Imagine Credit Pixabay.com
Contest Specifications:
Your mission, if you choose to take it, is to write a short story of 1000+ words (no longer than 3000 words). Write it including the following 3 prompts: #1 it is the year 2189 your protagonist wakes up in a parallel reality where neither the second world war or the Russian revolution happened how does this impact this reality the protagonist finds themself in. What does this mean for the protagonist ? #2 a medium with a crystal ball #3 the story must include the sentence - “the food she cooked was so bad not even the dog would eat it, except for her borscht it was to die for ”. Take it from here and let's see where it goes
Special thanks to @tygertyger
For more information about this contest visit:
@tygertyger/tyger-s-electric-dreams-short-story-contest-10-and-winners-of-9-win-sbd
My Entry:
Avraham Levin swept the sidewalk shaking his head at the crowd gathering across the street for the Anthrax concert. An Orthodox Jew since time began all the way down his family line. Only the Nazis had nearly cut down the family tree.
These rebellious pranksters in black made him think of Nazis with their worship of pagan Gods; their T-shirts with skulls and pentagrams resembling the images of skulls and swastikas. However, he had to give them credit for not threatening him.
His black suit might have allowed him to blend in. Only his kippah, payot, and beard would give rise to anger in a neo-Nazi. Yet this crowd of thrash metal rock goers didn’t seem to take much notice of him at all. They just waited in line for the doors to the show to open.
And how late would the Madame Gypsy be open tonight? No one knew. She hoped for a large number of walk-ins from this type of crowd. She looked forward to giving many Tarot Card readings tonight and revealing the futures of people in her crystal ball.
So because of the Anthrax concert that would bring a large crowd, Madame Gypsy had asked Avraham Levin to help her around the Fortune Telling shop.
Avraham, also knew Madame Gypsy as Yardena Bernbaum.
She happened to be the love of his life. Only her family had not known the distinguished line of Rabbis. Her sort had been belly dancing gypsies. She had always wondered through life, just as her family had always wondered through the years of civilization. Still, he loved her just the same.
He only wanted her to stop this business of hers, and marry him. They could live the American dream.
Once again he proved to be wrapped around her finger. And so he swept the sidewalk in front of the shop without a complaint to God. He just smiled at the motley crew lining up on the sidewalk to get into the concert hall, and tried not to judge them.
333
August, 25th, 2018. The clock said 11:11 PM.
Avraham wished that these two mega death chicks would be the last customers of the night. One of them had just broken up with her boyfriend, or something. Her black mascara in tear stained streaks running down her cheeks. He could see that Madame Gypsy truly enjoyed this moment with these two women excited from an emotional spilt up that just took place across the street at an Anthrax concert.
The crystal ball on Madame Gypsy’s table lit up. She moved her hands around it looking into the poor girl’s future. She and her friend sat mesmerized in the red draped room.
They couldn’t reenter the concert. This mystical séance might take a while.
Avraham sat in a chair away from the table. A man detached from the problems of the female gender of the human species. He allowed his eyes to rest.
333
“The food she cooked was so bad not even the dog would eat it, except for her borscht it was to die for!” And Yardena Bernbaum began to laugh and snort at the punch line she’d just delivered.
The hysterical frenzy enough to jolt Avraham awake again. Only he didn’t recognize his surroundings because the Fortune Telling shop’s interior now illuminated white light like a Progressive commercial. Meaning all the furniture, drapes, walls, and ceiling were there, even the light fixture. Only they were outlined in black as if drawn in place with everything in gothic antique shapes. Only nothing had color. Everything shined a white light.
Avraham patted his chest and ran his hands along his beard. He wore the same clothes as when he fell asleep.
He glanced over at Yardena sitting at her table with the crystal ball. Her clothes had changed into fine black fabric wrapped around her into a fancy dress. Large diamonds laced into a necklace sat on her neck matching the tear drop diamonds dangling from her ear lobes. She smoked a joint.
Yardena, and the other two women stopped their conversation now that Avraham had joined the land of the living.
“Wake up sleepy head.” Yardena said.
“Will somebody please stop the bubble machine?” Avraham joked, still shocked from the immersion in this strange environment.
“Good to see you haven’t lost a since of humor. Girls, will you please excuse my husband and I?”
“We’ve got to get somewhere anyway Madame Gypsy. Thanks for your time.” And the two girls got up from the table and walked out of the room, their style and culture truly unique.
When they were alone, Avraham asked, “where are we?”
“Kiev.” Yardena replied calmly.
“Kiev! You know how I feel about Kiev. My entire family almost got wiped out in the Babi Yar massacre! What are we doing here!”
“It’s OK Avraham, Babi Yar never happened, everything’s fine just relax.” And with a snap of her fingers everything in the room returned to natural colors, deep soothing reds, gold accents, and the soft light from the crystal ball.
“W-what?” Avraham jumped around touching things in the room.
“Just relax babe. It’s how we clean things these days. The furniture, and the walls, and everything else are like cell phone touch screens. You turn everything white to make it easier to clean. Then you can change them into any color or texture you want. It’s a pretty cool development in technology.”
“Development in technology Yardena? We’re in Kiev Yardena? Why did those girls speak English?”
“It’s the global language. Everyone uses Bitcoin too. Don’t be mad.” And Yardena giggled a little.
“Don’t be mad Yardena? What?”
“Let me be gentle about this, and clear. The year is 2189 Avraham.”
“2189?”
“Yes, and there was only one war, the great war, the war to end all wars. You love me Avraham!”
“Yes, I love you Yardena. Only what happened here? I fell asleep when you were talking to those young ladies from the Anthrax concert. We live in Kansas.”
“You’re so cute Avraham. You love me. We will be together forever. Reading Tarot Cards and looking into Crystal Balls doesn’t pay the bills. There’s more to me than meets the eye. And if you love me, and I love you, then all your wishes come true. You don’t have to believe in a self fulfilling prophecy. Do you understand Avraham?”
“No Yardena.” He said as tears began to well in his eyes.
“You love me, and so your family never died in World War II because World War II never happened. It’s a wish of yours. You love me, and so the Russian Revolution never happened and your family married into the nobility. It’s a wish of yours that we could have money to start a family.
Unfortunately, there are some consequences, like who we were never was. It’s easier for us to live in the future with a fortune. No one really knows us, and we can enjoy all society has to offer. If you don’t want this then we should break up. Everything can be as it was.”
“My entire family survived the Halocaust?” Avraham asked.
“Yes silly, because the Halocaust never happened because World War II never happened because you love me and want to spend eternity with me,” said Yardena.
“And Hitler?”
“He was a street graffiti artist in the 1940s that no one has ever seen. Because of Hitler, Banksy became a banker. I have one of Hitler’s paintings hanging over there.”
Avraham walked toward it. He stopped and stared into the brush strokes. The scene: Germans wearing folk clothing in a Bavarian Beer Hall joyfully raising glasses. In the crowd of hand painted characters, Avraham could distinguish the nose thin mustache of the iconic Hitler.
“No one in this future knows what Hitler looked like?”
“Nope. That painting’s worth a lot of money.”
Avraham studied it once again. In the lower right hand corner he could see Hitler’s signature. He pulled the painting from the wall and threw it to the ground, smashing the frame. Avraham then dived down to rip the canvas into shreds while he screamed.
After his manic episode, Avraham stood up to address his wife, and stated, “I still hate him.”
“I know.” Yardena said with a roll of her eyes.
Thank you,
Cyrus Emerson
Red Roses the audiobook for your consideration at the Voice Arts Awards (NYC), and the Grammys (LA). https://www.audible.com/pd/Fiction/Red-Roses-Audiobook/B07F2LWHPN
Red Roses narrated by Kira Omans
www.kiraomans.com
Red Roses music by Rike Luxx
www.rikeluxxbeats.com
Red Roses sound by Pond5
www.pond5.com
Also, available from The Author:
Fear and Loathing in the State of Jefferson - ebook
https://read.amazon.com/kp/embed?asin=B079R5KLPN&preview=newtab&linkCode=kpe&ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_GsURAbAVDYNEM
Lost Angel – Introduction with Ray Manzarek of The Doors
https://www.downpour.com/lost-angel?sp=249812