The Lives Through Time Collection: Short Stories

By Richard H. Greenway

- The Power: After being offered a salaried position at a glass company in New Mexico. Kevin Snoggrass is just looking to begin his life anew when one morning he wakes to find the people of his neighborhood have gone dangerously mad. Now he must find help as he tries to reason why the quiet community of people he choose to start his life in has suddenly become violent.
- Job: Mark Waterstone is an Architect that has lived longer than he ever thought he would've, but the job was just too enticing to pass up. Now he's moving on from that position and wants to tell people about the job he once had. If you're interested, let Mark tell you about the job, and the reason why he's leaving the position, so you can fill it if you'd like.
- Rings: Jeff Matherson is a recent college graduate that's had an idea about the earth's magnetic fields, near the North Pole, for so long, he couldn't wait to turn his dream into reality anymore. His funding secured, he conducts his experiments one tedious try at a time. When a result finally surfaces, he attempts to expand on it and finds the new test method throws him somewhere else.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Richard H. Greenway
• Release date: May 25, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223859062

Richard H. Greenway

Richard is a first time published author that has had a dream, as many have had, to be a published author since his youth. All his work was written in his youth and not released until now, because he finally realized that a dream will always be a dream until it is made to be real by taking a chance. So he's released this creative work to be bold, and hopes others enjoy reading the work as much he has had creating it.

Book preview

Power Upon The Touch

My eyes opened to blurry shapes on the nightstand next to my bed as my mind processed the disorientation of sleep and reality. Within the time it took for a few hard blinks. The enviable consciousness of awakening soon allowed those out of focus shapes to fade into reality like clouds clearing after a summer rain. Then a feeling came over me, as though my evening slumber wasn't as fulfilling as a night's rest should be, that the REM which normally took me to another space and time, had never come. Though the feeling was unusual it, by no means, was uncommon for me. I have had it before, as I'm sure many people have. However, in some strange twist it felt too abnormal to just be something that was common this particular time. But as troubling as it seemed, I felt reasonably sure there would be a repeat of this feeling in the future, and pondering on that possibility now would only allow the feeling to linger.

The reasoning, I convinced myself to accept, made the feeling fade a little quicker. I could never really be sure of why it fell on me, but I could only guess that it had to do with me not being tired enough for my subconscious to release those surreal images. That the lack of this dream sleep was caused by me feeling so stable in my life, and there was no need for my psyche to express itself.

My new job is what gave me that sense of stability. It's a job that was offered to me, over the phone, that just sounded too good to bypass. Mister Kevin Snoggrass, through the phone receiver the president of 'All Purpose Glass' enthusiastically said, I would like very much for you to come work for me in my small company.

Now, I've never considered myself to be superstitious, but the offer did come on the summer solstice, I'd never been to New Mexico, though dreamed of visiting it a time or two. And with the monthly salary that was locked in, it would allow me to make payments toward my own house, put a little aside for a comfortable retirement, and also have enough for a little rainy day fund. On top of that, the offer included a month's pay in advance and the personal use of a new company car. With such good fortune, and an incredible offer, how could I, or anyone, have seen this as anything other than a good sign? Of course, I would've liked a little more time to get settled in before I had to start work, but with the way I'd been treated, with the exception of the company representative upon my arrival at the airport terminal, since I got here, I really had nothing concrete to complain about.

Thinking back on the day I arrived. I still remember those first steps off the plane and thinking, 'If this is as hot as it gets, after hearing a pot full of horror stories about the unbearable heat, then summer will be a dream'. It was mid-morning, June twenty-fifth, eighty degrees, and not a cloud in a sky that was as blue as the deep ocean. The unexpected daydreaming almost made me forget someone was to meet me at the airport. Maybe that distraction, which caused my delay in getting to the terminal, was the reason I got the less than warm greeting.

The company representative, with brown hair, thick black rimed glasses, and wearing a shirt with the company logo, met me at the terminal holding a large white card with my name written in large blue letters. He wasn't forthcoming with information to my questions about the town, or even the company's locale. He just gave me a shiny car key with a short note where the car was parked, the address to a realty agent, a big forced smile of courtesy, and pointed me in the general direction to the city. Really, as I look back on it now, it was all a comical event. Even though at the time, I was a little upset over the unfolding circumstances, but I now see that while he did it all, he remained polite and respectful.

It was a new, two-tone, black and gray fifty-two Ford that was bestowed on me, and using a map I bought at the airport newsstand, I didn't have much trouble finding my way around. When I entered the town, I felt proud and very important as I gradually noticed that there weren't very many fifty-two models of this, or any other makes of cars, around. I had been placed in a very small class of town folk.

I reached the realty agent's office in a short time, and was a little surprised that Sara, my beautiful red haired agent, was not only expecting me, but had already picked out three houses for me to look over. All three were very nice, and of good design. However, the first one was the only house with anyone living near it. I'm pretty much a loner, but even I must concede that in a case of emergency. It would make sense to have someone close by to assist with a problem.

That all transpired a month ago and I've been able to completely furnish the house, get to know some of my neighbors, and, through them, learn the location of all the entertainment spots. Information that I'm sure is accurate, but since I came to this new place, and started my new life, I've had little time to do anything else other than get myself settled. Although, now that I've started this second month of this new life. It was time to treat myself to some much deserved leisure.

Today is my first day off of a three day weekend, and I plan to start it by spending the entire morning in the park. There was no way I would go, or stay, any later than one o'clock. A practical fact I learned in the last month. Afternoons get mighty hot this time of year. Of course a morning isn't a lot of time to socialize, and I wasn't sure what, or who, I would encounter there. I just had to get out and