The Longbourne Place

By Jim Walker

This book contains three short stories/fiction. One is a dream, one is a detective story, and one is a bulletin for a missing person.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: May 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781796098600

Jim Walker

Most of my writing centers around the West Coast of Canada, my love for the Rockies and travel. My books reflect the unusual and the exciting one can discover each and every day.

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Copyright © 2020 by Jim Walker.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 06/10/2020

Xlibris

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Author’s note

The following three stories were written before the coronavirus pandemic hit us. They also precede the social unrest that is occurring due to the systemic racism that has re-revealed itself in America. But, in an indirect and comic way, I do believe the stories relate to what America has always been dealing with; that is a heart in conflict with itself.

I hope you find these stories interesting and of value.

For Mom and Dad and brothers Bob, Dick and Bill

Contents

Molly’s Dream

The Longbourne Place

Ode on a Door

Molly’s Dream

1

She’s Asleep

She’s asleep.

2

Am Not

I am not asleep. I simply have my head down, relaxing. It’s dark anyway. Who cares? Plus I’ve seen this video last year in sixth grade in Sister Martha’s class, The Greek Gods. This is where Zeus keeps coming into the cafeteria and tries to wake me up as I lie on a cafeteria table. But he can’t. My friends, Bill and Al, are there. Such good friends.

Aphrodite, Zeus’s latest wife, has been there all along. I can’t remember when she wasn’t there. She looks at my sleeping body like the sea looks at a pelican. Zeus comes in the cafeteria through the swinging doors that lead to the kitchen. He pauses then goes back into the kitchen. He comes in and goes out, comes in and goes out. Every time he enters the cafeteria lights flicker and become lightning and the room rumbles thunder. The walls shake. There are a lot of gawking kids outside in the hall to my left, scared, full of desire, not sure where they are. I would like to help them but I have my own problems, being asleep and all. Bill and Al, at least, are in the cafeteria with me. They are wary of Zeus storming in and out but they also feel lucky to be in the room and not in the gray hall.

Aphrodite tells Zeus to stop moving back and forth.

Everything is in turmoil when you are in turmoil.

Zeus stops in front of the Kevin Garnett milk moustache poster. Of course, everything is in turmoil. I’m Zeus.

You’re not helping anything.

But why won’t she wake up?

She’s seen the movie before, ventures Bill.

Yeah, we all saw it last year in Sister Martha’s class, says Al.

Zeus turns toward them like a giant crane. Bill and Al back up trying hard to blend into the cafeteria wall, which now looks like a jungle. Zeus’s nose should be pointed at them but it is crooked from too many fights with chaos.

Just stay still and we’ll solve all that needs to be solved, says Aphrodite. Her voice reminds me of the rising tide underneath a pier.

I’ll wake her up. Al jumps from the wall. Hey, Molly! He puts his hands underneath my ribs and shakes me. Hey Molly! Bl, bl, bl! La, la, la! Blak, blak! Pth!

I don’t wake up. But because of his spit there is a brief rainbow above my head. Al pauses for a second and looks at me then saunters back to the wall with Bill. I hear him mumble, Bitch.

You’re an idiot, says Zeus.

Al’s natural reaction is to make a smart-ass remark, but instead he raises his eyebrows with a slight smile and sits next to Bill against the wall.

If she were mortal like you peons it would be fine. But she is my child so she is half god.

And half Leda, says Aphrodite, or thinks, I’m not sure which.

Because she is a goddess she is capable of creating worlds in her sleep that I am not aware of. If other worlds are created that I am not aware of I cease to be omnipotent. Hence I cease to exist and chaos becomes all again.

Al and Bill have lost interest and are not listening to Zeus.

Zeus leaves then comes back again.

Every time I come back she is still asleep. I don’t have enough energy to keep re-creating myself. He turns to Bill and Al, You two!

Bill and Al are thumb wrestling next to the jungle wall. Bill looks up and Al pins Bill’s thumb then jumps up toward Zeus.

Yes, Your Everything…ness.

The next time I return, she will be awake or all three of you will die.

Zeus leaves through the swinging kitchen doors.

Al scratches his ear as Bill comes to his side. Al says, That’s harsh.

Aphrodite has put on an apron and looks more like Helen Clark, the school cook.

You kids get out of here. It’s not even close to lunch yet.

Al and Bill grab me, hold their breath, and carry me across the gray hall of chaos to the auditorium, down to the front row in front of the stage, and prop me up in seat 3A.

3

Front Row Seat

(Long shot of BILL and AL setting MOLLY down in the front row of the school auditorium. Medium shot. The BOYS look around furtively trying to figure out THEIR next move.)

BILL

I forget what we were doing here.

AL

We got to kill Molly.

BILL

Wait a minute. I thought we were going to wake her up and save her.

AL

Save her, kill her, one of those. All I remember is that Zeus is going to kill us if we don’t do something.

BILL

Look at her. Isn’t she beautiful?

AL

Yeah. We should feel her up while she’s conked out.

BILL

Gaa! We’re not feeling her up. She’s our friend.

AL

Exactly. As a friend wouldn’t she want us to be happy before we died?

BILL

We’re not feeling her up.

AL

Yeah. Well, I don’t care. I got a little side boob carrying her in and it wasn’t much.

(THE ACTION CHANGES.)

4

Watching Herself

Molly watches herself and her two friends as she sleeps. She loves them both but is attracted to Al, who is the bad boy of the two. Yet he is bad