new Frigidaire and a gas range. As modern conveniences went the radio was a needed addition and it was a wondrous bit of technology. It was beautiful with a mahogany finish, beige speakers and onyx colored knobs for volume, tuning, loudness and bass/treble. The quick talking salesman at P.C. Richard and Son had assured them that the set would pick up NBC, CBS and even Dupont and that due to the quality and clarity if they listened to broadcasts from Radio City they’d think Glenn Miller and his band was right in the parlor with them. When they got it home the three had compromised on what program they would listen to first. The Jack Benny program was a favorite but so was The Shadow and X-minus One and of course they all aired at the same time. So, following a completely scientific method of elimination utilizing a rock, paper and scissors the three choices of comedy, detective story and science fiction were reduced to one. The three would sit and enjoy Jack Benny’s comedic styling on the National Broadcast Company’s station. Though two out of three roommates had not chosen Mr. Benny’s program they did admit that it would be a well received break from reality. What with the Japs bombing Pearl and the Krout’s making like Genghis Khan all over Europe a bit of comedy was necessary. When Jack Benny came on the three sat around the radio lounging in cheap folding chairs, each man with a lit Lucky Strike and a bottle of Miller High Life. They laughed at the antics all the while making side comments to each other until suddenly the show was interrupted by a high pitched chime like sound. The roommates looked at each other and one turned the radio off. The chime sounded again just as the tallest of them went to the kitchen and retrieved a leather attaché case. They huddled around as he opened the bag, pulled a black rectangular object from inside and placed it on the coffee table. He pressed a small button to open it as one of the men made a comment about Sony making cheap laptops and Toshiba being more suited to this manner of work. When the system booted and passwords were entered their assignment popped up on the screen. The general consensus after reading the document was that the mission was a whopper, they’d discuss it after Jack Benny and a few more Miller’s and that beyond the shadow of a doubt time travel was never without a dull moment.
Three roommates had just pooled their funds to buy a brand new Magnavox 500 AM/FM hi-fi receiver for their small lower east side apartment. The place was a four story walk up in a decent neighborhood that had a new Frigidaire and a gas range. As modern conveniences went the radio was a needed addition and it was a wondrous bit of technology. It was beautiful with a mahogany finish, beige speakers and onyx colored knobs for volume, tuning, loudness and bass/treble. The quick talking salesman at P.C. Richard and Son had assured them that the set would pick up NBC, CBS and even Dupont and that due to the quality and clarity if they listened to broadcasts from Radio City they’d think Glenn Miller and his band was right in the parlor with them. When they got it home the three had compromised on what program they would listen to first. The Jack Benny program was a favorite but so was The Shadow and X-minus One and of course they all aired at the same time. So, following a completely scientific method of elimination utilizing a rock, paper and scissors the three choices of comedy, detective story and science fiction were reduced to one. The three would sit and enjoy Jack Benny’s comedic styling on the National Broadcast Company’s station. Though two out of three roommates had not chosen Mr. Benny’s program they did admit that it would be a well received break from reality. What with the Japs bombing Pearl and the Krout’s making like Genghis Khan all over Europe a bit of comedy was necessary. When Jack Benny came on the three sat around the radio lounging in cheap folding chairs, each man with a lit Lucky Strike and a bottle of Miller High Life. They laughed at the antics all the while making side comments to each other until suddenly the show was interrupted by a high pitched chime like sound. The roommates looked at each other and one turned the radio off. The chime sounded again just as the tallest of them went to the kitchen and retrieved a leather attaché case. They huddled around as he opened the bag, pulled a black rectangular object from inside and placed it on the coffee table. He pressed a small button to open it as one of the men made a comment about Sony making cheap laptops and Toshiba being more suited to this manner of work. When the system booted and passwords were entered their assignment popped up on the screen. The general consensus after reading the document was that the mission was a whopper, they’d discuss it after Jack Benny and a few more Miller’s and that beyond the shadow of a doubt time travel was never without a dull moment.
Labels: flash fiction, time travel
posted by A Quiet Demagogue at 2:51 PM
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