Best Friends

By A. Nation

A short story when Alex Blackhawk was young. This is a prequel to Deflection, A Race Against Time. In this story, he has a magic amulet that saves him and his friend from a couple of bullies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A. Nation
• Release date: Aug 1, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393560524

A. Nation

I have always enjoyed reading science fiction and mysteries because I am interested in future science and puzzle solving. I write about stories of the future that mimic today's social issues. Issues such as greed, retribution, prejudice, political corruption, and what the future could become are some of the concepts I use to illustrate a moral result.What motivates me? A story I may read in the newspaper, political idiocy, a situation that happened in history, or just anything that I can twist the perspective around. I travel the west with my husband and read about the small towns of the USA as we drive through them.

Book preview

School

Young children in the twenty-fifth century obtained their school homework from online computer classes. After two pandemics and a depression since 2020, educators determined children learned more from their required online studies. If they needed help, virual teachers could answer their questions.

However, once a month, Alex and his friends are required to attend a physical classroom for testing what they have studied and upload new classes to their tablets. His father, Gerald Blackhawk, who runs a tourist gift store in town, would pick up Alex’s friend on the way to the school.

He slowed his air car as he pulled into George Wolf’s graveled driveway. The hydraulic system left out a whoosh of air, allowing the wheels underneath to extend to the ground. Frank and his father exited their home and approached Gerald’s car. George always wore overalls for his work running a horse ranch. Today he wore a denim shirt underneath. Frank, dressed for school, carried his backpack over his shoulder.

Hi, George. Looks like another sunny day, Gerald said, leaning out his vehicle window.

It’s always a sunny day in Arizona, George said, looping his thumbs behind his overall straps.

Alex pressed the auto door button on the center console to Open. Frank reached for the side handgrip and hoisted himself into the car. He settled into the seat beside Alex, who pressed the button again, closing the sliding door.

Yeah, I have a buyer coming today, George said.

That’s great. The sorrel or the Appaloosa?

The Appaloosa. Pretty isn’t he?

Gerald nodded as he gazed across George’s yard to the fence line. The white and black horse shook his mane.

I hope you got a good price for him, Gerald inquired.

I did. Maybe now I can buy a new truck, George said, grinning.

Well, I better get these boys to school, Gerald said, aiming his thumb toward the boys.

George stood back